 | Rod Taylor is the owner of Cycle Station, located at 406 S. Seneca St. Cycle Station specializes in sales, parts and services for motorcycles. Rod has 13 years of Auto Dealer experience, and over 10 years of motorcycle experience. He is also ASE and Honda-Suzuki Polaris Certified. He can be reached at 316-267-3025. |
Motorcycles
2006-03-01 08:45:00
Should I buy new or used?
If you are new to motorcycling, and don't have that ‘I have-to-have a brand new bike attitude’, then buying a used motorcycle is probably for you. Personally, I’ve had several used motorcycles before I was able, to even consider the big bucks for my first new bike, and they worked out very well. Yours could too if you follow a few simple tips: A used bike will allow someone not so experienced to enjoy learning to ride instead of worrying about that little scratch that’s sure to occur. Also with the lower cost, it can provide you the opportunity to "tinker" and learn more about how a motorcycle actually works.There are several places to start looking for used motorcycles; bike magazines, newspaper, friends, etc. They all have motorcycles, and yes they are for sale. However if this is your first, you might want to consider an experienced quality dealer that could help you eliminate some costly errors. Remember actually riding a motorcycle is a whole lot more enjoyable then pushing one. Next, give some real serious thought as to your potential riding habits. Would you be mostly interested in dirt, street, or a combination of both? But more importantly consider your skill level. Even though most of us have that “buy things, we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t know” attitude, this is where you should take a more modest, humble approach. Face it if you are a fairly inexperienced rider, buying 200-horse power, 200 mile per hour rocket might not be in your best interest. You may impress someone, but probably only once. If you do elect the more aggressive approach please remember to ride alone, and away from my neighborhood. Oh and also call America’s Funniest Home Video’s before you ride, it could help pay for your potential hospital visit.For obvious reasons, inspecting a potential new/used bike is the most important part of the process. Missing some signs of damage or abuse can lead to potentially expensive repair bills down the road or, worse yet, lead to a possible crash.One of the most important things to bring with you to inspect a bike is a friend (if you have any), and the best scenario would be a friend who’s an experienced bike mechanic. However, if your friend isn’t motorcycle savvy, he still may be able to point out things that you may miss during your rush to purchase. They could also help to point out things that may appear irregular and help you stick to your strategy and price budget. If budget were a concern, the ultimate scenario would be to bring a friend that’s a motorcycle mechanic and a millionaire. Just remember a motorcycle is made of a lot of small components but closely examining the major ones could be the difference between having a fun summer of riding or a costly, frustrating one.
