I’ve been traveling around Europe on a motorcycle from early April to the end of August. Back in 2011, my boyfriend (BF) and I did a similar trip from Guatemala to Seattle and then to Washington D.C. on his motorcycle. This time, it was my turn to get a bike and handle the depreciation. We wanted a BMW F650GS, similar to the one we had in the US, which didn’t let us down in 20,000 miles of travel. BF’s motorcycle was from 2006, and by the end of that trip, it was worth about $5,000.
I started looking on eBay and found similar bikes with 30,000 or 40,000 miles for around $3,000 to $4,000. I thought I could buy one of those, add another 20,000 miles as we traveled around Europe, and then sell it in a few years for about $2,000, after learning to do the maintenance myself like I did with BF’s bike.
Then, I stumbled upon a nearly new 2010 bike with only 7,000 miles, owned by a mechanic’s wife. It was fully equipped with ABS and a Scott Oiler, which continuously oils the chain to prevent wear. They were asking $10,000 for it, which was more than double what I initially planned. However, it came with panniers, a tank bag, and a top case, so we could pack up and go immediately.
BF was more enthusiastic about this option, pointing out that an older bike would require more maintenance. On our US trip, we had to replace the water pump ($500), fix a broken chain ($200), and perform extra oil changes ($100), totaling over $800 in unexpected costs. These issues would be less likely with a newer bike.
Additionally, the new bike was still under warranty, meaning any major problems would be fixed for free, which is reassuring when planning a 20,000-mile trip. The luggage quality was also top-notch. The panniers and top case alone would cost $1,500 new, and they were very valuable for travelers, so we could easily sell them separately later. Our old panniers had issues like staining clothes and being hard to open, but these were much better.
Another consideration was resale value. A newer bike with only two owners and a full service history would be easier to sell than an older bike with many previous owners. Eventually, I decided to buy the bike, which was the most expensive one we looked at on eBay. The seller also included extras like helmets and an iPhone charger.
After riding this bike for 20,000 miles without any problems, I realized I actually saved money in the long run. We didn’t have those $800 emergency costs like with the older bike, largely because the newer bike was in better condition. Its fuel efficiency was better too, saving us about $500 in gas. Maintenance was minimal; we only had to change the tires once and the oil three times. Thanks to the chain oiler, we didn’t need to replace the chain or sprockets.
I could probably sell the bike today and lose about $1,500 compared to what I paid, but an older bike would have a similar resale value loss. The $1,400 I saved with the newer bike offsets the potential loss from selling it, and now that I absolutely love my bike, I’m happy to keep it running smoothly.
What other items have you chosen to buy at a premium for their long lifespan and reliability?