Road tripping is one of the most adventurous activities and the most cleansing thing a person could do for his soul. No matter where you are in the world, going on a road trip gives you some life long memories and great many quintessential life experiences. Whether you are having a mid-life crisis, need a break after years of hectic job, taking a gap year after high school, or just want to set your retirement off with a bang, a road trip is a wonderful thing to do. The best part is, there’s no law saying that you have to do it by car or a minibus.
In fact, road tripping on a two-wheeler will make you more social, provides you with an opportunity to travel off-road to find some hidden landscape, and gives you a more personal and closer look at the beautiful sceneries. In addition to all these benefits of traveling by bike over a car, motorcycling is a lot more economical opportunity to travel the world. Read on to learn in detail how can a motorcycle trip more budget-friendly than a car trip.
Fewer initial purchase / Renting costs:
When you compare a bike and a car based on the upfront costs, no doubt owning a car is almost always going to be more expensive than a motorcycle. You can easily have a motorcycle with almost five times fewer dollars than you can get a car. On the other hand, if you want to rent a vehicle for your road trip, renting a bike will cost you a lot less than renting a car.
Spend Less on Fuel:
Although driving a car is cheaper than flying, yet it is pretty expensive than road tripping on a motorcycle. Even when compared with some of today’s most fuel-efficient cars, motorcycles give you a fuel economy that’s second to none. Cars guzzle more fuel, and on long road trips, this can make a big hole in your wallet. A decent conditioned 250cc motorcycle gets an average fuel economy of about 85 mpg, which is head and shoulders above most cars that are out there today. You can travel around double the distance on a motorcycle at the same fuel quantity. Furthermore, riding a motorcycle is much more eco-friendly than a car.
Meager maintenance costs:
Motorcycle maintenance is not only cheaper but easy, you can do it yourself given that you have the necessary spares and tool kit. Although you need your motorcycle to get serviced and tires replaced more often than a car, yet even that can’t beat the maintenance cost of a car. Additionally, the spare parts of your two-wheeler are also cheap. The tools needed to do the maintenance of a bike are also cheaper as compared to a car. Moreover, buying motorcycle luggage including saddlebags and other accessories of a motorcycle is also very economical.
Small parking cost:
When on a road trip, making a stop at some tourist site depends on the vehicle you are driving. If you are in a car, you need a proper parking space to make that stop and if you can’t find the space, you are helpless to see that beautiful destination. Motorcycles on the other hand need a very small parking space and can adjust almost anywhere and don’t cost you much for parking when you need a break.
Insurance Expenses:
Motorcycles are faster, more agile, better looking, and the price of insurance depends on where you live. Comparing a car to a motorcycle of the same condition, the insurance of a motorcycle will be cheaper and the difference varies from state to state like comparing a used Honda motorcycle and a Honda Civic sedan for a rider in Florida. The bike would have cost about $71 a year to insure, and the car, on the other hand, would have cost about $830 a year. In California, however, the bike would cost $209 to insure, against $768 a year for the Honda Civic.
Talking about medical coverage, it is very expensive coverage to buy on a motorcycle, at least $100/month just for that coverage. Some people think that they don’t need it, but the reality is that motorcycles are dangerous and everybody crashes at least once. It looks like car insurance (as an entire package vehicle + medical) can be slightly less expensive when you consider medical too.