Wow, I didn't know about the Kawasaki Ninja 400. That's a really impressive bike at a fantastic price. That would have been like 2000 dollars in 1987. Completely unheard of. Motorcycles have come a long way.
It has never been a better time to be a rider, you can get some seriously amazing bikes for the money.
Unfortunately it is a very bad time to try to make money in the motorcycle industry right now. Older riders are aging out and interested young people can't afford bikes due to student debt and other debt.
> young people can't afford bikes due to student debt and other debt.
I find comments like these interesting because it shows a fundamentally different perspective on motorcycling.
It sounds like you view it as a hobby or pastime, and an expensive one at that, likely because you see it as something to purchase after already owning a car.
I see it as a highly efficient and cheap form of personal transportation, especially for urban areas. In my city (Montreal) motorcycles park for free and almost anywhere they wish, essentially lawlessly. I don't own a car and use a motorcycle to avoid public transportation yet not impact the environment nearly as much as a full size car. The economics of it are amazing too, I spend about $15-20 on gasoline a month while commuting daily, spend almost no time in traffic and nothing on parking. Maybe $600 a year on insurance and $300 on plates. The initial costs were higher due to getting gear but that still doesn't compare to car ownership.
Friend of mine in the Bay Area commutes on a motorcycle. says depreciation and maintenance negate any savings. He does it because it saves him an hour a day commuting.
$120/season for oil change and filter + new tires every 2 years (unsure of the costs here as I've yet to need this on my new bike). Surely this is comparable or less than the average ICE car?
Outside of very large cities where filtering is legal, the maintenance costs eat up any money you save over an economy car. Tires are especially brutal- my commute makes me have to replace both tires every winter.
My tires will have to be replaced in the spring but maintenance costs other than that are about $120 for oil change and filter once per season. What other costs are you getting?
Oil and filter change for my least expensive bike: $22, lasts 1500 miles
Oil and filter change for my lowest maintenance bike: $67, lasts 6000 miles
Valve adjustment: $200-300 for a professional to remove the head and cams and adjust the valve shims. Interval varies, usually every 10000-15000 miles on a bike. Not required at all on a car due to hydraulic lifters that are fine for a car engine but can't move fast enough for a high-revving bike engine.
Final drive: Chain and sprocket need replacement every 12000-15000 miles, costs about $150 or so. Shafts need shaft oil every 10000 miles, dunno what the price is since I've never had anything other than a chain. Most cars last 100000+ miles without any transmission service.
Spark plugs last 100000+ miles on a car but usually are changed every 10000-20000 miles on a bike. Modern bikes often use multiple plugs per cylinder. $5 per plug.
The tires are the main killer for me. A set of tires on my car lasts about 6 years, while I have to replace tires every year on my main bike. That adds up very quickly.
Other costs:
Coolant every 4 years, brake fluid every 2 years, but that is similar on the car.
I have to admit that good coverage bike insurance is cheaper than good coverage car insurance as long as you stay away from sportbikes and hoon machines.
All that makes sense except the Montreal part... riding in icy conditions sounds like pure terror to me. And I say this as someone who used to commute by bicycle year around in Montana.
Unfortunately it is a very bad time to try to make money in the motorcycle industry right now. Older riders are aging out and interested young people can't afford bikes due to student debt and other debt.