Novice to the Sport Bike scene... any suggestions regarding bike, gear, etc.!?!?

[p-o-g-i]

So I’m going for my M1/ M2 and wanted to get people’s opinions on a good starter bike.
I’ve always been into cruiser bikes (ever since the first time I watched Rebel Without a Cause, I’ve loved Indian Motorcycles). But over the last year or so, Sport Bikes are startign to appeal to me.

Any comments or opinions on a good sport bike for a novice?

[MistaChin]

I believe you'll start learning on a crap cbr125, but if I was a novice i'd look into a good ol 250ex

The only thing is you'll look a little funny since the 250ex is kinda small for a big guy.

[optiklenz13]

this.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/3639422859_ac7642cb31_o.jpg

[p-o-g-i]

I believe you'll start learning on a crap cbr125, but if I was a novice i'd look into a good ol yamaha 250ex

The only thing is you'll look a little funny since the 250ex is kinda small for a big guy.

Doh!?!?! Yeah... I'm not a tall guy by any means... 5'7"... but I am what I like to call "husky" @ 220 lbs. I just hope I can find a jacket that will close.... hahaha

[Roconne]

I've known a few guys now who started out on an SV650 and they all thought it was a great starter bike. You can probably find a pretty good deal on a used one too.

[MistaChin]

http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum/

Great community and the classifieds are a great place to get a used bike.

[-RJ3-]

Quote from my friend:

"Ninja 250's are awesome learners"

I asked him if he still had his kicking around.. He sold it.

[Roconne]

The new Ninja 250's are great as well, and might be perfect for you since you said you are only 5'7''.

The only problem with starting on the cbr125 or the ninja250, is the fact that you would be bored of it after one season of riding (because of the limited power). Something like an ex500 or the SV650 would last you a couple of seasons.

Checkout GTAMotorcycle, they are a great community and you can learn a lot.

[-RJ3-]

The new Ninja 250's are great as well, and might be perfect for you since you said you are only 5'7''.

The only problem with starting on the cbr125 or the ninja250, is the fact that you would be bored of it after one season of riding (because of the limited power).

you riders think alike!!!! Thats what my friend said... LOL

[PearlM3]

The Cbr 125 is a good bike to learn on, they hold their value pretty well. You could pick up a used one for like 2500-3000, and after the first season sell it for like 2000-2500, so you have really only paid 500 for a full season of riding. After that you will want to go to something much bigger, I would not start with the ninja, you will pay more, and will still want a bigger bike after your first season.

[mazdaskit]

Chris maybe start off with this :chuckle

http://www.leteccorp.com/x-treme/gas_mopeds/xm150/images/xm150_blue-angle.jpg

[froggy]

if you want a nicer bike without paying through the nose go for an older yamaha seca II, or honda interceptor, suzuki GS, Or Ninja 500, A lot of those bikes are in the 450 to 600 cc range give decent power and have a nostalgic retro look to them. Many of these bikes have already bottomed out in terms of price $1250 - $2000 depending on condition, If you get tired of them or want to upgrade you can usually turn them around for the same amount of money you paid for them

[p-o-g-i]

Thanks for all the advice and opinions. i appreciate all of the input......

The reason why I'm debating so much is that i hear riders all the time stating that their bike is too slow for them; how they want to upgrade.
For those who know me, you know I don't drive fast. You've seen me on the streets and on the highway..... I don't speed. That's why I'm in such a dilema.

[p-o-g-i]

this.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/3639422859_ac7642cb31_o.jpg


Chris maybe start off with this :chuckle

http://www.leteccorp.com/x-treme/gas_mopeds/xm150/images/xm150_blue-angle.jpg

If I was living in T.O. again, I would do it in a heart beat... hahaha... for real.

[Roconne]

I think something like a GS500 or SV650 would keep you happy for a long time then.

[Sean80]

Suzuki GS 500, cheap on insurance!

[froggy]

my 550 is 29 years old and the only time I wish I had more power is when I'm carrying a passenger. Unless you've got a Ferrari it'll be hard to beat the acceleration of even the "slowest" bikes. I'm probably a lot like you when I drive i like to rip it to speed and then just cruise. Plus the riding position of a gs 500 or an sv650/ bandit is a lot more comfortable for longer rides than the other "sport" type bikes. All 3 of the bikes can also be ordered in a "sport" version with fairings and stuff

[eguiyab]

Kawi Ninja 250 or 500 isn't a bad choice at all. Good thing is you can flip them around for a very small loss when your ready to step up to a 600. The advantage of starting with a 250 is you can learn your personal limits on a more docile bike before stepping up to a larger bike that might not be as forgiving.
I did see a guy about your size on a CBR125. Sure he was a big guy on a small bike... but he was still moving pretty good.

[vcp]

I personally wouldn't start on anything smaller then the new Ninja 250's. Depending on your maturity level (be honest with yourself!!!!!) I would go right to the SV650 or a 600. I started on a 2002 CBR 600 F4i which in my opinion was the perfect starter bike for myself. Lots of speed when I wanted it but a little more of a relaxed riding position when compared to many of the other 600r bikes available. I put over 27 000km in less then 3 years. I do however consider myself a mature and responsible rider.

I don't think you will ever outgrow a 600r bike unless you want updated styling...

just my 2 cents

[alhope34]

My buddy has a new Ninja 250. It's powerful enough to carry the both of us (me being 250lbs and he's about 180lbs) at highway speeds. The bad thing is that even when he's riding alone, he finds it takes forever to pass people on the highway. The acceleration from a stop on my 100% stock MS3 is still faster than his 250, even with him riding the clutch at 9000rpm to get the most power out of 1st. Once I get into third gear at about 80km/h my MS3 leaves him in the dust. So, not a fast bike by any means.

Hopefully next year I'll have my first bike, either an SV650 or SV1000. After a couple years on that bike I think I'll fork out for a new Aprilia RSV4 or a new R1.

Good luck with whatever you buy, and when I get my own bike we should go for a cruise!!

[eguiyab]

Depending on your maturity level (be honest with yourself!!!!!)

this is the REAL issue. you can learn on anything... probably even a busa. But you have to be mature enough to know what is probably a bad idea and riding responsible.
I personally started on a 600cc myself. I've learned to be responsible on the bike and even before I started I had a number of hard lessons about being irresponsible on a bike.
I was a RN at Sunnybrook for a number of years, and had MANY people come in with major/serious injuries because of motorcycle accidents. On top of that... I "bagged" many a motorcyclist.
Many people wonder why I actually still ride, considering knowing what it could do to me.

Riding is a very fun and exciting thing to do... and something you can do even till your old and gray, but you gotta be careful.

[eguiyab]

My buddy has a new Ninja 250. It's powerful enough to carry the both of us (me being 250lbs and he's about 180lbs) at highway speeds.

Btw, this violates a huge motorcycling rule.... only ONE dude on a bike at a time! LOL ... Im assuming your a guy that is..

[jonjon72]

Btw, this violates a huge motorcycling rule.... only ONE dude on a bike at a time! LOL ... Im assuming your a guy that is..

+1

i was going to say the same thing. Something very wrong sitting that closely to another dude and hands who know where! LOL

Back on topic. Skip the CBR 125. You can get a used larger cc bike for the price of a new 125. The wheels are way too narrow and I wouldn't recommended taking it on a Hwy.

[Roconne]

Btw, this violates a huge motorcycling rule.... only ONE dude on a bike at a time! LOL ... Im assuming your a guy that is..
Unless of course your bike broke down and your buddy is just giving you a ride home. lol

[Kappa]

http://www.my-family-fun.com/pictures/barbie-girls-bike-1.jpg

[alhope34]

Lol, grow up guys. A free ride to work is way better then either TTC or $9 a day parking.

[Shizuka_Osamu]

Hey pogi,

IMO, the easiest for givin' and good on insurance.... I would say a Suzuki SV650. Not too slow; not too fast. I think this will fit your needs/ wants perfectly ..... as you mentioned you are not a fast driver.

Plus I read also above that you were more into cruiser type bikes.... which kind of indicates your personality of not being an agressive/ fast driver/ rider.

Suzuki SV650
- easy to handle/ good learner bike
- less expensive on insurance

[eguiyab]

as for insurance issues.
state farm seems to be the easiest/best to insure with because they strictly go by CC's of the bike.
So any 600cc bike, regarless of R or RR or NON R is all the same.

[vcp]

This was my experience as well. A sv650 was substantially more to insure than the F4i that I ended up getting even though the F4i was a much faster bike!


as for insurance issues.
state farm seems to be the easiest/best to insure with because they strictly go by CC's of the bike.
So any 600cc bike, regarless of R or RR or NON R is all the same.

[JohnyGT]

Aprilia.

[p-o-g-i]

as for insurance issues.
state farm seems to be the easiest/best to insure with because they strictly go by CC's of the bike.
So any 600cc bike, regarless of R or RR or NON R is all the same.

You just lost me.
Remember, newbie over here :)

[eguiyab]

Ah, sorry bout that.
Basically, just like cars there are many versions of the same bike (some cases). They may all be 600cc's but tuned differently. Basically, some bikes are rated higher in insurance than others because of the subsequent R or RR at the end of the model. ie Honda CBR 600RR.
With many insurance companies, they would see this at a supersport bike, with an RR rating and so on and so forth.
so this bike would be rated higher in insurance.... with state farm.. it dont matter. all 600's are treated the same.

As VCP mentioned, it can work in your favour. My Honda 599 is a detuned CBR f3 engine, faster than my cousins Kawi Ninja 650r... but his bike is tech 650cc... so he pays more.

Its great if you want a "R" bike, but no so much if the bike you after isn't really a so called blacklisted bike.

[alhope34]

I did an online insurance quote with Jevco through kanetix.ca and the SV650 quoted the exact same as a Ninja 250. $3100 and change per year. I then quoted a gsx-r 600 and it was $12,400 and change a year. No, that's not a typo.

[Burner]

I learned on the 600F4 that's in my avatar. I'm going to sound hypocritical here, but I think something along the lines of the SV650 or Ninja 500 is your best bet.

Although the high strung 600 super sport bikes are relatively tame in the low rpm ranges, they'll surprise you once you get into the power. My F4 will go 100 in first gear and get there in only a couple of seconds. I once did an unintentional 60' long wheelie through the front gate at my work.

[Burner]

I did an online insurance quote with Jevco through kanetix.ca and the SV650 quoted the exact same as a Ninja 250. $3100 and change per year. I then quoted a gsx-r 600 and it was $12,400 and change a year. No, that's not a typo.

SS surcharge or not, the GSXR line of bikes are generally a little more costly then other SS's simply because they're so popular and have a bad claims history. Much like the Civics.

[stormin84]

i'm in the same debate....i'm between a new ninja 250r and a ninja zx-6r
Insurance for a beginner (m1) is actually not that bad on a 600cc your looking at roughly $120 month and for a 250cc roughly $60 month
keep in mind that you are paying for the whole year. Not just the summer months like before.

[Sean80]

Please don't get a 125 or 250. You will be looking to get a bigger bike in no time if you do. Last summer, I learned how to ride on my mom's '09 Triumph Street Triple R 675. It was fine because its so light. On that note, my dad has a k1200gt and that bike scares the shit out of me because of it's weight.

[alhope34]

i'm in the same debate....i'm between a new ninja 250r and a ninja zx-6r
Insurance for a beginner (m1) is actually not that bad on a 600cc your looking at roughly $120 month and for a 250cc roughly $60 month
keep in mind that you are paying for the whole year. Not just the summer months like before.


Also, that has to be for people 25 and older that don't live in Toronto. An old co-worker last year bought a gsx-r 600 as his first bike. He got it quoted 2 weeks before his 25th birthday and it was going to be $420 a month with State Farm. He got insurance for it the day after his 25th and it was $144 a month. He lives in Stony Creek which would make it much cheaper than Toronto insurance rates.

My buddy is paying $3208 this year for his '09 250 and this is his second season riding, which is always much cheaper than the first. He's with Primmum insurance.

[froggy]

wow where are you guys getting your insurance from?? I'm paying around $36/month on my 550, true I get a 10% discount because my car is with them also some of these numbers are ridiculous.

[alhope34]

Are you 25 years old or more? More than one season riding?

[froggy]

yes and yes, but that was the same price as my first season as well, and I still have one ticket and no fault claim on my insurance

[alhope34]

25 or older matters the most. As I said a few posts ago, co-worker's quote went from $420 a month when he was 24 to $144 a month actually insured when he turned 25. Insurance on bikes is never cheap for young people, but I guess that's the same as anything. I'm still paying $300 a month for my car on my dad's policy, I still get minimum quotes of $395 a month on my own. I don't even have any tickets on my record anymore.

[froggy]

I guess it doesn't totally suck being old! lol

[alhope34]

Lucky butthole! :chuckle


Oh well, another year and a half and I'll be 25. It will probably take me that long to get my bike anyway. Then I can finally put my car insurance in my own name. I'd just wait and start with an R6, but with my first bike I plan on touring at least 20,000 kms a year. I've sat on a couple R6's and my cousin's SV1000, and by far the SV has the more comfortable seat and sitting position. Plus, you can get a rack for the SV's that can hold a large Givi bag behind the rear seat to hold two helmets and two 40L hard packs on either side and still have a passenger on the back. Would be very good for touring, and would give my fiance something to lean back on during long rides.

[Roconne]

I was planning on getting my license this spring and buying my buddies 2009 SV650. Unfortunately that didn't work out, so I'll be waiting untill next summer. On the plus side though, I'll be 25 next summer so insurance will be cheap :chuckle

[p-o-g-i]

Thanks again eveyone on your input here.

I got my M1 and will be taking the training course/ M2 test last weekend of this month. I'm excited, yet a little nervous.... (hahaha.... experienced bikers are probably laughing their heads off at me).

Went over to Riders Choice by Dixie/ Queensway during lunch yesterday with DaRuffestRyder to look at/ try on some gear. Didn't buy anything, but was looking at the Icon and Alpinestars jackets. XXL was the size that fit me properly. As for the helmets, I didn't try any on, but had my eye on some styles of Icon and Shoei.

[eguiyab]

Check out GP Bikes in Ajax. They tend to have a great selection of gear and decent prices.
Another place you might wanna check out is royal distributing. They have 3 locations... a bit far out, but can have some good deals too.

[Burner]

A couple notes when you're shopping for gear. A proper fit in a jacket will be the one that fits the tightest. It should be fairly difficult (especially with leather when new) to get your arms in when compared to a regular leather jacket. Once it's on and zipped up, it should be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to slide the bottom of the jacket up your mid section. That will ensure the jacket will protect you properly in a fall.

With the helmet, try all of them on. They're all different sizes and shapes and some popular brands just might not be the right fit for your head. I tend to find that Shark helmets fit my head the best. This will be a major factor in your riding experience. If a helmet has pressure points in the wrong place it'll be tiring on long rides and could cause you to be distracted which is very bad. Find the helmet that fits you best then look at the artwork. Not the other way around.

Gloves aren't cheap. A half decent set in a bike shop will run you upwards of $100 or more. One thing that I always look for in gloves that most people overlook is that the seams in the fingers are sewn on the outside. It makes the gloves 100% more comfortable and the fit will be much better as well.

Don't be nervous about the class. The instructors at these things are always great and love riding. Just push yourself and make the most out of the exercises. When I did it, I was always the first one at my bike ready to try the new exercise, and I ended up getting a perfect score on the final test.

[p-o-g-i]

^^ Thanks for the input on gear.

That's actually my next question. Any other recommendations in regards to gear?!?!?

[alhope34]

My buddy just bought some really nice carbon fibre knuckle gloves from Alpinestars at Kahuna Powersports yesterday. The marked price is $90 per pair, they gave it to him for $80 taxes in. AT Kahuna all their Shoei and Arai helmets are also 20 or 25% off. The same buddy got a really nice flat black Shoei for $550 taxes in. Of the same helmet series, gloss black was $500 taxes in and those fancy painted ones $650 taxes in. Not a bad deal for a great helmet. I took his bike out for a ride around the block yesterday, and his new helmet is leaps and bounds over my cheap Icon.

[p-o-g-i]

MODERATORS,

Is it possible to change the title of this thread I started from "Sport Bike for a novice..... any suggestions?" to "Novice to the Sport Bike scene... any suggestions regarding bike, gear, etc.!?!?"

Instead of starting a whole new thread, I thought I would change the title of the thread I started to include suggestions for not only Sport Bikes, but also for gear, gloves, jackets, boots, etc.

I appreciate your help with this .......

[S.F.W.]

done

[p-o-g-i]

done

Thanks Ami!


Ah, sorry bout that.
Basically, just like cars there are many versions of the same bike (some cases). They may all be 600cc's but tuned differently. Basically, some bikes are rated higher in insurance than others because of the subsequent R or RR at the end of the model. ie Honda CBR 600RR.
With many insurance companies, they would see this at a supersport bike, with an RR rating and so on and so forth.
so this bike would be rated higher in insurance.... with state farm.. it dont matter. all 600's are treated the same.

As VCP mentioned, it can work in your favour. My Honda 599 is a detuned CBR f3 engine, faster than my cousins Kawi Ninja 650r... but his bike is tech 650cc... so he pays more.

Its great if you want a "R" bike, but no so much if the bike you after isn't really a so called blacklisted bike.

Oh ok. Now I get it :)


I did an online insurance quote with Jevco through kanetix.ca and the SV650 quoted the exact same as a Ninja 250. $3100 and change per year. I then quoted a gsx-r 600 and it was $12,400 and change a year. No, that's not a typo.

Hmmmm.... interesting.


i'm in the same debate....i'm between a new ninja 250r and a ninja zx-6r
Insurance for a beginner (m1) is actually not that bad on a 600cc your looking at roughly $120 month and for a 250cc roughly $60 month
keep in mind that you are paying for the whole year. Not just the summer months like before.

argh.. what to do what to do?!?!?!?!


wow where are you guys getting your insurance from?? I'm paying around $36/month on my 550, true I get a 10% discount because my car is with them also some of these numbers are ridiculous.

Who is your insurance with?

[laksman91]

same boat as you pogi, just trying to see if its worth it for me cause of my age (almost 19), I think the insurance would probably be unnecessarily high

[mzkaye729]

I buy all my gear at GP Bikes in Ajax as I get a huge discount there (I cannot disclose the amount off I get) as the owner of the place is actually my friend's dad.

Any gear you need, just let me know.

[Shizuka_Osamu]

I buy all my gear at GP Bikes in Ajax as I get a huge discount there (I cannot disclose the amount off I get) as the owner of the place is actually my friend's dad.

Any gear you need, just let me know.

I can see your mailbox getting filled with inquiries. Bike gear ain't cheap, regardless if it's for gloves, boots, armour, etc. so any savings is always a plus.

[froggy]

Who is your insurance with?

The insurance company is, "The guarantee company of north america" they only deal through brokers though, my broker is "Jones Deslaurier"

[p-o-g-i]

GP Bikes... I`ll have to check out their website and see what they got. Thanks for the offer :)

Just as Shiz mentioned above, hopefully your mailbox doesn`t get flodded with PM`s for discounts on gear...

[Shizuka_Osamu]

From what I've heard, if you're taking the training course for your M2.... they won't let you take the course unless you have certain necessary gear (ie. approved helmet, leather/ jean jacket, boots that cover your ankle, etc.) which you must provide yourself.

[alhope34]

From what I've heard, if you're taking the training course for your M2.... they won't let you take the course unless you have certain necessary gear (ie. approved helmet, leather/ jean jacket, boots that cover your ankle, etc.) which you must provide yourself.


My buddy took the RTI course and you don't need very much. Helmet, gloves that cover your wrists, leather jacket, jeans, and his 6" work boots were enough.

[p-o-g-i]

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j109/p-o-g-i/IMG_0420.jpg

[azn_outlaw]

Dont know much about bikes, only ones that are deadly fast and non street legal...

But just wanted to share a warning or my opinion (well to Chris, others can read if ya like) from what I have seen (due to my line of work and where it is plus the specialty of the dr's to whom I work with)

the GTA seems to be the worst place (again based on my experience) to ride a motorcycle.....only time I would ever ride a bike is on a track...

all I got to say is be very careful, especially with you having a family...., take all the safety courses you can and use as much safety gear as possible..

cannot stress enough, sorry to burst the mood of thread, but lets say over this season, since the beginning of summer, too many young people (with a family or single, common law etc) have crossed my path, and seem to be missing a limb or arm or both (whole or half), aint walking when x amount of days ago was walking, used to be able to talk but now cant, had skin from there butt grafted onto other parts to fill in the gap caused by a fall or crash on there bike, friends of friends who ended up as a human soccer ball on the 401 series highway, rolled or rolled over to death, became one with asphalt...etc (and yes all people involved in this story were wearing helmets)


ride safe this summer, yes it is a great experience and all but the GTA sucks for that...

Now ridding in places like Vancouver, various parts of the US, now those look fun and much more interesting then the GTA

again ride safe and take care

[Shizuka_Osamu]

I agree with the outlaw. There is alot of glamour to the bike scene, but just make sure you take the necessary precautions. But from reading over this thread, it sounds like you are a pretty cautious driver anyways..... so just make sure you carry that mentality along to your riding days.

[p-o-g-i]

I couldn't agree with you guys more. You both hit the nail on the head. I wouldn't recommend anyone to go for their M license if they were not mature enough to handle the responsibilities.

Don't worry Tim, you weren't killing the mood of the thread. You're just keepin' it real, and I appreciate that. We both have mutual friends who've been in bike accidents (ahem, someone sliding through an intersection), so there is alot to take into consideration. I plan on taking full advantage of the training course :)

[froggy]

Don't be afraid to get on the horn with your bike and make yourself noticed. When I first bought my bike the previous owner put a 4 into 1 exhaust onto it with a loud ass muffler, and i didn't particularily like it. I was going to change it until I started thinking "you know what? On a motorcylce many accidents are caused by cars not knowing you are there because they can't see you. Well if they can't see me they will at the very least hear me!"

I've actually go out of a ticket for "excessive noise" when I told the officer why my bike was so loud.

[eguiyab]

I'm sure as many other riders on the board will agree to..... is when you start riding a bike your view of driving overall changes. Its hard to really grasp it until all of a sudden your sitting in your car yourself and your senses from riding kick in. The GTA is very very crappy to ride in. Rush hour sucks, no one pays attention, and frankly everyone thinks they have the right of way. I used to ride downtown everyday from scarborough, then realized i wasn't enjoying it anymore. It became a task instead of a release. So nowadays i'll still ride downtown on occasion, but i prefer the nice long lazy rides up north or anywhere but the GTA.
I do have to agree with AznOutlaw and try not to let your emotions control your ride. It translates over to your riding very easily, and almost 100% of all incidents with anything on a bike.... the bike loses. Be proactive and dont assume that they see you... cuz they dont.