What is your monthly payment? Please read.

I had an F250 and Jeep Wrangler that were both paid off. Sold them and put another $5k cash with it.

 

summary.... if you go into a car dealer and purchase a vehicle based on monthly payment, you're gonna get screwed. There's enough online calculators that can do this math for you in advance and you can see all of the variables.... normally whenever I go to buy a vehicle, I'm preapproved for a specific amount an interest rate. I'll make notes either on my phone or on a piece of paper to know what the change in principle will do to my monthly payment. I'll typically write out 2 or 5k increments in either direction of my target price point. never let a dealer do your monthly payment math for you.

Google has one if you just search for "car loan calculator". you can either do it by the loan amount and get your monthly cost OR put in your maximum monthly payment and loan terms to see how big of a loan you can get.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=car loan calculator

if you aren't good at figuring out your loan total, the edmunds calculator is really good at doing it for you.
https://www.edmunds.com/calculators/simplified-pricing.html

 

Getting tougher to find places that don't these days.

 

Actually yes! For Xmas my gf got me a helmet and paid for my class, so definitely!

 

Read this book:

$12 Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well

https://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

Then read his other books.

I am *dead* serious. Motorcycles are lots of fun, but to stay safe you must consistently ride as if you are invisible and everyone else is specifically trying to kill you.

To paraphrase an old adage: There are old bikers, and there are bold bikers, but there are no old bold bikers.

 

And there is it's not if you dump it, but when you dump it.

 

Yep. Also never buy a brand new bike as your first ride. Get one with scratches and dents. That way you won't feel so bad when you add dents/scratches of your own. I've yet to know someone who didn't.

 

My first bike was a 2006 R1 new. No issues. Now you know. Everyone told me not to get a 1000 as my first bike. I'm glad I didn't listen.

 

The only bike, other than the tiny one I rode in the course, has been a Vulcan 1500, I won't consider anything smaller

 

My truck was 40K, 30% down would be 12K, if I could have found a 28K used truck I would have jumped on it. I also would not buy a vehicle that had that nasty of a depreciation. I bet most of us could sell our trucks for 4K less than sticker and it would take long to sell. Tacoma's have great resell.

 

This is so true!! It doesn't matter how much chrome or neon colors you have on you or your bike, people seem to try to kill you on a bike! But a bike is so much fun.......

 

Caltech90, you are completely correct on all 3 points...
Buying a new truck is a waste of money (they depreciate) for a young adult with low wages. I have been driving used cars for 32 years. My 2017 Tacoma is my first new vehicle, and I paid cash for it (after saving for a long time). I make 100K a year and still debated about getting a new vehicle. I just paid off my 30 year mortgage in 25 years. Save your money and prepare to buy a house in the future.

The new truck smell does not last long, but the payments last for a very long time.

 

Dude go big or go home. That's my 2 cents.

 

Smart.

 

Great, you're the exception.

Do you seriously suggest that your experience applies to the majority of folks?

 

No more than yours. You can't dispute an anecdote with another.

I no more that have similar experience.

 

I don't dispute your experience.

I still think advising a brand new rider to go ahead and buy a brand new $16,700 motorcycle is foolish to the point of idiotic.

You of course are free to disagree. I stand by my initial advice, and readers can take both of our input into consideration in making their decision.

 

Meh its what I did. Its not rocket science.

 

I would buy a used one in the 15k to 16k range, pay it off in 4 years and then you'll be able to sell it for 11-12k . So you only lost 4K which adds up to basically driving it for 83$ a month then you will have a strong down payment or perhaps can save the rest in 4 years to pay cash.

 

Shockingly I didn't ever drop my first bike, a Ninja 250. Rode the piss out of that little monster, I loved it.

I did, however, eat shit on my CBR600RR which I also bought new. I ride w/ full gear though so that kept me outta the hospital. Colorful bruises, but not much else.

I actually regret stepping up to a 600 in some aspects. If my 250 wasn't so cold blooded, I would have probably kept it. It was so maneuverable and light you could blast through corners like nothing.
Once I had my riding chops together, I found that more often than not I had to let off a lot coming through corners so I didn't clip my friends with 600's and liter bikes!

The torque hole was massive though, which made it frustrating to ride in some situations. Which is why the new 300cc class of sportbikes interests me...

Sadly I think my days of on-road riding are over though. I ride dirtbikes now, because trees and rocks aren't texting teens.



Wait, what was this thread about again?