In the UK (land of c. $9 US / US gallon fuel), road insurance for enduro bikes is reasonable. I pay around $152 US for a years cover. The insurance isn't worth the paper it's written on, but it's a legal requirement to ride on the road. We also have to buy a road tax disc (about $55 US), which is ok, but the government has created a screwed up system, where automatic fines are issued if you have a current tax disc, but your insurance expires, regardless of whether or not the bike is actually used on the road. If you're caught riding without tax or insurance, I believe the police are able, under some circumstances, to summarily confiscate your bike and crush it.
The way I see it in the UK, don't be forgetful about paying taxes, don't own a vehicle you can't afford to have stolen and hope no one knocks you off your bike.