I have been saving up for a car for a while now and have about $10,000 saved up but the way gas is these days I‘m looking into purchasing a motorcycle instead. I barely know anything about cars and my knowledge of motorcycles is very limited. What‘s a good brand/model to buy? I‘m looking for new with a warranty of some kind. What would you recommend?
Most Efficient Motorcycle
I would give the advise that you should keep saving your money until you can afford a fuel efficient car. Reason # 1 what are you going to do when it rains, when it is very cold, or even when it is hot no matter how fast you ride 100 degree air blasting you is still 100 degree air( feels like standing in front of a blow dryer.) Also go get your shopping done on your bike. Take a couple of friends to the movies. Motorcycles can be and are a lot of fun but as a only vehicle i feel it would be a bad choice. Also you need to think of the increased danger involved in a motorcycle. It is not hard to understand that when a car and a motorcycle are involved in a wreck the rider has a significantly higher chance of being killed or injured. Having said all that i should tell you that i have owned several motorcycles and currently do and i love riding them. If you do buy a bike find a experienced rider a older guy who has rode for at least 5yr not some young guy with 14months under his belt you will learn a lot and will live longer.
The best beginner bike bar none is the Kawasaki Ninja 250. They cost $3,000 new so expect to walk out with one for about $3,500 after TTL. Now to insure it. Motorcycles are stolen much more easily than cars so you are going to need comprehensive insurance. For me, another new and young cyclist, the estimate was around $250 for liability and another $800 a year for comprehensive. That brings us to $4,550. Now you need safety gear. Between a helmet, jacket, boots and gloves expect to pay a minimum of $5-600 for decent safety gear. If we split the difference we get $550. That brings us to $5,100 So basically a $3,000 bike cost over $5,000 before you get to ride it. Keep in mind that motorcycle upkeep is much more costly and is required more often than on a car. A set of motorcycle tires might wear out enough to warrant replacement in only 6,000 miles. For my bike the tire change cost $450. Thats $300 for the tires and $150 for two hours labor that I was billed at. This is not uncommon. Most dealerships and shops charge $50-75 an hour for labor. Motorcycles are not much cheaper than a car. Keep in mind that $3,500 is about as cheap as a road worthy bike is going to cost new. The Ninja 250 is unique in this. $6,000 out the door is what you are going to pay for a decent small new bike designed for beginners like a Honda VLX or Ninja 500. This would bring your initial cost to $8,100. A carryover 2006 model Kia is going to cost less than that. Bottom line: Motorcycles are about passion. They are not cheaper replacements to cars. If you are set on a motorcycle take the MSF course in your area first. The course should cost about $150-250 and it should teach you enough to get you started riding. You will spend several hours on an actual motorcycle and if you decide afterwards that motorcycling is not for you then you are only out a small amount of money. If you decide that it is for you, the Ninja 250 is just about the best cycle for the money out there.
