Riding: Is it really worth it?

[SlayerofSouls]

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For some context, its been about 6 months since I have been for a ride and I may be losing sight of why I love to ride.

Given a lot of us can really only dedicate weekends to riding which is then further limited by a 5-6 month season, the expense for a bike is just starting to become unreasonable.

How much do you budget annually for your bike?

Make/ Model
Annual Kms

• Insurance
• Maintenance*
• Depreciation attributed to use of bike
• Other (Gear)
• Parking

*If you do your maintenance yourself, include your cost based on your time

Not factoring the added potential risks

 

[Schneller]

Sanity - priceless

 

[Wasted]

For some context, its been about 6 months since I have been for a ride and I may be losing sight of why I love to ride.

Given a lot of us can really only dedicate weekends to riding which is then further limited by a 5-6 month season, the expense for a bike is just starting to become unreasonable.

How much do you budget annually for your bike?

Make/ Model
Annual Kms

• Insurance
• Maintenance*
• Depreciation attributed to use of bike
• Other (Gear)
• Parking

*If you do your maintenance yourself, include your cost based on your time

I don't budget annually for my bike. I love riding and would cut other things out of my lifestyle if I needed to.
It's not as big of a pull for some, so if you're more concerned about the money than excited for the start of the season at this time of year.....sell it.

 

[dricked]

I don't keep track of the costs except insurance. I don't ride because it's cheap, I ride because I love it and it's what I do.

$1200 a year when I had insurance, substantially more now that I don't ride on the street.

Bought a new bike $10,000, turned it into a race bike....hurts my head and sphincter just thinking about it.

 

[twinswin]

For some context, its been about 6 months since I have been for a ride and I may be losing sight of why I love to ride.

Given a lot of us can really only dedicate weekends to riding which is then further limited by a 5-6 month season, the expense for a bike is just starting to become unreasonable.

How much do you budget annually for your bike?

Make/ Model
Annual Kms

• Insurance
• Maintenance*
• Depreciation attributed to use of bike
• Other (Gear)
• Parking

*If you do your maintenance yourself, include your cost based on your time

The posing of this question is the answer you seek.

Bye bye. Enjoy your boring, mundane life as a pedestrian or cager.

I'll continue to look forward to another riding season, my 20th in a row, with as much anticipation as the first.

When the time comes for me to hang up my leathers for good, I will miss it deeply, and will be envious of every rider I see joyfully riding his bike, wishing I could join him.

I will never *of my own free* stop owning and riding motorbikes if my budgets can afford them.

There are literally dozens upon dozens of ways that I could waste my money on far less rewarding activities or possessions.

 

[Dr Astronaut]

I just got back into riding after a 4 year break. Here's a breakdown of what is cost to get me on the road.

Bike - $6500 (including license, cert, taxes)
Insurance - $1500
Helmet and Jacket - $1000

I expect to throw down another $500-1000 on gear, mods and maintenance, so all in it's cost me $10,000 cash this year.

Is that a lot? obviously. Prohibitively expensive for most people, including myself back in 2010 when I was cruising along on a 125.

Did I have to spend that much? hell no! I could have gotten a classic cafe racer for 2 grand, paid 900 for insurance, and gotten a $200 bucket and jacket. Be responsible with your money and find a bike that meets your budget.

Or be stupid like me. 10 grand, :lmao:what was I thinking.

 

[油井緋色]

Last year cost a total of:

$4,485.31 before insurance

$1,471.41 was for performance upgrades and parts
$818.81 was for making it pretty (cosmetic mods)
$687.61 was for labor (I do oil changes myself, this is from a valve check, suspension adjustment, and reallocation of funds to assure other parts don't go negative)
$563.92 on supplies and tools (I suspect this will be MUCH cheaper this year as I purchased all the crap last yearfrom tool boxes to 10 oil filters and 2 cases of oil lol)
$524.81 on gear
$423.75 on training (Total Control)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This year's plan (and spendings so far):

TOTAL: $2,317.39 before insurance

$1,163.89 on training (Racer5)
$564.75 on parts/performance (tires + another goodie)
$372.89 on gear (I've been using the same jacket for 3 seasons that I didn't even buy lol)
$195.86 on supplies/tools (Bought more oil, and ran out of chain lube

Still allocated (but not spent):
Labor: $322.39
Parts: $308.14
Gear: $1,000 (I need a race suit)
Training/Racing: $836.11 (Track days and "oh **** I crashed" funds)

Total (Spent+allocated)= $4784.03

Once insurance gets added, it goes near a couple hundred shy of $7,000.

...........Jesus christ I should've stuck to video games.

 

[lator-illa]

Last year cost a total of:

$4,485.31 before insurance

$1,471.41 was for performance upgrades and parts
$818.81 was for making it pretty (cosmetic mods)
$687.61 was for labor (I do oil changes myself, this is from a valve check, suspension adjustment, and reallocation of funds to assure other parts don't go negative)
$563.92 on supplies and tools (I suspect this will be MUCH cheaper this year as I purchased all the crap last yearfrom tool boxes to 10 oil filters and 2 cases of oil lol)
$524.81 on gear
$423.75 on training (Total Control)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This year's plan (and spendings so far):

TOTAL: $2,317.39 before insurance

$1,163.89 on training (Racer5)
$564.75 on parts/performance (tires + another goodie)
$372.89 on gear (I've been using the same jacket for 3 seasons that I didn't even buy lol)
$195.86 on supplies/tools (Bought more oil, and ran out of chain lube

Still allocated (but not spent):
Labor: $322.39
Parts: $308.14
Gear: $1,000 (I need a race suit)
Training/Racing: $836.11 (Track days and "oh **** I crashed" funds)

Total (Spent+allocated)= $4784.03

Once insurance gets added, it goes near a couple hundred shy of $7,000.

...........Jesus christ I should've stuck to video games.

Looks like a majority of your budget is going towards the betterment of your riding. Seems worth it to me

 

[captain farkle]

I dont keep count, everything is relative, some people own cottages or boats or planes, others like to travel some just have a soccerball and play in the park. Whatever you enjoy, go for it!! Owning a bike is cheap entertainment.

 

[Dr Astronaut]

Owning a bike is cheap entertainment.

relative to space flight, sure.

 

[Matt Rain]

I dont keep count, everything is relative, some people own cottages or boats or planes, others like to travel some just have a soccerball and play in the park. Whatever you enjoy, go for it!! Owning a bike is cheap entertainment.

+1

BTW I come up with $3k-$4k, which is missing from the poll options.

 

[LoneRonin]

what the **** kind of a question is this to ask on a riding forum??

buddy rides a Duc is complaining about maintenance costs/budget...:lmao:you got the wrong bike boy.

 

[油井緋色]

I dont keep count, everything is relative, some people own cottages or boats or planes, others like to travel some just have a soccerball and play in the park. Whatever you enjoy, go for it!! Owning a bike is cheap entertainment.

Granted my budget breakdown consists of a lot of unnecessary ****...it's not cheap lol

what the **** kind of a question is this to ask on a riding forum??

Nothing wrong with asking imo. Some ppl keep track of their spendings; I budgeted a lot of this year's bike stuff in December but didn't go full retard because I don't know where Ill be working in summer.

 

[Riceburner]

Well after a quarter century, the other costs (gear etc.)have been spread out. That leaves ins. and maintenance. Tires, oil changes and the occasional parts costs I haven't really kept track of. It's cheaper for me to run the bike commuting to downtown than anything else. So, I don't bother to keep track of individual cost. I do my own maintenance.

 

[Macs]

Like farkle said, it's all relative.

I spend around 5-6k a year on my bike, and I work my *** off during and off school to make it happen, but it's 100% worth it. I can't imagine life without riding anymore. On the other hand if the girls I date get out of hand they're replaceable my Daytona is not. My family has a cottage and the grandparents have told me when they pass on the property and house come to me. I've told them already it's getting sold off immediately as the yearly maintenance/operating costs exceed $8000 and that's bike money.

 

[Tripletrouble]

This is my 51st year of riding and my pulse still quickens when I throw a leg over my bike. If I was an accountant I might be able to answer your question but I am a motorcyclist.

 

[PLau]

The posing of this question is the answer you seek.

Bye bye. Enjoy your boring, mundane life as a pedestrian or cager.

I'll continue to look forward to another riding season, my 20th in a row, with as much anticipation as the first.

When the time comes for me to hang up my leathers for good, I will miss it deeply, and will be envious of every rider I see joyfully riding his bike, wishing I could join him.

I will never *of my own free* stop owning and riding motorbikes if my budgets can afford them.

There are literally dozens upon dozens of ways that I could waste my money on far less rewarding activities or possessions.

Was scrolling down wondering when I was going to come across a comment like this

People have other priorities in their life. If you're limited to riding on only weekends and only have a "break" for a couple weeks of vacation a year, how much are you actually riding? The amount of money spent on a bike yearly could mean a getaway for a few weeks (lets just say somewhere warm in during the winter) every year.

Ive been on 2 wheels ever since I learned to ride a bicycle when I was like 7 or 8. If a situation arises and I need money, my bike would probably be the first thing to go. (Then again, its the only thing i own worth a few thousand dollars....)

 

[MacDoc]

WIth three bikes on two continents I do have some cost concerns.

Insurance is cheap here in Aus....circa $500 for the pair.
Maintenance is a bit high as the bikes sit for long periods in tropical heat and so tend to go through batteries.

Annualized costs here are high but riding on lovely roads and off roads in tropical paradise...priceless.
Filling up with fuel at $35 a tank ...a downer.

In Ontario - the Burgman insurance is not bad at $650 - usually one or two synthetic oil changes $80 for full fluids ( 3 types in the Burgman ) good for 10k km then
Tires...grrr... eats them....a rear a season at $200 installed. Front every other season.

Beyond a battery change once in 5 years it's bullet proof.

FIll up is $25 - gives me 300 km.
What I save in not driving the van for errands etc helps and just being able to roll and go for a few KM or a few thousand is a huge pyschological lift from dealing with crap traffic around the GTA and getting out of the office and socializing at The Forks is important

No question it makes me feel younger and more active ( and is especially off road ) but there is wear and tear on hands and shoulders
Worth it tho.

I don't envy those with bikes needing maintenance all the time.

 

[ZX600]

Coming to a Motorcycle forum to ask if it is worth to ride?

If you have to ask the question, you already have the answer

I bought a new race bike this year, then if you add about 3k in race fees and track days (conservative) and the gas to get there and back, gear, parts / replacement parts, insurance fot the street bike and replacement gear etc (BIG ETC)

I am probably close to 10 this year alone. last year probably over 6k the year before probably over 5k and it is just getting more and more expensive.

...but well worth it.

 

[MacDoc]

I think the title sucks but the info is useful.

New riders really get screwed over in Ontario but they can get a sense of cost.
I like to see some of the cheaper intermediates out these daysbut insurance is a big barrier in Ontario to more riders getting involved.

Also some are not riding just for pleasure but are looking at commuting cost differences

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