I am looking to buy my first bike in 20 years. I have been considering a new Suzuki Boulevard C50T or a 1999 BMW K1200LT with under 20k miles. Purchase cost is close enough to not be a factor. Maintenace ? I know I'm not comparing apples to apples, this is where I'm looking for some input.  

Unless the 9 year old bike is already in need of maintenance that hasn't been done, then it really comes down to "Who is going to work on the bike?" If you aren't going to do the work, then which bike would your preferred mechanic rather work on?

If you're going to do the work, which bike would you rather work on?

20,000 miles isn't enough to matter in the choice as long as the regular maintenance has been done right.

regards,
Joe  

Maintenance I will leave to a experienced mechanic, but I have read that maintenance cost could be quite high and that is what scare's me. The question is will the BMW have such a better ride for my wife and I that cost is just not a factor.  

>I have read that maintenance cost could be quite high and that is what scare's me.

It costs more to maintain a bike than a car. The difference more than makes up for the difference in gas consumption. Additionally, very few bike shops are set up to support a bike as a primary transportation vehicle. The shop may keep your bike for several days for a simple job and ordering parts can easily delay getting the bike back by several weeks. Typically, bike parts fail sooner, are harder to get, don't fit as well and are more complicated to install, than car parts.

We ride because we want to, not because of any economic advantage. You can buy a cheap new car that won't need any more than oil and filter changes for a 5 year warranty period, while getting 40 mpg. A similarly priced new bike that gets 50mpg may easily cost you $1,000 just for tires over the same time period and you'll pay extra for years 2 thru 5 of the warranty. The bike may cost up to $2,000 more to operate for 5 years and that's only counting routine maintenance costs, not repairs.

On the other hand, very few routine maintenance tasks are beyond the typically clumsy fingered owner. If you learn to do your own routine maintenance, the tires will turn out to be the only real difference in normal operating costs.

>The question is will the BMW have such a better ride for my wife and I that cost is just not a factor.

A difficult question and one that I avoided addressing earlier. One that no one else seems to want to try addressing either :-)

It very well may have. The C50 is a cruiser, while the BMW is a sport/tourer. Two completely different bike designs. The BMW compares to the FJR1300 or the ST1300, not the C50.

Cruisers have an extended front end with lots of trail. This gives excellent straight line stability at speed on good pavement, but makes for a top heavy and clumsy bike when maneuvering at lower speeds. The BMW front end has it's roots in sport bikes and will feel completely different at any speed.

Cruisers have forward foot positions for the rider, encouraging a backward leaning riding position. The BMW puts your feet farther back, encouraging a forward leaning riding position. However, both types provide for a pretty much upright position for the passenger.

Most people who like riding a sport/tourer for any length of time, find cruisers to be uncomfortable at best and difficult to maneuver. The bikes are simply too different in every way, to be compared.

regards,
Joe  

I have been considering new or used also. Since I won't pay cash I will have to consider finance costs.Some manufactors offer better rates than outside financing so that will be a factor.That may make a newer bike the better deal,maybe a bigger bike can be streatched out to 72 months. Do I really want that? Damm decisions!  

midlife,

Living in debt, is never the wise decision. If you can't afford to save in advance, to avoid all finance charges, how can you afford to make payments? Making payments always costs more.

regards,
Joe