Car and Motorcycle

New or Used Bikes ?

Once you’ve selected a type of motorcycle, you need to decide whether you want to buy a new bike or a used one.

Price is probably the prime determining factor in this decision. If money is no object, you can just waltz into a dealership and buy any bike that strikes your fancy. You can buy two or three of them if you’re that well off, so you don’t even have to make any choices. But most of us have to make prudent decisions when it comes to expenditures, especially when it comes to spending money on recreational activities like motorcycling. If you’re on a budget, buying a used bike can be a wise decision.


In general, though, modern motorcycles are pretty tough to destroy, and unless the previous owner really went out of his or her way to trash the thing, most used bikes are in fairly good condition. This is especially true of motorcycles that appeal to more mature riders, such as touring bikes, cruisers, and standards. It is less true of sportbikes, which tend to lead harder lives than other types of motorcycles. Dual sports can go either way. They are usually in fair condition, unless the owner has attempted to do serious off-road riding on them. One disadvantage of buying a used bike is that you are never quite certain what you are getting. Another disadvantage of buying used is that you don’t usually get a warranty.

But given the reliable nature of modern bikes, these disadvantages are fairly insignificant. The advantage of buying used is that used bikes are less expensive than new ones. This is especially true of Japanese motorcycles, which historically have had fairly poor resale value. For example, Kawasaki’s 1998 Ninja 500R retails for $3,200. At that price, the little Ninja represents one of the best values in motorcycling. But you can find a used fixer-upper for as little as $1,000. Nice, clean, used models can be found for as little as $2,000 to $3,000. These bikes may be 10 years old or more, but they are the same basic motorcycle as the new model.

Harley-Davidsons prove the exception. Because people have been waiting months or even years to buy new Harleys, the used market has gone insane. I recently saw a 1998 Sportster 1200 Custom, a bike that lists for $8,500, advertised in a newspaper for $13,000. A premium of $4,300 is quite a price to pay for being impatient. I strongly recommend waiting to buy a new one, given the current market climate.

Fortunately for buyers (and unfortunately for those looking to turn a quick buck), that climate seems to be changing. The current market boom, caused by demand exceeding supply, appears to be waning. Harley plans to step up production dramatically over the next few years. This means the future supply of new Harleys will meet demand. Already, you can find new Harleys sitting for sale on showroom floors, a situation unheard of a couple of years ago. When supply and demand equalize, only a fool would pay more for a used bike than a new bike.

While buying a used bike may make the most sense from a pure dollars-and-cents point of view, buying a new bike has its advantages, too. When you buy a new bike, you get a warranty. While the odds of a modern bike breaking down are slim, it does happen, and when it does, that warranty is nice to have.

Another benefit of buying a new bike is that it can be easier to finance. Often the dealer will be able to finance the machine, saving you the hassle of procuring financing yourself. And many manufacturers offer attractive low-interest financing packages. Buying a new bike frees you from some of the worries of buying a used bike. Knowing the machine’s complete history has certain benefits. When you are a bike’s only owner, you can break it in properly yourself, and you know the bike has been properly maintained.

Plus, there’s the intangible benefit of riding a brand-new motorcycle. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of riding away from a dealership on your brand-new bike.

The Costs of Cycling

The most obvious (and largest) cost of motorcycling is the cost of the bike itself. New streetbikes range from a low of around $5,299 for a Kawasaki Ninja 300 ABS to a high of almost $34,000 for a Ducati Panigale R. Most new bikes will fall into the $7,000–$15,000 range.

Used bike prices can vary even more than new bike prices, but expect to spend at least $2,500– $5,000 for a good used motorcycle (unless you’re a skilled bargain hunter). No matter what type of bike you buy, or whether you buy new or used, you will find some unexpected costs. Some of these costs, like buying insurance, will become apparent soon after you write the check for the bike. Others, like the cost of basic maintenance, will rear their ugly heads only after you’ve racked up a few miles. These costs aren’t obvious to a new rider, and a little knowledge ahead of time can influence your choice of a bike. As you will learn, that choice will in turn influence those hidden costs.

Insurance Costs

Some insurance companies simply will not insure a motorcycle. Those that do usually use a completely arbitrary method of determining insurance premiums based on engine displacement. Basically, the smaller your engine, the lower your insurance costs are likely to be, and any bodywork will add to your premium. This may seem logical to someone who knows absolutely nothing about bikes, but once you understand more about engines, you’ll realize that engine size means little.

But that’s the way things are, so it’s a good idea to take insurance costs into account when selecting a motorcycle. Check insurance prices in your area before buying a bike. Rates for the same bike from the same company can double from one location to the next. For example, my wife, who has a spotless driving record, paid about $260 per year for full-coverage insurance on her Honda ST1100 when she lived in North Dakota. When she moved to Minneapolis, her insurance premiums (using the same policy) doubled, shooting up to nearly $600 per year.

Maintenance Costs

Even less obvious than insurance costs are maintenance costs. While modern bikes don’t require an annual overhaul like many older models do, they still require more maintenance than most cars. This is partly because motorcycles are so technologically advanced.

Motorcycle designers have to use sophisticated mechanisms to get a relatively small motorcycle engine to generate so much power. Thus, these engines require more routine maintenance than less highly-stressed engines. Add in the other procedures your bike will require, such as carburetion adjustments and chain and tire replacements, and you can expect to fork out some serious cash for tune-ups over the years.

And if you don’t do your own basic maintenance and instead take your bike in for things such as oil and tire changes, you can add a significant amount to your overall total. But there are some things you can do to minimize these expenses. The less you abuse your motorcycle in general, the less money you will have to spend maintaining it.