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The Real Cost Of Buying A Motorcycle

Jun. 8 2020 Buying Guide By 2Brothers Powersports

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A motorcycle is your ticket to a lifetime of adventure, adrenaline thrills, and so much more! This is why a lot of people rush to get themselves a bike. Before you do so, however, you should understand the actual cost of purchasing a motorcycle. The price tag is only the beginning; there are other one-time and repeat purchases that you should factor into your budget. 

At 2Brothers Powersports in Onalaska, Wisconsin, we promote responsible bike ownership, so we’ve compiled this guide to help you understand the cost of leading the biking lifestyle. When you’re ready to check out our new or used motorcycles for sale, get in touch with us and have a chat with one of our friendly staff. We’re the preferred motorcycle dealer of our clients from La Crosse, Madison, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin!

1. The Motorcycle

Basic Costs

  • For beginner riders, new motorcycles can cost between $5,000 and $10,000.
  • For advanced riders, new motorcycles can cost between $10,000 and $35,000.

Factors To Consider

  • Beginner motorcycles are usually more affordable, while heavy-duty and higher performing models will be more expensive.
  • If you want a lot of features and accessories, you’ll have to pay more. 

A great way to save some money is to buy a pre-owned bike. They cost significantly less than their new counterparts. You'll also skip the biggest dip in value, which happens during the first year.

Another way to cut costs is to purchase the model during the off-season, which happens each winter. Dealerships see a dip in sales, so they often offer sales to entice customers to make a purchase. 

2. The Riding Gear

Basic Costs

  • Proper helmets can range from $70 to over $300.
  • Complete gear costs usually around $1,300.

Factors To Consider

  • For effective safety, helmets need to be crash-tested. They should also fit well in order to offer proper protection. All these things drive up the price.
  • Helmets should ideally be replaced if they get compromised (which can happen after a collision) or if they’re too old (which usually happens after about five years).
  • Other essential riding gear includes riding pants, a riding jacket, gloves, and boots that provide you necessary protection from the weather and in the event of a crash.
    • Extra features, such as waterproof or reflective materials, will increase the cost.

3. Maintenance

Basic Costs

  • Motorcycle maintenance averages at about $1,000 per year.

Factors To Consider

  • A new motorcycle won’t need too much upkeep, while a used model will tend to see higher maintenance costs.
  • The maintenance costs are affected by how often you ride. For example, the more often you ride, the more often you will need to replace the tires.

To get an estimate on maintenance costs, consider the average lifespan of the parts (such as tires and lights) and the cost of replacement parts.

4. Insurance

Basic Costs

  • Insuring your bike usually costs between $200 and $500 per year, depending on the coverage you get.

Factors To Consider

  • Depending on the model and condition (new or used) you get, the coverage can protect you in case of injury, motorcycle damage, theft and property damage.
  • The bills for unexpected situations, such as medical bills due to an injury, can get pretty steep. Consider getting plenty of coverage as a way to save money in the long run.

5. License & Riding Courses

Basic Costs

  • The application fee usually costs around $30.
  • Beginner rider’s courses tend to cost around $100.

Factors To Consider

  • Some riders enjoy taking advanced classes down the road as a way to help strengthen their skills, which would be an additional expense to factor in.

6. Fuel

Basic Costs

  • Fuel usually costs around $300 a year, though that can change depending on how often or how little you ride.

Factors To Consider

  • The more you ride, the more you will have to spend on gas.
  • The more fuel-efficient your motorcycle, the less you will spend on gas.
  • Bikes usually have better fuel-efficiency than cars. Whenever you take your motorcycle instead of your car, you’ll save money on fuel costs.


In Closing

We hope this information clears things up for you! Whenever you want to check out motorcycles for sale near La Crosse, Wisconsin, contact 2Brothers Powersports and we’ll show you what we have in stock. We’re proud to be the chosen motorcycle dealer for our friends from Madison and Eau Claire, Wisconsin!