My Motorcycle Got Stolen Again And This Time I Got Mad, What Should I Replace It With?

Remember January of 2025, when my BMW F800GS was stolen from out in front of my apartment? Well, I guess I've developed an annual tradition, because I came home from riding the Indian Chief Vintage in January of 2026 to find the lock on my Suzuki GSX-8R cut and the bike's AirTag deposited in a snowbank a few blocks away. The bike, of course, was nowhere to be found. 

Back when my GS was stolen, I really didn't mind all that much. The bike was for sale anyway, and my insurer ended up paying out a fair number that accounted for the money I'd put into the bike and its accessories. This time, though, I was well and truly ticked off. Insurance is still making me whole, but I really liked that GSX-8R and I had plans for its future: Track days, road trips, more camping. I was even supposed to review the tires it had on! Now I need to replace it, and feed something else to the coyotes. 

I could just get another GSX-8R, but insurance making me whole still means I had to pay a deductible — I wouldn't be getting one as nice as I lost, and I'm honestly kind of bored of parallel twin engines anyway. The leading idea is to get a 2005 Yamaha R6 and a set of pink plastics, for that beautiful four-cylinder smoothness, with the full knowledge that it's not a practical bike by any stretch of the imagination. It's hot, though, so it gets points there. 

Friend of the site Victoria Scott, though, thinks that's the wrong line of thinking. She thinks that, if I truly have to get a motorcycle, I should get something more practicality-minded — a Triumph Scrambler, perhaps. I may not capital-n Need a motorcycle, but I like getting to ride one and it's a fun way to get around the city (especially on routes underserved by public transit) so I'm buying one anyway. With a $4,500 budget in New York City and a desire to live my best hot girl life, what bike should I buy?