So, 2 wheels scare me, but I'm thinking about getting a bike to save on fuel. I'm thinking a newer sport bike, but am open to suggestions.
So, what does the collective think a 125 lb Dago would look/do good on? Hotlinks suggested. If you would like to sell/give me something, I'm all for it.
Thanks,
Sperlo
Well, most bikes, especially older ones, and bigger ones, do not get much better gas mileage than a CRX HF or similar small, slow, -1.5l car. There are many motorcycles that get worse gas mileage than a Geo Metro egg.
Most 600cc+ sport bikes get 40's ridden conservatively.
In order to make it worthwhile (for fuel efficiency alone) you'd need something under 400cc, and really the DRZ400SM is probably the most efficient bike for its power. After that comes a multitude of 250cc choices that all get over 60 mpg.
One thing I found was that as a commuter, a bike is a pretty bad choice unless you live in the country (no traffic) and live someplace without rain/snow.
I also hated being inside a helmet on my commute, hated needing to bring a change of clothes, hated needing to wear a jacket on a warm summer day, hated leaving work in a downpour and hated that I couldn't really listen to music while waking up after a half-cup of coffee.
The cheapest, smallest, slowest car still provides far more amenities for the dollar, just not the the fun.
All valid points and will be considered.
I don't plan on commuting on the bike and mpgs in the 40s are OK.
How much motorcycle experience do you have? Sport bikes are kind of on a different planet when it comes to performance; a 600 cc sportbike is going to be up in modified supercar territory. My Suzuki GS500 (air cooled twin wearing faux GSXR bodywork) had less than half the horsepower of your typical 600, and it was faster than my C4 Corvette in a straight line.
If you want a street bike and feel like motorcycles scare you, I'm guessing you don't have much experience and you'll want something beginner friendly. The GS500 is something that's OK for most beginners. Other good entry level sport bikes are the Kawasaki Ninja 250 and Honda CBR125.
Spending money on a bike to save on gas does not equate to savings on the overall bottom line.
DaveEstey wrote: Spending money on a bike to save on gas does not equate to savings on the overall bottom line.
That would of clear depend on how much is spent. 
As for my experience, I learned to ride off road. Still learning and I'm not partial to sport bikes, I just don't want to drop it. If it were up to my friend, I'd be on a CBxxx.
I'm still contemplating, used street bike vs new 125 dirt.
Dual sport?
After riding multiple bikes, big, small, old, new, I still feel that dual sports and motards are the most fun.
In reply to PHeller:
Like an enduro? (What I call a street legal dirt bike?)
Another bike very similar to Matt's GS is the Kawasaki EX500. I like mine pretty well. I've been an on and off rider for a long time (but with a lot of off time). It's got enough power to get out of its own way, but especially if you keep it down at moderate revs it's not alarming. Nice and tractable. The seating position is pretty nicely upright for around town, though if I were going to spend all my time on winding roads I might want to move them down and/or forward.
Not suggesting it's the best bike by any means, but it sounds like one that would be a good choice considering budget constraints. I have no idea what kind of mileage it gets.
I'm still a bit confused about your motivations and what type of riding you'll end up doing. I don't think fuel alone is a good reason to ride, even if there is a savings. OTOH, I get the impression that apart from some fear, you do like the idea of riding. Having a healthy respect for the danger is good, being too scared to stay loose and attentive is bad, but I suspect this is also something you already recognize in general.
If I were to read your initial post literally, I'd be required to suggest a Vespa 
I'm scared of bikes too, but I wouldn't kick one of these out my garage.
Edit: different pic that hopefully works for everyone.
Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Beginning Rider Course before you get too far in this decision making process. Sign up now as classes always fill up in the springtime. (They do them at the community colleges around here, and one of the Harley shops (Doc's I think) does the same course with their own branding for a few bucks more. Same curriculum, though.) In addition to being probably the best introduction to street riding available, in MO passing the BRC counts as the riding portion of the license test, so you only have to do the written test at the DMV.
The MSF course is the best couple hundred bucks you'll spend in terms of motorcycling proficiency as a new rider.
Yea, I was planning on the safety course. I'm running by Big St Charles Motorsports today before pulling the transmission off the Ranger again...
I know Terry has a course there. Free if you buy a bike from him. That doesn't go in the right order though. I'd like to take the class first.
Didn't you comment on the Honda 360 in my garage? We might be able to work out a deal...
If you need to rationalize an irrational purchase, fuel savings along with a reduced carbon footprint are great reasons to justify purchasing a motorcycle to yourself, your friends and spouse(s.) 
Why not post this in the Sprockets section?
Anyway... I was kind of scared of bikes until about a month ago, when my dad gave me his Ninja 250, and I took the MSF course.
Take the MSF course. I say actually do that before buying a bike and deciding what sort of bike you would want.
You will feel much less intimidated by the task of riding and realize how many of the risks are controllable (and how many aren't). Really, if you are the sort of person who takes the MSF course and plans to put effort into being safe, you almost certainly will be. Wearing a good full-face helmet and gear, not drinking, making yourself as visible as possible, actively searching for hazardous situations, and taking turns within the limits of your skill/bike/situation controls the vast majority of the worst situations you will have.
So take the MSF course. Even if after hearing everything you decide you'd rather stick to the safety of a car, you'll still have learned some valuable, transferable skills.
As for a bike, if the sport bike style isn't your thing, get something different. I am not wild about how leaned forward the Ninja puts me and plan to get something a bit more upright when I get a new bike. It does get good gas mileage though (~50mpg when I'm carving twisty roads in low gear). You might prefer a standard, dual sport, or adventure bike. The latter two are different. A dual sport is basically a larger dirt bike with the lights and everything to be street legal. An adventure is like a small, stripped-down touring bike with suspension travel to be able to manage overlanding it. If you want really good gas mileage and are willing to pay a premium, you might check out the new Honda NC700x. They engineered that biased towards practicality and efficiency over raw performance. It's a 700cc bike getting >60mpg, and they finally realized that with modern fuel injection, component layout does not need to follow the conventional wisdom of past decades, so you get a usable storage space where the fuel tank would normally go.
Oh, and if I didn't mention already, take the MSF course before you do anything else.
N Sperlo wrote: So, what does the collective think a 125 lb Dago would look/do good on?
Naturally 
Heh. We had an older SR50 in the shop a while ago with a big bore kit, pipe and ridiculous CVT counterweights. That thing would go from a standstill to wheelie in about 15 feet. Granted it topped out at about 25mph with that gearing, but man it was stupid, unrideable fun.
N Sperlo wrote: So, 2 wheels scare me,
Enough said. Follow this instinct.
MSF, Also take a NC700 out. They are slow but fun. Also they don't hold much fuel. Also honda has some cruiser style bikes about to come out that are right from the same DNA as the NC700 but with a much lower seat height and still maintains the faux gas tank storage space. Worth checking out if buying new is in the cards.
Blitzed306 wrote: Also honda has some cruiser style bikes about to come out that are right from the same DNA as the NC700 but with a much lower seat height and still maintains the faux gas tank storage space. Worth checking out if buying new is in the cards.
CTX700N. Looks like it is already out.
I love them, but its scary in the street. Not because of my lack of riding abilitiy but because the stupidity of other people that dont care about you. I own a CBR f4i 600cc
I had a 2008 Kawasaki Versys (friend wrecked it), and it was amazing. Think V-strom 650 or NC700x, but slightly cheaper because you can find them used and they don't have quite as large of a following.
They can be had in good condition for under $4k.
You weigh 125 lbs.
A Ninja 250 or CBR250R would be a BULLET with you on it.
Total weight of you and bike would be under 500; with 25 hp, you're talking about sub-five to sixty and 100 mph tucked-in on either.
60-80 mpg either way. The main saving's on insurance, $200/year for liability, fire, and theft.
Insurance on a newer sport bike with a new rider will be killer. Age will help but I'll second Matt's opinion that crotch rockets shouldn't be sold to new riders. An older goldwing sub 1500cc will still knock down 30-40mpg and let you grow into it. Powerband is nice and smooth, but they weigh a ton. Personally I'm looking at a slightly used sv650f for something sporty and to help build credit back up now that all the negative crap has fallen off. Would love to get back into a liter class sport bike, but the practical side of my brain gets in the way now that I'm older.
You know...an Ex250/Ninja300 (same bike, different years) or the Honda CB250 are 60mpg rides and still pretty comfortable.
I had an EX500 and on a trip from Lansing to Grand Rapids in the rain, laying on the tank, I got 75mpg
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