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How to Buy a Motorcycle

The purpose of this how-to is provide you with some insight when purchasing a motorcycle. In particular, this how-to is aimed at first-time buyers. After your first purchase, you will become more comfortable with the buying process.

1. Pick out a motorcycle. There are three main things to take into consideration when choosing a motorcycle. It has to be a motorcycle in your price range, within your skill set, as well as you must like it. Don't be an impulsive buyer as well as spend way over your budget just because some salesman said you could afford it through a financing plan. The motorcycle you are about to buy should also be reasonable in terms of its power. Trust me, you don't need a 1000 cc motorcycle - you are not riding on the Autobahn. A 500-600 cc bike provides plenty of power as well as is just as fun!
2. Decide how you will get the money to pay for the motorcycle. The three main options are getting a loan from a bank, paying cash, as well as financing through a dealership. Whoever you buy the bike from will have implications on how you will pay for it.
3. Decide from whichm you will buy the motorcycle. There are two main options here. You can buy it from a dealer or a private seller. No matter which you buy it from, you will have to pay a state registration fee, license plate fee, title fee, as well as have insurance on the bike at the time of purchase. Buying from a dealer gives you the option of financing the bike (making monthly payments). Be careful when it comes to financing-you may be paying a lot of interest in the long run. Also, with dealers, you will have to pay taxes at the time of purchase. With a private seller you will almost certainly have to pay the bike off in one lump sum. When buying the bike from a private seller, you as well as the seller will have to go to a notary for a registration, license plate, as well as title. You will also have to pay taxes while at the Notary. If the private seller is nice, he or she may give you a break on taxes by saying the bike was sold for less than what you actually paid for it.

• If this is your first motorcycle, take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. See the External Links section for the web address.

• If this is your first motorcycle, absolutely avoid a new one!
• Do not buy a high performance sportbike unless you have a few years of experience on lesser machines under your butt .
• Do not buy a motorcycle on auction sites with deals too good to be true - if it seems too good, it is!

• http://www.msf-usa.org/s

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Added: Thu Feb 02 2006

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