Full Circle

[Lee337]

I have to admit to thinking of getting an electric bike using PCP just for commuting, still keeping my current tiger for pleasure/touring etc if the figures stack up as I'm planning to go semi-retired in 3 years. I figure with my pension & a part time job I should be able to comfortably afford it & give it back before the batteries need replacing.

The downside is the increase in insurance and I'm still not sure about paying £xx monthly for 3 years just for the privilege of having a commuter toy only to give it back again.

[Chris Canning]

I remember some time back seeing a post by an American when he mentioned today's biker doesn't buy a bike anymore he/she buys an appliance which I thought was fairly cruel at time but maybe not so far from the truth.

I currently run 6 bikes non of them stock they are who I am part of my soul i've had my 955 18 years and another bike longer than that.

As for a pension oh blimey my pet subject over the last 18 months, never had a company one but I started a private one in 86 and for you guys in the UK approaching that age have a look at 'Pension Wise' they were an absolute mine of info,I/we have been retired for not quite 12 months and I still struggle with it,not that we haven't got anything to do but way too much and now have to keep a bloody diary...... but the strangest thing of all money turns up in the bank every month and we do absolutely nothing for it.

What the current generation forget about modern day money it has never been cheaper to borrow our first mortgage in 79 was 16% interest here in the UK.

Non of which has anything to do with me wanting a chain driven 1300 Tiger with 17" wheels 

[Nick Calne]

Ah Chris, the appliance thing is also about the nature of the physical product. Everything is more plastic less metal, less fixable, less adaptable, plug it into a laptop at the dealers. That's another reason people are less attached and think of non ownership models as a good thing.

Being a bit like you in having a newer and a very old bike you can compare very easily. My old tiger is a thing of substance at nearly 23 years old. Metal, solid, heavy.  It will take a few years of tinkering to engender the same feeling with the newbie.

Lee why not set out the costs over three years. You might find with the fuel cost savings of the bike that you actually save money by comparison.

...or at least that is a case you can make to the missus!

[Lee337]

Well, initial costing of an electronic steed does not stack up, especially if buying one. factoring in how long current (see what I did there) technology batteries last & the cost of replacing them would cost more than I would save in not having to pay for petrol, Tax and any increase in insurance.

I know there is the option to rent the battery packs, especially in the car market, so you don't have to worry about the cost of replacement, but the cost when compared to existing fuel prices & MPG of my Tiger makes it more expensive to run an electric bike.

There's also the environmental impact that concerns me. My Tiger is 13 years old, My Blackbird was even older. Every year my Tiger is on the road, reduces the average cost per year in terms of initial cost to buy new and the environmental impact of making it in the first place. Electronic vehicles have a more limited lifespan, especially the batteries, around 300 - 400 charge cycles, they have a higher cost to manufacture, both financially and environmentally and cost more to recycle at the end of their life. While we still have carbon based power stations there are still emissions related to electronic vehicles albeit they've just been moved from the back of the vehicle to wherever the power station is.

So, getting back on topic, maybe I'll go have a look at that new Tiger 900 later today 

[HockleyBoy]

https://advrider.com/triumph-debuts-five-new-models-for-tiger-900-line/

For those that havent seen it