<< On a purely practical level, you should spend your money on the most reliable car you can afford. Motorcycles are a lot of fun, but when it's raining or winter it's far more important to have a good car that will not let you down. A reliable car should be findable between $3,000 and $4,000, with a decent motorcycle running between $750 and $1,000 for used examples of mid-1980's Japanese "standards". IMO it is not a wise decision to buy a cheap anything, let alone two cheap things. A cheap car will spend a lot of time in the shop. A cheap bike will do the same. A cheap car combined with a cheap bike will do nothing but bleed you dry from repair bills. Unless you can aford a decent car and a decent bike, get only a decent car. It's not as much fun, but it's sure nice knowing that the car will be able to get you home in the middle of a January snowstorm when you're a half-hour away from home.
As for Jerboy's remark, it's quite far from the truth even if I let the "literally" part slide. Granted, it would be very foolish to start out with a Harley or a Valkrie as a first bike, but simply learning how to drive a bike before you learn how to ride in a car (I purposely inverted "drive" and "ride", a motorcycle is much more of a driving experience and far more demanding of attention than riding in the driver's seat of a car) is not necessarily a risk. I would recommend that if you do get a bike to get a 450-500cc Standard/Light Cruiser. Sport bikes are fun and all, but a smaller Standard will be much better to learn on. It won't be fast enough to get you into serious trouble, and it won't be heavy and hard to drive around town like a Harley is for a newbie. In the US, we can get temps for a motorcycle and take the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) course with the temps. I would strongly recommend that you take the MSF course if you get a cycle. Also, always wear over-the-ankle boots, heavy jeans (at least), a motorcycle-quality leather jacket, unlined leather gloves, and a helmet (at least 3/4, full face is best). A motorcycle will require an investment of $300-$400 in riding gear, so keep that in mind too.
ZV
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Very good advice there. Especially in Canada, you'll want your first vehicle to be a nice reliable car with a good heater (FWD or 4WD is a plus, but not necessary) It's really a good idea to hold off on the motorcycle. If you haven't been riding for a while, you don't want to be in a position of learning how to ride a motorcycle -and- learning street laws at the same time. So buying a car now & saving the streetbike for a couple of years is the safest bet. A dirt bike is probably best for learning the mechanics of riding a motorcycle, you're going to lay it down anyway (trust me) and the dirt is a lot more forgiving to you and the bike. Save plastic fairings and flashy chrome for your second bike (even then, you're probably going to lay this one down, too. So keep the 80's 500cc bikes in mind when you do buy your first street bike.) And don't even think about riding without quality safety gear. It's a lesson that you don't want to learn for yourself. Every time I see some squid on a crotch-rocket wearing nothing more than shorts, sandals, & a tanktop it gives me chills. Ask around and I'm sure you'll be able to find one of your motorcycle-riding buddies that can show you what a good road rash looks like.
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