In the United States, about 126 million households own a motorcycle.

If you’re thinking about joining these millions of people and buying a motorcycle for yourself, you may be wondering what things you should know about motorcycle ownership.

Thankfully, we’re here to break it all down for you, so make sure you keep reading!

Licensing

You should check with your state and country before you buy a new motorcycle because some places require you to have certain licenses. And some of those licenses require a waiting time and some training.

However, in some places, if you have a normal vehicle driver’s license, you may be able to just add a motorcycle endorsement onto it.

In the United States, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic Rider’s Course is a great place to start working on your license. How long it takes to complete this will depend on what state you’re in, and the fees will also be different.

But when you take this course, you’ll have access to all the documents you need to take to the DMV. After you complete this course and go through more testing at the DMV, you’ll be ready to get your own motorcycle license.

Insurance

Next, you should think about some motorcycle insurance.  You may want to get custom motorcycle insurance, but if you’re over 25 years old, have a good driving record, and have a good rate on your insurance already, you probably won’t have to pay more than $500 a year.

However, there are many more factors involved in the price since motorcycles can be less safe. Make sure you shop around to find insurance that you really trust and will give you the best deal!

Choosing a Motorcycle

Now that you’ve got the paperwork out of the way, you can start looking at our motorcycle buying guide.

There are so many different options to choose from, but it will mostly depend on what you’re going to be using it for. Are you going to be commuting every day or racing in the dirt?

It’s important to choose a bike that will meet your needs and feel comfortable riding because this can make the difference of life or death in an accident.

Dual-Purpose Bikes

A dual-purpose bike is great for whether you want to ride it on or off the road. They come with all kinds of sizes of engines as well.

This bike is great for those who want to commute to their job during the weekend and then go adventure riding off the beaten path on the weekend.

This job is legal to drive on the streets as long as it has the proper lights, directional signals, and other road safety features. This bike is also easy to maintain and upkeep throughout the years.

Dirt/Off-Road Bikes

If you are only going to be riding your bike in the dirt, you should get an off-road bike.

You can’t drive this on the street, but it works well in dirt roads, gravel paths, and muddy trails. They normally have a really tall suspension and two knobby tires.

Touring Bikes

If you’re going to be driving long distances on your motorcycle, you should get a touring bike. These are really comfy and made for long rides.

They’re normally really heavy, and they’re the biggest bikes that you can find. However, they’re not great for beginners.

They have really powerful engines and a lot of advanced features to help improve your ride experience. Some of them even come with space to hold all of your luggage!

Sportbikes

Sportbikes are sometimes also called racing bikes. These bikes are really fast and fun to drive.

They have a lot of horsepower behind them which can be fun, but they also come with a really high insurance bill. Even though they are legal to drive on the streets, many people race them through the city and go way past the speed limit.

A lower 125cc bike may be good for a beginner, but a 600c and up should only be ridden by advanced riders.

The bodywork has a really lightweight frame, and you will be crouched over the gas tank, so it may not be comfortable for long drives.

Naked Bikes

Naked bikes are a mix between cruisers and street sportbikes.

These are an upright style, which can be more comfortable for most people. They’re also great bikes for beginners because they’re so much easier to drive!

Maintenance

While the motorcycle will be expensive, the maintenance down the road could be even more expensive.

The tires on a motorcycle will wear down more easily than on a car, and it could cost anywhere between $400 and $600 for a set of new tires for your bike. Some models have to replace their tires every 3,000 miles, but this will depend on how hard you ride your bike.

You may also need to replace your chains and drive belts, and those can cost between $140 and $250.

You should also have regular maintenance done anywhere between 5,000 and 20,000 miles, which could cost you anywhere between $800 to $1,500.

Learn More About What to Know Before Motorcycle Ownership

These are only a few things to consider about motorcycle ownership, so are you up for the challenge of buying your own cycle?

We know that trying to narrow the choices of your motorcycle down is stressful and can be overwhelming, but we’re here to help you out.

If you enjoyed this article, make sure that you explore our website to find more articles just like this one!