How to get into motorcycling on a very tight budget

We'll go over the whole thing in this article and you'll see that even on a tight budget and without compromising on anything (especially your gear), you too will be able to enjoy the pleasure of riding on two wheels!

Fixed costs: the motorcycle and gear

The motorcycle

On a tight budget, you'll obviously have to look at the used market. First, you'll find a cheaper motorcycle (a motorcycle loses 10% of its value as soon as it's bought), but the insurance will also be cheaper and, in the event of a fall, even a minor one, you'll be able to find used parts much more easily.

So you need to assess the maximum budget you can devote to it and the models that interest you (while being reasonable). If you haven't settled on a particular model, you can do an initial search on dedicated websites by stating your maximum budget (possibly the maximum number of miles and the minimum year). And initially choose a selection in your county (then broaden the search), this will limit your travel costs.

If you have an A2 license, the range of machines now restricted to 47.5 hp is extensive, and since this license has been in effect since 2016, you'll already find plenty of used ones. Most of these motorcycles initially produce up to 95 hp depending on the model (A2 restrictable motorcycles must not exceed double the restricted power, i.e. 95 hp), but I encourage you to also look at motorcycles producing 47.5 hp from the factory (or the closest to this value without exceeding it). Admittedly, they are less impressive than a restricted "big bike", but they offer other non negligible advantages: you'll suffer less from the effects of the restriction, you'll have a lighter machine and above all, cheaper to buy and more economical with fuel and maintenance (and with less risk of losing points and paying the fines that come with it!).

Be careful of too-good-to-be-true ads or falling in love with a bike that will make you exceed your motorcycle budget and dip into your "gear" budget, you need to be reasonable and not squander your budget on buying the motorcycle because you need to plan for other expenses!

Motorcycle gear

Although only the helmet and gloves are mandatory, it is strongly recommended to have a full set of gear to ride safely, and it's possible even on a tight budget!

A motorcycle helmet: around €150

Let me make one thing clear right away: no used helmets! And contrary to popular belief, you can find excellent helmets for a budget of €100 to €200! To help you make your choice, don't hesitate to consult our buying guide. If your budget really is extremely tight, there are very regular promotional offers, flash sales or you can also wait for the sales period!

Gloves: around €40

When choosing your gloves, make sure above all that they have the CE and PPE markings as well as the pictogram of a motorcyclist on the label because wearing CE-certified gloves has been mandatory since 2016 and you can be fined if you don't wear them.

You will find 3 types of labels depending on the protection the gloves provide, especially on the knuckles: the letters KP, for Knuckle Protection, indicate that the gloves have reinforcements on the knuckles. The 1 designates compliance with level 1 standards and that the gloves are capable of resisting abrasion for 4 seconds. The "2" indicates that the gloves can resist 8 seconds of abrasion.

If you think you'll only ride on beautiful warm days, go straight for summer gloves, otherwise, look at mid-season gloves that will allow you to ride from the beginning of spring until the end of autumn with the same pair of gloves!

Motorcycle jacket: around €180

Although not mandatory, I advise you to ride with a dedicated jacket, equipped with CE protections at the shoulders and elbows. You can opt for a textile jacket which will be cheaper than leather and you'll find options to choose from starting at €110! Motorcycle jackets are very often equipped with foam as a back protector, keep a little budget aside to invest in a real back protector (level 2 preferably) that you can insert in place of the original foam plate. It will cost you about thirty euros. If you can only afford a two-digit number for your jacket budget, look at the promotions, there are offers from major brands at bargain prices.

Make sure you know the size you need before you bite, the jacket must be well fitted to your size so that the protections can do their job!

Trousers: around €120

If you have to compromise for lack of budget, it's often the purchase of specific trousers that suffers... But don't give up on wearing them without doing your research. You can find new motorcycle jeans from €130, and there are some for everyone and for all styles! Not necessarily more expensive than jeans from brands that are already full of holes! Otherwise, used gear resale websites can allow you to find your happiness for less than a pair of sneakers. And if you doubt, read comparisons on the resistance of classic jeans against specific jeans, that should finish convincing you. If your choice is rather for textile trousers, you can also find your happiness in new ones from €130 but the range will be larger from €200 in this range.

Shoes: €120

Essential when riding a motorcycle, shoes are a safety element not to be neglected. But there's no need to wear racing boots to be protected. Today the range extends from sneakers to city shoes, passing through heeled ankle boots for women! The starting prices will be around €120, and once again, promos and sales will allow you to acquire a pair at half price, i.e. sixty euros!

To summarize, for a full set of gear, if you go for new, you'll get by with around €650, and even much less if you take advantage of sales and other regular offers!

So.... Motorcycle: check, gear: check! These are costs you will only make once and that can be kept for a few years, unless you change your motorcycle every 6 months or (unfortunately) you fall.

That's it for fixed costs, what else to estimate your motorcycle budget?

Annual costs: insurance, maintenance and fuel

Insurance: around €400 / year

It's difficult to give you an accurate estimate since the price of your insurance will depend on the type of your motorcycle and your bonus/malus, your age, your gender (man or woman) and the guarantees taken out. But know that on average you need to count between €20 and €50 per month. Don't hesitate to get quotes online by comparing the same guarantees (specialized websites even do the work for you!), and ask your friends where they are insured and if a referral system is possible with their insurance (-10% off sometimes).

Maintenance and repair: around €150 / year depending on use

An expense item that will fluctuate depending on the number of miles you will travel per year and also your ability to handle an Allen wrench! Depending on the miles of your motorcycle you will have more or less expensive maintenance to perform, so find out before buying if your motorcycle is close to major sessions on the "lift" like valve clearance adjustment for example (which costs a lot in labor). Obviously if you are a bit of a handyman, routine maintenance like oil changes or pad changes will only cost you in parts. And if you really are not a handyman, watch tutorials on the internet, ask your acquaintances for a hand or find out if a solidarity garage exists near you.

As far as tires are concerned, changing them will obviously depend on the number of miles you do! On a tight budget, you must avoid buying so-called racing tires, which offer a soft compound that wears out very quickly. You will rather have to turn to touring or sport-touring tires designed to last. To learn more, I invite you to read my article on the choice of tires. A new set of tires in this range should cost you around €200, but it won't necessarily be an annual expense, you can keep your tires for more than a year (it depends on the brands but with a smooth ride on a roadster, you can do at least 5000 km with your rear tire and 7000 km with your front tire).

Be that as it may, the more you pamper your bike the more you can avoid expenses: a regularly maintained chain (washed then greased... not just greased!) will last longer or the regular checking of the pressure of your tires will ensure their longevity!

Fuel: Depending on use

It goes without saying, your motorcycle doesn't run on deep fryer oil, so you will have a fuel budget more or less substantial depending on the number of miles traveled! You can put SP-95 in your tank (if you find one that is not coupled with E10) to limit the price of filling up or even take an interest in ethanol and the installation of a conversion box so that your engine runs on this fuel 2 times cheaper at the pump! If you want to read more on this subject, I invite you to read Charlotte's article. Know that a full tank will cost between €20 and €30 (depending on the capacity of your tank) for a range of around 250-300 km. To simplify, if you do 1000km/year, plan a fuel budget of around €100, €200 for 2000km and so on!

Summary

So, what is the price of this passion?

You can therefore find decent used motorcycles from €2500, to which you add €650 to have a full CE certified set of gear equipped with all the protections. You have to add to that all the annual expenses like insurance and maintenance for an annual budget of around €650 if you don't take care of anything (motorcycle at the garage for maintenance). I leave you to add your fuel estimate depending on the miles traveled, but for less than €5000, you can get started in a first year of riding a motorcycle, and if you keep your motorcycle and your gear for more than a year, your passion will not cost you "more than" the annual costs!

Good luck with your search for good deals and other good opportunities!