>>412759>>412770 This guy gets it.Bikes aren't necessarily "cheap", but ... it depends on your other vehicle. My other vehicle is a 3/4-ton pickup that gets 11mpg around town, so the bike is way cheaper to fuel and maintain than the truck.
$3000 will get you a decent bike.
May also look into getting it plated yourself, can save a lot of money that way if your state doesn't make it difficult.
Set your budget, buy gear first, then use what's left for the bike. Helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, decent boots. If you're doing much offroad, you'll want knee protection, real moto boots, and something lighter and with better impact protection than a moto jacket.
Insurance is cheap. I pay ~$250/yr for fairly comprehensive coverage with a $500 deductible.
Fuel is cheap. My 525 gets ~50mpg around town on 91E0.
What you save in fuel, you spend on tires. They're about $100/ea, and last 2-3k miles.
Motos are easy to work on. Spend some money on tools, they're far cheaper than the $100/hour most shops charge.
Oil changes every 2-3 weeks in the summer when I'm riding the piss out of it. Valve adjustments a couple times a year. Sprockets at 3k, chain at 5-6k. Pay attention and fix shit that wears before it becomes a mechanical/safety problem.
Some bikes are more maintenance whores than others. I did a complete rebuild (strip to the frame, everything on that bike got scrubbed/gone through). 3 months, every weekend, and ~$1200 in parts. Replaced almost every bearing, seal, gasket in chassis and engine.
