Originally Posted by
samburger
I'm not looking at sport bikes, just cruisers & standards. I really like the F650, V-Strom, & Versys but they're too expensive. So I'm looking at the Suzuki Savage & Boulevard (650cc). Any thoughts on these? There are a lot of the for sale on CL in my area for very reasonable prices. I also have a stepdad & stepbrother who are much more mechanically inclined than myself (my stepbro is actually a mechanic) to come alonf with me to look at used bikes & inspect them for signs of wrecks, fluid levels, etc.
Hey it's awesome that you have family that is willing to help out when you go to look at a bike.
Here are a couple things to think about when it comes to selling a 4-wheeled mode of transportation in order to switch to the 2-wheeled move.
1. most car/truck wrecks are no big deal, most motorcycle wrecks involve injury of some kind (even if you gear up)....i have broken a collar bone, and my leg cause someone didn't see me and merged into my lane....yes...i was riding in proper lane position.
2. insurance CAN be high for young motorcycle riders depending on which bike you get. but, you're chances of wrecking a bike are higher than a car, so, get a insurance quote on a bike before you buy it.
3. some areas of the country do not support year-round riding. i live in one of the most mild climates there is...central california....and let me tell you one thing. riding in the summer heat, and riding in the winter cold SUCK. yes, even with proper gear.
4. you lose the ability to give rides to people for the most part. when it comes to trips, either you ride on your own, or you have to rely on someone else for transportation (boo)
5. you lose the ability to transport things such as your mountain bike, or anything else for that matter. weighing down a motorcycle with crap pretty much defeats the purpose of having a bike - the feeling of freedom. this can be remedied by using good saddle bags / cargo bags.
6. if you end up dating someone, she will most likely not want to ride all the time, so get used to having to use her call ALL THE TIME (this causes issues haha).
I LOVE riding. I still ride whenever I can, by borrowing my brother-in-law's ninja 650r. But seriously man, having a motorcycle as your main transportation SUCKS. You can find that it easily turns a passion and love into a major headache sometimes. It's all how you look at it. Think very carefully before you make the decision, "is this going to work out in the long run, or should i save for a bike for the future?"
-nate