My commute to work has forced me to make a tough choice. I've put over 20k miles on my car in less than a year, so getting a motorcycle is an option I am exploring to avoid using my car for commuting. l have so many questions and I am really hoping someone can answer them for me.

My first question: What the heck do l look for? l do not want a ''cruiser'' for superficial reasons. l can not use a scooter, because my commute includes a highway where I will need enough speed to keep up with 65mph limit. In addition, a scooters gas tank is not big enough and the inconvinence of having to fill up every day (yes my commute is that long) would not be worth it. l really like the look of sport bikes, so l need some advice on a good beginner sport bike that is not going to cost an arm and a leg. What kind of prices should l expect? I will wanna buy used.

2. How much does insurance usually run?

3. Financing? Is there even a such thing in this economy?! Typically, what kind of payments does a person end up with for a $5k-$10k bike? I am a 20 something female who does not have a lot of disposable income these days. It is frustrating.

4. Any advice about dealing with horrible drivers? I am not scared of riding bikes, but I am scared of horrible drivers and traffic. I am more worried about other people than controlling the bike. So any advice, words of wisdom would most assuredly help.

Thank you and if you have any other information available to share I'd really appreciate it.
l live in Florida, so our non-existant winters wo not give me much to worry about in regards to snowy conditions and too cold temps. :)

Thehave been incredibly helpful and l really appreciate it. I've looked at every bike that is been suggested so far and l really like what l see both in looks and price.

My driving record is clean. 1 ticket, not even for speeding, so l do not expect a large insurance payment, l just needed a guesstimation to refigure a loose budget.

The necessary accessories like gloves, jacket and rain gear are not negotiable for me and instead required. Nothing worse than being uncomfortable for a long period of time, so l wo not cheat on that.

Now, I am getting excited about having a motorcycle! l hope to have a lot of fun with it despite the hour long commute.

Yamaha YZF R125

go for a kawazki 660 a new 1 is only £8000 so if you want a second hand one yor looking at around £5000

For a beginning biker who needs to go on the highway ''comfortably'' l would suggest the sv650 (standard) or sv650s (sport). You can probably get one used for about $5000. It is not crazy like the other sport crotch rockets, but it will get the job done easily & is easier to control for a beginner.

Insurance really depends on u yourself. They take into consideration age, gender, experience, type of bike, & much more. There could be averages for people who r maybe around the same experience level or age, but asking for an average insurance cost will not get u many good/specific .

If you're buying used from a private seller l do not think that will be much of an option. For dealerships l am not quite sure because l have never done that.

You kind of have to ride with the mind set that people can not see you. They r either on the phone or occupied with something else & might not see u in their mirrors. As a rider u have to make sure that u r being safe to the best of ur own abilities. Be very cautious & it might be safe to sometimes think of things u could do to avoid trouble if it ever occurs.

l think it is a great idea to get a motorcycle for commute because of its great gas mileage. l am sure u will have a lot of fun during ur rides. Hope l helped in answering some of ur questions.

For a longer ride, u will want to get a sport-touring bike.

a nice used VFR interceptor would be a good choice, as well as some other 650's.etc.

get in a MSF course, wear all ur gear.

1. there r scooters that will do freeway speeds (honda silverwing for one)http://dressler-home.de/dr/dr_silverwing.jpg & they have comparable tanks to sport bikes (you're not getting much more than 200 miles to a tank on any bike)

2. insurance can run as little as a few hundred a year for liability to as much as several thousand a year for high-risk full coverage

3. yes, but most financing is done through a credit card, as opposed to an auto loan (personal loans can be had if ur credit is good)

4. watch out, ride like u r invisible, & wear all ur gear, all the time.

The brand & type choice is yours.

You need one that will be comfortable to ride, not one where u r all hunched over like a lot of sport bikes r set up.

How strong r ur legs? IF u ever have it fall over, or u have to ''lay it down'' to avoid an accident, can u pick it back up without help. OR, u might look into a 3 wheeler or ''trike since they do NOT fall over.

There ARE scooters with enough power & speed to ride on the highway. Also, most scooter tanks r about the same size as the tanks on ''medium'' sized motorcycles.
ALSO, just because the speed limit is 65 is NO reason u have to drive that fast. ( l normally run about 50, IN THE RIGHT LANE. Doing this ALSO gives u an ''escape'' lane to the shoulder of the road in most cases should it be necessary!)

How r u on a bicycle balance wise? Riding a motorcycle requires fairly good balance.

l suggest visiting several dealers & discussing what u want with them. Since u admit NOT knowing much about them, u should buy from a dealer. They would also have a wider selection, & possibly also a warranty on a used bike. It is also easier to obtain financing & insurance through a dealer, although probably not quite as cheaply as on ur own. (Pay CASH if at all possible, as u should be able to get a better price, especially in todays market.)

If possible, take a riding course, BEFORE buying. (It will help u decide WHAT size u can safely handle!)

Be sure ur drivers license permits motorcycles. In many states it requires a separate test & endorsement.

Practice on QUIET roads until u r confident & have acquired good riding skills, BEFORE u tackle the highway.

Be aware that a motorcycle does NOT provide the protection of a car & is harder for other drivers to see.
You need to be MUCH more aware of what is going on around u on a motorcycle than in a car. (In MOST cases, it will be up to YOU to avoid an accident, due to lack of caution, or stupidity, on the auto drivers part.)

IF u live in an area with snow & ice on the roads, USE ur car during the winter! A motorcycle can be VERY hard to handle on icy roads or in snow, even for an EXPERIENCED rider. ( l know this from experience!!)

IF u need a helmet, buy a GOOD one! l personally do not like them for various reasons, but again, unless required by law, they r a personal choice. ALWAYS wear eye ptrotection of some kind. (A bug in ur eye at 50+ is NOT a good thing!)

l always adjusted the front brake so that it could NOT lock up the front wheel. If THAT wheel stops turning, u r almost certain to have a problem!! (This can be a problem with the newer hydraulic brakes.)

Leave extra following distance as a motorcycle will NOT stop safely as quickly as a car.

Dress appropriately for riding & if necessary change when u get to work. (NO high heels, sneakers, dresses, etc.)

You must go shopping then with my wife, she has exactly the same unfortunate disposition. Comes home with all sorts of ****!

Since a few people have already given u advice on types of bikes ( l second the motion for a Suzuki SV650 although there r many good options), l would just like to throw this out there. You really need to consider how many days out of the year u will ride it. Consider cold weather & rainy weather, & if u will only ride it about half of the time a car that gets 30 MPG is a better commuter choice than a bike that gets 60 MPG considering the added safety & convenience. Remember that introducing a 65 MPH wind chill makes riding in cold weather a whole different kind of cold than u expect. l do not want to turn anyone away from becoming a new rider but I've been doing this long enough to realize that many people that think they want a bike put it up for sale within 6 months to a year.

1 . look for a sports bike or a street bike or a hybrid
for ex:
honda f4i, cbr600rr
ninja 250R, zx6r, 650R, zzr600
yamaha z6, r6, r6s
suzuki sv650s, gsxr600 etc.

2. it depends on state u live in
annual crash rate
level of deductible & coverage u want
how clean is ur record
(my liability on my RC51 is 100 a year)

3. how is ur credit score/history?
u will be paying anywhere from $40~150 a month depends on
the type of loan & amount of down pay u put toward it
(I'd suggest u buying a used bike locally)

4. be safe, cautious there is no way to dodge horrible drivers even if you're in a car.but ur bike is faster u can speed up n' avoid accidents RIDE SAFE, take a MSF/beginner is class, wear all ur gears!!! gloves, helmet, jacket, boots, pants etc

Here is the simple truth..Most all motorcycle, which r safe to ride down a freeway, will cost over 10k. If u were to buy a Kawasaki Ninja 250cc R. Sport. That is the best bike for women to buy hands down, because...It is fast enough to ride anywhere & it get is 66.5 Miles per gallon of gas.

Pay cash, & insure for only the minum amount. less than $300.00 per yr.

If u buy a larger bike, there is no point, because they just do not get that great of fuel milage to make the cost of the bike & ins. worth buying.

ALso u will need a dry suit & helmet, boots, gloves, plus a rain suit & cold weather gear if it is cold where u live.

Go to web site below as the best way to learn is by watching videos on the subject and not reading text. Insurance is cheap if you own the bike and are not financing it.

Do not get less than a 600cc bike for freeways. Heavier bikes as Suzuki Katana are better for freeways.

You get what you want but you have not looked at scooters. A kymco xciting 500 will put some sport bikes to shame and holds more gas. And it will run well over the speed limit all day long. Sport bikes are nice but on the down side they are not very comfortable for real long rides. Have limited carrying capability's. Like the ninja 250 you would like that about a day. Even a sport touring bike would be a better deal like the Kawasaki Concours is a great bike.

Look a little harder at the scooters on the market. l agree with the poster about the Kymco. An Xciting 500 can be had with or without ABS & is a freeway bike. Other Kymcos to look at include the Xciting 250 or a People 250S or a Grand Vista 250. These can be bought locally at a Kymco dealer & there is a used market for them. The Xcitings r very freeway stable & can get to the 90-100 MPH range easily & get about 50-60 MPG. Scooters can include a large amount of underseat storage that an Ninja could never have. l know on my older P250 l can easily put my jacket, gloves, reflective vest into the underseat along with my tool kit, & other accessories l always have with me. During the ride, l can put my entire LARGE gym bag & lunch underseat when the gear is on my body. This is supplemented by a helmet box on the back. l can easily bring home 3 bags of groceies (including a 12-pack of bottles) when l want to.

Kymco is a solid scooter brand & is considered by many to be in the same quality & reliability level as better known brands (Vespa, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki.)

Kymco is just one option & may not be the best for you. The the MSF rider class. most classes r taught on Ninja 250s & some have scooters. This could give u a feel for what u like.

l also suggest u determine how tall of a saddle u will be confortable with. Many bikes & scooters can require a long leg to reach from the saddle to the ground. For women this can a be a major issue.