I just hit the magical 'insurance-no-longer-wants-to-screw-me' age so a world of options have just opened up to me, and you know what?! I'm having a hiatus from motorbikes.
Heres the way i break it down...
1. Motorcycles by themselves are dangerous. Two wheels means that minor road issues that you would drive over and maybe skid in a car are likely to bring you unstuck; and it only takes 1/10 of a second with a locked front or 1 second with a locked rear wheel to see you sliding down the bitumen at whatever speed you were doing at the time.
2. Motorcycles mixed with under-25 inexperienced and possibly hormone fueled humans are more dangerous.There's a reason statistics exist. They take an average of all the people who have/are in similar situations as you are in now and form a few conclusions from them. Statistically in the time i've been driving/riding and the vehicles i've owned, i should have written off 1 car and written off 4 motorcycles. This hasn't happened because when it comes down to it, i'm statistically abnormal! I've managed to buck the trend and i'm thankful that due to my rider/driver training and a little bit of foresight, mixed with a generous slathering of luck, i've come out ahead of the statistical median.
The lesson in this is you've got to defy 'normal' when it comes to defying statistics.
3. It's not yourself, it's everybody else!!!As was suggested previously, long term motorcyclists are undeniably THE safest drivers/riders on the road. The skills required to keep yourself safe on a motorcycle on public roads are FAR higher than they are in a car or larger vehicle. If your ok with the idea that every single time you start that bike and go for a ride longer than 15 minutes that someone, somewhere is going to make an attempt against your life; then that's ok. One thing i constantly hear from new riders is horror stories each time i would see them about 'almost got knocked off', 'was merged into and run off the road', 'didn't see me and almost collected me'. This is 100% normal and its part of everyday life for a motorcyclist. I don't hate the people who do almost knock me off, or even the ones that i have to swerve to avoid being collected; what i do hate is when they abuse you for 'coming out of no where'! If someone has done something stupid i'll generally try and let them know what they've done in a very calm and polite way. I'd say 80% of the people who i talk to after they've almost run me off the road will retaliate with verbal abuse, and a very small percentage will retaliate with physical violence... which is really f'n stupid when i'm in full leathers, helmet and carbonfibre knuckled gloves.


I understand i look intimidating (like a power ranger!), but you did still just almost kill me.
4. Motorcycles are NOT cheaper than carsThere are exceptions to this rule in the form of Honda CT110 (postie bikes), but other than that... motorcycles cost more to run than cars. A set of tyres on the average small car is ~$400-450 and will last 50,000 km's. A set of tyres on a 250cc is ~$400 and will last 12,000km's. A set of tyres on a 1000cc sports bike is ~$500 and will last ~8000km's.
Servicing intervals for motorcycles are more frequent and often more expensive than on cars. I minor-service my bikes every 5000km's with semi-synth oil ($60) and new filters ($50).
By the time you factor in that most motorcycles are far more highly strung than the average car on the road, you'll see that it's like servicing a high-end sports car - it's GONNA be expensive.
When it all comes down to it. I'll definitely own another bike in the next 2 years, BUT it may only be a track bike instead of a road registered one. When it comes down to it, i'd rather have my life in my hands rather than in someone elses.
The only accident i've had in my time on a motorcycle gave me a fair bit of time whilst strapped to the bed in a rigid neck brace whilst waiting for CT-scans and xrays - to think. I only get one body, one life and one chance; so i've decided to make the absolute most of my time on this planet in the best possible condition of life i can manage. Road motorcycling is most definitely an exciting and incredible experience, but it's not for everyone, and it's definitely not forever.
If you do decide to buy a motorcycle (which i did after i moved out of home), then please spend as much money as possible on safety gear and rider training. This means that when you look at helmets and find out that the top of the range is $1000+, don't scrimp and buy a cheap one unless it's the perfect fit. Your probably far better off reading a motorcycling forum like NetRider or OCAUMC for more advice and details.
Also, don't for a moment think that when you pass your tests you've finished learning; Valentino Rossi is still learning just as much as you will be.