Riding in the States...Should I Rent or Buy?

Caddyman

I'm heading over in early September to team up with a cousin of mine who coming from Toronto to meet me wherever I am picking up my bike and we are going to do a couple of weeks riding and sightseeing etc wherever we decide to go!

The big question is do I Rent or Buy?

I did my figures on www.eaglerider.com and to hire a fully dressed Electra Glide for two weeks on a same pickup/drop off location basis with the extras including insurance and a full tank of petrol would cost exactly $2,341.45.
It sounds expensive but the trip will probably be from the East coast heading either down South or into the West so to hire the same bike with the same extras but with a different drop off will cost $3,158.01!
This set me thinking of buying a cheap older Harley/BMW/Kawasaki/Honda etc then store it in my cousins for another trip next year or even to take it home!

I'm sure plenty of people have looked into this before and know of the pitfalls and the benefits so any help would be appreciated

galwaytt

I have thought this over many times myself, and came to the following conclusion....

1. Forget 'old' Harley's. But if you buy an Evo-engined, or newer, you'll be fine: and there's a Harley mechanic on every street corner.....a Glide is a nice way to see the States

2. Bee Emm mechanic's are few and far between..........

3. A big old Jap bike (e.g. FJ1200 ), it should go forever, and be cheaper than either of the above to buy and run. There again, if it does, it's a big old aircooled 4, and any Jap bike garage could fix it. An 1500cc Gold Wing wouldn't be a bad choice, either.

4. If you can afford the rental, great.........but it's an awful lot of money.............

seanybiker

If your gonna go back again it might work out cheaper in the long run to buy

galwaytt

Just had a look near my mother's house (Atlanta), and threw up these..

1500cc Gold Wing

Buy this, and keep it - or bring it home.....

another 1500cc Gold Wing


Older version of my own bike.......
H-D Heritage Softail...

You can't go wrong with a Honda: cost's less than your rental AND you can keep it ! VT1100

choppermann

Well seeing as I live in the states here's the deal , it 's way cheaper to buy than rent.
Try and buy something in a state like vermont where registering the bike is really easy and you can open a post office box and use it as an address.
Also Vermont borders canada and is east of Toronto and not that far
Craigslist is the way to go to pick up an inexpensive motor , and then you can flog it when your done to re-coup some of your money.
Good luck with your trip

Pkiernan

Caddyman wrote: »

I'm heading over in early September to team up with a cousin of mine who coming from Toronto to meet me wherever I am picking up my bike and we are going to do a couple of weeks riding and sightseeing etc wherever we decide to go!

The big question is do I Rent or Buy?

I did my figures on www.eaglerider.com and to hire a fully dressed Electra Glide for two weeks on a same pickup/drop off location basis with the extras including insurance and a full tank of petrol would cost exactly $2,341.45.
It sounds expensive but the trip will probably be from the East coast heading either down South or into the West so to hire the same bike with the same extras but with a different drop off will cost $3,158.01!
This set me thinking of buying a cheap older Harley/BMW/Kawasaki/Honda etc then store it in my cousins for another trip next year or even to take it home!

I'm sure plenty of people have looked into this before and know of the pitfalls and the benefits so any help would be appreciated

There will be no problem buying a bike - anyone will take your money.

Registering and insuring it there without a valid US address and license will prove to be a bit tougher.

If you give the money to your cousin, and he registers and insure it you should be okay, but make sure that his insurance company give him something in writing on the policy that you will be covered with an Iriah license.

To be honest, I'd go with the rental, especially if it is your first long ride here - you will not have to worry about the bike breaking down.

If you go down the purchasing route, then go with a Honda with a shaft drive for the least problems (imo).

Caddyman

galwaytt wrote: »

I have thought this over many times myself, and came to the following conclusion....

1. Forget 'old' Harley's. But if you buy an Evo-engined, or newer, you'll be fine: and there's a Harley mechanic on every street corner.....a Glide is a nice way to see the States

2. Bee Emm mechanic's are few and far between..........

3. A big old Jap bike (e.g. FJ1200 ), it should go forever, and be cheaper than either of the above to buy and run. There again, if it does, it's a big old aircooled 4, and any Jap bike garage could fix it. An 1500cc Gold Wing wouldn't be a bad choice, either.

4. If you can afford the rental, great.........but it's an awful lot of money.............

I don't know many people who nowadays can throw money away so the rental option, whereas its the safest IS certainly expensive especially if its from Canada!
I am not mechanically minded but I reckon a big engined bike with shaft/belt drive will be fairly bombproof so thats where I am leaning at the moment especially as to FULLY INSURE a bike it costs about another CAD$770 for two weeks or else you are liable for the first CAD$2,500 if the bike gets damaged.. F**k that!
The last thing you want to be worried about on a trip is damage to the bike, thats any damage done on the bike whether or not its your fault.
The fj1200 might be one to throw into the pot!

Thanks for the info galwaytt

Caddyman

galwaytt wrote: »

Just had a look near my mother's house (Atlanta), and threw up these..

1500cc Gold Wing

Buy this, and keep it - or bring it home.....

another 1500cc Gold Wing


Older version of my own bike.......
H-D Heritage Softail...

You can't go wrong with a Honda: cost's less than your rental AND you can keep it ! VT1100

That first Gold Wing is a fine machine, pity its over 1,000 miles from Toronto but its certainly worth thinking of them as an alternative to a Harley.
The Heritage is good value but as I have one already I would go for an Ultra/Electra if I was going to buy one.
The value is obviously there, its just a case of juggling; what I want, what suits the trip, how much to spend, do I leave it there or take it home, if I leave it there where do I leave it, do I sell it there, which bike would sell here better if I take it home is also an option! Its enough to make your head spin!!
Ah well its all great craic......
Thanks again galwaytt

Caddyman

choppermann wrote: »

Well seeing as I live in the states here's the deal , it 's way cheaper to buy than rent.
Try and buy something in a state like vermont where registering the bike is really easy and you can open a post office box and use it as an address.
Also Vermont borders canada and is east of Toronto and not that far
Craigslist is the way to go to pick up an inexpensive motor , and then you can flog it when your done to re-coup some of your money.
Good luck with your trip

Thanks chopperman thats really great info on the registering front!

choppermann

I exported bikes to Dublin back in the day so know my way around the paperwork system. I still have all my contacts in the bike business and still dabble and buy and sell.
If you find something in massachusetts I'll help you register and insure it , not a big deal over here as long as you have a post office box and address and that I can help you with.
Your next to New York state so check the craiglist listings for that region
http://buffalo.craigslist.org/mca/
Your about a hour and a half drive to buffalo new york

Caddyman

Pkiernan wrote: »

There will be no problem buying a bike - anyone will take your money.

Registering and insuring it there without a valid US address and license will prove to be a bit tougher.

If you give the money to your cousin, and he registers and insure it you should be okay, but make sure that his insurance company give him something in writing on the policy that you will be covered with an Iriah license.

To be honest, I'd go with the rental, especially if it is your first long ride here - you will not have to worry about the bike breaking down.

If you go down the purchasing route, then go with a Honda with a shaft drive for the least problems (imo).

If I can get it registered in Vermont with a post office address as choppermann says and I have no reason to doubt him then that leaves the insurance which I have already looked into and I have an email confirmation from www.motorcycleexpress.com to say they will insure me for the two weeks on a tourer of 1,600cc fully comp for $425. I suppose if I said it was for an annual policy it would work out cheaper!
I know what you're saying about the Honda, the first one on galwaytt's post is hard to ignore. I keep going back for a look!
Thanks for the input, all donations greatly recieved.

galwaytt

...if you're NOT going to bring it home, and only use it once, then I'd only for spending 'reasonable' money, and selling it keenly at the end.

If you're planning to keep it in the US, at your relation's address, then I'd spend a bit more, but not a lot.

If you're thinkging buying, and possibly bringing it home, then buy the best you can.

Look at it this way: if you bought something like that Gold Wing for 5200, and even 'charged yourself' 1500 for hire(depreciation), I think you'd sell it in the blink of an eye at the end of your tour for 3700. Win-Win ?

You can apply that to any bike, anywhere.

Caddyman

galwaytt wrote: »

...if you're NOT going to bring it home, and only use it once, then I'd only for spending 'reasonable' money, and selling it keenly at the end.

If you're planning to keep it in the US, at your relation's address, then I'd spend a bit more, but not a lot.

If you're thinkging buying, and possibly bringing it home, then buy the best you can.

Look at it this way: if you bought something like that Gold Wing for 5200, and even 'charged yourself' 1500 for hire(depreciation), I think you'd sell it in the blink of an eye at the end of your tour for 3700. Win-Win ?

You can apply that to any bike, anywhere.

I'm just off the phone/skype with the insurance company and earlier on had a chat with earache as well so the concensus is to make a purchase but more calls/emails etc have to be done before its a definite go!

I keep looking at that Wing! Gotta say its attractive and not only the price!:D

Paparazzo

I'd buy too in your situation. Handy to have a cousin over there to do some business in person if needed. Would make the trip better, flying over and knowing you own the bike!

Caddyman

Paparazzo wrote: »

I'd buy too in your situation. Handy to have a cousin over there to do some business in person if needed. Would make the trip better, flying over and knowing you own the bike!

Yeah the more I think about it the better the idea seems to be!

Paparazzo

Caddyman wrote: »

Yeah the more I think about it the better the idea seems to be!

And don't forget eagle rider rental bikes are bog standard. Not even after market exhausts.
An st1100 or fjr, you can't go wrong. Will definitely be more fun picking something to buy than picking something to rent off the eagle rider site.

Caddyman

Paparazzo wrote: »

And don't forget eagle rider rental bikes are bog standard. Not even after market exhausts.
An st1100 or fjr, you can't go wrong. Will definitely be more fun picking something to buy than picking something to rent off the eagle rider site.

I'll keep you all posted about what I'm doing!;)

Caddyman

I am slowly making progress on this and it looks like its going to be "Buy"!

I must have sent dozens of emails and made several long distance calls to insurance companies and dealers in the states (thank the maker for skype!) and basically it was all to no avail as its a "Catch 22" situation as regards ownership, insurance, title and registration.
Basically as I see it you must firstly own the bike to have it even temporarily insured (which can be done as there are two companies that will do this) but to own it you must have it registered and to register it you must have an address.......its not easy as you can see!
I think I can do something that will work out fine by doing it in Canada where my cousin lives.....I'll know more next week and I'll keep you posted if and when it works out.
Fingers crossed for my "cunning plan" as Baldrick used to say.;)

Caddyman

Basically I have decided to Buy a bike and have just concluded the purchase in Toronto, with help from my Cousin who I will be riding around Canada with this September.
I wanted the big twin experience but with Harley's holding their value so well I had to look elsewhere and after a few false starts with different bikes being given the once over by my cousin like a Suzuki Intruder and a Yamaha Royal Star I settled on the 2003 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Nomad you see below. Happy Days

PS Anyone interested in how I sorted the insurance etc etc PM me
PPS Anyone interested in purchasing this bike in October PM me as well!!