molefeuvre@watarts.UUCP (Michael O LeFeuvre) (04/07/85)
I have been planning a long tour of North America (and maybe S.A. too)
for some time, but it only occurred to me a few weeks ago to buy a
motorcycle for transportation. I have still not decided if I want to
do this. The freedom of my own transportation is a the one advantage
of this idea, but the disadvantages are many.
- High cost (I can buy a lot of air/bus/train tickets for $2000)
- High risk (by Ont. stats, 10 times as many serious injuries as cars)
- Property I have to look out for (how secure are locks on motocycles?)
What has really shocked me is the cost of things other than the bike itself.
I had figured on buying a second-hand bike around 500cc for not much more
than $1000, but then I began to consider incidentals.
- Lessons (I've never been on one) $130
- Insurance (Legal min: 200K liab. & accident benefits) $210
- Licencing (Myself & the bike in Ontario -- a guess) $50
- Protective clothing (Just a guess at a mininum) $300
- Saddlebags (another guess at a minimum) $200
- Fairing (near the bottom of the range) $200
- Helmet (yet another guess) $100
============
Ouch!! $1190
Actually, I have come to the conclusion that my best bet would be to
buy a bike which already has a fairing and bags -- for about $1500.
Now the point of this posting is to get some comments a few questions,
to help me decide if this is worth it. My mother keeps telling me I
can by a car for $1500 and be a lot safer and more comfortable.
1. How reliable is a 5-year old, Japanese-made, 500cc bike with about
25,000 Kilometers on it. How far can I reasonably expect it to go
without major maintenance.
2. What kinds of problems am I most likely to encounter with such a
machine on such a trip (I may do up to 15000 klicks in 6 months)?
What would they cost me to solve?
3. How much of a problem is theft? I don't plan on insurance against
theft (which would cost me $100)
...but maybe I should reconsider.
Curiously awaiting reactions,
Carlo @ the U of Waterloopetersen@ucbvax.ARPA (David A. Petersen) (04/09/85)
I'd think seriously before taking a used bike (500cc) on a long trip if I had never ridden one before and had no idea how to fix things. I have a feeling that getting a bike fixed some place like Mexico might be bad news. I've also heard that certain areas are very bad w.r.t. theft and vandalism.
gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly) (04/12/85)
-- > - Lessons (I've never been on one) $130 > - Insurance (Legal min: 200K liab. & accident benefits) $210 > - Licencing (Myself & the bike in Ontario -- a guess) $50 > - Protective clothing (Just a guess at a mininum) $300 > - Saddlebags (another guess at a minimum) $200 > - Fairing (near the bottom of the range) $200 > - Helmet (yet another guess) $100 > ============ > Ouch!! $1190 > > Now the point of this posting is to get some comments a few questions, > to help me decide if this is worth it. My mother keeps telling me I > can by a car for $1500 and be a lot safer and more comfortable. Perhaps, but you have to pay license and insurance on the car, too, and the fees will be much higher. Maintenance costs on the bike will be lower, as will gas and oil. > 1. How reliable is a 5-year old, Japanese-made, 500cc bike with about > 25,000 Kilometers on it. How far can I reasonably expect it to go > without major maintenance. It'll be heading for at least a top-end rebuild. But that could give you a golden opportunity to get your hands dirty. If you've never had a bike before, you don't really know what will feel best for your needs. So get in as cheaply as you can, with something a little beat up. After all, you *will* dump it. > 2. What kinds of problems am I most likely to encounter with such a > machine on such a trip (I may do up to 15000 klicks in 6 months)? > What would they cost me to solve? If the compression's OK, and the transmission isn't too loose, and the pipes aren't rusting out, you might escape with just worn plugs and maybe a flat. Have a *competent* mechanic take a look *and* test- ride it. > 3. How much of a problem is theft? I don't plan on insurance against > theft (which would cost me $100) > ...but maybe I should reconsider. It depends where you are--unless you've got a brand new or especially sought-after model, theft insurance will be a significant fraction of the value of the bike. And there's usually a hefty deductable. If you keep the bike covered (preferably garaged) and well chained, you should be OK. > Curiously awaiting reactions, > > Carlo @ the U of Waterloo One tip for the used bike buyer: Change your oil. Often. -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 11 Apr 85 [22 Germinal An CXCIII] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7188 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken *** ***
barbay@spp2.UUCP (Chris Barbay) (04/16/85)
When I purchased my first bike, I did without the collision part of the insurance and just got the liability and uninsured motorist. I was more worried about the bike being stolen or vandalized which is covered under liability, than I was about crashing. I figured if I crashed and I was hurt my work insureance would cover medical bills and the bike was cheap enough (<$2,000) that it wasn't a real huge loss like a car. This saved me about $300-$400 a year in premiums. -- Chris Barbay