76.5% of New Riders Choose Used. Here's What That Tells Us About Buying Your First Bike.

Jul 21, 2026

Before you compare makes, models, or engine sizes, there's one decision every first-time buyer has to make: Should your first motorcycle be new or used? We analyzed responses from 2,284 beginners who completed the Riders Share motorcycle matching quiz, and one buying pattern showed up almost immediately: 76.5% of new riders said they plan to buy used.

A rider’s budget explains most of that decision. Riders shopping under $5,000 chose used 91.5% of the time, while buyers with budgets above $25,000 were more likely to buy new. For most beginners, buying used is an easy decision once you look at the tradeoffs.

Why Do Most New Riders Buy Used First Bikes?

Most new riders buy used first bikes because they're shopping with less than $8,000, and at that price a used motorcycle usually gets them more for their money. Our quiz asks riders how much they plan to spend before asking whether they'd buy new or used, so we can compare those answers independently.

Buying Preferences by Budget

Here's how buying preferences changed across all 4,678 quiz responses:

• Under $5,000: 92.5% chose used
• $5,000 to $8,000: 77.8% chose used
• $8,000 to $12,000: 57.2% chose used
• $12,000 to $18,000: 46.0% chose used
• $18,000 to $25,000: 32.4% chose used
• $25,000 and up: 24.5% chose used

The percentages fall as budgets increase, with the biggest difference showing up around $8,000. Riders below that budget planned to buy used 84.7% of the time, but once budgets moved above it, that dropped to 50.5%.

Three Quarters of Beginners Shop With Less Than $8,000

Most beginners are shopping on the same side of that $8,000 line. 75.3% planned to spend less than $8,000, including 36.8% under $5,000 and another 38.5% between $5,000 and $8,000. Most new mid-range motorcycles in 2026 cost between $8,000 and $15,000, so at those budgets the choice usually isn't between the same motorcycle new or used. It's between buying a brand-new entry-level bike or a used motorcycle that originally sold for thousands more.

Why the Math Favors Used

Depreciation is doing most of the work here. According to Cycle Trader, a new motorcycle loses 20% to 30% of its value during the first year, and a first bike is the one most likely to take that hit early:

• Nearly every new rider drops a first bike at least once
• Most riders outgrow a beginner motorcycle within a season or two
• Beginner bikes hold their value well, so reselling is easier than losing that first-year value
• Some of the most recommended beginner bikes, like the Honda Rebel 250 and Suzuki DR200SE, haven't been built in years, so used is the only way to get one

The biggest drop in value has already happened, so instead of paying for that first year of depreciation, you're putting the same budget toward a motorcycle that would have cost much more when it was new.

Want to see which motorcycles fit your budget? Browse our breakdown of 2026 motorcycle costs to compare popular new and used models at every price point.

Buying Used Changes Which Motorcycles Beginners Can Afford

The budget doesn't just change whether beginners buy new or used. It also changes which motorcycles make the shortlist. Once riders tell our quiz they're open to buying used, the recommendations move away from smaller entry-level motorcycles and toward bikes that would cost way more if they were buying new. Here's where the 1,748 beginners who planned to buy used were matched:

• Kawasaki Z400: 22.4%
• Honda CB500F: 13.5%
• Honda Rebel 250: 9.2%
• Honda Rebel 300: 8.2%
• Honda CBR250R: 7.4%
• Suzuki DR200SE: 6.6%

The Honda CB300F is the most common recommendation for first-time riders buying new, with 17.9% of beginner matches, but it drops to just 1.8% for riders shopping used. In its place are motorcycles like the Kawasaki Z400 and Honda CB500F, which fall into the same budget once they're a few years old.

Same Budget, Different Motorcycle

For a beginner shopping under $8,000, the two lists look like this:

• Buying new: Honda CB300F, a 286cc single
• Buying used: Kawasaki Z400, a 399cc twin

Both land around the same price. One is the smallest bike in the lineup and the other originally sold for thousands more, which is why 85% of beginners in that budget range go used once they see both options side by side.

Wondering why the CB300F keeps showing up? We analyzed 2,276 beginner quiz responses to rank the most recommended beginner motorcycles of 2026. See why the CB300F finished first.

What This Means If You're Buying Your First Motorcycle in 2026

If you're shopping for a first bike this year, our results point to a few things you'll want to know before you start looking at listings.

Your Budget Decides the Real Question

Under $8,000, the question isn't really new or used. Beginners in that range bought used 85.0% of the time because a new motorcycle at that price means the smallest bike in the lineup, so the decision becomes which used bike rather than whether to buy one. Above $8,000 it's a closer call at 50.8%, though only about a quarter of beginners are shopping there.

Used Prices Are Climbing Too

Tariffs on imported motorcycles jumped from 2.5% to 25% in 2025, and Powersports Business reported that pushed some used model prices up by as much as 10% to 20% as buyers moved away from new bikes. Wholesale prices have actually softened over the same stretch, which we get into in our breakdown of whether motorcycle sales are declining, but what beginners see on private listings is still higher than it was. A few things help:

• Search a wider radius than you think you need
• Stay flexible on model year, since a 2018 and a 2021 ride nearly the same
• Move quickly on well-maintained listings, because they don't sit long

What Buying Used Costs You

Buying from a private seller means no test ride, no return window, and nobody to call when something goes wrong a month later. First-time buyers feel that most, since they've never owned a motorcycle and have no reference for what a healthy one sounds like at idle. Bringing someone who knows bikes covers part of it, and riding the model beforehand covers the rest.

What’s the Best Used Motorcycle for Beginners?

The Kawasaki Z400 is the best used motorcycle for beginners according to our quiz results, matched to 22.4% of new riders shopping used, with the Honda CB500F second at 13.5% and the Honda Rebel 250 third at 9.2%.

What the Top Used Beginner Bikes Have in Common

• Engine size between 250cc and 500cc
• Light enough to hold at a stop and pick up after a tip-over
• Built for years, so used examples are easy to find
• Cheap and simple to repair

Top Used Pick by Motorcycle Type

• Standard: Kawasaki Z400, 55.8% of used standard matches
• Cruiser: Honda Rebel 250, 40.3%
• Sport: Honda CBR250R, 38.2%
• Adventure: Suzuki DR200SE, 52.7%

What Are the Best Used Cruisers for Beginners?

The Honda Rebel 250 and Rebel 300 are the best used cruisers for beginners, taking 40.3% and 36.0% of used cruiser matches, followed by the Yamaha V-Star 650 at 5.3% and the Honda Shadow 600 VLX at 4.0%.

Weight is what puts the Rebels ahead. Both sit around 320 pounds where a full-size cruiser can reach 500, and that difference decides how easily a new rider can back the bike out of a parking spot or hold it up at a light.

How Much Should I Spend on a First Motorcycle?

Most new riders should spend between $2,500 and $6,000 on a first motorcycle, which is what the used bikes topping our rankings sell for depending on year and mileage. Staying at the lower end leaves money for the costs new riders forget to plan for:

• A helmet, jacket, and gloves: $400 to $800
• A year of insurance: $200 to $600 for most beginner bikes
• Registration and title fees
• Tires, chain, and fluids in the first month

Ride It Before You Buy It!

No amount of reading tells you whether 399cc feels like enough bike until you ride one, and renting answers that for a fraction of what you'd lose reselling the wrong motorcycle eight months later. Our guide on how to test ride a motorcycle before you buy covers what to check while you're on it.

Browse Beginner Motorcycle Rentals on Riders Share

Our quiz can narrow the search, but nothing answers the question faster than riding the motorcycle yourself. Riders Share has rentals in 2,000+ cities across 10+ motorcycle types, including beginner-friendly standards, cruisers, and sport bikes from brands like Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Harley-Davidson, BMW, and more. Book a day or a weekend, compare a few motorcycles back to back, and buy your first bike knowing it's the right fit.

Most Riders Start Used for a Reason

The biggest takeaway from our data is that buying used gives most first-time riders more choices without asking them to spend more money. With three quarters of beginners shopping under $8,000, opening the search to used motorcycles changes what's realistically within reach and helps explain why 76.5% planned to buy used. If your budget looks like theirs, it's a smart place to start. If your budget gives you room to buy new without giving up the motorcycle you really want, that's a good option too. The best first bike isn't the newest one or the cheapest one. It's the one that fits both the way you want to ride and what you can comfortably afford.

See Which Used Bikes You Match To

Our motorcycle matching quiz recommends both a new and used motorcycle based on your experience, budget, riding style, and goals. Take the quiz to compare your matches side by side and see which motorcycles make the most sense before you start shopping.