Moving to 2 Wheels

[deevergote]

From the 80s? Age alone is going to make a bike like that a major project! While I admit it would be pretty cool, chances are very good that you'll be doing a lot of work on it. Often. It would probably be a great learning experience, but the money you'd spend on parts, repairs, and towtrucks would likely mount up quickly. Perhaps I'm just being pessimistic...

You would need to get full coverage on any financed bike for sure, since the financing institution (usually a bank) is going to want to protect their investment. Still, it shouldn't be much. If you're careful with your money, and not fully living at your means, then you should be able to pay off the remainder of a financed bike in a matter of months.
OR just hold out until you can afford to pay cash flat out. Summer is already drawing to a close. Slick Fall leaves and slushy Winter snow aren't the best conditions for learning to ride! Might be wise to stick to the BMW for now, save up, and buy a new bike in March.

[XCRN]

How I see it right now, as fall rolls in, bikes will be a lot cheaper in the upcoming months giving me time and money to fix what is needed. I am particularly not looking for a project, keeping it limited to basic maintenance and tune up at most needed and there is a lot of those for sale for what I can afford. However the one bike I saw with a seized caliper is still worth while to me since I have rebuilt those before and if that is the only issue I can live with it.

I am coming around to the idea of financing a bike and will end up doing that, but not as a first bike. Given some more experience and confidence on the old bike I would be more willing to try and not ruin a new bike.

[deevergote]

If you go with a used bike, hang onto the car. Treat the bike as a secondary ride. Consider it a toy, and a learning tool. Don't dive right in and make it your primary means of transportation (as in, don't rely on it to get you to work, unless you leave plenty of time in anticipation of a breakdown.)
Be VERY careful with a seized caliper. On a car, a wonky caliper will result in a pull when braking, or other minor annoyances. On a bike, a wonky caliper could result in you spinning out or being thrown!

You make some good points about buying now being cheaper (for the seasonal reasons I mentioned above), and that a cheap old bike would be less of a risk if you dump it (though a new bike would have full coverage insurance, so you could just get it repaired... usually the only damage is a dented gas tank and maybe a scuffed exhaust pipe.)
By project, I didn't mean something to modify... I meant more of a restoration project. Like any car from the 80s would be. It would be VERY hard to find a car from the 80s that you could just get in and drive... and one that would do that would still likely have MANY annoying little things wrong. My fear with the bikes you've been seeing that just need a tune up is that the sellers are either ignorant, or shady. If a 30 year old bike is in great running condition, but "just needs a tune up", it wouldn't be cheap. If it's cheap and "just needs a tune up", that most likely means "it will run like crap when you buy it, if it runs at all... but it's an easy fix! Now, just give me your money so we can finalize this transaction!"

For someone with motorcycle experience, I don't see a 30 year old bike as being a bad decision. Someone with experience will have an idea of what they're looking at in terms of repairs, and they'll have the appropriate rider instincts to know when something doesn't sound or feel right. As someone new to motorcycles, you'll be lacking that experience. If your only experience is with one ancient bike, you may not realize that your recently repaired caliper isn't functioning as it should. You may not realize that clunky 1-2 shift is an indication of a failing transmission. You may not realize that the drive chain has far too much play, and is in danger of snapping in the next 500 miles. You may not realize that the guy on cb7tuner.com is pulling examples out of his ass because he, too, has no motorcycle experience!

Still, if you get an old one, use it as a tool. Use it to learn, carefully. Don't rely too heavily on it just yet. Once you're comfortable, and you've saved money, buy new. Then either sell the old bike, or stick it in the garage for a cool restoration project.

Or ignore my advice. I advised domesticated to avoid buying an overpowered muscle bike for his first ride, and he did so anyway... and he's doing just fine! I tend to be overly cautious, but I wouldn't give anyone advice on this matter that I wouldn't follow myself in a similar situation.

[XCRN]

You do bring up good points and being overly cautious with something like this is probably a good idea. Since I am probably going to need to truck it home since most bikes are more miles away from home than I feel comfortable (and especially since this would be my first ride with it) might as well bring my experienced friend to help inspect and load up.

[Domesticated]

Take the class before you ride. Then ride your bike home. You'll only learn by doing.

[deevergote]

A class is a very good idea.

[XCRN]

That's the plan.

[Domesticated]

I took the basic rider course. Learned a ton. So did the people who were there supporting their friends that had been riding for years. Now that I'm comfy on my bike I'm going to take the one day returning rider course on my bike along with the advanced course.

[deevergote]

Did you show up on the monster Harley for the course, or did they supply a bike for you to learn on?

I can just imagine someone showing up on something like that to a beginner course. It would be like rolling up to take your driver's test in a Viper.

[Domesticated]

Lol, the MSF class supplies bikes. They want you using the cheap learner bikes. And I made it a point to not tell my instructors what I rode and that I had already been riding. But I had a blast. Be brave, force yourself to push out of your comfort zone so you can learn. You learn a lot quicker by screwing up and finding the limits. But still don't drop it. A 340lb bike is still heavy.