While there are tons of reasons to ride, the decision to buy your own bike is the second biggest commitment you can make towards becoming a dedicated motorcyclist, second only to learning how to ride. Assuming you've done your homework and decked yourself out in safety gear, you've now got the enviable but potentially overwhelming task of finding a motorcycle that will best fit your needs.
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Where to begin? The first step you'll need to consider is picking a bike type, a process that involves a whole lot of choices since motorcycle manufacturers have created branches and sub-branches of bike genres. The biggest distinction lies between on-road, off-road, and dual-purpose (ie, mixed use) motorcycles; once you go from there, you'll still have a dizzying variety of options and sub-specialties to choose from. If your passion gravitates towards one particular area (like cruisers or sportbikes), you may find yourself equivocating between power cruisers and touring cruisers, or all-out superbikes and milder variations.
Your quest should ultimately lead you to a genre that fits your needs and interests... but it might take some soul-searching to determine which is the best for you.
For definitions of bike types, check out this bike type glossary, and for a visual guide, see this photo gallery of bike types.
