Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I was THIS close to getting a bike. I found both a 89 cbr600 and an 89 ninja 500 for around 1000 bucks on craigslist, and I would have picked up either one. (I know I know the cbr is not a beginner bike).

I have the money for it, and I would be paying for all the gas and insurance and everything.

Then my dad says I can't get it. And its not cuz of anti motorcycle or you'll crash or whatever.

He's just basically saying I can't spend the money. My parents don't have extra money lying around, but we're not starving either, and I work full time. He comes up with stuff like "well you still owe us money for your car", which I do, but I am actually a month ahead on my payments, and I owe about 2 grand.

When I say well I have the money and its mine he just says well you don't pay any bills so you can't get it. So going by this logic its better for me to not work and live for free rather than work and not buy anything! I'm just getting so ticked off.

I can't wait to sell my car, then I should have enough to buy a blazer and a newer bike, but there's still the issue of my dad just saying no. I think its time to move out, but I only make 9.50 an hour, so if I had to pay rent I probably wouldn't even be able to afford a bike...this sucks...

Sorry, just venting.

18 years old and working, but living at home: you're kinda on the cusp between adult and child. I know it's frustrating, I can see your point of view, but I can pretty well guess what your Dad's about, too. It's OK to vent BTW, better to let it out here than get into it with your parents.

This won't help, and you probably don't want to hear it, but it will get easier in a few years - keep working and your earning power will go up. Invest in your education, and it will go up even more. Move out on your own, and you'll have a golden opportunity to stand in your Dad's shoes and learn firsthand why he's concerned about money....

I didn't even have a car let alone a motorcycle until I was 21- had to bum one of my parent's cars, IF they felt like letting me use it... Learned a lot about public transportation and hitchhiking that way (this was in the 70's, hitchhiking was safer...) Hang in there.

You've just discovered the bad side of having a full time job and living at home. You're not really independent, since someone else foots the bills.

Look on the bright side, though. With a full time job and your living expenses covered, you have the opportunity to sock away cash for fun stuff like cars and bikes. When you move out and you're paying all of your own bills, it's going to be a lot more difficult.

jstark47 wrote: I didn't even have a car let alone a motorcycle until I was 21

I just got my first bike, and I'm 29. Granted, for the past several years I was dating an ER nurse who absolutely forbid me to get one, and I stupidly listened to her But even still, there's no way I could have even thought to afford a bike at the age of 18 (or 21)

Look on the bright side, though. With a full time job and your living expenses covered, you have the opportunity to sock away cash for fun stuff like cars and bikes. When you move out and you're paying all of your own bills, it's going to be a lot more difficult.

I know, thats why I'm trying to get a bike now while I can. If I moved out I probably wouldn't be able to afford it.

Right now this is my plan: Sell my car, hoping to get 6k-7k for it. Buy a blazer or 4runner or something like that for 4k-5k. That leaves me with anywhere between 1k-3k plus what I have in the bank (about a grand), to spend on a beater bike, which should be plenty (as I've already found two bikes I would have bought in a heartbeat.) Then I use whatever money I have left and take more out of my check each month to pay off my parents for the 2 thousand I owe them on my car. By this time, this is a couple of months in the future, I sell the bike, and get the one I really want that will last me a few years (Newer ZX-6R or CBR600RR). By the time I've done all this, its a year or so from now, and I have no payments outside of gas and insurance. By then I am also probably making 15.00 an hour. Then I want to think about moving out.

By the way, since we're on the topic, what do you guys think is a good time to move out? Not really age wise, but finance wise. If I had no debts and making 15.00 an hour would I be alright, or would it be better to wait until I was making more money?

C-1_Biker wrote: By the way, since we're on the topic, what do you guys think is a good time to move out? Not really age wise, but finance wise. If I had no debts and making 15.00 an hour would I be alright, or would it be better to wait until I was making more money?

This is pretty off topic for this forum. Maybe take it to the soap box section?

I'll just quickly say $15/hour really isn't too much. Can you live on it? Probably. Depends greatly on the cost of living in your area. Uncle Sam will take a lot of what you make, don't forget that part

How much rain does Roseville, CA get? Is that northern or southern CA? Could you possibly just have a bike as your only vehicle? Perhaps use public transportation when needed, and/or bum rides off friends?

when i was 18 i was going though an aprentaship for HVAC. The pay sucked but it is realing paying off now

its better for me to not work and live for free rather than work and not buy anything

You are living for free right now. You are living in your parent's house, paying no rent, food, electricity, phone, cable, heating, home insurance, Internet access, and so on.

Like it or not, you are not independent.

You have a car, so a motorcycle is a recreational vehicle and not basic transportation. You are doing OK. My only transportation was a bicycle until I was nearly 23 years old.

By the way, insurance for a male under 25 years old for a car and a motorcycle is a huge expense. I would guess you are looking at way over $2,000 a year depending on the model car and bike. Add gas, oil, tires, maintenance, taxes, license plates, etc. You would be using money now to set yourself up for future expenses that you might not be able to afford.

Heck, you are already in debt for $2,000. Bank the money you are earning for now. It won't go away.

Work on getting an education (college, technical school, whatever) so you can earn more than 9.50 an hour. That should be your #1 goal right now.

Once you are earning a decent wage, you can move out and support yourself. $15/hour is $30,000 per year (assuming no overtime) which is OK when you are single, but it is marginal for a family, or someone collecting "toys", depending where you live. You'll be surprised how expensive it is to living on your own, when you add everything up and then take the taxes out of your income.

You already admit you can't afford to move out. And if you could, you couldn't afford the bike. Buck up. Build your future, not your future debt.

Don't blame your dad. (See the title of your thread.) He is supporting you.

PS: Selling the car and not paying off the car loan with the proceeds (even if it is your parents) is not a great idea.

PS: Selling the car and not paying off the car loan with the proceeds (even if it is your parents) is not a great idea.

Why not?

C-1_Biker wrote:

PS: Selling the car and not paying off the car loan with the proceeds (even if it is your parents) is not a great idea.

Why not?

I think that is saying you should finish repaying your parents with any money you do have (especially in the sale of said car). That will give them no more say in regards to that particular debt. Get that monkey off your back.


Sorry to hear your dad stood in the way of your purchase. I know how quashed you must feel. But vent it out and let it be for a little more time. Lightly test the waters and go from there as far as your other questions go.