And let‘s say they are both cheap ones. Similar price; not a fancy engine.
I've been tracking this myself for the past 15 years (after a bet I lost with a friend). If you choose Very carefully, it can be a wash. That's buying a bike that can be fitted with touring tires, is a shaft drive, and doing all of the maintenance yourself. It's not something that would be enjoyable to ride IMHO. And it's a wash as compared to almost Any econo-box car when it comes to operating costs. If you pick a sporty motorcycle and want to ride it like one, it's a huge losing proposition on the motorcycle. Tires, chain and sprockets, brake pads, insurance, etc. all drive the price WAY up past that of an econo-box car. My records show that it's roughly twice as much per mile to run a sport bike than my Jetta. Now, obviously, if you factor in Purchase price, then motorcycles will be cheaper for the first several years. but considering resale value and that lead diminishes a bit. I don't ride for savings/economy, I ride for enjoyment. When I want good fuel economy and lower cost, it's my Jetta that's taken (TDI version, I get 48mpg, replace tires every 80k miles, do oil changes at 20k miles and have done not much else in the past 130,000 miles)
Compare quotes from the best companies at - INSURECOMPARE.INFO- RE Which is more expensive: Car or Motorcycle? And let's say they are both cheap ones. Similar price; not a fancy engine.
I bought a brand new Honda Rebel in 2006 for $3250. At that time insurance was $72 a year. The motorcycle goes through more tires and brakes than a car. You should also figure that the Rebel has a service life of 50,000 miles. The cheapest honda car has a service life of 200,000 miles. But, multiply $3250 X 4 and that is $13,000 purchase price for 4 bikes when a car will last the same as 4 bikes. The same insurance on a car costs me $41.18 per month. The bike gets 90 mpg and a honda accord gets 32. I have kept a running tab on all my expenses on my Rebel and on a Toyota Yaris that I bought new in 2008 for $12500. You might be surprised but buying 4 motorcycles still comes out cheaper than one car. Now, if you would happen to purchase Harley's top of the line for $36,499 Insurance, maintenance, and upkeep are all more than one car.
