Ways to save money in Moto

Paging Jason Weigandt 

I’ve noticed a few times on here people saying wash and re use air filters, just out of interest what is the other option?  Surely people aren’t buying a new filter each change and throwing it away are they?! 

been pretty easy with my two closest tracks being closed every time I want to go riding for the past 6-8 weeks 😒

I get it, it was mother’s day and this weekend is memorial day… why not be open on Saturday and closed Sunday for the holiday… come on LACR!!! I have a shit ton invested in my chosen hobby and staring at it in the garage is more annoying than the price of wear and tear items going up since the last election. 

I sell the old ones after one ride...  and buy 10 new filters for 79 bucks.

plese all stop being poor xD

$9. Pro filters

They are $12 now....at least on RockyMountain.

My. Bad  , Correction noted.  Thanks

Wasn't trying to be a d&%$..... just pointing out that shit is getting more and more expensive.

Ten4, all good. 

One of the reasons I just stopped riding recently is the cost. I can't legit justify the outlay for this old man, when I'm spending so much for my boy to race competitively. We rely on sponsorship help (discounts), I do ALL maintenance myself, and we pick & choose what series we race and how far we will drive to do it. He wants to race Amateur Day at Washougal in July, and he made it into Mammoth and I'm already trying to see how the budget will allow both. I'm selling a couple of bikes to fund this summers racing. Thankfully we aren't trying for Loretta's - THAT'S a real money pit.

this. adding thousands in aftermarket parts is lighting money on fire when you go to sell it. I still do it with every bike but at least i'm aware

South Georgia here but I bought gas for $2.55 yesterday for my truck. 

Big motors running at 3/4 throttle last a long time. 

You’re just a real breath of fresh air, aren’t you ? 

Great point you bring up. 450s do a lot of things well, but they absolutely eat rear tires and chains/sprockets. I had never seen a rear sprocket tooth mushroom until I started riding 450s. 
 

To the OPs question:

-make friends fairly near you, and find a central meet location to carpool (sprinterpool? Pickuppool?). My circle has an agreement where whoever drives gets entry paid for and gas money on top if there’s more than 2 going. The trip is way more fun this way anyway.

-spend a little to save a lot. IOW, do air filters and other routine maintenance often. Regularly inspect your bike for things going wrong before they really go wrong. I was one of the few who never had an issue with early CRF valves-owned a total of nine CRF450s between my dad and I between 02-07, only needed to re-shim valves twice total. I attributed this to very frequent oil/filter and air filter changes, and the fact that I ride 450s on the torque rather than revving them. Learn to do everything you can on your bike. Things like changing suspension fluid earlier may prevent you from wiping out a lot of more expensive parts by neglecting it, not wanting to pay someone to do the work.
 

-as mentioned before, find image-conscious folks who will give/sell you nearly new parts for deep discounts or free. Likewise, sign up for customer accounts with all the major online retailers. You can score some great deals on gear just because they are moving on to a new season/style etc.

-also as mentioned before, buying a “project” bike is a good way to spend new-bike money and wind up with a new-old bike in the end. 

-look for value. Unless you really want to race, racing MX these days is a good way to maximize expenses and minimize riding time. Practice days or off-road can greatly tilt this in the opposite direction. I only race a couple times per year just for this reason. I like competition, but I don’t like sitting around all day through 20 different mini classes just to get 8 laps.

A little off topic but....

My Wife and I have always been good about saving money in general which then gives us a lot more to have fun with (moto etc.) later.

Examples....lots of store brand foods, Folgers or Costco Brand Coffee, don't give in to every single urge to eat out, buy stuff in bulk when possible/feasible etc. etc..... just simple things that don't really take much sacrifice but add up in the end.

If a guy needs to save some more $$ to moto maybe find a spot in "normal life" that you can make a simple change to have a few more $$ in the bank account for mot.

There is a private rental on Saturday (Main Track) and Sunday (Vet Track). Not sure how many spots are open, but I’ll be there on Sunday 

There was a big push 10 years ago to sell pre-oiled filters because ... ? 

This topic is right up my alley...I'm probably the guy who rides the most out of my group and I don't even make half as much money in a year as most of them. It also help that I'm single with no kids, but you can't have everything haha,

First, keep your carrying set-up as small as possible. I tow an open, one axel trailer that can fit three bikes with a pontiac vibe. Enclosed trailer are nice, but they will easily make your car/truck drink 30-40% more gas. I'm on my third hatchback car and I don't think I'll ever buy something else. I Fold the back seat  and can fit a suprising amount of stuff in there. I can even sleep there somewhat comfortably when needs be. It's not a very flashy set-up, but I can drive for about 3 hours and back on 80$.

Second, buy a season-pass to your nearest local track if possible. The track near my place is open for practice from early april to late october, twice a week. That's 56 days of open practice. Let's say it rains 10 of them, so 46 actual open days. at 50$ each time, that's 2300$. The season pass is 600$. I need to go ride there 12 times during the season to get my money's worth. It's about a 20 minute drive from my place. you bet I'll be there at least 12 times! Last year I actually went 28 times haha.

An added benefit of going to the same track a bunch is that you get to know the other locals. I now know when they go ride elsewhere and I can jump in with someone if I throw 25-30$ of gas money.

Finally, prepare all your meals and drinks in advance. Preparing your own food vs. eating out is about 50-60% cheaper. Same goes for everything you buy at the gas station. Theses things add up quick, especially if you have a kid and girlfriend/wife tagging along.

I think those are the 3 things I do that save me the most money, hope it helps somewhat!

They are closed this weekend? That's a bummer was planning on going this weekend. Last few months my son and I haven't been racing and have been riding at my friends ranch. I couldn't figure out why I had some extra $ until I realized we hadn't been to a track. Those 80$ practices add up..

Have me build your engine and only pay me half seems like a good way to do it. Works for a few guys atleast 

Then there is the gofundme approach that pops up now and then.

Lot's of constructive guidance from people here.  Doing your own work as much as possible and collaborating with friends is huge.  

A big element of personal economics whether your choices align with what you need and value most in life, and for most of us something has to give to marshal dollars toward the priority expenses.  

Two sides of the equation, money in versus money out.

Money in: Find a hot wife that doesn’t like to spend money. Make more money. I have done this, it works well. 

Money out: You probably don’t need that exhaust. Get the suspension dialed and call it a day. Buy a cheaper truck. I got my new Ridgeline for 32k OTD, gets 25 miles per gallon on the way to the track. I ride sand pits for free. 
 

Buying an older bike only tells you the bar minimum you will spend. Buying a new bike is close to the maximum you will spend. 

Glen Helen is open this weekend. I’ll be there Saturday for my first ride in over a year. 

I wish I didn’t work, I’ve been itching to hit Glen Helen. Any interest in doing the SRA next month?

This is my first set of them but Tusk tires are honestly pretty good value. 
 

I was nervous and used to run the Pirelli MX-Xtra (practice tire) but absolutely hated the front. 
 

For $120 a set they hook up just fine - I’ll spoil myself when I go on a trip and throw on some Dunlop’s. 

Be like a friend I ride with- Requests I pick him and his trailer up in the morning, drive 125 miles one way to go riding and then back home. Never offer to put any gas in my truck, never offer to pay for lunch or pick up my riding fees…

Pack a lunch & snacks for sure don’t buy anything from a truck stop. In 3 months all the cold & hot food at the flying j & pilot . When up up 3 bucks, 4 for a gal of water, 16 for a shower.  While wages dropped a bunch. You could race a expert class by yourself & break even.  Tune up the van & air the tires up.