I think we all remember getting that first bike. It won't be your last though, it's a learning tool and more importantly, pushes you in a direction. Do you need more power? Highway stability? Comfort? Coolness? Hey, humans are social, visual animals. Let the first bike show you the way.
Personally, I started thinking I was going to do as much moto-stuff as possible. Track days, weekend trips, some dirt, etcetera. As it turned out, the way most bikes are setup are just plain uncomfortable for me. Long distances in a crouch, with only pegs, two hand grips and a cosmetic seat just don't work. Blisters, pins & needles, monkeybutt. Ontario's scenery and roads bored me to tears. I wasn't going far even if work didn't keep my leash short. So commuting was going to be a bigger part of the picture and that means luggage. I hated backpacks in school and motorcycle luggage are essentially expensive backbacks. If I had to stop anywhere, I would lug it along and didn't buy much. Not helpful if you forgot to pick up groceries.
So comfort and highway stability pushed me from a standard to a sportbike. Commuting and convenience led me to a big scooter. That progression would have been expensive if I had bought new--bikes are terrible, depreciating assets. Once you know what suits you best, whatever the reason, then buy new. The used market is pretty large for a reason, so take advantage of it.
Personally, I started thinking I was going to do as much moto-stuff as possible. Track days, weekend trips, some dirt, etcetera. As it turned out, the way most bikes are setup are just plain uncomfortable for me. Long distances in a crouch, with only pegs, two hand grips and a cosmetic seat just don't work. Blisters, pins & needles, monkeybutt. Ontario's scenery and roads bored me to tears. I wasn't going far even if work didn't keep my leash short. So commuting was going to be a bigger part of the picture and that means luggage. I hated backpacks in school and motorcycle luggage are essentially expensive backbacks. If I had to stop anywhere, I would lug it along and didn't buy much. Not helpful if you forgot to pick up groceries.
So comfort and highway stability pushed me from a standard to a sportbike. Commuting and convenience led me to a big scooter. That progression would have been expensive if I had bought new--bikes are terrible, depreciating assets. Once you know what suits you best, whatever the reason, then buy new. The used market is pretty large for a reason, so take advantage of it.
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