QuestionWhen I read used motorcycle ads, anything with over 10,000 miles generally lists a new engine in its description. I looked at the savings per mile, assuming ~50mpg to my car's 17mpg, and that doesn't look like enough to make the aquisition financially worthwhile, even to offset my gas-guzzler.
Does a motorcycle generally last at least 50,000 miles--enough to make the decreased fuel costs cover a $4,000 used bike? With 40 motorcyclist deaths per 100 million miles travelled vs. 1.24 for cars (2002, NHTSA), I'd like to make sure there's a benefit in this cost/benefit analysis.
(bonus question--do you know if graduates of the MSF course have a better fatality rate?)
AnswerFor most older motorcycles, 10K miles is about the equivalent of 50K miles on a car. As you probably know, many Japanese-made cars regularly achieve 150K miles, or even twice that, with proper care and maintenance. Japanese motorcycles, therefore, should expect at least 30K miles with ordinary care, and can last double or even triple that with exceptional care.
My 2000 Honda has almost 50K miles and is still running strong. BMW motorcycles, even the older ones, regularly run well past 100K miles, sometimes even 200-300K miles, but they're not "normal" motorcycles...something about that German engineering. This doesn't mean that things don't need to be fixed along the way. As bikes age, their various components deteriorate and need to be replaced, but overall, if you're interested in using a motorcycle for transportation as well as fun, I believe they're a good investment--especially if you live somewhere you can ride year-round.
I can't give you a hard yes or no answer to your MSF question, but I can give you my opinion. I don't think any studies have shown that MSF graduates are less likely to be involved in a crash, but those of us "in the know" believe that it's the case. However, the reason may surprise you. It is less about the actual MSF training than it is about the attitude of the rider who took the effort to GET the training. A rider with that attitude is generally more concerned with their safety and their riding ability, and tend to work more and focus more on riding well and getting there in one piece. Their attitude drives them to continually learn more, as well as wear good protective gear in case they someday become "accidentally separated" from their motorcycle. So I guess the answer is, if you're taking the MSF class just because you should, and because you think it will help lower your odds of a mishap, probably not. But if you take it because you know there's more to learn, and you want to learn everything you can about riding safely, and you plan to put to use all the techniques they teach you, and continue to seek out more safe riding information and techniques, then yes, you will be less likely to crash.
That's a lot of rambling on my part. I hope it helps!
Pat
