Who rides motorcycles?

[Cycledude]

New Goldwing over $30,000
Plenty of new cars cost less than that.
I buy very few aftermarket parts-accessories but wow stock or after market motorcycle parts are crazy expensive. I see folks paying $1800+ for a aftermarket motorcycle seat ! You can buy a new couch and recliner delivered to your house for less.
A pair of stock motorcycle tires for my Goldwing is $500+ and you have to mount them yourself or pay a lot more money to have a dealer mount them.
Motorcycle insurance is a pretty significant expense but so is car insurance, don’t drive my truck much but can’t really give it up because there are plenty of snow or rain days that I simply don’t want to ride.
But I love to ride motorcycles so I keep paying the crazy extra expenses.

 

[CalG]

Curious on costs...

I paid a bit over $4500 for my '99VFR . Bought from a friend and I put on the 500th mile. He Wanted that CBR900RR, and needed cash, The price was his, I just said OK ;-)
I pay $75 insurance twice a year, but suspend coverage all winter, so "less than a hundy".

I change oil and filters seasonally, never get too many miles on in a summer, family etc.
I bet I've put ten tire sets on it over these 25 years however. They go fast! Doctor says I have trouble with my right wrist, and must have balance issues 'cause I tend to lean over a LOT. ;-)
I never have worn out the center tread on any MC tire ;-)
The Honda is more an appliance than a motorcycle, It always runs!
I call it my "Gentleman's Express".
I did need to replace the exhaust headers last year due to rusting through. The aftermarket came through with a beautiful set of Stainless steel tubes for very small money ($250 ?) It's about ready for a new chain.

Now I bought this 2006 Vespa GTS with only 3400 miles. It has Age, but pristine. Looks NEW.
$3600.
High maybe, But at my age, a penny saved is a penny waisted.

Old tires are going away, Who wants to ride on 20 year old tires? That's $100 X2
Insurance is the same as the VFR at about $75 for the season.
Two years tags and reg. was $240, add another $50 for inspection...
Of course I just ordered an LED headlamp bulb, And had to buy a nice Bell "scooter helmet".

I ran 60 miles this afternoon puttering around (exploring) a few of the many back roads in this area. (I live in a forested paradise) There were a few "abandonded town roads" that beckoned for a true dual purpose bike. But I didn't fall for the trick of riding four miles up some two track suggestion of a road only to encounter a mess of fallen trees and running water through a boulder field. BTDT!

We have had some wonderful weather, and life is good on two wheels!

 

[not2old]

I don't know if insurance costs are higher. I was just quoted less than 1 months car insurance for a year of the motorcycle.

We have compulsory government insurance here. The basic required insurance on my 2005 Harley XL1200R costs more than the same coverage on my 2014 Cadillac CTS-V coupe. And they try to tell me we're not being ripped off. My street licensed 2016 Husky TE300 is reasonable at about $80.00 for three months.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I was just quoted $90 a year for the dual sport riding about 6k miles a year. I suppose it could be more if you tell them you are a new rider with a string of tickets planning a transcontinental excursion

that's so cheep, yeah I also have a 700cc and I pay $1500 or something like that, I haven't got insurance for that long... I tried to get some insurance from a well known cheep company but they wouldn't insure my XT 250... its too small I presume, it was on the black list.

 

[scootr]

That quote for the XT250 was Geico over the phone.
Cheap Kemimoto bags arrive today $42 amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D667Q1KP?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1
The Serow bag supports cost more $62 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJSRYYZN?ref=fed_asin_title But they will keep the bags off the pipe and out of the spokes.
Amazon has some good dual sport accessories like this full skid plate I got for $69 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7V5WTST?ref=fed_asin_title

Yamalube full synthetic oil costs as much as Kubota oil - nearly $50 a gal - like liquid gold but cheaper than by the quart...Filters are cheap but the o rings? Gold again...

 

[mrmikey]

Not to hijack this thread, just ticks me off is all.
Just for comparison how much difference in price from US to Canada. Works out to US$84. The US price in Canuk bucks is CAN$60....why?

 

[scootr]

Not to hijack this thread, just ticks me off is all.
Just for comparison how much difference in price from US to Canada. Works out to US$84. The US price in Canuk bucks is CAN$60....why?

View attachment 4015550

Yikes... that's impressive, I'm guessing but tariffs?

 

[Rockbadchild]

Not to hijack this thread, just ticks me off is all.
Just for comparison how much difference in price from US to Canada. Works out to US$84. The US price in Canuk bucks is CAN$60....why?

View attachment 4015550

mine show its $42 but like you I can't add it to cart for some reason.

 

[scootr]

mine show its $42 but like you I can't add it to cart for some reason.

I bought mine over the weekend and they deliver today ?
FYI I can buy it again and it shows in my cart...with same day delivery. They must be in my local warehouse. Maybe it's a logistics problem?

 

[Rockbadchild]

Not to hijack this thread, just ticks me off is all.
Just for comparison how much difference in price from US to Canada. Works out to US$84. The US price in Canuk bucks is CAN$60....why?

View attachment 4015550

I went back and made sure I was on Amazon Canada and found it and it's $100 CA, and this one I can add to cart

 

[scootr]

I went back and made sure I was on Amazon Canada and found it and it's $100 CA, and this one I can add to cart

View attachment 4015553

Sorry you have to pay more $? If you wait I will let you know what the quality looks likes when they arrive later today.

 

[mrmikey]

Yikes... that's impressive, I'm guessing but tariffs?

Don't think, it's always been that way, price difference is unreal on most everything.

 

[scootr]

Don't think, it's always been that way, price difference is unreal on most everything.

The high cost of living someplace nice is something I'm familiar with. Our gasoline is $1 a gal more than the rest of the nation but we have 300 sunny days a year and it rarely freezes. I saw a dusting of snow 20 yrs ago

 

[CalG]

The high cost of living someplace nice is something I'm familiar with. Our gasoline is $1 a gal more than the rest of the nation but we have 300 sunny days a year and it rarely freezes. I saw a dusting of snow 20 yrs ago

I feel sad for you.

Snow is God's way of covering an imperfect world!

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I feel sad for you.

Snow is God's way of covering an imperfect world!

Maybe thats why I sometime ride mine in the snow!

 

[Rockbadchild]

Well, we could go back and forth on this!
My aunt was an emergency room RN for 42 years, "she said", ladders were the higher accident rates than motorcycles.
So without presenting any data, we have both used 2nd hand information to validate something.
So what I have learned between our conversation is to not ride motorcycles on ladders! LOL

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Don't think, it's always been that way, price difference is unreal on most everything.

Everytime I visit relatives in British Columbia, I get to bring stuff across the border to save them $$$.

 

[scootr]

I feel sad for you.

Snow is God's way of covering an imperfect world!

I grew up in that stuff. No sorry I left it. I can drive an hour and be in it, but I choose not to. No need to say you feel sorry, it shouldn't effect you emotionally

 

[CalG]

I grew up in that stuff. No sorry I left it. I can drive an hour and be in it, but I choose not to. No need to say you feel sorry, it shouldn't effect you emotionally

I did not write that I feel any sorrow for you.

Only a bit of sadness that the simple joy and pleasure of the changing seasons is lost to you.