WOW! spend more on tires than fuel for C14!!

[clogan]

I love my new-to-me 2010 C14. But my eyes were opened just now when I ran some numbers. I bought my Con back in March, and it had brand new Shinko 005 tires on it. I have since put 2500 miles on it, and the tires are gone. I ordered new tires last night (PR3), and noted that the effective cost per mile for my tire expenditures thus far in my Con ownership equates to about $0.135 (13 and 1/2 cents) per mile. Fuel costs are running about $0.09 (nine cents) per mile.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed that tire cost/mile would exceed fuel cost per mile.

I admit: I could have driven less agressively. I could have run a better tire, or bought a cheaper replacement tire, or bought different gasoline, or driven on better highways, yada-yada-yada. All true. But the fact remains that thus far in my Con ownership experience, my out-of-pocket cost per mile for tires has exceeded that for fuel.

Still a great bike.

[Spanky]

Welcome to the world of high horsepower pushing a big bike 

The C-14 is certainly not an economy bike and you should get much better mileage out of the PR3's - still not cheap though.

[zx12-iowa]

The 009 Shinko gets better mileage.  Also likely your riding technique. ..

[clogan]

Welcome to the world of high horsepower pushing a big bike 

The C-14 is certainly not an economy bike and you should get much better mileage out of the PR3's - still not cheap though.

LOL! Just as a frame of reference, my other bile is a KLR. Talk about cheap to operate. 'Course, a KLR is a totally different vehicle from a Concours. 'Bout the only thing in common is they both have two wheels, ha ha.

[gPink]

How much is the smiles per mile worth? 

[Scaffolder]

I get about 40 miles per gallon. 16,000 miles on Michelin PR2s. About $0.02 per mile for tires and $010 per mile for gas.
I'd change something you are doing.

[zx12-iowa]

To be fair at 16k miles you are not exactly riding aggressively.   But still 2.5k miles ... ouch.

[Scaffolder]

Depends on what you call aggressive. I don't see anyone keeping up with me. Just saying. I just don't wheelie on the takeoffs and skid on the stops. A ton of highway miles though. This bike handles best at 100.

[clogan]

To be fair at 16k miles you are not exactly riding aggressively.   But still 2.5k miles ... ouch.

Previous owner installed new Shinko 005s just before I bought the bike. From what I understand, the 005s are not known for high-mile durability. I ride mostly on secondary/rural roads, and usually am somewhere near the speed limit. The Shinkos wore out in the middle, as if I had done burn outs. I often do very fast starts, but never a wheelie, and never a burnout. Hopefully the PR3s will last longer. I used to get 8,000 or so from PR2s on my Hayabusa, on the same roads. But then, I probably pushed the 'Busa a good bit harder than I do the Con14. 'course, the Connie is a bit heavier than the 'Busa.

[Cuda]

I bought P3s at 3,000 miles did not put them on till about 8,000 

I'd keep away from stinko's

[Spanky]

If you had/have a busa, you should know all about eating tires.

[Broz]

Welcome to the world of high horsepower pushing a big bike 

The C-14 is certainly not an economy bike and you should get much better mileage out of the PR3's - still not cheap though.

Don't count on it!  I was expecting more miles on PR2's, just didnt happen.  I know i enjoy the exceleration and ride on mountain roads.
I'm tired of hearing people say they get 10,000 miles on their rear tire.

[Spanky]

I have yet to hear of anyone getting less than 2,500 miles out of a pr3. Where a 10,000 mile claim from I have no clue. I get 5-6 k out of mine.

[TallyRex]

I have yet to hear of anyone getting less than 2,500 miles out of a pr3. Where a 10,000 mile claim from I have no clue. I get 5-6 k out of mine.

Me too

[martin_14]

I spend about 3,5 times more money on fuel than tires. A rear lasts for about 5-6k miles, a front tire some 2k miles more. Pirelli Angel ST mostly.
I can tell you the numbers, but  they'd be useless for those across the pond:
bike has 62500 km or 38800 miles
I spent 6478€ or 8400USD in fuel
I spent 1890€ or 2450USD in tires
I spent about the same as tires and fuel in services, taxes and insurance; about 16400€ or 21260USD. That's 4 years use, 9 months of the year, so 36 months. That's 455€ or 590USD a month. Plus the value that the bike loses every month.
And there's nothing else I'd rather do with that money

[freebird6]

This bike handles best at 100.

Got to agree with that......but then I have not been one mph over 130.

[stevewfl]

tire threads rule

[bluedogok]

Road surface also factors into tire wear, the crappy chip seal roads in Texas are like riding on a cheese grater and chews up tires rather quickly. I ran Metzler Z6 Roadtec tires on my 2000 Triumph Sprint ST and would get aout 4-5,000 miles out of a rear and about 8,000 out of a front and I was not an aggressive rider. I've known people who were much more aggressive than me who went through the S/T tires rather quickly down there.

I switched to PR2's on the Sprint but only had a few thousand miles on them (in Texas and Colorado) before getting the C14. When it comes time for new tires on the C14 I will go with the Michelins, I had Stones on the Sprint when I bought it and didn't like them switching to the Metzlers.