Do I Really Need To Upgrade My Motorcycle ?

If you listened to my previous episode about my motorcycle being one of my money dials, you already know that motorcycles are one of those things I genuinely enjoy spending money on.

I don't spend money on everything.

There are plenty of things I couldn't care less about.

But cars, motorcycles, things with engines — that's my thing.

And lately I've been thinking about upgrading my motorcycle.

I currently ride a 2016 Yamaha FZ-07, and I've had a lot of fun with this bike. It's light, it's torquey, it's reliable, and for riding around the city and back roads, it's honestly a really good motorcycle.

But as I've become a more experienced rider and I've started noticing some of its limitations.

So I've been looking at other motorcycles.

The options I’ve been looking at are the Honda CB650R, Yamaha MT-09, Suzuki GSX-S750 and Kawasaki Z900.

I've gone back and forth probably more times than I want to admit.

But here's what's interesting.

This whole process has actually become less about motorcycles and more about how I make financial decisions.

Because there's a big difference between: Can I afford it or is this actually worth spending money on.

So today I want to take you through my thought process.

What’s Wrong With My FZ07

The funny thing is, nothing is really wrong with it. The fz07/mt07 is a great motorcycle.

The engine is probably my favourite thing about it.

That CP2 engine has a lot of torque down low, which makes the bike really fun on normal streets.

You don't have to be doing ridiculous speeds to enjoy it. You twist the throttle and immediately get that response.

It's also light.

It's easy to maneuver.

It's inexpensive to operate.

But there are things I'm starting to notice.

The biggest one is the suspension.

As I've become more experienced and a little more technical with my riding, I'm starting to notice the softer suspension more.

Same thing with the brakes.

They're perfectly usable, but when you start riding different motorcycles, you realize there's another level of refinement available.

And that's really what started this entire conversation.

I wasn't necessarily looking for something that's dramatically faster.

I was looking for something that gives me a better overall riding experience.

Riding My Friends Yamaha R6

Aside from the brakes and suspension starting the conversation of wanting to upgrade, another big factor is, riding my boys Yamaha r6 as a more experienced rider.

I rode an R6, and immediately I understood why people love that engine configuration.

The smoothness.

The sound.

The way the engine builds power.

It's just a completely different experience from the parallel twin in my FZ-07.

That got’s me looking at the Honda CB650R.

For me, this bike checks a lot of boxes.

You get that beautiful inline-four engine.

Better suspension.

Better brakes.

Honda reliability.

It looks amazing and it even runs on regular 87 fuel.

And something I found funny when I got an insurance quote.

It was actually about $480 a year cheaper to insure than my current FZ-07.

So now I'm thinking: "Wait a minute. I'm getting a newer motorcycle, an inline-four, better components AND cheaper insurance?"

This is starting to sound pretty good.

Someone Challenged My Thinking

I was at a motorcycle meet recently and ended up talking to someone who owns a CB650R.

When I told him I was thinking about upgrading from an FZ-07 to a CB650R, he basically told me: "Don't do it."

Not because the CB650R is a bad bike. He loves his bike.

His argument was that if I enjoy the playful nature and torque of the FZ-07, the CB650R might not feel like enough of an upgrade.

He suggested the Yamaha MT-09 instead and I understood what he was saying.

And the funny thing is, I actually test rode a MT09 too.

The MT-09 gives you a much bigger jump in performance.

More torque.

More horsepower.

Better components.

Electronics.

And it's still got that playful Yamaha personality that I already enjoy with the FZ-07.

But this is also where I had to remind myself of something.

His perfect upgrade isn't necessarily my perfect upgrade.

What I’m Actually Looking For

This might be the most important part of the decision because it's very easy to get caught up in specifications.

Horsepower.

Torque.

Zero-to-sixty.

Top speed.

Electronics.

But I had to ask myself: What experience am I actually trying to buy?

What I really want is something that feels more premium and more special than my current bike.

Better suspension.

Better brakes.

A great engine.

Something that's fun on normal roads.

And I really like the character of an inline-four.

Someone else might look at the numbers and say: "Just buy the MT-09. It's faster."

But I'm not buying a spec sheet, I'm buying an experience.

That's something I think applies to personal finance as well.

Sometimes the technically "best" financial decision isn't necessarily the best decision for you.

Case For The MT09

The MT-09 feels like the natural evolution of what I already enjoy about my FZ-07.

That strong low-end and midrange power.

Lightweight feeling.

Upright riding position.

Fun personality.

Except now everything gets turned up.

The suspension is better.

The brakes are better.

The engine is significantly more powerful.

And unlike an inline-four where you sometimes need to rev the engine higher to really get into the power, the MT-09 gives you a lot of usable torque right away.

If I’m looking for performance, there is no question about. The MT09 is a significant upgrade from the FZ07 that I have now.

But that's not necessarily the question I'm asking.

I'm asking: What motorcycle gives me the experience I want?

And that's why this decision isn't as obvious as it might look.

Do Nothing And Keep My FZ07

Sometimes when I’m looking at all the options, I think to myself maybe just keep the motorcycle that I have.

And financially?

That's obviously the winner.

Because the FZ-07 still does almost everything I need it to do.

I can commute on it.

Ride back roads.

Go to motorcycle meets.

Have fun around the city.

And because the power is so accessible, I can actually enjoy the engine without constantly doing insane speeds.

So maybe the answer isn't that I need a new motorcycle.

I Want To Earn The Motorcycle

I’ve been working on growing a business right now and that is a priority to me.

I want to create more recurring income.

I want to get clients.

I want to continue producing this podcast.

I want to build something that eventually gives me more freedom with my time.

And that's where I've started looking at the motorcycle differently.

Instead of saying: "I have the money. Why don't I just buy it?"

I'm thinking: "Why don't I make the motorcycle the reward?"

Get the business moving.

Get clients.

Increase my income.

Build the systems.

Then buy the motorcycle.

Get the business moving.

Because ultimately, I don't just want enough money to own the motorcycle.

I want enough freedom to enjoy it.

There's no point buying another bike if I'm constantly thinking about everything else I should be doing.

So What Am I Going To Buy??

The CB650R still makes a lot of sense to me.

I love the inline-four.

I love the sound.

I like the refinement.

I like the better suspension and brakes.

And I like that it doesn't necessarily feel like I'm buying something purely because I want more horsepower.

The MT-09 makes sense in a completely different way.

It's the bigger performance upgrade.

It keeps a lot of the characteristics I already love about my FZ-07 and takes them to another level.

And then there's my FZ-07.

The motorcycle that's already paid for.

The motorcycle I already enjoy.

The motorcycle that maybe doesn't need replacing at all.

So I'm not rushing the decision.

I guess this is the maturing and wisdom that comes with age.

Processing and trying to make sure I make the best logical decision and not do it just because I have the means to do so.