00Silv4.8

iTrader: (10)

Well guys Im getting fucked by the economy, as Im sure some other of you guys are. Im at a total cross roads right now. I have turned in well over a dozen applications and followed up with as many that I've spoken with an actual person and have sounded promising. Right now my truck still needs work IMO, needs to get back on the rollers, needs to raise the front up an inch and needs tires BAD. Also the bed has a couple small dents from various things and of course the big scrape in the side from long ago, also the trans works fine as is right now but I KNOW it needs a rebuild with the small hiccups I have with it..

So now my question... Should I try and sell the truck for a decent amount and buy a beater cheap and/or get my bike back (owe 1600 to my buddy to get it back, long story). Or should I just hang on to the truck and try and ride it out?
My rationale is that riding is a huge passion of mine and also I will be spending far less money that I dont have on gas with a bike and/or a beater. Im just hard pressed over it since I absolutely LOVE this truck and Im the 2nd owner and have done ALL of the work myself. However it is just a material thing is it not? And there will definitely be other toys in my life time...

Sorry for the long rant/question. Let me know what you guys think

Atomic

iTrader: (42)

Keep the truck and get the bike back. Depending on how much you drive you could make up that 1600 quickly with the bike. True the truck is only a material possession but it obviously makes you happy. Your happiness will never be worth more to anyone else than it is to you, so its important to hang on to the things that make you happy for as long as possible.

If you dont live far from work, get a bicycle. No gas bill and you get exercise.

PathfinderJr

iTrader: (6)

what kind of bike? cause if its anything resembling something sporty, their gas mileage in town, coupled with the cost of premium fuel, creates a gas bill that won't be smaller enough than your trucks in order to cover the increased cost in tires and other motorcycle-related consumables that you're going to realize.

Motorcycles require more maintenance, ie more $$, than cars, so unless selling the truck gets rid of a monthly payment, the difference in bottom line costs is about the same if you think about it. I'm a rider too, I've done the math for my bikes.

JakeBrakeIH

iTrader: (22)

keep the truck IMO...seems like at this moment your just patching the problem by getting rid of it...your not gonna get what its worth for the truck and your still gonna prolly have to go down grade for a DD...you know your check book and what you can swing, but by the sounds of it...throw and set of tires on your truck and run it till you get some money in your pocket to finish it...

1slow01Z71

iTrader: (36)

A sport bike in good condition to begin with is pretty damn cheap to ride. My F4i got mid/hihg 40s around town and about the same cruising at 75 on the highway. In the 3 years I had it, I never did anything but 2 oil changes, new plugs and a rear tire, so basically 400 bucks worth of maintenance for 15K miles, doesnt seem overly expensive to me... If it was me the bike/beater route seems the best financial decision. You can get another rcsb they're a dime a dozen.

I love my dmax to death but I want to do other things with my money right now and when the time is right I can buy another no big deal.

PathfinderJr

iTrader: (6)

That bike could not have been your main mode of transportation, which is what we're discussing here I thought. And if it was, I feel really really bad for that bike.

An oil change on a bike using quality oil that won't take a **** from your repeated 14k rpm gear changes is usually around $50 when doing it yourself. Chains and sprockets last about 10k-15k. Thats about $200 right there. A full set of quality tires will run about $300-$400 before mounting. Tires last anywhere from 4k-6k miles unless you start running sport-touring tires, but then you're hosed for weekend sprints to the canyons. And even those cost about the same, you just get a bit more miles outta them.

How you got high 40's on an F4i is unbelievable. You must have had a factory freak or something, cause every 600 i've been on gets mid 40's on the highway and mid 30's in town. My RC51 gets absolutely shitty mileage in town. We're talking like high 20's. This is what I'm basing my experience on up there.

Then there's all the various fluids, lubes, etc for the small maintenance bits, call it an extra $100. I run about 10k-12k miles a year, so using a motorcycle definitely runs more for maintenance than a car. Cars have much, much longer service intervals. So unless you run your sportbike into the ground from neglect, its gonna cost your more.

viciousknid

iTrader: (8)

I wouldn't worry about dents a dings. They don't effect the functionality of the truck. Just keep it maintained until you can afford to make it look nice. No reason to take on more expenses than you need. that 1600 can go toward a trans if you just hold onto it.

1slow01Z71

iTrader: (36)

I had a good filter, full length akrapovic exhaust and a power commander on my bike and I average 45-47mpg with it if I was easy. Its sweet spot seemed to be around 45-50mph for best mileage. I put new sprockets on when I bought it and they seemed to be fine when I sold it. Its been my experience that the front tire lasts a good bit more than 5K, the front tire that I bought the bike with was the same one I sold it with and it had plenty of life left in it. I replaced the rear tire right when I bought it and it was still good when I sold it too. I was not very hard on my bike at all I cruised around and beat on it occasionally but nothing drastic. It was my DD for a few months before I got my company truck and got my personal truck back up and running. I dont know what fluids you were buying but I did a flush of the brake and cooling system when I bought it and never messed with it again. That stuff was maybe 50 bucks, then oil, I just used whatever it was the local shop recommended which wasnt very expensive. I dont really remember prices off the top of my head since its been almost 2 years. Point being if you can do the work yourself a bike isnt a bad deal especially since he is talking about a bike in addition to a beater vehicle.

PathfinderJr

iTrader: (6)

Well I misunderstood then. I thought he was only going to have a bike.

I do all the work myself, but I guess I purchase more than the regular stuff for my bikes. I orient my bikes for performance as well as mileage, so that being said, I keep on top of all my maintenance and such, erring on the safe side cause I don't want something failing when I'm knee deep in a 100mph sweeper. I perform the service intervals, which usually come every 6k-10k miles, change tires in sets to keep them on the same heat cycle, and change my oil every 4k miles, etc. It's cheap insurance on such a high performance machine. Sportbikes are purpose built and perform best when kept at the level of performance they're intended, but it is possible to cut corners if you want. It very much depends on your outlook with your machine.

Obviously less focused machines wouldn't require as much meticulous attention, like more "standard" motorcycles, cruisers, etc. That's why I prefaced my cost outlay with an assumption he'd get a sportbike.

00Silv4.8

iTrader: (10)

just clearing some things up: The bike has basically been my main mode of transport for about a year, only because you have to **** cats and dogs on me or break something to keep me off of it. I WOULDNT be happy without a bike, its just who I am.

Both my GSXR and R6 that I've had both got high 30s mileage on a basically stock bike (aftermarket exhaust at the most).

The thing I was mainly talking about is I dont even have the money on a credit card to put even 2 tires on it let alone any gas in it. Im still hunting for a job and its going no where in a hurry. Im tempted to bail into the Army (Im in the process of tattoo removal to get into the AF.... long story as well)

Anyway. I know I could probably get close to 8 for my truck (wishful thinking) but like JakeBrake said, Im obviously trying to patch my problems temporarily. I really cant see giving up the truck but at this point Im beyond desperate. When I say I have no money Im not saying I dont have anything I can dispose of, Im saying I have 80 dollars in my savings available. As in checking is $0 and my credit card has all of $60 avaliable on it, haha Im literally tapped out.

So I guess Im just kinda trying to gather opinions on what to do. Dont get me wrong I love my truck, I've had it for around 3 years now and I've had plenty of good times in it. Just in a crunch and have no clue where to go from here. Its stressing knowing that I cant do anything because Im on borrowed time with my vehicle haha

anyone hiring? willing to relocate