People love motorcycles. In fact, about 472,000 motorcycles were sold in the United States in 2017. People love to speed down the road, feeling the power of the motorcycle as they explore their surroundings. However, buying a motorcycle is not something you should do on an impulse. Instead, you need to consider the decision carefully. Here are four things to consider before buying a motorcycle.

What Training Do You Need?

Different places require different amounts of training before you can ride a motorcycle on public streets. To find this information, you’ll need to look online. Almost 48% of consumers start mobile research on a search engine, so that is a good place for you to look. Figure out what kind of license you need in order to legally drive your motorcycle. Can you do some training at home or do you need to go to a program? How much will it cost you? Find out all the legal requirements to own and ride a motorcycle in your community before you buy one. It can save you a lot of time and frustration as you make your decisions.

How Is Your Health Insurance?

Riding a motorcycle can be dangerous, even when done correctly. If you don’t have good health insurance, you might find yourself with medical bills you weren’t expecting. Check what your current health insurance provides. An estimated 71% of motorcycle owners are currently employed, while 24% are retired. This means the vast majority of motorcycle owners have access to health insurance through a current or previous employer. Look into what is available to you through your provider and how that will change if you purchase a motorcycle. If you know this ahead of time, you won’t need to worry about surprise changes to your rates or medical payments in the future.

How Does Your Family Feel About It?

Since motorcycles can be so dangerous, people have varying opinions on them. Before you decide to buy one, you should consult with your spouse, if you have one. If you live with your parents, you’ll also want to consult with them. If someone is dependent on you, or you are dependent on them, you should take their opinion into consideration. Don’t necessarily make your decision based solely on their opinion about motorcycles. But don’t be selfish about it either. Motorcycles are dangerous and when you have a family depending on you, an injury or death can severely impact them and your home. Sit down and have an honest discussion, then make your decisions.

What Expenses Can You Expect?

Not only do you need to pay for the original purchase of your motorcycle, but you also need to pay for its upkeep. These bills can get expensive, so you need to figure them out before you agree to purchase a motorcycle. Find out the cost of the motorcycle first. From there, calculate the expected repairs and maintenance, as well as fuel costs and any legal fees you’ll have to pay. Can you keep it at home? Or will you need to pay for storage? This will give you an idea of what you’ll pay each year while you have the motorcycle. If your family can afford it easily, you can be confident that expense won’t be an issue. But if the total cost is outside of your family budget, you’ll know now, rather than after you make the investment.

Buying a motorcycle can be an exciting plan, but it is important that you do it responsibly. Keep the questions above in mind as you consider your purchase. If you can answer all of them in a satisfactory way, then you’ll be in a better position to buy a motorcycle than you were before.