I used to haul a bunch of equipment all over the western U.S. I had several different vehicles. Dodge Maxi Van, E-300 Ford Van, Chevy Van and a Chevy StepVan. I also had a Chevy LUV pickup. That little thing did it all and with nary a complaint. It had A long bed, got 25MPG, and was insanely cheap to repair. If you ever see a good one ... buy it and fix it up. You will not be disappointed and you will never sell it. Ask any LUV owner and they'll tell ya the same.

I have 1984 f250 diesel standard gets 22 mpg in town 26 highway and no payments, the old GMC only got 12 mpg. if it gets really bad it is not that hard to make my own bio diesel. and the virago gets 55 mpg. so that is my part.

YAMAHA???? Oh geeeeeze, A rice rocket rider, scurge of the highway, and accident waiting to happen, a tin can waiting for an opener, a gas tank with a fuse........

How does a Harley pass a rice rocket......easy, he waits for the crash....

I own 2 vehicles a dodge (hang my head in shame) caravan and an old 74 honda cb750, they both get about the same gas milage. And yes harleys are pretty but if you want a cycle that wont break down you better buy a honda.

the only harleys that pass my yamaha virago are in the back of a pick up truck

Oh no, not the us against them thing! Get mad at your Liberal government for charging so much tax at the pump. They need it to buy your vote and keep their ad agencies going.

The Greenies love their Prius cars, but don't realize that about the time that the batteries need replacing, the batteries will cost as much as what the car is worth! Not to mention that the batteries have to be disposed of.

People tend to fail to realize that it's not the size of the vehicle, but it's aerodynamics that makes all the difference on fuel economy.

Motorcycles arn't very aerodynamic.

That being said, some of the smaller bikes do get better milage than the average mid-sized car.

My g/f's 535cc virago gets about 200km to a 10L tank of gas. My 1998 Ford Taurus gets better fuel economy than my bud's Roadster, however.

-- Steve

That's kinda funny. Back when I was a teenager, my friends' brother had a Plymouth GTX and a Kawasaki 500 triple. Both got about the same kind of gas mileage in town, and the 500 was only somewhat better on the highway. About 5 years ago, I bought a 1980 RD400 to re-learn how to ride a cycle. It got 25 mpg. It had (has) 7500 actual km on it. I sold it to a friend who has it tucked in his garage waiting for the minimal resto it needs. I bought a bike with a valve train and electric start. Mucho better. (1980 Kawasaki 750 LTD. 17500 KM. :) )

1987 Jeep Wagoneer, 4cyl, looked new, doting previous owner, $3200.
Paid cash, easy on gas [sort of]. Very hard crawler on logging roads, never breaks.

I need to maintain image, and it does that too. Most pople think it's a circa '99 Jeep.

Economists may give that a pretty good score.

In the early nineties, an old guy, [ Ol' Henry]who stopped driving, just gave me his '72 White 440 cu Electra. [ I used to take him to the pharmacy, grocery & places].

The big Electra was a total gas in more ways than one. You could put a fridge in the trunk. We sure loved that boat.

It was loaded. Electric windows, great sound system and when you went real fast, you could tell by the slight smell of gas from the four barrell. You could't feel any speed much through the dynaflow ride.

The top of the line '89 Olds is a great used car value. The 98; - the Regal or something royal. I forget. That was a floating comfort zone and the V-6 was the best GM engine ever made. [Save for the bullet-proof 292 six PU and one ton engine] Full of power, yet easy on gas....magic. Damn, I'm hooked on older cars.

Later model cookie-cutter cars are only trnsportation. 73s TG

When you own a car, the cost is in direct proportion to use. If you have a payment of 500 bucks a month, it costs you 500 a month regardless of how far you drive it.

It does make economic sense because you can actually minimize the cost of operating the vehicle down to essentially the cost of insurance alone.

Well, since we're on the topic, here is my list of my eight favourite motorized wheeled vehicles ever:

- 1918 Stanley Steamer
- 1930 Bentley
- 1948 MG TC (my overall favourite)
- 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite
- 1965 Jaguar XK-E
- 1969 Ferret Mark 1
- 1971 NASA Lunar Rover
- 1978 MG Midget (I drive one)

Q: What's the one thing a Jaguar can't pass on the road?
A: A service station. That doesn't change my emotions.

I noticed, Tony, you said: "The big Electra was a total gas in more ways than one. You could put a fridge in the trunk. We sure loved that boat."

Reminds me of my brother's seventy-something Dodge Royal Monaco Brougham with the 360. Land yacht. He once hauled my mom's full-size circa 1978 Maytag dishwasher all the way from Saint John to Halifax in the trunk. Believe it or not, it was just a fraction of an inch close to being fully fitted into the front passenger seat!!! Couldn't have gotten good mileage on the way home...

Then he went on to buy the Silver Anniversary Corvette 350, and later, prior to moving to the Queen Charlotte Islands, purchased a '92 Dodge Ramcharger 360.

On my way to work these days I pass a circa 1980 Chevy 4x4 in mint condition for sale. If it weren't for gas being a buck thirty... well, I'd say it'd be a gas to drive that thing; reminds me of the truck in The Fall Guy...

Still stuck with my Shadow. Just got a new rad fan and a couple of belts installed. I've an excellent, honest mechanic. Labor only cost $69 for two hours, how about that? AND he only has one hand!

I know where you can get a diesel/ biodiesel powered Kawasaki KLR 650 dual-purpose dirtbike that gets 1000 kms on 25 litres of fuel. They are sweet.

Im thinking about buying a chevette, 4 cyclinder automatic. Gas mileage must be endless. Some of those little scooters showing up in calgary these days.
Currently my wheels are a big block,455 cu in 4bbl, 2:73gear,the lid is flipped(as in air cleaner)love the sound of sucking air when I open the secondarys(am I still 18yrs old or what)

Harley Owners hate Mufflers,straight pipes seem to be the order of the day. I guess if you are going to spend $35000.00 you will want to be heard and seen.

Hows that go, Loud pipes saves lives.

I must confess Im guilty in that department.
It was a Honda S90,I was 13. Off came the muffler and on went a shiny chrome straight pipe,front fender had to come off as well.
Purple gas,football helmut painted white with the face guard cut off,no license of course and away I went,let me tell you I thought I was in Heaven.

Hey Stephen - I've deleted your last two comments for a reason. I've mentioned before - this isn't a chat board, and I'd prefer you not use my bandwidth to yatter on about your comments threads elsewhere.

P.S., Kate,
ABFreedom is alleged to be planning to blow you off the road as soon as he buys this, http://abfreedom.blogspot.com/ you'll see the picture a couple of stories down. I don't know protocol about links - that's not the point. the point is, lookout! :)

Sorry, Kate. Thanks.

Can't afford gas.

http://www.atomfilms.com/af/content/cant_afford_gas

http://tinyurl.com/9ur4x

No offence if deleted - GoKate

Don't take it too hard stephen, if we just do the right thing, we'll be safe. I've tried to be less long-winded. I think it's working. 73s TG

I'm not offended. I did it to myself. Kate is within her rights. If I stray, then delete. No need to explain.

Am still planning my own blog.

Kate I think i passed you on highway 7 once ,heading home to visit the parents. My 89 Gm blew that dodge into the ditch.Keep up the good work

Just because you pay $36 a month to insure it doesn't mean that's what it costs.

Haven't personally owned a car for over twenty years, (I call them things 'wheels for wetbacks') Motorcycle is parked- either until I get my licence back, or it no longer matters whether you have a driver's licence or not.
I use public transpo, (putting up with the belligerance and offensiveness). Never go anywhere without a knapsack. Catch a cab around a half dozen times a year, with stuff I can't carry.
Anything that won't fit in a cab, I don't buy.
No problemo.
Yesterday, I went to one of the biggest automotive flea markets in Canada, at www.burlscreek.com (near Orillia, Ont). Check it out- it's a hoot!

Economists would give highest marks to those who use busses and taxies. Canada's best chaffeured automotive value bar none.

Remember, the motorcycle is best, but not chauffered. '3s TG

Doug, Speaking of bike mufflers. I wish The bell-tones, as on the old Enfields and Nortons would make a come-back.

Bikes don't have to be machine-guns. They can sound like rich and mellow music with the belltone type muffler. '3s TG