I am new to Australia and would like to purchase a bike. I was wondering the costs involved in owning a Motor bike for a year. Also, since I am based in Canberra, i would also like to know if I'd be able to use it whole year round(as i've heard it's freezing cold in winters)?
Thanks in advance
Yeah.. I think he probably means motorbike..
Wait, OP do you mean normal bicycle or motorbike??
Motor bike.. Post edited
This is to variable, we need to know all details. Such as whether you have license, what kind of bike (cc) or scooter?
Seems to be 1% of motorycle cost to transfer into your name. Then you gotta pay insurance - CTP is mandatory. Then third party or comprehensive if you wish. Maintenance costs, say new oil and filter every 3000-5000km, tyres brakes etc….
You can ride the bike all year long as long as you have the right gear.
Costs that u need to consider are:
- motorcycle gears (one off).. this depends on the brand and whether you want to ride all year long.. winter and wet weather gear will cost $$$… cost will start at about 500 i think
- maintenance (regular)… would be cheaper than a car and you might be able to do the basic yourself depending on your skill, but be mindful that u still need a reliable mechanic… cost starts about $200 i think
- insurance - cheaper than a car for some bikea if u go w specific bike insurer, eg swann. Just go onoine for quotes
- rego - depends on the engine capacity. In vic, the main categories are 125, 250, etc. Be mindful that cost can go up quite a bit deoending on the category. Not sure where u can find the info on this for act
At the end of the day, motorcycling in australia is not particularly cheap, but u get the benefit of being able to park relatively cheap (or free) and beat the traffic (eg line filter).
I used to commute on a scooter in asia, but it was dirt cheap there and not comparable to here (in terms of cost). Most riders i have spoken to here are actually bike lovers who wont mind spending the $$$ cause they love it.
I don't ride a bike of any kind in Canberra, but I do walk to work all year round. It will be below zero in winter when you leave in the mornings for work. If you keep your bike in a garage or basement then you shouldn't have to de-ice it, or worry about ice in places you can't de-ice.
You'll need a set of winter bike gear, leather possibly with down filling. This might be hard to get outside Canberra or Tasmania, not much call for it elsewhere. But you could buy it online from europe or the states.
But it's almost summer! You won't have to worry about that for ages! Right now, the trouble is getting too hot.
You can commute all year round in canberra, but you definitely will need a different set of gear for winter. MUCH thicker gloves, warmer jacket and pants - also a neck scarf. Canberra isnt too large so its really only 40mins commute in heavy traffic from one side to the other so not too bad.
As above, to transfer your bike into your name youll have to pay stamp duty (3% basically + establishment fee if its not already from ACT + inspection fees if its older than 6 years(in ACT)).
What kind of bikes are you looking at, are you new (need to get your licence) so a LAMS bike or are you off your restrictions so are looking for something bigger? This will depend on what kind of upkeep you are looking at for your bike. Servicing wise you can go fyshwick (Canberra motorcycle centre, joes, yamaha of canberra), mitchell (Motogarage) or tuggeranong (Tuggeranong motorcycle centre).
Also for gear go to Canberra Motorcycle Centre or Joes - if not online.
If you have facebook also search for Canberra Motorcycle Riders Group for some like minded people as well.
edit: just reply back here if you want any more info and ill try help with whatever i can
As with most of these types of questions there isn't a '1 size fits all' answer, the short answer is that the cost to keep the bike will vary depending on size / engine capacity.
Larger bikes will cost you more in general, they're more hungry on tires and fuel and will most likely push you to a higher bracket both in terms of insurance and registration.
Here's a rough idea of my annual costs to own a 1300:
Tyres - $350 ($700 every 2nd year to do both front and rear)
Fuel - $1000 (averaged at $20/week)
Servicing - $300
Insurance - $850
Registration - $700
Even though it's up there in terms of engine capacity, the style of bike keeps it in a more affordable insurance bracket, a race bike with fairings would cost double that amount to insure.
If you don't already own some you'll also want gear - and this is certainly not an area to be pinching pennies - all said and done I spent about $2500 on gear (have a wet kit and a dry kit).
I am actually looking for a Suzuki Intruder for around 2K used. I have got my full Motorbike license in 2012. I was riding on weekends but now decided to purchase myself to ride it more often. If I like riding more I'd get a better bike later.
Any recommendations on the helmet and gear please :) and websites where I can look for these items.
thank you in advance.
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