[MidnightRider]

Hello everyone!

MidnightRider present!

Well guys I will tell you my story, in details.
I am a 19 year old guy that lives in The Netherlands.
As some of you may know, The Netherlands have implemented new strict rules which we have to listen to.
There are three different licenses you can obtain.
A1, A2 and A licenses.
A1(18+) is for very light bikes, which isn't in my category.
A2(20+, having this license for 2 years grants you the abillity to obtain your A license on 22 years old.)
A(22 or 24+) the A license is for 24 years or older. Only for people who have had the A2 license for over 2 years, it is possible to obtain the A license. Which will grant you the abillity to ride ANY bike you desire.

Well having told you that..
Now I will explain you my situation.
I have litterally been crazy about sportsbikes for as long as I can remember.
I always jumped out of my seat, where ever I were, when I heard the sound of an sportsbike accelerating near me. I always went to see which bike it was.
From the age of 14 I really went in-depth. I could name almost any bike I would come across. My friends called it an obsession. I called it passion.

The thing is riding motorcycles has never been appreciated in my family. Both my brothers have their A licenses and are both driving a Yamaha R6.
But even they are refusing to give me permission to obtain my A2 -> A license papers.
Which brings me to my next point. Respect is highly valued in our family. We always respect each other and listen to each other.. Which in our eyes is natural ofcourse.
But if even my brothers which are riding themselves do not approve for me to follow my dream.. It hurts, it really hurts.
They think I am a speed devil since they mostly hear from others that they see me speeding in our cars.
They are afraid i'm going to end up hurting or even killing myself..

But now, as I am 19 years old and having to face the new motorcycle drivers license rules. It is a possibillity for me to go for the A2 and make it possible for me to buy an 35 KW motorcycle.
This fact made me search at different brands.
I noticed Yamaha made the YZF-R3 which looks absolutely fantastic by the way.

It honestly stole my heart the moment I read about it and seen some videos of it.
Well, this november I will be 20 years old and will be legally able to do what I have always dreamt of..

Then there is one other issue, which is the money.
As I have had a job for over a year, I have saved up some money. I never really planned to use it for a motorcycle since I expected it to take atleast three more years.
But then now, I can't afford myself an Yamaha R3, I'm telling you with all honesty.
But then again I am quite sure I can manage to get a total of 6500 euro by november/december this year.

I do have to think of other situations accellerating in my life.
Starting of september I will enroll in a University.. I won't go further in details on this matter, perhaps if someone asks me anything about it.
But what i basically try to say is that this also costs money etc.
I pay for this all by myself, with the help of college loans(loans for 0,1% interest and 35 years of time to finish your total loan, only possible for students ofcourse)

I'd like to hear opinions on the situation that I am currently in.
Maybe an honest opinion from the outside can change my minds on certain matters.

With kinds regards,

MidnightRider

 

[SunGawd]

Wow, to say the least that is a lot to digest. So, there’s really no right or wrong? First word is ‘Priority’, I believe the opportunity to ride a motorcycle will always be there. The motorcycle has its place in all our lives. Possibly, you are meant to go to the University become the professional you want and re-visit the motorcycle later. I am 46, thus I have waited **** near 30 years to become a motorcyclist, better yet, ride a SPORT-BIKE. Not because I wanted to wait, but because I had to wait until this motorcycle could fit in my life and my family’s life.

This may not be what you want to hear, but I suggest you WAIT; listen to your brothers and go to school. Trust me that PASSION would spoke of will still be there!!!

 

[alexstahp]

IMHO, since you have other financial obligations, maybe you should consider getting a YZF-R125? Much cheaper to buy, much cheaper to insure (don’t forget about insurance!), much less likely to get you into trouble, speed-wise, and they should be available used since they’ve been sold for a while (not a new model like the R3 is).

Ride it for 2 years and trade it in on a new R3 or other bike (your tastes may change over 2 years). At this point you’d have a couple years riding experience and could easily handle a bigger bike.

If you really are a speed demon, get your fix of speed at a race track, where you can also improve your skills. The trick is to keep the really fast, aggressive riding limited to time at the track and ride sensibly on the streets. If you really love motorcycling and want to fulfill your passion for it, remember, you have to remain alive to do that!

Maybe your brothers would accept this plan for you?

Watch a few of Jakob The Dane’s YouTube videos. He rides a Hyosung RX 125 SM and has great time.

Here’s his channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJJgzhibOYw1ZeaMvJakz0A/videos

Also check out 87slabside's channel, riding the Dutch Country Roads

https://www.youtube.com/user/87Slabside/videos

Best wishes for you in deciding what to do. I’m sure other Forum members will chime in with their two cents worth.

You are wrong about the YZF R-125 on some parts aha I'm 19 too and it cost me more to insure my R125 third party fire and theft then it cost to insure my R3 fully comp and in regards to bike cost yea its cheaper second hand (by maybe 1k-2k depending on age/ware) but brand new the price is barely different lol and for the 1-2k difference i'd rather save up abit long and get a brand new fast bike which will be worth more in those 2-3 year. but thats just my 2 cents

And in regards to the original post I would recommend going with the R3 if you can work out your funds because those 2 years between A2 and A will be a blast

 

[MidnightRider]

Personally speaking, I like the styling of the YZF-R125 better than the R3. Particularly the fairings, wheels and gas tank.

Seems like a good place to start.

I like your input FangShui on recommending an other motorcycle aswell.
But I must state that I am really in LOVE with the R3.
I have been a fan of Yamaha for a very long time, since both my youngest brother owns an R6 and my older brother an R1.
The Yamaha R3 can be a great way for me to learn how to drive and ultimately after two years sell it, eventually buy an R6 or consider an R1.

But if I go forward with this, I will really use all the money I have saved in my life currently, for the purchase of this motorcycle and obtaining the license.
Well a + thing is I still live home and am planning to stay at home for atleast 6 more years.
Also I do have a job which i will work for atleast 1 day a week.
(Tough combining it with college, physically tough job)

All I really need is actually a 'face-check'.
What did you guys do when you were my age? Did you even consider buying a 6k euro motorcycle or something like it?
My parents aren't rich or anything so I really have to do it all myself.

 

[alexstahp]

All I really need is actually a 'face-check'.
What did you guys do when you were my age? Did you even consider buying a 6k euro motorcycle or something like it?
My parents aren't rich or anything so I really have to do it all myself.

Well as i said before i'm also 19 and from the uk and paid pretty much £5100 (whatever that is converted) for my bike about £600-700 for my licence and some other stuff and nah i'm not rich or anything either but i'd say if you can do it then go for it you won't regret it i certainly haven't

 

[BlueR3]

So i am a college student as well, i am finishing this year with my associates of science and just about 2 weeks ago i purchased a brand new blue yamaha yzf-r3. Im 22 years old and besides the license requirements that you have i was in the same boat as you. My dad calls motorcycles "Suicycles" and absolutely hates them. Not that he has anything against dirt bikes or motorcycles in general but he hates the fact that so many people die on them because of other traffic not seeing them, so i had somewhat of the same family problem as you as my dad is a huge influence in my life. I currently pay for my college out of pocket (granted i am going to a community college to get 2 years out of the way since i am seeking a PhD in a chemistry related field which will cost me a fortune in student loans) but i can still afford the bike. I dont know if you plan on buying yours outright with cash or financing or what but just calculate out all of your costs of living. ESPECIALLY as a college student. After i calculated all of mine i factored in the gas i would be saving on the R3 (i average 62 MPG) compared to my 2002 chevy silverado (16 MPG) and the total cost of finance (around $150 a month) and insurance ($77 a month) for a total of $227 a month that would actually be saving me money in the long run for gas prices all while i have a blast riding my R3. To be honest i bought this motorcycle behind my dads back. Didn't say a word about it but my brother told him and he obviously found out. He wasnt pissed like i thought he just called me an idiot a few times, i explained to him that i wear a full jacket with padding, a full faced helmet with the chin strap ALWAYS on, and gloves and boots. I also explained that i bought an R3 which isn't necessarily a beginner bike but its close to it, so it wouldn't have the power of the R6 to get me killed (although believe me the R3 can do so if you underestimate it). I wanted an R6 at first but i wanted to be a better and safer rider first; The R3 was my ticket to that in my opinion. As far as the R3 goes, it is an amazing bike. I learned on dirtbikes all my life and when i started on street i rode a DRZ400SM and it was great. THen i finally decided to get a street bike. To sum up this hugely long story. I haven't looked back since i got my bike. I don't regret it a bit. Evaluate your finances make sure the bike can fit in your budget, persuade your brothers, and above all ride safe if you get the bike man. Its a **** blast.

 

[mobadger72]

I have been riding since 92'
I owned 600's, 750's and a 1200...
In 06' I got ran over at a light riding a BRAND NEW Buell XB12RR...
I have NOT been on a bike since a month ago when I picked up an 11' CBR250R cheap...
I wanted to make sure my body and especially my mind were OK riding again...
At the end of the year or early next I will be buying the YZF R3 !!!

I am 6'3" 250lbs and it fits me great...

In almost every measurement and against a LOT of different bikes it is overall bigger or the same size as MOST !!!
Even the R-1 !!! It actually DWARFS the R-6 !!!
The only place it is smaller is in the tank and seat height...

 

[quiksilver723]

You should follow your dreams [cue Disney song]. But there is no rush either. Get your life settled a little bit, go to university, get your career going if you can't afford both a motorcycle and university. Motorcycles aren't going away, and yeah the whole waiting period is unfortunate, but being patient and smart about things is never a bad thing. I'm 34 and just got my bike last week and I finally felt like I was in a position where I could afford a bike. I wasn't looking for anything extreme or expensive which is why the R3 felt right for me at this point in my life. So take it slow is my advice.

 

[RedYam]

I say go for it. I just turned 20, in college and working full time. My R3 is the first motorcycle I have ever sat on. I didn't know how to even shift into neutral to back it off the trailer when I brought it home. 2 months later, 2000 miles on my odometer, MSF completed, and I can honestly say getting a bike was one of the best decisions so far in my short life. You are 19, this is the time to be selfish, enjoy the things YOU want to do before life becomes all dull and whatnot. Go for it, ride safe, and enjoy being young while we are!

 

[007hamster]

Then there is one other issue, which is the money.
As I have had a job for over a year, I have saved up some money. I never really planned to use it for a motorcycle since I expected it to take atleast three more years.
But then now, I can't afford myself an Yamaha R3, I'm telling you with all honesty.
But then again I am quite sure I can manage to get a total of 6500 euro by november/december this year.

Do yourself a favor, don't spend 6500 euro on a bike at your age! When I was 19 I bought a used 2004 Suzuki SV650S for $2900 which I unfortunately had to sell to pay bills about 2 years later, the good news is after 2 year and a few thousand miles, I sold the bike for $100 MORE than I bought it for! Talk about awesome! Anyway, find a good deal on a used 250, be it a sport bike or dual sport, if your licensing restrictions allow it, look at a Ninja 500R or GS500f as well. You'll be glad you have a bike to ride in your youth, and your wallet won't hate you. Take the motorcycle safety course, buy good (not the same as expensive) gear and wear it all the time! I'm 23 now and am lucky to have the means to purchase a brand new bike without much consequence. Plus if you buy used, and you lay it down, you won't be as p'd off that you downed a 6500 euro bike!