The Exquisite Agony: Buying Your First Motorcycle
Dec 24 '00
Buying a motorcycle is different than any car purchase you'll ever make. On one side, most of the practical concessions made on a car lot are cast away. No one will ever choose one bike over another because of built-in child seats or cupholders. And while riders will talk up the advantage of their bike against the competition, no one ever bought a Gold Wing because it had more trunk space or a better stereo than a Harley. Aside from the opinion of your dearly beloved on the pillion accommodations, the only opinion that matters is yours. It's one of the rare times, maybe the only time in your life, when you can buy a vehicle just because it's the one that makes your heart beat faster.
That first taste of the freedom in motorcycling is one of life's better moments. But then comes the other ways it's different than buying a car. What happens between falling in love and getting the bike in your garage is probably going to be different than any major purchase you've made before.
Fair warning-this is going to be a long review, and if you've bought a bike or two I don't have a lot of secrets to share. But if you're thinking about your first bike, here's an idea of what to expect and answers to the questions most new riders have.
Getting A Taste
The first step is recognizing that no one is born to ride a motorcycle. It is a skill you have to learn, and learning to do it properly can save your life.
I would only take lessons from a friend if I totally trusted that person with my life, because that is exactly what you are doing. You are trusting them to teach you the skills you will need to stay alive. If they get it wrong, you'll get it wrong, too.
Do yourself a favor: Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCourse instead. The MSF is a non-profit organization that developed a uniform training program based on research instead of myths. Nothing is presented to you until it has been researched, proven, refined and proven again. And the techniques you are taught work. This is from the landmark Hurt Report on Motorcycle Accidents : " The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents."
There are other reasons why you should take the MSF course. Passing the class can save you ten percent on your insurance premiums. Many states also waive the riding test for your motorcycle license if you complete the MSF program. But one great reason isn't mentioned often. Because the MSF supplies the bike and even has loaner helmets to use, it's a terrific way to get a taste of motorcycling for just $100-150 bucks. (A few states fund training through motorcycle registrations and offer the class for as little as $20, and many dealers reimburse the cost of the class when you buy a bike.) And it's more fun than drivers ed ever was.
Let's put it like this-there isn't a good reason to not take the course. Your local motorcycle dealer has all the information on MSF training programs in your area, or you can check out www.msf-usa.org
What Bike Should I Buy?
One of the most annoying habits we old timers have is trying to convince new riders that the choice we made is the only right choice. This shows its ugly head most often when a new rider is asking for advise on their first bike. But take a deep breath and ignore them all. If your head turns everytime a sportbike goes past, don't let anyone tell you that your first bike should be something else. Same for a cruiser, a tourer, a dual purpose bike, or whatever.
But look for a bike in that category that was designed for an entry level rider. What you are looking for is a bike that is pulled back from the extreme qualities that make the big models more suitable for experienced riders. An entry level touring bike will be a lot lighter than the 800 pound Gold Wing, an entry level cruiser won't have the chopper handling of a Harley Springer Softail, and an entry level sportbike won't have the 180mph engine of a Suzuki Hayabusa or the racetrack-bred handling reflexes of the Yamaha YZF-R6.
In my book, extremes in those three qualities (weight, handling and power) are what separate beginner bikes from machines intended for experienced riders in every category. Fortunately, there are wonderful entry level bikes in all of these categories, too. You do not have to sacrifice the dream of having the kind of bike you've always wanted just because your starting out.
Let's take a look at those three categories and some bikes in different genres that are well suited to entry level riders. A light bike should be a factor if you are looking at a cruiser, dual purpose or touring bike. Not because they are easier to pick up if you fall. They are, but excessive weight is intimidating when you are learning the skills of riding a motorcycle. Starting on a lighter bike can help spare you the embarrassment of having to pick it up.
Entry-level tourers are the rarest of all entry level bikes. But they are out there. Honda has made two excellent candidates-the GL-500 Silver Wing from the early to mid 80's and the PC-800 Pacific Coast from the early to mid 90's. BMW also made the tasty (but quirky) K75LT touring model a few years ago. But most new riders looking for a bike to join in touring rides will choose an entry level cruiser or standard and outfit it for the road with a windscreen fairing and detachable luggage. This isn't a bad option, really. A convertible touring bike like this is a lot more comfortable for around town riding than even a small proper touring bike, and it will be the lightest option.
If you are a new rider drawn to the classic look of cruisers, you have an embarrassment of riches to choose from. The Harley 883 Sportster, Honda Shadow VLX and Shadow 750 ACE, Yamaha V-Star, Kawasaki Vulcan 800 and Suzuki Intruder 800 are all very good motorcycles that weigh in at less than 500 pounds and don't give up much to the look of their bigger brothers. (If the idea of an 800 makes you sweat in the bad way, both the Honda VLX and Yamaha V-Star use more humble 650cc engines. I should also note that the Sportster engine makes power that puts it against the 650 Japanese models, making it a good candidate for a beginner bike.)
Some readers might notice that I didn't include the 250cc cruisers like the Honda Rebel and the late Virago 250 that the factories created just for new riders. These have attracted a lot of women riders to motorcycling and God bless them for that. But in my book they are too small, with inadequate power for anything more than in town riding. The bigger engines of the bikes I listed might sound intimidating, but everyone I've ridden has a beginner friendly engine. The MSF program uses 250's so if you take the class you can see what they are like. But most cruiser riders can start on a 600-800cc bike without problems.
If you want a bike you can ride off road, your choices are limited. With only a couple of exceptions all entry level dual purpose bikes have 200-250cc engines. The Yamaha XT-225, Kawasaki KLR-250 and Suzuki DR200SE are your only three choices but there isn't a bad bike in the bunch. All three also have electric starting to make life easier.
An entry-level sportbike is an oxymoron to some, but they do exist. Unlike the other categories, here the concern isn't weight-it's power. This is just my arbirtrary rule, but I don't recommend any bike that makes more than 70 horsepower as a first motorcycle. That eliminates all but one of the 600cc fours, long considered the entry level for the sport class. But consider this: the 2000 Honda CBR-600F4, Kawasaki ZX-6R, Suzuki GSXR-600 and Yamaha R6 all make 100 horsepower. Less than 20 years ago that was the stuff of open class monsters like the Kawasaki GPz-1100. Since human evolution hasn't kept pace over that short time, I think a hundred ponies is still something that demands an experienced hand.
But there are some neat sportbikes that meet my requirements. Topping the list is the Suzuki SV-650, a great bike by any definition. My second place vote goes to the Bandit 600, also from Suzuki. The Kawasaki Ninja 500 and 250 and Suzuki's GS500E are three other candidates if you're looking for a new bike. In the used market I'd rank the Yamaha Seca II, and Honda Hawk GT just below the Suzuki SV-650 and Bandit. And my one real, fully faired sportbike recommendation is the Suzuki Katana 600. I'd recommend the SV-650 over a Katana any day, but if you have to have the look of a sportbike the 'Tuna is the best option for first time buyers.
Sizing Them Up
I'm a big believer that if you are comfortable on a bike it will be a lot easier to learn how to ride. You want to have a bike that feels natural when you are on it. As you gain experience you might start to understand why other bikes have different ergonomics, but during the time when you are becoming a motorcyclist it's important that the feel of how the bike fits you doesn't get in the way of learning how to ride.
Don't buy any bike that you cannot sit on with both feet flat on the ground. One thing every new rider fears is having the bike fall over when they pull up to a stop. If you have to balance on tip toes it will make you nervous and that nervousness will stick with you. There's no need to give yourself that distraction. There are sportbikes to fit someone as short as 5' 6" and I've seen cruiser riders who weren't much taller than five feet. It might limit your choice of bikes but it's better than trying to adapt to a bike that is too big for you. (Also, when looking at spec sheets for motorcycles remember that the seat height is without the rider. As you get on it your weight will compress the suspension and lower the seat height. You don't need to have a 34 inch inseam to comfortably ride a bike with a 34 inch seat height.)
Also see how the bike feels with your feet up on the pegs and your hands on the handlebars. The feeling should be natural, like if you closed your eyes and moved your hands and feet they would naturally fall to the places they need to be. This will become less important by the end of your first year. But when you're starting a bike that fits like a comfy sweatsuit will make it easier to concentrate on riding.
If you are going to use your bike for more than pleasure riding, this is also the time to look at what provisions it has for attaching bags or tying down cargo with a bungee cord net. Sportbikes are more capable than cruisers in this regard. Their flat gas tanks greatly ease the use of a tank bag and the broader passenger saddle area makes it easier to secure loads with a bungee net. But there are cargo and storage options available for every genre of bike if you need it.
New Or Used?
In a word, used.
Depreciation is as much a fact of life in motorcycling as it is when buying a car. The rate of depreciation will vary widely across the US and between overseas markets. But one thing seems to be constant: Entry level bikes depreciate at a notably lower rate than more advanced models, and the biggest hit comes in the first year. The rate of depreciation for the three or four years after that is almost flat, then it begins to fall again after the fifth year.
Financially, your best bet is in a bike that is one to three years old. If you buy a bike in this range and keep it in excellent condition you can sell it in a year or two for just a few hundred dollars less than what you paid for it. Starting with a new bike and keeping it for two years can cause a depreciation hit up to four times greater.
With a new bike you get the reassurance of a warranty, but with a few notable exceptions modern bikes have a Lexus level of reliability. I've seen too many quality problems with Buell, Ducati and Moto Guzzi to recommend them to a first time buyer. For other makes and models, I recommend checking out the owner reviews on Epinions and going to the motorcycle hangouts to talk to owners in your area. (Don't worry-they won't bite. Most are happy to help out a newbie.)
There's another reason to choose a clean used bike over a new one. No matter how hard the bug is biting now, you might discover motorcycling is not for you. Taking a certified rider training class and finding an experienced rider to mentor you can do a lot to help you get through the first year with your enthusiasm intact. But even under the best of circumstances a good percentage of people decide the personal cost of riding is greater than the benefits.
If this happens, you'll be in a better financial position if you bought a used bike. More importantly, you won't feel obligated to continue doing something you're not comfortable with because you made a larger investment in a new bike. Fear of crashing will help you develop your skills in the beginning but if it doesn't evolve into confidence-walk away. Nobody has to ride a motorcycle and forcing yourself to stay with it when you know in your heart that you're not comfortable will only put you at greater risk.
What To Look For
When looking at a used bike, your eyes and a little common sense can tell you most of what you need to know. Be suspicious of crash damage-even if its only cosmetic. If the owner couldn't be bothered to fix it chances are he neglected the bike in other ways, too. Ask a friend who rides to look over the wear items like the tires, chain (if it has one) and brakes. It will let you know what expenses you'll have to face in the immediate future, and give you a glimpse into the life the bike led before you came along.
Personally, I wouldn't buy a used bike without a test ride. But the vast majority of dealers and many private sellers refuse to give them. As someone with no real experience your chances of getting one are practically zero. You'll have to ask an experienced rider to take one for you. He or she should look for engine responsiveness, if the transmission shifts roughly (a problem sportbike buyers should be looking for) and if the brakes are pulsing, which indicates warped rotors. Make sure the bike hasn't been warmed up before you got there, some unscrupulous owners use this to hide the evidence of an abused engine.
If you need to look at an older bike because three grand is too steep all of the above still applies. If you're patient you can find a bike without any mechanical problems at a decent price. It's worth waiting for. A bike with problems might be priced a few hundred dollars less, but I've yet to see one that didn't require every cent of the difference and more to match the condition of a bike that has been cared for. Saving a little money now usually means you'll be spending more later.
If you buy from a dealer they might offer an extended warranty. As a rule, I think they are a waste of money on a new or used bike. The extended warranties do not cover the wear items that are the most frequent cause of maintenance expences. And unlike cars, motorcycles don't have subsystems like air conditioning and power accessories that are prone to failure. Unless its been abused the transmissions in a motorcycle are pretty bulletproof. So all you are insuring against is a major engine failure that isn't caused by rider abuse and those are very rare.
A better insurance policy is investing that $300-500 in yourself. Put the money in good riding gear or save it for advanced training. Regarding helmet use: I'm against mandatory helmet laws, but I also think you're an idiot if you don't wear one for the first 15,000 miles of your riding career. You are at greatest risk for a crash when you are learning to ride and that comes with miles, not months on the calendar. (If it takes five or seven years to get to 15K-keep the helmet on for as long as you ride. The great majority of veteran riders I've seen involved in crashes are veterans in years only. They are most often weekend riders who only put up a couple of thousand miles a year and this lack of actual experience keeps their skills from growing past a pretty low point on the learning curve.)
Paying For It And Protecting It
If the reluctance to give test rides wasn't enough to make you wonder if anyone actually wants to sell you a motorcycle, trying to finance one can convince you this is the case.
Occasionally you might see promotions for "factory" financing on a bike at an attractive loan rate. With these exceptions the typical interest rate for a motorcycle loan runs between 17 and 18%. And few buyers will even qualify for the loan even at that rate because your credit has to be just about perfect. I'm not kidding-it is easier to get a $100,000 mortgage than it is to get a $7,000 loan for a motorcycle.
The reason why is that banks and finance companies, including the finance companies behind names like Honda Finance and Kawasaki Finance, technically don't write loans for motorcycles. They consider them an unsecured purchase even though they retain the ownership title until the loan is repaid. As far as the banks are concerned you might as well be asking for a $7,000 vacation loan or asking them to finance a plasma screen television.
There are a couple of exceptions. BMW offers a very attractive 3.9% rate on many models, and Harley offers a more agreeable 13% rate for some buyers on select models. But the best choice is to pay cash-either through saving until you have enough or by taking a home equity loan if you have that option.
Insurance is another area where it will pay to shop around. But don't be cheap. Comprehensive insurance rates will be comparable to the rate you pay for a car that costs much more, and its worth it. The rate of motorcycle theft is higher than car theft because bikes are very easy to break down into parts and convert into cash. For this reason alone you should carry comprehensive coverage and invest in a lock that will give a thief enough work to make him look elsewhere.
Make sure your policy carries a ton of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Because the risk of personal injury is greater in a motorcycle crash, and because those injuries can be more severe than in a car crash, you should be prepared for the worst case scenario. If the person doesn't have adequate coverage-or no insurance at all-you can be left holding the bag for six-figure medical bills. I personally carry a million dollars of uninsured/underinsured coverage. It costs more but I think its worth it.
One place where its smart to save money is on the collision deductible. There are really only two kinds of motorcycle crashes. One is a low speed spills or when the bike falls off the sidestand and the bike has a little cosmetic damage. The second type is when the bike collides with something else. Aside from the lowest speed collision, like if you get tapped from behind at a stoplight and fall over, the bill is going to start at a couple thousand dollars because there is a great probability of structural damage to the suspension or frame in addition to a much greater level of cosmetic damage.
Because there is little middle ground between the two, and because filing a claim for a minor spill will cause your rates to go up and might even threaten your coverage, I only keep collision coverage to insure against a big hit. Carrying a hundred dollar deductible versus a $500 co-pay will cost you more in premiums for coverage you should think twice before using anyway. (I carry a $500 deductible only because my insurer doesn't allow a thousand dollar co-payment.)
Aftermarket Accessories And Final Thoughts
The most popular motorcycle add-ons are cosmetic features like chrome covers, louder pipes and removable luggage. But there are a couple of things you can add to improve your chances of surviving on the mean streets that you should consider on your first bike. (Or your fifteenth, for that matter.)
At the top of my list is a headlight modulator. The greatest collision risk you face is a car driver who turns in front of you because he doesn't see you. Nothing I've found does more to raise your frontal profile than a headlight modulator. It is a neat little devise that pulses your headlight off and on during daylight hours. (An optic sensor automatically disables it at night.) You cannot believe the effect it has. When I first installed it I went from the paranoia of feeling like I was invisible to the sensation that I was being led through traffic by a nudist colony brass band. It gets that kind of attention. I put a headlight modulator on my second bike thirteen years ago and haven't been without one since.
You'll also need a loud horn, and unless you have a BMW the one that came on your bike isn't loud enough. BMW uses Fiamm electric horns and I highly recommend them, too. Unlike air horns they are small enough to be tucked out of site but they seem to be twice as loud as the stock pieces.
I'm also a big advocate for investing in proper riding apparel and safety equipment. Make no mistake, if you have a spill or crash wearing leather and a helmet will prevent or reduce the severity of injuries. I also believe that it can help prevent the crash. Suiting up in leather and putting on my helmet puts me in the mindset that I am riding a motorcycle. It helps me focus before I start the ride.
And that's where this story ends and your story begins. Give yourself the best start you can with training and a bike suited to your needs. Then get out there and ride. Keep riding, keep learning and motorcycling will only get better for you.
-Brian Igo
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Member: Brian Igo
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