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The cool thing about motorcycles is that once you have the gear and the bike, it's practically free, unless you crash. If you buy a dual sport then even crashing hard doesn't necessarily cost you any money. I once skipped a KLR 650 like 50 feet across the pavement, ran over, picked it up, and rode off. That was after dropping it a 100 times in the dirt.
The expensive piece is insurance. Where I live, an M2 license (halfway from a beginner to full license) will probably run me about $300 CAD a month (based on a few new 400-500cc bikes) from my research... But it does go down with tenure, especially with a full license. I could buy used, which would be cheaper on insurance, but I'm already travelling 4+ hours for any dealer, I don't want to do that trip more than I need to for safety inspections and looking at different bikes. I've already accepted the price in my mind, and the obvious potential of dropping a new bike more than once. All part of the fun.
If only it cost the same as my 4 wheeler insurance ($30/mo).
Ouch! Yeah that's pretty high. When you're young it's always hard to get full coverage on new bikes. When I was 19 I called for an insurance quote on a Ninja 1200D and they laughed at me and hung up. Haha.
I typically ride older bikes that I pay cash for and just get liability insurance. My current bike is an old (but very cool) XR600R with a license plate and insurance costs me $68 per year. I just pay it all at once and don't worry about it again for a year. But, I've been riding for over 30 years so it's a lot cheaper for me than it would be for most people on this site.
I think $300 per month for a new bike is totally worth it if you love the bike and have the money. I can't think of a single hobby that has brought me as much joy and good times as riding has. Get some friends to ride with, and you build memories that last a lifetime. Bring a camera along and you end up with amazing photo albums too.
I'm in Ontario, and insurance is ridiculous for everything. When I first started driving several years ago, I lived in the city, and I was given quotes up to $700/mo. Now for three vehicles in the middle of nowhere, it's about $250/mo.
I pay cash for all my vehicles (I hate loans), so liability is all I pay for. Nothing I own is worth the cost of comprehensive... If I break it, I'll fix it myself.
I'll be the only person where I live who rides. I'm in a small town, and neighboring towns are about an hour away. So it'll just be me, which I tend to prefer most of the time anyways. I got my rider course in june, so I'm super excited for that!
You might be able to find some other riders on Facebook groups, or Meetup. I think it's definitely more fun to ride with others than to ride alone, but it is still very fun alone. I just found some twisty roads with some fire trails a couple days ago and I can't wait to get my wheels balanced on my bike and head out this spring. I'll be going alone since my riding group is now spread all over the country. We just need to be more cautious riding alone than when riding with friends, since there's nobody there to bail you out if you crash. Leave a route and a return time with friends or your parents, and you'll be okay.
I took that riding course when I was 15 1/2 so that I could start riding before my 16th birthday. It's a great investment! You'll be a better, safer rider because of it. Best of luck, and have a great time! Keep the rubber side down!
Oh there’s definitely groups around… I just need to travel about 4 hours haha.
We just have 1 main highway, and another section of road that is less used. All my group riding is with 4 wheelers or snowmobiles. I almost always keep someone in the know of where I go, since unless you’re directly in town, you likely won’t have cell service.
If you’re ever interested, I use a device called Zoleo, which allows you to send messages and call for emergency help via satellite. There’s a monthly fee, but if you’re ever out constantly like I am where there’s no service, it’ll help you out. I’m sure there’s other options too, but it’s for sure a useful tool, especially if you’re stuck down a ditch and can’t move.
Oh that's cool, like the Garmin Mini. I've been getting pressure from my friends and family to get something like that now that I'm middle aged, but still do a lot of back country backpacking. There's no cell service just past our house, so we have GMRS radios. A 50w base station at home, 4 watt handy talkies, and a local repeater we can hit. My wife and I are studying for our ham licenses right now, since we can use lower frequency signals and more power with ham than with GMRS. I'll check that device out that you shared. Neither ham nor GMRS are adequate where I go backpacking, and a lot of loved ones want me to be able to send a location beacon while I'm in the back country. The Garmin Mini is more money than I've wanted to spend, and yours looks affordable. Thanks!
Quads are good fun too, man! Especially since you can strap an ice chest to the back. I used to ride quads in the Sierra Nevadas a lot when I was younger. We'd all strap an ice chest to the back and fill it to the brim with beer. I know... I know. It's not safe to mix alcohol and motorsports, but man is it fun!