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[Richard230]

In spite of the OPEC production cutback agreement announced this week, the price of crude oil has dropped below $20 a barrel today.  The price of gasoline in California at most locations is in the mid to upper $2 a gallon range and I am sure it is much lower in other states.

So how are your electrical rates doing? I am not seeing any decrease in my rates (23 cents per KWH), in fact they are continuing to increase.    This is certainly not going to help electric motorcycle sales, especially when piled on top of all of the other stuff going on right now. I keep wondering how long small motorcycle shops can stay in business in view of the way the economy is going and the fact that most are considered a "nonessential business" and have been ordered to close?  (Except for the shops that are lucky to have a contract to maintain and service police vehicles.) I am not terribly hopeful.  From what I hear all new motorcycles from the major brands are stuck somewhere in the transportation pipeline or at factories that have been closed. 

[Crissa]

Well, all the shops in Santa Cruz are service shops primarily, so as long as they have bikes to repair they can stay in business.

But we already lost all our sales shops.

-Crissa

[Curt]

It's amazing, isn't it? There are a few stations in KY, OK, OH selling gas for less than $1.50/gallon. Our consumption has dropped to 1968 levels (-44%). Storage is full nationwide so even the OPEC production cuts have done nothing!

In California, tax per gallon is now so high relative to the actual gas that prices are double some other states. We are so ripped off.

Source: https://www.nkytribune.com/2020/04/aaa-gas-prices-continue-to-go-down-and-kentuckys-are-fourth-lowest-in-country-low-demand/

[Richard230]

It's amazing, isn't it? There are a few stations in KY, OK, OH selling gas for less than $1.50/gallon. Our consumption has dropped to 1968 levels (-44%). Storage is full nationwide so even the OPEC production cuts have done nothing!

In California, tax per gallon is now so high relative to the actual gas that prices are double some other states. We are so ripped off.

Source: https://www.nkytribune.com/2020/04/aaa-gas-prices-continue-to-go-down-and-kentuckys-are-fourth-lowest-in-country-low-demand/

Just wait until you get your EV's California state registration bill from the DMV this year. 

[Crissa]

Most of California's price is not tax, Curt.

The oil producers just don't like us.

-Crissa

[valnar]

I wonder if I should buy some containers for gas and a bunch of Sta-Bil.  I'll have to do the math to see how that works out to pre-Covid prices.  At current prices, I could splurge and drive down to the docks for the non-ethanol stuff.

It's amazing, isn't it? There are a few stations in KY, OK, OH selling gas for less than $1.50/gallon.

That would be me.  Ohio.

[Curt]

Most of California's price is not tax, Curt.

The oil producers just don't like us.

You may be right. (Or diametrically wrong, the oil producers LOVE us for paying whatever!) PA has roughly the same gas tax as CA around $0.50/gallon. We just increased our tax and passed them, but their gas is still $1.00/gal cheaper. We have the summer formulation issue. Newsom is trying to launch an investigation into why we're being screwed. "'There is no identifiable evidence to justify these premium prices,' Newsom wrote in a letter to Attorney General Xavier Becerra."

Oh well, not that I care. Between my e-bike, e-car and e-scooter I visit a gas station only a few times a year (still have two ICE bikes and a truck).

[Crissa]

I guess it should mean I should at least fill my car.  It's been sitting around

-Crissa

[DonTom]

In spite of the OPEC production cutback agreement announced this week, the price of crude oil has dropped below $20 a barrel today.  The price of gasoline in California at most locations is in the mid to upper $2 a gallon range and I am sure it is much lower in other states.

So how are your electrical rates doing? I am not seeing any decrease in my rates (23 cents per KWH), in fact they are continuing to increase.    This is certainly not going to help electric motorcycle sales, especially when piled on top of all of the other stuff going on right now. I keep wondering how long small motorcycle shops can stay in business in view of the way the economy is going and the fact that most are considered a "nonessential business" and have been ordered to close?  (Except for the shops that are lucky to have a contract to maintain and service police vehicles.) I am not terribly hopeful.  From what I hear all new motorcycles from the major brands are stuck somewhere in the transportation pipeline or at factories that have been closed. 

Motorcycle shops are open. I went to two of them today and both were business as usual-- almost.

I took my SR front wheel to Elk Grove Power Sports to get a new front tire (10,000 miles on it--rear tire still okay at 10k miles). On the way back, I stopped off at Rocklin Harley to buy some oil and other stuff for my Road Glide.

However, at Elk Grove Power Sports the showroom is now by appointment only. But they are open for parts and labor as normal. And they are as busy as normal. Motorcycle shops are considered automotive and are allowed to be open in CA.

BTW, Rocklin H-D has so far, sold four Livewires.

I also had my RV in the shop last week for a wheel alignment.

Gas prices in some parts of NV are now well below $2.00 a gallon  (I was told via  e-mail from my riding buddies in Reno).

Electricity here in Auburn is also expensive. But EV's can get half rate after midnight. I assume there also.

In Reno, electricity is cheap. And the price is easy to remember. 11.7 cents per KWH. Easy to remember because my Energica battery is 11.7 KWH nominal.

BTW, electric still has a big advantage. Cannot pick up the bug when charging at home unlike touching the gas pump handles that countless people handle every day.   I took my Tesla to pick up my  wheel  from EGPS.

BTW, anybody here have Zero  tires changed (on rim) at a NON-Zero shop? Is it safe to do such? I know the rims on Zeros are a weird size.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[DonTom]

This is certainly not going to help electric motorcycle sales,

I forgot to mention that trying to save money on gasoline is a poor excuse to go electric anyway. Small gas bikes are a lot cheaper than electric and that can buy a lot of gasoline.

Also, it costs more to use CCS charging (in most cases) than gasoline prices even when the gas price is high. If I want to be cheap, I will ride my TTSE between here and Reno as it usually gets more than 50 MPG (and I have seen as high as 61 MPG with it). It costs more for the one stop I need to recharge on my Energica.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Richard230]

I changed the tires on my Zero by myself at home without any problem.     Once you get the wheels off it is just like changing the tires on any other motorcycle.  Nothing weird that I could see.

[Starpower]

I changed the tires on my Zero by myself at home without any problem.     Once you get the wheels off it is just like changing the tires on any other motorcycle.  Nothing weird that I could see.

Same here, do my own on a basic No-Mar changer. BTW - I spooned on a set of RS10's sooooo sweet!

[Crissa]

There's even a selection in stock at Cycle Gear, so I assume they're just tires

Yeah, because of the shelter order, I'm using my car like only once every couple weeks to get soda and canned goods from Costco.  The bike does everything else; all the fresh food and takeout and mail stops.

The bike is definitely essential!  And at the 510mpg-e I get on errands... Electricity would have to cost 97¢ a KWh to catch even $2 a gal gas!

-Crissa

[DonTom]

I changed the tires on my Zero by myself at home without any problem.     Once you get the wheels off it is just like changing the tires on any other motorcycle.  Nothing weird that I could see.

What tools did you use?  I gave up on taking tires off rims years ago when the rubber became much  tougher with the tubeless tires.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Richard230]

I changed the tires on my Zero by myself at home without any problem.     Once you get the wheels off it is just like changing the tires on any other motorcycle.  Nothing weird that I could see.

What tools did you use?  I gave up on taking tires off rims years ago when the rubber became much  tougher with the tubeless tires.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

I change tires on some cardboard on my garage floor on my hands and knees, using hand tools.  But you will need a bead breaker and a wheel balancer and at least three large tire irons, along with some tire changing lube (or soapy water) and some stick-on wheel weights.  You can usually get all of this stuff at your local auto accessory store - off of Amazon, for sure.  Of course, you can spring for a $$$ No-Mar tire changer and life will be a lot easier.