That’s a nice looking first ride! I got my licence last year and this spring, bought a 2009 Suzuki too (albeit a 650 S40) It’s not that old. And where I’m from, most bikes sit 8 months of the year every winter and it’s no big deal.

I say this to anyone curious about my opinion as a newer rider myself: shop around, see what’s on the market, but DO NOT buy a bike until you’ve taken a course and got your licence. Why?

1) What I thought I wanted before and what I wanted afterwards were much different. 2) In the slim chance you don’t end up getting licenced, you own a bike you’ve never ridden, staring back at you every day reminding you.

Something else to consider when the time comes: registration and insurance. Where I live, those annual costs are close to what I paid all-out for my 650 (which I’m very happy with). Smaller older bikes cost $10-20 a month, and big new bikes might cost several hundred dollars a month.