FRS/BRZ vs. motorcycle?
 

I saw a few members in the BRZ / FR-S sub forums have given up waiting for the car and ended up buying a motorcycle instead.

That got me thinking and being bored a few weekends ago I tried out a local MSF course (100$ all weekend bikes provided motorcycle safety course which gets you a motorcycle license if you pass in most states). It ended up being a ton of fun and now I'm seriously considering buying a bike instead of the FR-S. It was a completely new experience for me and was really fun learning a new skill and exploring a different type of machine. After being on a bike for 5 hours a day both Saturday and Sunday, it made going back to driving a car just seem so.... boring.

Anyone else in the same boat? I could buy a brand new starter motorcycle (Ninja 250r/CBR250R) for a few months to learn, then upgrade to a seriously interesting bike down the road for much less then the entry price of a FR-S.

If anything I'd recommend at least trying out a local MSF course for a weekend - I had a great experience.

Where do you live.. I used to own a CBR650 in Florida and I had to sell it as I was tired of dodging old people who never seemed to be able to see me, even in broad daylight. Had to dump the bike once when an old lady pulled right out in front of me... I sold the bike shortly after that..

It's apples and oranges, but if you like oranges go for it. Don't bother with a brand new 250, buy used. And with the Kawasakis there's nothing about the newer version that makes it any better than the old ones. And with the old ones, they've been unchanged since forever ago. Pick up an early/mid 2000's ex250 for ~$2K, ride it for a year and sell it for exactly as much as you paid for it. By then you'll know if motorcycling is right for you, and you won't be flushing away any money on depreciation either way.

I've been riding sport bikes for eight years now since I was 18. Yeah they're a lot of fun, but I think I'm getting older. They're just so dangerous. Especially on the street. Sand, other cars, oil, water, trees.

I will definitely miss it but I'll be selling my ZX-6R as a down payment on an FRS.

More than likely I'll have a bike again in the future.

How about FRS/BRZ vs Large Screen TV?

or In-Ground Pool?

Apples and oranges indeed.

86Fanatic,

Screw the car, buy the bike.

I take it that your FR-S/BRZ is going to be a second vehicle, yes? Then if its something fun you are looking for, it is no contest. Remember, motorcycles lean the right way in corners ;). Also, I would like to applaud your maturity in beginner motorcyle selection. It sound like you have the attitude that will make for a great rider.

The best part is, you can get a fast and practical bike in the form of a Sport Touring machine. Hell, even boring cruisers offer much more vehicular enjoyment when compared to most cars.

Really good public transportation could pull me away from car ownership, but nothing will ever pull me away from motorcycle ownership.

You will be dissapointed in a 250. My first bike was a 2003 kawasaki zx6r 636. Handleing and speed were just right for a first bike. It was good but I wanted more. It might just be me though. I am a speed addict.

Bikes are fun. But you WILL go down. Buy used and wear gear. I ended up giving up riding after a friend was critically injured and wont go back. But they are really fun while I rode for ~3 years.

I've been riding motorcycles off and on for 40 years (started on mini-bikes when I was a just a tadpole, yea that's it).

The first question is can you afford a bike and a car? Like it or not, very few people can (or will) get by with just a motorcycle. Some do, and that's great for them, but its a major inconvenience. If you can't afford both, get the car.

Second, don't buy too much bike in the beginning, and always buy used. Used motorcycles hold their value better than used cars but suffer the same depreciation from new to used status. Example, I just sold my 2005 Honda 919 I purchased 2 years ago with 500 miles on it (had 3K on it when I sold it) for basically exactly what I paid for it. The original purchaser lost about 40% of the value from the original purchase price to what he sold it to me for 4 years later.

If you insist on buying new, look for last year's, or even two year's ago model. Bikes sometimes hang around that long in a warehouse somewhere, and really don't change that much from year to year.

Another example. My next bike will be a Honda Goldwing. The current version has been for sale, with moderate changes, for 10 years. I'll buy one that is a few years older for half the price of new and it will be barely broken in.

Happy hunting!

I never laid mine down. I was a natural from day one. My first bike I rode by myself was a GSX-R 750. 150mph in my 25mph subdivision. Yeah it was a thrill. Adrenaline is amazing.:D

Preventing lay over= Hit the throttle and it will straighten right up.

To get started in motorcycling, buy a cheap beater-bike. I started with a '78 Yamaha XS400 that I paid $700 for. I rode that for 2 years, didn't put much money into it and almost got clipped by a minivan once. It was noisy, not too pretty but a blast to ride.

I sold it for $1400. It's possible, you don't need to evaporate your fund for your car, and you can still get a lot of fun-factor without having to ride at illegal speed.

Or buck your ass off in a violent high side.

I hope you're joking. Dumbass....