Long/Longer Distance Commuting

[Matt]

Good work.  But as we always say, it's the actual MPG that matters, and mine is empirically lower than everyone else.

So who's who in the world of remaps?

My dealership isn't even sure they can determine if it's been remapped in the 6 months it was alive before I got hold of it.

[fjtwelve]

http://bsd.uk.com/

[bluetoaster]

Rather than getting a deauville or the like for commuting, run something you enjoy. You'll spend long enough doing it. I use my K13R for commuting 70 miles per day, before that it was a ducati S4R. In the past I commuted 150/day on an Aprilia Futura

[richtea]

In any event, after my 24 hours of madness I rode around a bit today and realised that I'd get pretty annoyed at the Alton-Redders commute.  Back to Wokingham etc I go!

Heresey, I know, but if Reading & Maidenhead are your offices (as mine were) then catch the train. Banbury is 40 mins from Reading, for example. Or go southwards by train (but expect it to be more crowded. But that's the south for you.) And take the <K> bike on the more clement days.

[Matt]

I was going to get a wood burner at the new house but it looks like i'll need all the wood I can get to burn you, you heretic!

Oh I forgot, Rich you're an ex-unlucky bugger aren't you, with regard to your old employer!

But you make a valid - if devil-sourced - point.  I'll due diligence the crap out of train commute places... but never further north!

[TomL]

I generally get 10 miles/litre. I reset the trip and brim when I refuel.

If my trip is 180, I expect to put in 18 litres. How come you only get 135 miles to a tank?

[black-k1]

I get the same sort of mileage as Tom, between 10 and 11 miles to a litre.

These bikes aren't really commuter material.

Clearly the evidence from the posts in this thread shows that you're wrong, the K1300S is very good commuter material for long commutes.

[Phmode]

I generally get 10 miles/litre. I reset the trip and brim when I refuel.

If my trip is 180, I expect to put in 18 litres. How come you only get 135 miles to a tank?

That is Matt's entire problem. No one at BMW knows nor can find, what is 'wrong' with his bike. And there is most definitely something wrong with the bike!

[Phmode]

For what it is worth, I would keep the K for fun and buy a cheap R1150GS, put an Adventure tank on it (mine had one), ride it like you stole it and fill up once a week.

It will keep up with most bikes on a commute that involves traffic, will cost nothing to run, Tesco's services them while you wait (it is called filling up) and you will sell it for the same as you bought it for if you ever sell it!

If it ever goes wrong, which it won't, the girl in the local chippy can fix it with nothing more than a fish slice and a dollop of chip oil!

Brian (who says ride high, ride fast, ride dry, and ride cheap  )

[fjtwelve]

Since I got the bike and did a lot of commuting to London squaring off the tyres on the A30/A303/M3, I have averaged 43.7 and average fill up point 181 miles over 188 fill ups
This year since I started to commuting to Hinkley Point and Bristol, my mpg has been 42.25 and my average fill up point this year has been 178miles 19 fill ups 3384 miles
Your 42 doesn't seem outrageously low. I do not understand why you are filling up at 135.

[Matt]

For what it is worth, I would keep the K for fun and buy a cheap R1150GS, put an Adventure tank on it (mine had one), ride it like you stole it and fill up once a week.

It will keep up with most bikes on a commute that involves traffic, will cost nothing to run, Tesco's services them while you wait (it is called filling up) and you will sell it for the same as you bought it for if you ever sell it!

If it ever goes wrong, which it won't, the girl in the local chippy can fix it with nothing more than a fish slice and a dollop of chip oil!

Brian (who says ride high, ride fast, ride dry, and ride cheap  )

Hah!  Yeah I have been thinking of what bike number two will be when I get a house anyway.  And bike three.  And bike four.

All depends on what BMW eventually find/do.

[Blobby]

Thanks everybody .  Interesting thoughts.  I'd forgotten about the V_Strom 1000.  Doesn't look half bad now, and with ABS and traction etc.

I used a 1000 Vstrom as a commuter bike from 2003-2008. Riding on the A21 from Tunbridge Wells onto the M25 and up the A2 or A20 to London meant a lot of high speed work which showed up the Vstroms aero and terrible mpg, the Hayabusa I had before actually got better mpg and was obviously a lot quicker, just not a comfy for 120 mile round trip..
What about the new Tenere, with shaft drive etc it looks like a very nice machine