how many are going to forego the $4/gal meet for the $5/gal one next year?

[ryan roopnarine]

I grow weary of seeing all of the civillians that will attend this year creating threads about such. I was going to go this year, until about the beginning of may, until I realised that my absolute maximum bugeted gas price of $3.50/gallon wasn't going to cut it. I've wanted to go to one of these meets since at least 2006, if only to meet you all. I thought that by not driving to new york in may (as i've had planned for a while) would be enough to offset the cost of going to chicago, but that didn't work out. Borrowing a chevy aveo, flying out of a different airport, nothing is going to cut it unfortunately. anyone else that was going to go before gas prices increased rapidly?

[Jon K]

You're seriously not going to go to the meet only because of a 50 cent gas raise? Seems like there are other things keeping you from going...

[ryan roopnarine]

more like $1.00, plus fewer hours at at work because of reduced customer demand for our product.... (i'd already asked for the 3-4 days off a few months ago) plus the gas and lodging to actually drive around once I got there. it isn't as much of a sustainable hit as it would have been had things stayed the way they were in april. 88 gallons x 3.00=264, x3.50=308, x4=352, plus actually filling the car back up once i got there (i'm sure that in the surrounding chicago area, fuel is well above 4.

[healtoeit]

So when are you going to buy a hybrid?

[ryan roopnarine]

i have no intention of buying a hybrid. i am, however, going to use the spare m50 manifold to do the lpg thing, and buy an ancient japanese motorcycle pretty soon.

[healtoeit]

i have no intention of buying a hybrid. i am, however, going to use the spare m50 manifold to do the lpg thing, and buy an ancient japanese motorcycle pretty soon.
Still, gas will be $4 a gallon and lpg will downgrade your cars performance. I want to get a bike to help w/ gas but in the grand scheme of things it really will not matter, plus you need to look at the price of buying a motorcycle/lpg
Here is what I mean
$1,000 motorcycle cost (which is STUPIDLY low)
$200 helmet (again a really low price)
$100 jacket (again low)
$50 gloves (again low)
and that does not include insurance, boots or pants
Addition teaches us that that comes out to
$1,350
at $4/gallon you could get 337.5 gallons of gas....
And that is just the cost for a motorcycle (a really unrealistic one)
Can you see where I am going with this?

[ThoreauHD]

Well, if you want to ride a motorcycle, might I suggest one that gets 150 MPG.

http://www.saskma.com/content/view/114/6/

http://www.startwin.com/pagina/bikes/special/thunderstar/thunderstar.htm#

Or the Honda Unicorn which gets 129 mpg.

http://www.indiabike.com/infobank/unicorn/index.htm
http://www.honda2wheelersindia.com/unicorn/flying_machine/about_unicorn.asp
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2008models/2008models-Honda-CBR125R.htm

Or maybe just a regular 70 mpg motorcycle

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/models/classic.html

Next in line would be electric plugin cars/motocycles. But they all have the techie skim going at the moment.

[healtoeit]

Current diesel motorcycles can get 100 mpg
The new for 2008 kawasaki ninja 250 gets around 70 i believe....

[dacoyote]

Current diesel motorcycles can get 100 mpg
The new for 2008 kawasaki ninja 250 gets around 70 i believe....

Most of the 250cc bikes get 70mpg....

That being said.. the ninja does 110mph...

The next best is the Yamaha and Kawasaki at about 80mph

(that being said, like any 300 pound bike, 80 on the freeway I heard is "fun")

[healtoeit]

That being said.. the ninja does 110mph...

looks nice too
http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Detail.aspx?id=263

[ryan roopnarine]

jon, i've gotten 3 flat tires in a week in the taurus. the first one was avoidable, and was the price of negligence. the second was a dime sized cut with the grain. the third was the damned spare having a belt separation today. i paid for the first, stuffed the second up with multiple tire plugs, and had to put it back on the wheel today when the donut bit the dust. it is living on a 12v air compressor and fixaflat until tomorrow or friday, as i don't have 6 tires or the patience to deal with this right now. going to chicago would be like going on vacation when you had the feeling that your roof was about to collapse.

i know that a motorcycle is going to cost at least 2k-3k, but, to me, it is like having a hybrid--insurance against price increases in gas. so long as the bike can get 50 mpg, i can deal with gas so long as it stays under $10/gallon. if i move 250 miles away from orlando this fall to go to florida state university, my friend from high school can just get his motorcycle credentials and ride it when i am not using it. the motorcycle seems to be the only logical move if i can't afford to buy a hybrid. 10 yr old econoboxes like the honda civic have shot up about 1k$ in price during the last 2 or 3 months (demand? speculation?) a diesel mercedes benz from the 1980s isn't really a solution at all if diesel goes over $5.

[winfred]

unless something happens to change my mind i am copping out on the trip of which i aggressively planned to make up to about a month ago when i started thinking what it was going to cost, round trip $350-400 worth of gas and 3-4 nights in motels, i was planning on going from chicago after a couple days looking around (i really want to see the underground U-boat in the museum and anything else cool to check out) then head over to va to see my uncles and cousins with a possible side trip to DC if any of them were game to hit the smithsonian (i was like 8 when i went last) and after a couple days there home

[healtoeit]

then head over to va to see my uncles and cousins with a possible side trip to DC if any of them were game to hit the smithsonian (i was like 8 when i went last) and after a couple days there home
Get ready for pot hole heaven over here! The Smithsonian is cool, I like walking around all of the mall personally. The native American museum is cool as well. Also stop by the WWII, Vietnam, and Korean war memorials (all of the mentioned are around the mall). Bring sun screen and lots of water, it gets way too humid here!
Not trying to be creepy but if they are in Northern VA check out captain pells for some great bay crabs!

[DidIDoGood?]

You guys in the US have got it made.

Our prices have just hit £1.27 per litre or £6.35 per Gallon. At the current exchange rate thats about $12.00 per Gallon.

Advice from UK - Drive lots and lots until you are paying UK prices and then drive very economically. Last week I paid equivilant of $140 to 3/4 fill my 525i

But I still love the car.....

[repenttokyo]

yeah, your prices are also 40 percent cheaper than Canada at 4.00 a gallon. I am going to be saving a lot of money when I move down to the states next month on fuel. Of course, your electricity is a hell of a lot more expensive.

[winfred]

yea but ya'lls roads don't suck like ours do, the assload of tax that makes overseas gas cost so much more makes for nice roads

[repenttokyo]

yea but ya'lls roads don't suck like ours do, the assload of tax that makes overseas gas cost so much more makes for nice roads


actually, Quebec's roads are the worst roads I have ever seen in my entire life :( They have already had to tear down 15 overpasses that were about to collapse (one collapsed a few years ago and killed several people) and are planning to tear down 100 more - all due to poor construction, shortcuts, and mismanagement of funds.

America has Canada beat for roads hands down.

[ryan roopnarine]

yeah, your prices are also 40 percent cheaper than Canada at 4.00 a gallon. I am going to be saving a lot of money when I move down to the states next month on fuel. Of course, your electricity is a hell of a lot more expensive. you all get at least nominally passable health insurance for the extra 87 cents. 1.28/l (gta)*1.01*3.78 is still less than many people pay. plus, a decreased probability of getting into fatalistic pissing matches with cops to get them to calm down if you don't respect their authorata.

[repenttokyo]

you all get at least nominally passable health insurance for the extra 87 cents. 1.28/l (gta)*1.01*3.78 is still less than many people pay. plus, a decreased probability of getting into fatalistic pissing matches with cops to get them to calm down if you don't respect their authorata.

lol good points. i wish i paid 1.28 tho, in quebec it's 1.43 now :(

[winfred]

i said overseas, canada's just retarded :D


actually, Quebec's roads are the worst roads I have ever seen in my entire life :( They have already had to tear down 15 overpasses that were about to collapse (one collapsed a few years ago and killed several people) and are planning to tear down 100 more - all due to poor construction, shortcuts, and mismanagement of funds.

America has Canada beat for roads hands down.

[repenttokyo]

i said overseas, canada's just retarded :D


sorry, i'm browsing 'hybrid' and it looked like you were replying to me :)