...If you don't like the 55mpg from the new bike, why not go with an 07 or earlier? You can get those for next to nothing now because of the popularity of the 08, and they still ride well and are comfortable. The OTD price on a low mileage 07 would be somewhere from 2k to 3k and those get closer to 70mpg. Availability of parts is great because almost all parts from 88 to 07 are interchangeable.
Additionally, if you don't mind losing a bit of the acceleration from the 08, you can just get a different sprocket for the front or rear to gear down the cruising rpms a bit, and you'd pick up a few mpg that way. Or just draft behind semis
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