But really haveing a edumakation is moor emportaint thn a bike at 18,your young enough to go to school and still have yrs of riding after you get a degree.....Sell the bike thru adds and your loss will be little or none at all.

 

You have your whole life ahead of you. You should NOT be sayng when I am 60. You're way too young to say or think that. Sale the bike it's only material and go back to school. What is it you really want to be in later on? Is there something that you have talent in, love to do, great at or always wanted to be? If so, go for it. Ask anyone of us in here if we had your age with our knowledge what we would change or do different. Trust me you would have a whole forum with tons of answers. So, get rid of the bike and go back to school. So what it takes you an extra 5yrs to become what you want and get a good job. Then you can buy the bike you always wanted. Enjoy life while you're still young dear. You can always buy material but you cant buy time. Sorry if I sound harsh. I work in education and I can tell you as a fact that Ive seen it all. I tell every single of my students not to drop out and finish what they started. Its for you later on and no one else. If I can save 5 students well its 5 off to collage. You know what to do. You said it in your post. Go for it!

 

Bikes are expensive, no doubt.&nbsp\\; I had a thread about it recently where several people discovered that it costs more per mile to ride thier bike than drive thier [compact] pickup truck.&nbsp\\; So forget justifying it as saving money.

Debt sucks.&nbsp\\; Really really sucks.&nbsp\\; Its best to avoid it as much as you reasonably can.

You clearly have the plans and opertunity to put your money to better use.&nbsp\\; It could pay back dividends beyond your wildest dreams, in 60 years you might have an extra $800,000 to your name because you sold that harley way back when.&nbsp\\;

Now is not the time in your life to invest in toys, it is time to invest in yourself.&nbsp\\; Now, you can't forget to live, either!&nbsp\\; But look at the priorities and budget a *relative* amount for 'fun stuff' compared to things like school.&nbsp\\; Perhaps that part of your budget is enough to afford a cheaper bike, or to save toward buying one next year.&nbsp\\;

Cut your losses, consider how to apply the lessons learned, and move on.&nbsp\\; You'll probably be glad you did within a few years.&nbsp\\;

PS, please go back ten years and tell me all this.

 

" I'm starting to see the real cost of owning a motorcycle".
This isn't the real cost, just the inflated cost because you didn't do it right. Stop and think about your options because 1 more month won't make a big difference. Think it out and you'll be OK. Next time start at the beginning.

 

Dude, I drooled over a Harley from the time I was about 10. I got out of High School in 93 and went to work for a while. Then I went to College. Did a few years of college, got good grades, but didn't know what I wanted to do. I got into an apprenticeship, and now I make good money as a sheet metal worker. Along the way, I joined the Army Reserve, got married, got divorced, worked extra hard to pay off divorce, then I went to war for about a year or so. Ya got a lot of time to think when you are 6000 mi away from home and your worried about weather this is your last day on earth. I made a plan. Gonna come home, go back to work, buy a house, pay off truck, then buy a Harley before I even ever think about getting married again. Well I came home Easter weekend of 04'. The first night I was home, I met who is now my wife. I found a piece of land and built a house, payed off my truck, bought an engagement ring, she bought me a harley, then I got married. Do i wish I would have had that bike at 18?? Well yea, but I'm 33 now and I have no regrets in life. I tried school, I lived and loved, served my country, drank and danced all along the way. Anyway, your young, no matter what you do in life, you are going to have to have some kind of education to get very far with it. If you gotta sell the bike, then sell it. But don't keep it and not go to school, then some day be that old geezer some day wishing he would have taken the opportunity to get an education but didn't.

 

The more effort you put out now towards you future, the more you will have in the future.
Work hard now (school), play harder later.

 

School or an apprentice program is more important than a toy.You can always by a bike later.

 

Keep the bike, get a second job and pay it off. I worked on atleast 48 hrs every week while still going to school. I also have a wife, two kids, and a mortgage, oh..and I kept the Harley through it all. If it was easy...everyone would do it. Now stop whining like a kid, grit your teeth, and get the job done.
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9000 divided by 8.00/hr (Part time job)=93 hrs a month for one year, or 46 hrs a month for 2 years. You can't squeeze an hour and 1/2 part time work in a day? I think you see my point, you can do whatever you set your mind to. Reach into your stomach, pull your ovaries into your *******, and start acting like a man.

 

Much sage advice already given. Here's my nickels worth
1. School at all costs and don't let the counselors talk you into a major. Get yourself a "hard" degree, math, science, mechanics. I didn't see where you hailed from, but here in Indiana, Ivy Tech and Vincennes University have 2 year C.I.M./Robotics programs that companies REALLY need. You can get a 2 year CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) degree, get hired the day after graduation for $40k ish. $40k sounds like alot but it's just enough to get by on this day and age.
2. I'm no Dave Ramsey fan, but he is right..."Loosing money makes you a human." Don't beat yourself up over selling the bike and loosing 2 or 3k if you have to. I lost $2500 to a high school friend 2 years ago, we were going to start a catering business. I put my money in the account, it got cleaned out and i've not seen her again. Was I pi$$ed, yes...am I pi$$ed now, nope. I was stupid once....but mind you never again.
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Closing thought - I have a 2 year degree in CIM/Robotics and got hired right out of the degree program @ 38k in 1999, as did EVERY ONE of my fellow graduates. About 60 guys in all (differing levels of salary.) One of the robotics teachers told us the story of his daughter who spent 2 years getting and assoicates degree in Culinary Arts. After 2 years of college, she was qualified as a prep cook of some sort peeling potatos for the chefs at the starting wage of $6.75/hr. She spent 10k on a degree to make McDonalds wages.&nbsp\\;She'd have been better off to&nbsp\\;work at&nbsp\\;McDonalds and have the 10k in her pocket. &nbsp\\;So what i'm saying is, spend your college dollar wisely, get yourself a degree that will pay you something when you get out. My suggestions&nbsp\\;\\\\\\;\\\\\\\\\\\\\\; CIM/Robotics....Networking....Computer Programming....Any Engineering if you can do the math.....accounting...chemestry...
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Best of luck dude....don't beat yourself up over loosing a couple of thou. Don't get discouraged, you have to be your own best friend and cheerleader in this world!!

 

I'm 47 and don't have a degree. I've been in the same business for 30 years. My advice - GO TO SCHOOL. If you won't be able to keep up the payments and go to school, get rid of it and chalk it up to experience. After you finish school - get a bike... preferably BEFORE you get married ....

I'm at a place in my life where I can't leave my job and make as much as I make (which is crap) without a degree. WIth a degree you'll make far more money over your lifetime and have many more options if your job goes south. That's my nickels worth of free advice.