My 1 Year Plan

[4W4K3]

I normally weak Dickies double knee work pants, or denim jeans. Man that just sounds hot, especially if I invest in shin guards of some kind. Will figure out something, might just have to pack an extra pair of pants for weekend trips out of town, mine will be soaked in butt sweat by the time I get anywhere lmao.

[4W4K3]

Originally Posted by techgesture

A salesman at Harley told me something that made sense... "it cost just as much to repair a 15K bike as it does a 5K bike. If you drop it and mess up the pipes for example, you still have to replace the pipes"...

Now granted I didnt buy a Harley cause I didnt have 15K...nonetheless... good point.

Also,... I was thinking I was going to buy new when I was at the same stage of planning/shopping as your are cause I thought "Since it is my first bike, I dont feel confident to have to figure out someone else's nuances on thier bike"... but after I took the MSF class and found a great deal on a bike that only had 1500 miles... that thought went away. I honest think mine is better than new now cause its already broken in and I dont have to worry about that whole "break in period".
Not only did I save $1500 off dealer price...but I also didnt have to pay another 1000 in dealer fees. Check your dealer and find out how much they are going to charge you in "fees" and have them do an Out-The-Door write up for you. 07 MSRP is 6899... be prepared to pay more like 8K OTD.

"Fees"? Any details? I was looking at the 07' because of the fuel gauge, the 05's didn't seem to be much cheaper without it. I was reading a "what did you pay" thread here, most people seem to pay just under MSRP for out the door pricing, including tax/title, etc. But it was an older thread, I don't think the 07's were even out yet.

[tnichols]

You know....I look at it this way, there are good points and bad points towards buying a brand new bike to start out with. I bought my first bike less than a year ago, have put 11,000 miles on it so far, dropped it once when I forgot to put the kick stand down, (no damage) and I am very happy with my decision. The one plus to buying a new bike is that for the first year if anything breaks, it is covered under warrenty. (Unless it is your fault) I've used my warrenty once so far when the front break started to stick. Other than that I've spent the last year enjoying learning how to ride without the worry of machanical problems.
I've made up for my lack of machanical problems by helping a riding buddy of mine deal with his after he bought a used bike earlier this summer. Seems like everytime we get ready to ride the thing breaks down.

Have fun no matter what you ride though!

[BOSS750]

[quote=4W4K3]Why does depreciation matter? I have no intentions to sell it after a year, if anything, past the one year mark will be when I can really enjoy it and start adding to it. I may not have said it in this thread, but I am probably more "scared" than anyone I know going into motorcycles, and will still be doing practice shifts and practice turns in the parking lot while other riders would be on the streets already.

Has anyone ever crashed in a parking lot? If you ask me I say yes. Their was a video clip posted on here earlier when a guy wrecked a brand new $30,000 dollar bike 6 seconds after jumping on it, and guess what it was in a parking lot. Don't assume you want wreck the bike cause your in a parking lot.

[Clint]

Originally Posted by 4W4K3

Man that just sounds hot, especially if I invest in shin guards of some kind.

Shin guards? What sport are you entering?

[4W4K3]

[quote=BOSS600]

Originally Posted by 4W4K3

Why does depreciation matter? I have no intentions to sell it after a year, if anything, past the one year mark will be when I can really enjoy it and start adding to it. I may not have said it in this thread, but I am probably more "scared" than anyone I know going into motorcycles, and will still be doing practice shifts and practice turns in the parking lot while other riders would be on the streets already.

Has anyone ever crashed in a parking lot? If you ask me I say yes. Their was a video clip posted on here earlier when a guy wrecked a brand new $30,000 dollar bike 6 seconds after jumping on it, and guess what it was in a parking lot. Don't assume you want wreck the bike cause your in a parking lot.

If given the choice I'd prefer multiple drops in a parking lot at a low speed, than taking a dump going 30MPH+ on the street. I'll probably do what tnichols did as well, and drop it when it's not even moving either forgetting the stand, or leaning it too far in the wrong direction. I've done it with a regular bicycle before

By shin guards I meant leg armor. Also looking at back armor. Might be unnecessary for the day to day riding, but I'm sure I could use them if I ever decide to go on a trip or feel ready to try my hand at a track. Looking much further down the road though. Not sure how many of you guys take your cruisers to the track, but I'd rather be the only cruiser on the track than risk it on the street.

[POE-BOY SAMICH]

Originally Posted by tnichols

....I look at it this way, there are good points and bad points towards buying a brand new bike to start out with....I've spent the last year enjoying learning how to ride without the worry of machanical problems.

The warranty and the ability to avoid spending on unforeseen mechanical problems is a BIG plus with buying a new bike. I, too, bought a brand new bike as my first motorcycle and have no regrets yet.

4W4K3,
Buying a bike is a personal decision. Being able to rely on a bike AND depend on it to hold up on the road provides a rider with peace of mind. For some of us, you just can't put a price on peace of mind.

Pick the bike that best suits you and your desires (new or used). It should be comfortable, not too powerful for you to learn on without killing yourself, and if it happens to be a good-looking ride in the process...well, that is just a bonus! The new one might cost you more on insurance (or maybe not), but if the new one is what makes you happy --- it's probably worth the extra expense. On the other hand, you might come across a used one somewhere that just catches your eye and BAM!--love at first sight. Next thing you know your practicing on your new USED bike with a big grin on your face!

Not everyone will agree that buying a brand new bike of any size/make/model is a good decision for a first time rider, but those are riders who are comfortable on a used bike. For them, they sacrifice none of the happiness and joy of riding by being on a used bike. For others who are not as comfortable relying on a used bike, buying new is really the best option. Low miles on a used bike is no guarantee you won't have to spend on repairs shortly after buying.

CONCENTRATE MORE ON THE MAKE/MODEL/SIZE that is best for YOU TO LEARN ON, rather than trying to decide if you should buy new or used. Besides, I think you already know the answer to the "new or used?" question and it's a question you answered for yourself.

On a side note, whatever gear you get, make sure you try it on and check the fit before buying it (helmet, gloves, jacket, EVERYTHING). Buying your first gear online is not recommended unless you have been able to try the exact same type of gear at a local shop. For example: A large in one model of jacket/helmet does not mean you wear a large in all models.

Be safe, have fun, and keep us posted on your progress!

[drgibson]

Dude how old are you? I pay less then half of that for my M95 with all the accessories. Geico.

[4W4K3]

I'm 18, which is also why my car insurance sucks. I can't remember if I've tried Geico or not lol, but I'll get another quote today. I do plan on actually calling and talking to a person with StateFarm as well since that's who I got my car insurance through. Online I cannot find any motorcycle quotes or anything.

Thanks for the advise everyone. I've modified my "plan" a bit, mostly in prices. Hopefully no one feels like I've completely ignored their words of wisdom, that's just the way I come across I guess. I've got some time before I make the bike purchase, as I want MSF under my belt and the gear IN MY POSESSION, that way I'm not tempted to go riding without it. They have weekend classes over in Irving I can sign up for, only 30-40mins away.

[Ext1jdh]

Check out Geico, seriously. I'm 370 a year. Speeding tickets, an accident, and a year of SR-22 insurance.

[4W4K3]

Help me out here, since Ive never applied for insurance. I'm almost done with the GEICO quote.

In Texas you have to have a minimum of 20K/40K/15K insurance. I believe that's injury for 1 person, injury for 2 people, and property damage, in that order. But what about everything else? Everyone is saying they are "full coverage"...what all does that include? I've got:

BI - 20K/40K
PD - 15K
MED 10K
PIP - NO
UMBI - 20K/40K
UMPD - 15K
COMP - $500 deduct
COLL - 500 deduct
TOW - NO

The first 3 are the mandatory ones I believe. If someone could jsut give me an example of how much coverage they selected for each it would help alot. I planned on being fully covered, but I have no idea how much coverage is necessary, or what I do/do not even need.

EDIT: As I suspected, another monster quote of $2,320/year. I've filled in what I selected above...what do you think I did wrong? Switching between MED/PIP saves me only ~$200, still over $2000/year. Hmm...

[Rockhead]

For your budget don’t for get to add in Maintenance costs. Mucho Dinero$$$$$

[4W4K3]

Hopefully the warranty wil take care of any problems. As far as oil changes, enw tires, etc. that's just what I threw in with gas as a "given". Unless regular maintenance for a bike is like 2X more expensive than a car? But back to the insurance mystery...anybody see anything wrong with my quote? I can't figure out why I'm paying thousands more than you guys...has to be more than just age.

[wookie]

Get a used one for cash (no finance). That way, you save on comprehensive and collision.

[4W4K3]

It'll take me a good long time to get $5500+ in cash, if not more.

But let's see what happens when I choose "own" instead of "finance".

LMAO! Wow that does make a big difference. Fully and completely covered (minus collision and comprehensive) It's less than $700/year. Simply amazing...

Looks like I'll be looking for a loan maybe, buying the bike out right, and jsut making payments on the loan. Sound like a bad idea? Probably get a cheaper rate than the dealer would offer...otherwise I will simply have to wait probably a whole year before I can save up that much cash.

[Rockhead]

Originally Posted by 4W4K3

Unless regular maintenance for a bike is like 2X more expensive than a car?

LOL It's not too bad if you do it yourself, but you’re in for a shock if you take it to the dealer. Ask members around here what the dealer raped them for their 600 mile service and the price would be somewhere between 150-300 dollars.

Could credit have something to do with the high costs? At 18 mine wasn’t so hot……..

[4W4K3]

Originally Posted by Rockhead

LOL It's not too bad if you do it yourself, but you’re in for a shock if you take it to the dealer. Ask members around here what the dealer raped them for their 600 mile service and the price would be somewhere between 150-300 dollars.

Could credit have something to do with the high costs? At 18 mine wasn’t so hot……..

As far as changing the oil, I can do that. Will jsut stock up on filters and oil when I go by all my gear. This what the 600 mile service is?

"Replace Engine oil and filter
Inspect Idle Speed
Inspect Automatic decompression cable
Inspect Throttle cable play
Inspect Carburetor syncronization
Inspect Brakes (remove the pads and fully inspect them)
Replace Final Gear oil
Inspect Steering
Tighten exhaust pipe nuts/bolts and muffler bolts
Tighten chassis Bolts and nuts (anything you can see, but especially brake caliper mounting bolts and engine mounting bolts)"

I just can't mount and align/balance my own tires. Unless it can be done with a screw driver and hammer lmao. That's about all I have.

I'd take $700/year, even i i's $100-200 more than most people here pay. I think alot of you guys are 21+ who are getting 300-400/year, and they do ask for riding experience (I checked none). Beats the hell out of $2300/year.

[wookie]

I am 35. I pay $1,050 per year for full coverage (including comprehensive and collisions) for both the GSX-R600 and SV650S together.

[4W4K3]

Looks like my plans have been shot down lol. I need a co-signer to get approved for an auto-loan, and I would bet the dealership would also require a co-signer if I wanted to finance through them. The loan is the better option if I'm gonna' buy new, since insurance is almost $1500/year cheaper. But either way...looks like I'll be waiting a while. I need to build more credit, and discuss a co-signer option with my parents, or someone I know that really trusts me with a good record.

Being young has it's negatives

[wookie]

Even if you get a loan, the lien holder will require full coverage on your bikes (i.e., comprehensive, and collision). When you get an insurance quote, they will ask you whether or not you're taking up a loan on the bike (same as financing a bike purchase). If yes, then you will need to get full coverage.

One way out of this is to borrow money from your parents. Hopefully you're their favorite son and they won't ask you to surrender your bike to them if you cannot repay them or if the bike is lost or destroyed. That's assuming your parents have $7,000+ in cash available.

PM CManT1914. He lives in Texas and has a "pre-owned" Gixxer. He is about your age. He also has a souped up Mustang. So maybe he can share his experience and knowledge with you.

Good luck, mon.