Beating this Economy with Dual Sports
"Pink slip, shmink slip."
Pink slip just hit your desk? Can’t qualify for a loan modification on your house? Your underwear so worn out even your holes have holes? Well, don’t knock your head against your Facebook wall, hop on your dual sport and hit the trails.
If there’s one thing to make you forget about your holey underwear it’s participating in nature…being one with it. When you’re out there dancing on the throttle through some rocky terrain you tend to forget about the economy and how it’s affecting you.
But if the daily casualties of the economy are unavoidable, then let’s equal it out by first looking at the fact that only dual sports and scooters had an increase in sales in ’08. No other bikes pulled that off according to the stats from the Motorcycle Industry Council Retail Sales Report.
Dual sport sales were up 23% in 2008.
“Overall, motorcycle sales were down 7.2 percent, not nearly as sharp a decline as many other consumer products in today’s economy,” said MIC President Tim Buche. “We’ll look at 2008 as a big year for scooters, dual-purpose bikes and small-displacement motorcycles. If it was smart-sized, offered great value and high fuel mileage, then chances are it was a sales success. Availability mattered, too. Many dealers could have sold more of these kinds of motorcycles if they only had them. Demand was so much higher than anyone could have expected.”
Well, looking at those stats it looks as though we had new enthusiasts join the dual sport ranks this last year. The reasons for this new-found love of dual purpose bikes could have been twofold. The first reason could be the obvious fact that the dual sport is fuel efficient for commuting and errands. At 65-85 mpg, these efficient bikes will help you keep those gas dollars in your pocket. The second reason usually ranks as number one for buying any motorcycle… escapism and pleasure. Who doesn’t want to outride the fact that jobs are that much harder to hang onto these days.
It doesn’t take long for these new riders to figure out that dual sport bikes are not only great for the pocket book, but they are great for the soul, as well. It’s that camaraderie that’s formed on those weekend rides as these fun-loving , adventuresome people come together for a little fun out in nature that helps to give a new perspective on this economy. How about adding a little overnight campout in between the day rides to solidify those new friendships? Why not share the cost for group BBQs and drinks. The by-product of these group rides are social and economical. You can’t beat that!
So, instead of letting that pink slip push you over the edge, why not re-evaluate your financial priorities. Can you sell your car to invest in a more economical commuter? Here is a list of popular dual sports and their current prices and mpgs to help you decide. Just picture one of these beauties running over your pink slip:
BMW F650GS
798cc engine
4.2 gal tank
54 MPG
$8,995 MSRP
BMW F800GS
798cc engine
4.2 gal tank
54 MPG
$10,995 MSRP
Honda XR650L
644cc engine
2.8 gal tank
54 MPG
$6,499 MSRP
Honda CRF230L
233cc engine
2.3 gal tank
80 MPG
$4,999 MSRP
Kawasaki KLX250S
249cc engine
1.9 gal tank
70 MPG
$4,999 MSRP
Kawasaki KLX250SF
249cc engine
2.0 gal tank
56 MPG
$5,299 MSRP
Kawasaki KLR650
651cc engine
6.1 gal tank
50 MPG
$5,599 MSRP
Kawasaki Super Sherpa
249cc engine
2.4 gal tank
63 MPG
$4,499 MSRP
KTM 990ADV
999cc engine
5.1 gal tank
36 MPG
$14,398 MSRP
Suzuki DR-200SE
199cc engine
3.4 gal tank
105 MPG
$4,199 MSRP
Suzuki DR-Z400S
398cc engine
2.6 gal tank
65 MPG
$6,099 MSRP
Suzuki DR-650SE
644cc engine
3.4 gal tank
65 MPG
$5,699 MSRP
Suzuki VStrom 650
645cc engine
5.8 gal tank
54 MPG
$7,499 MSRP
Triumph Tiger
1050cc engine
6.3 gal tank
43 MPG
$11,599 MSRP
Yamaha WR250R
250cc engine
2.0 gal tank
54 MPG
$6,090 MSRP
Yamaha XT-250
249cc engine
2.6 gal tank
72 MPG
$4,690 MSRP
Once you get in the saddle of one of these babies there are going to be lots of rides. Why don’t you become a member of one of the top dual sport websites around, adventure rider, so we can track your ride reports from your new Acer Aspire One 10″ netbook right from the campsite.
You know, I have to tell you, I really enjoy this blog and the insight from everyone who participates. I find it to be refreshing and very informative. I wish there were more blogs like it. Anyway, I felt it was about time I posted, I?ve spent most of my time here just lurking and reading, but today for some reason I just felt compelled to say this.
Hi,
We have just added your latest post “Beating this Economy with Dual Sports” to our Directory of Sports . You can check the inclusion of the post here . We are delighted to invite you to submit all your future posts to the directory and get a huge base of visitors to your website.
Warm Regards
Sportstrove.info Team
http://www.sportstrove.info