No More DuPont Teflon Chain Lube

This just in from BARF:  DuPont changed the formulation for its Multi-use Teflon Lubricant, which was used by many as a dry chain lube.  It is now no longer fit for use as a motorcycle chain lubricant and Webbikeworld no longer endorses it.  For those who wish to continue using DuPont teflon products on motorcycle chains there is still the "Teflon Chain-Saver" product.  Webbikeworld didn't like it as well.

Some time ago I gave the Multi-use Teflon Lubricant an extended test on the Bandit.  Bandits are hard on chains so they're good for testing chain lubes.  I found that even with frequent cleaning and reapplication it didn't seem to lube my chain very well or prevent wear better than anything else.  However it was clean and didn't fling off which is probably why people like it.  After about 16k miles using only the DuPont lube my chain had a serious kink and needed to be replaced.  So I switched to Bel-Ray with Molyphos, which makes a terrible mess but doesn't need to be reapplied between cleanings.  It seems to protect the chain quite well.  Most people hate it and it too is no longer available, so I'm looking for other alternatives.

James May on Health

This just in from BARF: editorial on health written by James May of Top Gear fame.  Interesting perspective on the subject of motorcycling and health.

James May on: Health Regimes

RIP Gary Jaehne

I did not know Gary Jaehne but he was apparently a a living legend among Bay Area sport riders.  Jaehne was an accomplished rider, riding skills author, racing instructor, and a champion of the Ninja 250 as a racing platform.  He hosted a free suspension workshop and was considered to be not only highly skilled, but knowledgeable and a really nice guy.  And he was old enough to have his skills metered by common sense. Saturday he low-sided in a turn and went off a cliff. I read about this over the weekend on BARF and it was also reported in the Mercury News and elsewhere.

Gary's death was a wake-up call for me and should be for any sport rider.  From everything I've read he was the last person one would have expected to have gone out this way.  The take-home message for me was that if this could happen to such a highly regarded rider it could happen to anyone.  So I'm paying extra attention to riding safely and not pushing my limits.  Going out doing something you love is maybe not the worst way to go, but it's much better not to.  RIP Gary Jaehne.

Another Day at the Races

After replacing the radiator in my brother-in-law's CBR600 in the morning, my friend Mark and I headed over to the West Coast Moto Jam at Infineon Raceway.

SuperSport 600cc race start--lots of empty seats

I've been a few times before and the races don't change a lot year to year, but it's always fun to go.  Plus, the track is so close to where I live there's almost no excuse not to.

After an awesome breakfast that my wife made we rode 12 miles out Highway 37 to the track.  We were able to park right next to the bleachers by turn 4, easy walking distance to the starting line.  Attendance was low as it was last year.  The gear check was fast and efficient, no trouble there.  It was a nice clear day but really hot at the track.  I wouldn't have wanted to be racing in full leathers in that weather.

We got there right at the end of the XR1200 (Harley Davidson) race.  I guess Harleys only race other Harleys.  Then we wandered around the vendor tents for awhile.  It didn't take long to see all of them as there were fewer than in previous years.  Then the first of the two 600cc races started.  There were three red flags due to crashes which slowed down the schedule.  Elena Myers took 11th place in that race.  That was impressive although she was in 5th position at one point.  It will be interesting to see how the sport changes as more women start competing on the track.  At the very least one wonders who will be holding the umbrellas.

We left the bleachers and went to the stands in the family area for the second 600cc race.

Finally the SuperBike race started and we went to the stands by turn 9, which is the closest you can get to the bikes.

View from turn 9.  Note empty stands across the track

Josh Hayes got off to a great start and was in first place until he dumped his bike right in front of us.  It looked like the rear wheel slid out.  He picked it up and rejoined the race in last place.  He eventually finished 7th, which we thought was pretty impressive.

All in all not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and the low turnout meant plenty of seating and easy parking.  But it is a bit ominous that the motorcycle industry doesn't seem to have recovered at all from the economic downturn if the last two years at SuperBike are any indication.  People don't have money for toys when the economy goes south, and motorcycles are still toys to most of us Americans.  One might think that affordable transportation would be an appealing idea during hard times, but the industry has yet to figure out how to turn that into an opportunity.

The High Cost of Commuting, Part II: WageWorks

Since my previous commute cost analysis a few additional public transit options and an employee incentive program have caught my attention.  To recap, I figured out that taking public transit from my location costs $14.60 a day (plus 0.52 for BikeLink bicycle storage at 0.05/hr), vs. $8.75 a day to ride in on the Bandit, which includes gas ($4.50), bridge toll ($2.50), and maintenance ($1.75 estimated), but not the cost of the bike, insurance, or riding gear.

The biggest change in my cost analysis was the discovery that my employer offers WageWorks, an incentive program that lets us purchase up to $125 a month in transit passes using pre-tax income.  That makes for some complicated math since the round trip on public transit from Vallejo to Oakland costs more than that, and determining the tax rate for combined federal, state, and local taxes is tricky.  WageWorks claims pre-tax savings is about 40% (on the first $125).  That got me to revisit public transit options to see if I could finally answer the question, are there any better commute alternatives to riding a motorcycle?

By checking the Vallejo Transit fares page I found that there is a $118 unlimited monthly pass.  That can be a substantial savings over the cash fare but requires a commitment of 13 commute days (about 2 1/2 weeks) of bus commuting to break even with the cash fare.  Of course more than that equals more savings per ride.  Riding the bus every day using a monthly pass saves about $82 over the cash fare.  With the WageWorks pre-tax discount the $118 becomes $70.80.

I also found the Contra Costa WestCAT operates a park & ride out of Hercules that has BikeLink lockers.  Round trip from WestCAT to BART is dirt cheap--$2.75 with a BART transfer.  But, the return-trip transfer discount is cash-only, so the WageWorks pre-tax discount only applies to the $1.75 debited from the transit pass.  More math.  The BikeLink lockers in Hercules are cheaper than the ones in Vallejo at 0.03 per hour.  The WestCAT stop is 11.5 miles by bicycle, about 45 minutes on a good day.  There would be bridge and parking fees to drive or ride a motorcycle there.  Pedaling is the only cost-effective way to get from my place to WestCAT.

So the question is, how do these additional transit options compare in time and cost to riding the Bandit?  With WageWorks discounts figured in here are monthly estimates:

• Vallejo Transit to BART with monthly pass*, bike locker, bicycle maintenance:  $181.60, 1 hour 10 minutes each way
• Motorcycle, FasTrak, maintenance: $175, 35 minutes each way**
• WestCAT to BART, bike locker: $114, 90 minutes each way plus a shower
• BART/bicycle only, bike locker:  $70, 1 hour 55 minutes each way plus a shower

Vallejo Route 80

Happily (or sadly), motorcycle commuting still comes in slightly ahead of Vallejo transit in terms of cost, and is still way ahead in terms of time.  It adds over an additional hour a day to commute by bus.  Even the time spent maintaining the bike and gearing up doesn't come close to the extra 5 hours a week it takes to ride the bus.  Additionally, the main problem with making Vallejo Transit cost-effective is that one has to trade in motorcycle riding for a monthly bus pass.  Another problem is that time on public transit is dead time.  There's no Internet connection so I can't get work done, and transit time doesn't count toward time spent in the office. Finally, timing the bus/BART connection to minimize waiting puts restrictions on when is the best time to leave the office.  My job isn't the type that lets me leave the office at a predictable time every day.  Some days I have to stay later than others so coordinating with the transit schedules isn't always possible. That can burn a lot of extra time in the evening when I want to get home.

Cycling Options

The other two transit options, WestCAT to BART and cycling all the way to BART, vary inversely by time and cost (more time equals less cost).  While substantially cheaper than riding in they're simply not realistic on a regular basis due to the amount of time involved.  For serious cyclists who might pedal 90 minutes a day anyway the WestCAT option isn't awful.  Actual transit time is only 40 - 45 minutes.  But as a means of commuting, realistically no one wants to spend 3 hours a day going back and forth to work if not absolutely necessary.

11.5 mile cycling route to Hercules Transit Center

You have to decide how much your time is worth and what you're missing by spending optional free time on the bus.  As a means of occasionally reducing commute costs and mileage on the motorcycles, getting in shape, or introducing some variety these two options make some sense, but not on a daily basis.

19 mile cycling route to El Cerrito Del Norte BART

CPM vs. TCO

For commute cost comparisons I decided to compare cost per mile (CPM) instead of total cost of ownership (TCO) of the motorcycle.  TCO would also include the one-time costs of the motorcycle, riding gear, and commute-related gear and accessories, as well as insurance and registration.  Public transit on the other hand has no TCO since passengers don't own the vehicles.  Should the cost of commuting by motorcycle include the cost of the bike and the riding suit?  Should the cost of driving a Prius to work include the price of the car?  Under certain circumstances, maybe.  If the vehicle was an optional purchase for the sole purpose commuting I could see adding it as a cost.  If the purchase is being made to replace a less fuel-efficient vehicle it would make sense to do a cost analysis to see if the amount of gas savings justifies the price of the new vehicle.  For a vehicle that's already bought and paid for I don't think analysis based on TCO makes sense, but I suppose there's room to argue either point.

A final note, safely commuting on a motorcycle takes some luck and a lot of skill.  The skill, and some would argue the luck, as well as the defensive mindset and degree of mental focus, come with constant practice.  Last year I pedaled to WestCAT up to three times a week and found that I felt slow and clumsy the two days a week I rode in on the Bandit.  Public transit can save money and is arguably better for the environment, but it doesn't help improve riding skills.  That's really the biggest problem I have with it, feeling like I'm putting myself at risk by letting myself get out of practice.

Better, Faster, Cheaper?

While there are cheaper commute options than riding a motorcycle there is no faster way.  As far as which is better, I think it's a matter of personal preference.  Not everyone can or should ride a motorcycle.  For me time savings is key.  On days when I take public transit all I do is work, commute, and sleep.  If the dead time spent on transit could be put to use it would be a lot more appealing.  I haven't found anything better to do than reading motorcycle magazines on the bus, but if I could solve that problem it might be a worthwhile alternative, at least on an occasional basis.

The other issue is high cost of Vallejo Transit.  I don't understand why it costs six times as much to ride the bus to BART from Vallejo as it does to ride from Hercules.  Without cost or time savings there's not much incentive to take public transit.

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* Monthly pass discount precludes motorcycle commuting--no more riding with option 1.
**  Not including time to maintain the motorcycle. Nothing is free.