man this thread makes me miss my dirtbike! and wish I could afford a street bike!
You'd be surprised. My payment per month was $75, insurance about $30/mo, and I saved enough in gas over driving my car that it paid the payment and the insurance. My car got 24mpg, the bike got 52. So if you drive a truck that gets 15mpg, vs a bike that gets 50, and you drive it all the time except when it's raining or snowing, you save a LOT of money. If you drive about 1200 miles a month (15k per year) then you could easily save $100 /mo.
Now, you might not be able to pay for a brand new R1 (not to mention insurance on a crotch rocket), but if you find a $3-4k couple year old cruiser, you could.