Motorcycles for less than $10k

[ninjaowen]

I'm confused buying a motorcycle... Anybody knew a latest motorcycle model that will not exceed $10,000 but of course the quality is also good....

[Ryland]

any of the 250cc motor cycles are going to be cheaper, honda rebel 250 is around $3,000 brand new, same thing with the ninja 250 and both have high resale value due to their quality, unless you go with a touring bike or a race bike you are going to have a hard time spending more then $8,000-$9,000 it seems like, maybe I just don't spend enough time in motorcycle show rooms... but then again I do spend a bit of time in them.

[Coyote X]

DR650 like mine is around $5200 new. They last forever, easily 50-75k miles before touching it, 50mpg, and a huge amount of fun.

[davidgrey50]

Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm guessing this is a first bike, or a first bike for a long time. If this is the case, my first suggestion would be 'Don't buy a new one'. Most motorcycle models don't change that much from year to year (not all, most), and you can usually find something three or four years old with only a three or four thousand miles on it for about half the price of new. Last year I bought a 2003 Honda Shadow 750 Spirit with 5000 km (3000 miles) for $4800 Canadian, good as new. 2009's are $9,000, plus freight and PDI (another $1000), plus 12% taxes on a new bike, only 7% on used. You might change your mind in a year or two - let someone else take the hit on depreciation!

Secondly, what kind of riding will you be doing? The great divide is sport-bikes for young fellers, and cruisers for not-so-young fellers.

Take your time, look at lots of bikes, ask motorcyclists about their bikes. Also, most of the major bike mags put out buyer's guides this time of year with specs all the makes and models.

This concludes the fatherly advice segement of todays programming.
Have fun, and ride safely, and buy a GOOD helmet thet FITS PROPERLY from an established motorcycle store, avoid the big-box stuff.

[Ryland]

If this is your first bike then get something manageable, I'm a 250lb person and have ridden alot of small bikes, some of them with passengers and I like them, even the smallest bike with a big person is going to out perform a high performance car, I've also ridden some larger bikes and found that they handle great going 110mph but handle like a boat going 25mph in town, in other words a race bike is a race bike and will race well but will not be fun as an in town commuter bike, same thing with some of the big touring bikes, they get hard to make sharp turns with, are hard to park and are just less fun at low speeds.
if you do have a $10,000 budget you might look in to getting an all electric motorcycle, there are a number of them out there, or have someone custom build one for you.

[beatr911]

Ninjaowen, it would be most helpful if you furnished what kind of riding you plan on doing and what preferences you have. Do you currenly own a Ninja and want to change to another type? There are LOTS of possibilities under $10K, especially like-new used bikes.

[jamesqf]

Let me echo a previous poster: buy used. Used bikes can be real bargains, because you have a lot of people who buy them as toys, ride a bit, then the bike sits in the garage until the cleanout sale.

[ninjaowen]

wow so many replies... I'm really grateful for your advices and examples you set guys.. Thank you so much...

I'm planning a big bike probably....any model will do

[Ryland]

I don't think you really want a motorcycle if you aren't even sure what you would use it for.

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

$10,000 will buy you almost any new motorcycle -- except most Harley or BMW models.

$1,000-3,000 will by you a barely used model, that someone got thinking they would ride it, and they put on about ~2,500 miles the first year, and since then they rode it about 500-1000 miles in 2-3 years; and then they decide to sell it...