If you’ve been dreaming of getting your first-ever motorcycle for some time, then you need to know when to stop putting it in the future tense and actually buy it. You might wake up one morning and just feel it’s the right time, but you also need to make sure you are actually ready. Knowing the signs you should buy that first motorcycle you’ve wanted helps you make the dream a reality.
5 Signs It’s Time to Get Your First Motorcycle
There are many potential signs telling you it’s time to get your first motorcycle. Look out for these in particular:
- You Want to Save Money: Motorcycles save you money in several ways. Since they’re smaller than passenger vehicles, they cost less overall. They’re also cheaper to insure, and they use less fuel.
- You Want to Be Nicer to the Planet: Moving more miles per gallon of gas doesn’t just help you save money. It also means fewer emissions contributing to climate change.
- You Have a Motorcycle License: Depending on where you live, you might need a specific motorcycle license. You might also need a motorcycle endorsement for your passenger vehicle license. Either way, once you have it, you’re ready to buy that motorcycle you’ve been eyeing.
- You’d Like to Make More Friends: Whether you join a riding club or not, you’ll inevitably meet other motorcycle riders when you ride. These are going to be some great friends to have and spend time with when the mood for open road strikes.
- You’re in Good Shape: Riding a motorcycle is far different from driving any passenger vehicle. It’s, in fact, a full-body workout. You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete, but you do need to be physically fit enough to get started. That might not involve as much as you think, though, and you’ll get in better shape the more miles you log.
Handling the Costs
If you’ve saved up enough for the motorcycle itself, then you need to make sure you can also account for the other costs involved. Tags, tax, title, and registration might apply based on what state you live in, and you’ll likely need insurance as well.
Depending on where you buy from, you might also have to account for the motorcycle shipping cost. Distance covered and timing will be the biggest factors in determining these costs, but you might also choose to splurge on a closed carrier to protect your ride. Whether or not you have a sidecar attached will also impact the price.
Being able to budget for shipping costs can also benefit you when you buy your second or later bike. Selling your previous ride to buyers across the country means you can get more money to afford your upgrade.
The overall cost to ship a motorcycle can depend on a few different factors. The first is whether you have it shipped open or closed. Open shipping is the cheaper of the two options, but comes with the increased risk of your motorcycle being damaged in transit. If you have a brand-new bike or are worried about weather conditions, opting for enclosed shipping might give you some peace of mind – even if it does cost a bit more.
The second factor that will impact your motorcycle shipping cost is distance. The further your bike has to travel, the more it will cost to ship. This is why it’s often cheaper to ship a bike from one coast to the other than it is to ship it across the country.
Finally, timing can also play a role in your shipping cost. If you need your motorcycle shipped right away, you’ll likely have to pay a premium. However, if you’re able to give the shipper some flexibility with their schedule, you might be able to get a lower rate.
At the end of the day, the cost to ship a motorcycle is going to vary based on a number of different factors. However, by keeping these things in mind, you can get a better idea of what to expect and budget accordingly.
Remember the Biggest Reasons
While you analyze yourself and life for signs it’s time to buy the first motorcycle you’ve had picked out for a while, remember the two biggest reasons behind all of this:
- You Can Afford It: You may have been legally and physically ready to ride for quite some time but just didn’t have the money. If you can finally afford the various costs involved mentioned in the previous section, then don’t hold back.
- The Thrill: As pointed out by Hot Cars, the biggest benefit of riding a motorcycle is the thrill of actually riding. There’s nothing like the physical feeling of wind hitting your clothes when you’re going down the road at speeds you’d never hit walking or running. It feels like freedom because it is. The feelings of absolute joy and happiness aren’t far behind. Bikes don’t have the walls that cars do, so you have exposure to nature’s elements. Poets can’t even do the experience justice given how surreal it is.
Don’t Hesitate
When these signs present themselves, then it’s time to buy that first motorcycle you’ve wanted. Some dreams are worth waiting for, and this can certainly be one of them. However, once the time comes that it can actually happen, you’re wasting potential riding time by putting it off when you can finally do it.