Wrote an article for local group on cost of bike ownership having just traded in my Kwaka after 8 years.
Spreadsheet nerds might appreciate the workings. 
Page 30 on latest mag (March)
https://suffolk-advanced-motorcyclists.com/sam-observer-pdf-archive/
Seriously, I do NOT want to know 
An interesting read in the March SAM Observer. Iāll have a peek into my spreadsheet and let you know the cost of running The 250 for 65,00 miles over 10 years.
In the meantime Iām reminded of the London Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) 1970ās comparison of costs in running a new cab for two or three years and trading it in vs running an older cab into the ground for two or three decades. Their surprising conclusion was the costs were more or less equal, however, new cab won the day because it attracted a better tip ratio and spent less time in the garage and more time on the streets of London fleecing city gents, high class hookers and play boys.
āhaving a smooth owner and a well-oiled chainā !
I did think of you/yours and the ability to self service is clearly going to help too. Youāll defo have one of the cheapest costs per mile out there.
Ref the old cabbies - is exactly what happens with old cars - you get to the point where the repair bills are so high that youāre better off moving on. I probably should have traded my bike a year ago and saved the big bill for disc brakes.
But either way I donāt see myself chopping every couple of years - just so expensive. So many guys up here seem to have new wheels every so often and these are like Ā£15k-20k bikes too.
Nah, get some real use out of them but donāt kid yerself itās a cheap form of transport - those days are lang gawn as they say in these parts.
Are some people just replacing every few years due to them being on PCP schemes and are comfortable with the monthly payments on the bike and donāt want to buy it (pay the remaining lump) at the end , so just refinance it.
Something in that am sure Gav. Issue for me with those deals is they tend to be very low mileage, like 4k per year, with high charges if you go over them.
Price them for sat 8-10k miles and the prices go up a fair old whack.
majority of bikers donāt do the mileage we all do. lucky if they hit 3K a year if they only ride in dry warm weather.
I enjoyed the article. No idea what my cost per mile is but it has to be low because I only paid Ā£7K for it new. I need to ride it more really.
I think some people like new things and some people like old things. Some of the guys at work change their car every 2 years. Iāve had mine for 16 years and I still like it. I told one of them it costs about a grand to run annually. He was shocked as thatās 2 months of payments for him.
It was more complicated than I thought to calculate the cost of motorcycle maintenance, even with a spreadsheet to hand. What to include? What not to include? I broke it down some and Iāve not included the 55 mpg fuel costs, modifications that make a motorcycle mine or the annual costs for MOT testing, Vehicle Excise Duty & insurance.
That leaves a total spend of Ā£5,337.97 for everything else including the initial purchase, 64,000 miles and 10 years of DIY servicing as per the manufacturers service schedule (and then some) which includes all service parts, fluids, consumables, sundries and all other parts (drive chain & sprockets, tyres, brake pads, stators, valve shims, wheel bearings, headstock bearings etc.).
I make that 8p per mile as a keeper or 7p per mile if I sold it tomorrow for the bargain price of Ā£1,000!
If I were keen on knowing the ownership cost of the bike Iād include absolutely all costs, fuel, tyres, depreciation, the lot.
However, Iām not keen and until I canāt afford it anymore Iāll keep on. Thereās no guarantee Iāll live a long life so Iām working on having a good life and doing the things I like!
Of course, all costs are relevant to ownership.
Yep and to fully compare the full costs of a chopper or keeper then the cheaper insurance (keeper) and the cost of tyres will need to be factored in
Also the chopper has impact in terms of all the bells and whistles. You wonāt get the cost back for all the toys that go on, though some can of course come off
Them thereās the issue of funding. The cost to finance Vs leaving your Dosh in the bank or the borrowing cost is a factor.
Think the main thing is how we kid ourselves our bikes only cost x but in reality itās ridiculous how much we pay now. Insurance is through the roof (and I know I am lucky not living in the sticks), maintenance costs high and bike purchase costs high.
A motorbike is largely becoming the preserve of the wealthy middle aged man and the manufacturers know that and develop their bikes accordingly.
Still, Mr Hunt has just knocked 2p off our NI charges so all good 
Try calculating the cost per riding hour! I tried once while re-filling the petrol tank, eye watering.
Thatās me well and truly fuked
My bike is 2 half years old with 50k miles on it
Was looking at changing it in September for the new M1000xr
Fucking hell, think Iāve done less than 1000 miles in the last year
Interesting article - a few years ago, 2012? I bought a 2007 Ducati Sport Classic 1000 - retro looking Cafe Racer loosely based on the 70ās Ducati 750 Sportā¦it was never appreciated in the market and Ducatisiti looked down on it for not being a modern Supersport. To cap it all off the āgreybeardsā who might have been interested hated the radical riding position that played havoc with their wrists.
So Ducati dealers hated it and it was discontinued and heavily discounted to shift them - especially the Paul Smart versions.
So I paid Ā£5k for a beautiful low mileage example which I had wanted ever since the Hairy Bikers tooled about with them in one episode,
Roll on a couple of years and the Cafe Racer scene took off (2025-2016?) - I had put 3000 miles on it and I couldnāt ignore how much used prices had shot upā¦I Ebay auctioned it and got Ā£8750 for it - Result!!!
So in a few years the bike had cost me nothing and I made Ā£3750 on it - I calculate that beauty PAID me Ā£1.25 for every mile I rode her (mind you my maths is crap)ā¦Never happened before or since ā¦ps I regret selling it really!
!
But is this because they usually spend the other 50 weeks of the year in bits while you āimproveā them?
Quick and dirty calc puts me at Ā£3200 last year not including depreciation or buying random bits of biking kit. Depreciation has been minimal due to rising new prices but could be a grand. Kit? Dont know what I bought. So easily over Ā£4k.
Had some great trips home and abroad so on balance Iād say it was worth every pennyā¦whilst I can afford it itāll continue.
I was quoted Ā£10k(!) to change to a new model so Iāll be keeping the bike for a good while yet
I bought my 748 for Ā£5,000 and sold it 17 years later for Ā£2,000. I kept all the service records so it was easy to tot them up, I made a guess at the typical annual insurance costs and the mpg spread over the mileage done.
It totals Ā£13,426 or Ā£0.93 per mile.
