Grad School and You with a motorcycle. advice requested

[powerhammer]

I'm only asking this question because I don't think I can live three years without a motorcycle to ride and I'm absolutely lovin the Husky. 

Condensed version:

Bought a new Husky SMR last fall having not gotten into an exclusive MFA program the previous year even though I reapplied.  Dumb finance move, but got a hell of a trade in deal on my 2001 M600 and got promoted at work with a nice raise.  Found out I got in this year and still owe less than half what I financed the husky for.  Also to note, no wife or dependents.  Tuition will be paid for through a guaranteed assistanceship only need money for fees/books/rent/steel/gas/food/etc.

Do I:

Sell the husky and  pay off loan then use money for grad school, the whole time being heartsick not having a bike in a beautiful area to ride. (to note the roads there are better for something that can handle distance then the Husky)

Keep it and go for broke this summer to pay it off starting school with little saved and utilize minor student loans to fund livin expenses.

  Sell it and buy a cheaper used bike I can rat out and have fun moddin in free time. (anyone have a used M900?)

The 510SMR is one of my bikes to own on my growing list of bikes so if i sell it now I'll lose a TON of money on it as well as have to buy another one down the road after school.  It is a little impractical though in the sense that it's a race bike and requires more maintenance and won't do long trips very comfortable (meaning my ass will hurt like hell and the engine won't like me much)   I do miss my monster too though and realized I have to buy another one of those eventually.

Any advice is appreciated.

[Vindingo]

Sell your car, buy an Aerostich and pay off your lone with the leftovers. 

[corey]

finance everything until you die. if you're going to be in debt, you may as well enjoy it! 

[PizzaMonster]

Sell it and buy a cheaper used bike I can rat out and have fun moddin in free time. (anyone have a used M900?)

You still get to have some fun and you don't go broke.  Three years is a long time to support a race bike on student loans.  Besides...you did say that another Monster was on your list of future bikes.

[Evil_Ductator]

I just read the TWO magazine review on that 510SMR.  Sounds wayyyy to awesome to give up if you currently own one    They call me "the enabler"  hehehe

[powerhammer]

You still get to have some fun and you don't go broke.  Three years is a long time to support a race bike on student loans.  Besides...you did say that another Monster was on your list of future bikes.

The beauty is that I have a Scott's reusable oil filter, 3 oil filter o rings, 2 drain plug crush washers, 3 oil screen o rings, plenty of waterproof grease, coolant, 10w-60 Motorex, etc. to last me at least a couple years in general maintenance....  i'd only get hosed if something serious got jacked.

I just read the TWO magazine review on that 510SMR.  Sounds wayyyy to awesome to give up if you currently own one    They call me "the enabler"  hehehe

Oh it's awesome alright, just rejetted last weekend and tuned the rear shock a little...  damn if the front wheel didn't jump up in 3rd while gettin on it..  no clutch, no fork compressin, just twistin the wrist. 

I got stuck in traffic on the highway the other day and basically rode the grass to the access road and jumped the curb into the Arby's parking lot to cut through the strip mall lot and get to work.  It's the bike that makes you do that, not the rider. 

[ltnuke]

Do you have a car?  If you do sell it.  Its definitely possible to be "motorcycle only".

[powerhammer]

Own my truck and it's paid for.  Can't really afford to sell it in my line of study though.

[jagstang]

I'd sell the husky, get yourself a 900, and go nuts.  But I don't have much love for supermotos, so there ya go.

[psychochild]

when you say "rat it" then say M900, something dosent connect,  why buy another Ducati to kick on for 3 years, Buy an old honda or jap twin and go Cafe style!  (or chop it, drive it stock, whatever)  your looking at a running bike for 400$ instead of 4K .  Just so you know, Ive owned 6 bikes since I started my undergrad degree including a TLR 200 I rebuilt in a 4th floor Dorm Room.  of thoes 6 bikes i paid under 500$ for 5 of them,  the 6th is my M900. I think either way a bike in college is a good thing, even if its just a little 250 purely for the purpose of saving money on gas. 

[cyrus buelton]

sell the husky and buy a cheaper bike

[powerhammer]

when you say "rat it" then say M900, something dosent connect,  why buy another Ducati to kick on for 3 years, Buy an old honda or jap twin and go Cafe style!  (or chop it, drive it stock, whatever)  your looking at a running bike for 400$ instead of 4K .  Just so you know, Ive owned 6 bikes since I started my undergrad degree including a TLR 200 I rebuilt in a 4th floor Dorm Room.  of thoes 6 bikes i paid under 500$ for 5 of them,  the 6th is my M900. I think either way a bike in college is a good thing, even if its just a little 250 purely for the purpose of saving money on gas. 

sound advice, i'm definitely not opposed to pickin up an older model anything that runs, having something i can mod would be key.  the husky was fun to add stuff too but I can't see myself messing with the ergos' or anything serious on it cause it works so well the way it is. 

sell the husky and buy a cheaper bike

leanin toward that route

thanks for the help everyone.  anyone want to buy a badass husky?

[Alex]

I agree with the cheap bike route. I am in the same boat, and I have to say, even with an assistantship that covers my tuition, fees, and rent, grad school has still been very expensive. Those $500 per quarter textbooks are always a nice surprise to see building up on your credit card... It's unrealistic to think you will have hardly any extra money laying around for bikes, but also unrealistic to think you will survive three years without having any fun. Luckily, cheaper bikes are nearly as fun as fancier bikes, so cheap is the way to go.

There are tons of reasonably nice m900's between $3000-$5000.

[akmnstr]

I say sell the bike and keep out of debt.  I know it is tough, but get a rat bike and ride the piss out of it.  There is
pain associated with graduate school so suck it up.   

[jclin]

Have your cake and eat it, too: get a student loan from the government. Interest free. It will help with expenses and keep you sane by having a decent living "wage". I won't encourage you to keep the husky and still get a loan because all the taxpayers on the board will get pissed (they're paying for your interest, essentially).... but you get the idea. Also, the interest rates that the government gives are competitive.