Switching it up. I want to move to a motorcycle from compact car.?

Question

I know how to ride, I have a license etc. Here is my question is it possible to get a bike I can ride on a daily basis to and from work (15 miles round trip) in the Texas heat no less and still pay less than 5 grand? Not a "sport" bike either, any ideas

Answer 1

Craigslist.com, Ebay.com, or thehorsebc.com are your best bets at finding a complete ride for under 5 grand.  Most will need some kind of work done like rebuilding carbs, new tires/brakes, stuff like that but once completed you should be good to go.  I would recommend a Sportster, Triumph, or Yamaha (1970's) for really good gas mileage and a sportier ride on a cruiser, or if you are looking bigger but don't want to spend the HD type money, go with a Suzuki Boulevard, Honda Shadow, or a pretty fun cruiser, Kawasaki Vulcan 900.  Ridden all of em and I would still opt for Harley if I had the money but since I don't, I am building my own, piece by piece.  Can't wait till it's finished too, if for no other reason than to save at the pumps.  Kevin

Answer 2

See if there are any 2007 Hyosung/United Motors 650s cruisers left in shops in your hood.

I got mine for $5400 and ride it 100 miles a day and get over 55 mpg.

Answer 3

I agree with Joe, get a bike and keep your car.

Answer 4

Yes!  Very possible.  Don't get rid of your car though.  Unless you want to get something older/cheaper that you don't have to make payments on.  As far as the bike goes, if you are concern about transporting stuff, find an older bike with a sidecar or a trailer if you think you'll want/need one for grocery shopping or other reasons.  As far as transporting your love interest or people in general, VERY RAINY DAYS, or other car-needed-situations, well, that is why you should keep an older car or pickup truck.

Answer 5

you can pick up a used cruiser for around $3000~5000 almost anywhere...

ebay.com

craigslist.com

cycletrader.com

or check the news paper

Answer 6

Absolutely!  Check out the used bikes on craigslist.com.  I just got my Suzuki Bandit 1200 after checking craigslist for a few days.  I got mine for $2500 and it only has 22k miles on it.  I got tired of paying $90 dollars a week to go back and forth for work.  I fill up for about $15 dollars now and can take the same amount of trips.  

Keep your wheels down and both feet on the pegs.

Answer 7

You could certainly find a nice used Japanese cruiser for 5K. The Honda Shadow VLX 600 retails for $5499 brand new, and one of my personal favorites, the Suzuki SV650, is only $5999 new. It is a standard type bike as oppossed to a cruiser or sport bike. Here are a few other bikes in TX just to give you an idea...

http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/...

http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/...

http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/...

http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/...

http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/...

http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/...

http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/...

Answer 8

Man living with a bike with out a car sucks.. Not all girls like riding on them. Cant go grocery shopping on them very well or any kind of shopping for that matter. And rain sucks!!! I had a bike and no car for 2 years in college. major pain in the ....

Answer 9

I live in Dallas, found a 1985 Honda V65 Magna 1100cc ,so very fast, for $2600.00 (looks brand new) gets about 35 mpg I drive it nearly everyday.