gas mileage ponderings...

[xs650mike]

I'm convinced...I'm getting rid of my gas guzzling XSes...Maybe I'll get an economical Hummer or a U-Con Denial...yeah that's the ticket!

[Pat Kelly]

What we need is room for more seats on the XS........

[xs650mike]

Well it does have a quarter-ton load capacity.

[bikerhawk]

Speaking of gas prices & mileage ($2.50/gal here...at least today)...

I just swapped out the 16" rear wheel on my H (someone else slapped it on, I had to modify a spacer to line up the brake caliper...or so I thought; read on) with the 17" on the F donor bike. I took it out for a brief run last night and rode it to work today. RPMs are down approx. 300 in top gear, and it feels like it's pulling a bit stronger, again probably because of effectively making the gearing taller by using the taller wheel. I haven't done a mileage run yet, but I would be curious to see how much difference that makes. I averaged 32-36 for the most part on my trip last month, running 70-75 a lot of the time.

The brake thing, you ask? Apparently, I didn't have the caliper alignment quite right on the 16" wheel, because now the rear brake bites quite a bit stronger with the 17" wheel back on. I must have been using only a corner of the pads or something.

I wanted to try the 17" rear before ordering a new tire...my 16" Dunlop Elite II is cooked, and this 17" has an old Dunlop Touring Elite 291 (!!!) on it (anyone know how old those are??). Obviously, I'm being quite conservative right now, although it still feels better than the dead 491. The bike doesn't feel that much different with seat height at lights, but I do feel it sitting up a bit more while rolling. I just hope my local guy can still find a 491 MT90-17 for me...

[Pat Kelly]

A 1" taller wheel equals a ½" higher seat. Really noticeable?

[bikerhawk]

Originally posted by Pat Kelly
A 1" taller wheel equals a ½" higher seat. Really noticeable?

It seemed like it to me. Then again, I haven't ridden the 11 much since I wore out that other tire. It could have just as easily been the fact that the 16" tire was shot. This 17" on there now still has pretty good tread, but is old as hell and is only on there until I can replace it.

I'm fairly short of leg, and I've never been able to flat-foot anyway, unless SWMBO is aboard with me. But I didn't notice much if any difference standing in the driveway.

[greywolfe555]

just remember that the pres & his croney the vice are oil company owners . this is why they haven't put a price freeze on oil prices.

[Jerry]

Geeze, since I last posted to this thread, gas went from $2.58 to $2.80 per gallon of Regular Unleaded....and that was only a couple days ago.

[mitch]

same here eastern canada

try 5.26 american gallon , or 4.64 per canadian gallon.................MITCH

[thumperjsa]

Word is, expect $3 US by Labor Day. Good thing we went into IRAQ to make sure that oil was protected for national security purposes. Otherwise, who knows where it would be now. It was about $28 a barrel before "Mission Accomplished" and now it is over $66 a barrel.

I don't mean to hijack this thread and make it a bashing session. Just a warning that it will be going up more before and if ever it comes down again.

[Pat Kelly]

I've gone back to peddeling my bicycle to work again. No need for a cup of coffee when I get there. Not a lot of traffic at 5 am either.

[Materi]

Originally posted by Pat Kelly
Isn't it amazing that diesel used to be so much less expensive than gas.... until diesels became popular?

Actually, thanks to new regs mandating lower sulfer emissions, the sulfer must be removed from the diesel in the refining process, which significantly reduces lubricity necessitating the addition back into the fuel of other friction reducers and voila...diesel is not so easy and inexpensive to refine any more. I know the liberals among you cant understand this, but insane eviromental regs have prevented us from exploring and refining on our soil for so long that we have entered this vicious cycle of price fluctuations. As of now, a serious increase in demand has finally led the price of crude and natural gas high enough to overcome the idiotic mandates placed on permitting, placement, and surface use, so we are seeing a significant increase in domestic activity, and yes some record profits (OH GOD NO!!!! ) Unfortunately, this increased demand has also stimulated imported product and again, record profits, GOD FORBID...Yes, I work in the industry. You can't have it both ways folks.

Fully outfitted with flameproof underwear and ready for the onslaught from the left.

Keith

[Pat Kelly]

Increased demand.... doesn't that mean buying in bulk? Buying in bulk means lower costs for everything but gas (petroleum products).
Price per oz. is less for a 2 liter of soda vs. a 12 oz can. Increased demand mean the more that can be gouged when 2 or 3 companies control the entire market. They're co operating with each other vs. competing for our money.
They'll charge as much as people are willing to pay and then some. If poor people stop driving cars and take the bus, the oil companies still get their money from the increased use of busses. Then they can say they're losing revinue and charge even more for gas (rich people can afford the higher price).

A vicious cycle of greed.

[Materi]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Pat Kelly
[B]Increased demand.... doesn't that mean buying in bulk? Buying in bulk means lower costs for everything but gas (petroleum products) Price per oz. is less for a 2 liter of soda vs. a 12 oz can..[QUOTE][B]

Actually no...I think when the good folks who mix up sugar, water, and fruit or what have you experience a rise in the demand for thier product, they can probably run a larger batch through their process at one time, saving on labor, materials, etc., due to the decreased amount of time required to brew the larger quantity. I can not speak for soda manufacturers but I doubt they have to pass legislation and purchase more permits to overcome ever changing and increasingly difficult stipulations to ramp up production.

Look up fossil fuel consumption rates for China and India if you want to see something scary.

[Materi]

Originally posted by Pat Kelly
They'll charge as much as people are willing to pay and then some.

Uh...yeah I think that is true, I also think that is true for our friends the pop manufactures, sock makers, corn growers, etc... It's called capitolism and the ol' free market society has worked out pretty well for the last couple hundred years...but again, most of that was before idiotic liberal agendas were grinding out moronic and pointless environmental regs ans stips. Who knows what the future holds...I doubt it will be cheap gas.

One more thing... When I was roughnecking (working on a drilling rig) in 1992, I was making $8.00 an hour with no benefits, and that was pretty much the top of the pole. I currently pay our employees $15 an hour as a starting wage with FULL benefits, and it goes up from there. Things change friends, and sometimes that's not all bad.