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Downsizing, how far will you go?

klaviator said:
I have 5 bikes, a truck and my wife's SUV. Tags are relatively cheap in Alabama but we also pay an annual Ad Velorum tax. I paid all that a couple of weeks ago and the total for all those vehicles was around 450 bucks. My Kymco scooter was under $20 for tag and tax. Small inexpensive bikes don't have much tax. My truck is old so the tax on that is under $5. We don't have inspections here so that save a lot of time and money.

Insurance on my small bikes is also dirt cheap. I'm pretty sure the insurance on all 5 bikes is less than it would be on one high performance motorcycle.

The cost of tires is also much less for my small bikes. I can replace the tires on all of my three smallest bikes for less than one set of tires for my Versys.
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Insurance prices seem to be totally random past ten years so.


I bought a 2016 FZ07 new and Progressive wanted $1300/yr. Nope! Dairyland hooked me up with $250/yr which I still thought was expensive.

A few years later I trade the 07 for an 09 and the price drops to $225. I'm not complaining.

Last week my insurance bill for the FZ 09 shows up. $670/year. Um...why?

Called around and I'm back with Progressive now. Still a full coverage policy, but $157/year. I'm convinced that none of the pricing is related to real life metrics anywhere. It's a "let's double the price and see if he's a bitch and will just pay it"
 
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AwDang said:
Liquor cycles, no insurance, no inspection, no problem!
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In some states...yess! And in SC a 2003 CPI Xpeed shut down more bikes than any I have owned ugh.. maybe drzsm. 50cc was the closest I ever came to loosimg my liscense. Dam thing wheelied and jumped more than my dualsports on th street. That is why I find this comical. I lit up 1st today on the strom but my bucket kist bike is a D5 tomos
 
Some people want fast cruising on highways often with pillion and luggage, this needs power and thus bigger bikes typically heavier and ungainly in off road or technical riding. Going naked takes power too in such cases , its a case of if thats what you want to do downsizing might not be an option for you and even if it is it will be more of a compromise.
If you are threading through the boon docks and you avoid the highways like the plague , then you are open to a lot more options to downsize and in reality situation dependent anything from 50cc to 400cc should sufice and if you keep weights 300 ish LBS or less a 500 or 600 might still be in your options, and might be a good option if you have a pillion and loads often.
You can have an adventure on anything and pretty much anyware and any distance look at walter muma on his french mobylette moped to alaska and all the ausie postie bike tours for evidence of this.
 
Fans of big engines can stop worrying. Manufacturers keep making engines bigger. BMW is rumored to be about to release GS 1300, KTM a 1390. I've ridden the corresponding 1250 and 1290. The comfort is unprecedented, the power is incredible, the price is staggering, the weight is glossed over.
 
Amos Malone said:
Fans of big engines can stop worrying. Manufacturers keep making engines bigger. BMW is rumored to be about to release GS 1300, KTM a 1390. I've ridden the corresponding 1250 and 1290. The comfort is unprecedented, the power is
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BMW do a 1600cc six cylinder gt i think its called, and dont forget the 1800 cruiser they do . At least the 1800cruiser looks like a motorcycle agreed a big one.
 
Triumph Rocket III is something like 2,3 liters and over 1/3 of a ton. I was more thinking about the cc creep of current models. From the top of my head I cannot think of a single model that has reduced engine displacement from year to year. Ever. I could name cars, but not motorcycles. I'm sure someone will remember at least one motorcycle. Anyone accept the challenge of naming one model that has had cc reduction from year to year? :)

[UWSL]In another forum (mostly european riders) there has been a popular discussion about downsizing. Most there agree on 250 being plenty for all adventures, and more than enough to have fun with. One member has covered tens of thousands of miles in the last few years, only counting trips that require sleepover. None of his bikes are bigger than 125cc. [/UWSL]

[UWSL]Those big bikes are awesome. They will sell. For the last decade BMW GS1250 (and predecessors) have been the most sold bike in the Netherlands, usually with all options applied, and half the Touratech catalog added to the top. But like the Harleys of old they tend to disappear into air conditioned garages, where the Klim gear and Schuberth helmets hang above them, unused, while the owner works in his/her office, and dreams about travels. [/UWSL]
 
Dont forget boss hoss. There are few big block bikes out there. Ha...over 3x the displacement of a rocket 3
 
boomsling said:
Biggest bike I've had is an HD Street Glide. Last street bike was R1200R. On dirtbikes right now. Next street bike will be XSR 900 or some other naked. Gradually downsizing.
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Update. ‘23 SV650 abs.
IMG_3299.jpeg
 
Amos Malone said:
Triumph Rocket III is something like 2,3 liters and over 1/3 of a ton. I was more thinking about the cc creep of current models. From the top of my head I cannot think of a single model that has reduced engine displacement from year to year. Ever. I could name cars, but not motorcycles. I'm sure someone will remember at least one motorcycle. Anyone accept the challenge of naming one model that has had cc reduction from year to year? :)

[UWSL]In another forum (mostly european riders) there has been a popular discussion about downsizing. Most there agree on 250 being plenty for all adventures, and more than enough to have fun with. One member has covered tens of thousands of miles in the last few years, only counting trips that require sleepover. None of his bikes are bigger than 125cc. [/UWSL]

[UWSL]Those big bikes are awesome. They will sell. For the last decade BMW GS1250 (and predecessors) have been the most sold bike in the Netherlands, usually with all options applied, and half the Touratech catalog added to the top. But like the Harleys of old they tend to disappear into air conditioned garages, where the Klim gear and Schuberth helmets hang above them, unused, while the owner works in his/her office, and dreams about travels. [/UWSL]
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While displacement creep is real the fact is that in the USA there are more small displacement bikes available now than at any time since the 60s and 70s.
 
klaviator said:
While displacement creep is real the fact is that in the USA there are more small displacement bikes available now than at any time since the 60s and 70s.
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I know! I have a 10 less vin flash back ..2011 ha progressive was like what bike! Sacin is the title..skyteam for matty. They made JDM for honda! Honda got stomped by it's own suppliers. In early 2000s I had some jailing bikes on a bulk buy 2 were pa50 copies with 4 speed gp shift "50cc" what a joke. 55 mph and machined cast
aluminum wheels..17"! These bikes would stomp modern junk off road. $500 a piece and ride up a wall. Honda had to save face to early 2000s clone sales...hence the grom, cub . xr150..woo hoo I seen one heading east on 17. On a trailer ..dealer trade? ..

I think I would trade my 1300 on the 150. I like vm slide carbs and it is kinda silly to rip 1 mile on road to a half mile of I never know what...new job...1000% no cage for over 5 months! All DL1000..but this is nuts. My DL cost less than half of the best otd trail 125cc....I downsized my budget on piddly bikes. We dont get any of the cool 125s Matty has access too.. gsxr125cc will beat our 250 and the gw250 was cool..but no strom 250..1st or 2nd generation. No cool honda 350. At least RE has a 350. The wife's 150cc gy6
old honda elite 50cc clone rips 0-30 on 10" wheels like a smoker 50... clones are selling 2 decades of old designs unnoticed..
 
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