How Much Does it Cost to Own a Motorcycle?
When shopping for a motorcycle, many buyers create carefully curated budgets to ensure their new bikes don’t put a strain on their finances. However, if you’ve set a budget for your new motorcycle, and haven’t considered any of the costs outside of sticker price or monthly financing fees, you might be in for a rude awakening. Like any other vehicle, a motorcycle will incur some extra expenses that may put you in a bind if you haven’t planned for them. To be sure you know what it really costs to own a motorcycle, you’ll need to read through our article below.
Long-Term Expenses
Not many buyers consider the costs of owning a motorcycle beyond the initial sticker price. However, like cars, motorcycles rack up a monthly bill in fuel costs, maintenance expenses, and insurance fees. To be sure you have enough money to afford your motorcycle, it's important to try and set a general estimate for these fees and see if they fit into your budget. However, each charge can vary quite a bit, and you may need to do a bit of research to ensure you’re getting a good estimate. For example, insurance rates can go as low as 200$ a year, or as high as 500$, depending on both the coverage you get and the state you’re in. Fuel and maintenance costs can vary quite a bit depending on how little or how often you drive, with the national average a year coming in at 300$ for fuel, and 1,000$ for maintenance.
Short-Term Expenses
Buying a motorcycle isn’t as simple as choosing a model off the lot and riding off into the sunset. You’ll not only need quite a bit of gear to safely drive your bike down the street, but you’re also required to have a special license. To legally ride your motorcycle, you’ll first have to take a number of courses—which typically cost around 130$ if you include the entrance fee—and then pass a final test. However, before you can begin your classes, you’ll need to purchase the necessary safety gear. On average this will add up to about 1,300$. Thankfully, you won't need it all at once, and you can purchase your items slowly over time. However, you will need a high-quality helmet before you can take a class or ride down the street, and models can range anywhere from 70$ to 300$.
Ready to start shopping for your new motorcycle? Our convenient locations in San Marcos and Corona, California, offer an amazing inventory of motorcycle models for you to choose from, as well as helpful gear and accessories. If you’re located nearby in San Diego or Oceanside, California, feel free to visit us here at North County Indian Motorcycle® anytime!