One of the first things I tell people when they're buying their first motorcycle is to stop looking at the price of the bike for a minute.

Not because the price of the bike doesn't matter. Obviously it does.

But if you've got $10,000 to spend and you're thinking, “Great, I can buy a $10,000 bike,” you're probably going to find out pretty quickly that you've actually got a $10,000 bike and a bunch of other things you didn't realise you needed.

I see this all the time with new riders:

They've spent weeks looking at bikes, they've finally found the one, they've worked out the repayments and they're absolutely buzzing.

Then we start adding everything else.

And that's when the actual cost of getting into motorcycling starts to become a bit clearer.

The good news is, none of this is a reason not to ride. You just want to know about it before you commit to a bike.

The stuff you need straight away

The obvious one is registration.

You need to allow for your registration costs, and depending on where you are, there can be other government and licensing costs involved as well.

Then there's insurance.

And please, please get an insurance quote before you buy the bike, not after.

Insurance can be wildly different between riders and motorcycles. Your age, riding experience, location, licence, the bike itself and the level of cover you're choosing can all make a difference.

I've had people fall in love with a particular bike and then discover the insurance is considerably more than they expected.

It's much nicer to find that out while you're still shopping than after you've already bought it.

Then we get to the fun stuff: your gear.

You need a helmet, obviously, but you're also going to want a proper riding jacket, gloves and appropriate boots and pants.

And this is where people sometimes underestimate the cost because they think, “I'll just grab a helmet and jacket for now.”

Then they realise they need gloves, decent boots, then it's raining, then it's summer and they're sweating through their winter jacket, then they're riding at night and discover they can't see anything.

Then suddenly they've got three jackets.

Ask me how I know.

You don't need to buy every piece of gear imaginable on day one, but you absolutely need to budget for proper protective gear when you're working out what you can afford.

I'd much rather see someone buy a slightly cheaper motorcycle and have decent gear than spend their entire budget on the bike and try to make do with whatever they can find afterwards.

Then there's actually keeping the motorcycle running

This is the part people tend to forget because it's not very exciting when you're buying the bike.

Servicing:

Your motorcycle needs regular servicing, and some bikes have bigger or more expensive services than others.

This is something worth looking into before you buy a particular model.

Don't just ask, “What's the service interval?”

Ask what happens at the major services too.

There can be things like valve checks, additional fluid changes and other maintenance that don't happen at every service.

Then you've got tyres:

You won't necessarily be replacing tyres all the time, but eventually you will, and motorcycle tyres aren't something I'd recommend trying to get as cheaply as possible.

They're literally one of the things keeping you connected to the road.

Chains and sprockets are another one if you're buying a chain-driven bike.

Your chain needs cleaning, lubrication and adjustment, and eventually the chain and sprockets will need replacing.

This is also why I think learning a little bit about basic motorcycle maintenance is worth it.

You don't need to become a mechanic, but knowing how to check your tyre pressures, look at your chain, check your oil and spot something that doesn't look right can save you money and potentially save you from a much bigger problem later.

And then, you start buying all the things

This is where motorcycles become dangerous for your bank account.

Because once you've got the bike, you start noticing things:

“Oh, that would look good.”

“Oh, that would make riding more comfortable.”

“Oh, I could put a phone mount there.”

“Oh, heated grips would be amazing.”

“Oh... look at that exhaust.”

And suddenly you've spent another $1,500+

Some accessories are genuinely useful, some others are just because you wanted them.

And I'm not judging, I've been there.

Just don't convince yourself that every accessory is an essential part of buying the motorcycle; work out what you actually need first and then add the fun stuff as you go.

Fuel is another one

Yes, motorcycles are generally pretty economical compared with cars, but don't assume every motorcycle is going to be cheap on fuel.

A little 300cc commuter and a big performance bike are obviously going to have very different fuel consumption.

Think about how much you're actually going to ride.

If you're commuting every day, that's very different from taking the bike out for a couple of hours on the weekend.

It's worth doing a rough calculation before you buy.

Don't forget the licence and training costs

If you're a brand new rider, there can be costs involved in getting your motorcycle licence and completing the required training and testing.

And personally, I'd put training in the worth spending money on category.

Especially when you're new: there is so much that feels completely unnatural when you first get on a motorcycle.

Throttle control. Braking. Cornering. Slow-speed manoeuvres. Gear changes. Looking where you want to go instead of staring at the thing you're worried about hitting.

You don't want to learn all of that through trial and error in a car park, or worse, on the road.

Good training can make the whole experience much less intimidating down the road.

Then there are the costs you don't think about until you own one

Where are you going to park it?

Do you need a cover?

Do you need additional security?

Do you need a battery charger?

How and where are you going to clean and maintain it?

Do you need luggage?

Are you going to ride in the rain?

Do you need waterproof gear?

And if you're commuting, what are you going to do with all your stuff when you get there?

None of these things are necessarily huge expenses individually, but they're the sort of little purchases that keep appearing.

And this is why I always think it's better to have a little bit of breathing room in your budget rather than spending absolutely everything you have on the motorcycle itself.

So what should you actually budget?

I don't think there's one magic number I can give you because it depends massively on what you're buying and how you're going to use it.

But before you buy, I'd write down:

  • The bike
  • Registration
  • Insurance
  • Licence/training costs
  • Helmet
  • Protective gear
  • Fuel
  • Servicing
  • Tyres
  • Chain and sprockets, if applicable
  • Basic maintenance
  • Security
  • Anything you genuinely need to make the bike practical for your lifestyle

Then I'd leave a little buffer for the things you've forgotten.

Because something was probably forgotten, it always happens

The motorcycle is the exciting part

And this isn't me trying to make owning a motorcycle sound expensive or complicated.

Quite the opposite!

I just think it's much better to know the real cost before you buy.

The bike is the exciting part, obviously.

But being able to actually afford to ride it, maintain it and enjoy it without stressing every time something needs replacing?

That's the part that makes owning a motorcycle so much better.

So yes, fall in love with the bike. Just make sure you've got enough money left over to actually ride the bloody thing.