First Bike was Easy... Choosing the Safe Gear is the hard part

[MR_ActionTime]

Hi Everybody,

I’m very happy and excited today as I put the down payment for my Kawi Ninja 250.

I bought the 2011 model as I didn’t think there’s any point in over paying for 2012 and wait for it. Plus I took the advice from GTAM and started with a small bike.

Being a new biker I had a few questions and I was wondering if someone can help answer the following.

1) I bought my bike from Kahuna Sports. I was wondering if I should buy the Gear from them as well or is there another place that people can recommend around GTA? Someone mentioned to me a while back that there’s a cheaper and better outlet in Guelph but I’m not sure where exactly is it. Any advice? Help? Better price obviously helps.


2) Choosing a helmet is the bigger problem. Before I got the bike, I promised that I will give safety the first priority. That’s the reason I didn’t pick up a bike bigger than 250 (I’ll look at safety first over how I look on that small bike).

I liked the Bell’s Modular Helmets as they are easy to put on (especially for me since I wear glasses) and they have the visors for sunlight. However, they are not DOT Snell approved.

I checked the Shoei as well and while I like their fitting the best, they don’t have the visors for sunlight. <- (To all the experienced riders what do you do when riding in sunlight?)

3) My bike will be parked in my apartment building. I wanted to make sure that it doesn’t get stolen. Can anyone please suggest what do I do about making sure that it doesn’t get stolen. Any kind of locks or anything I can put on it.


4) What maintenance will be there? I was told that I have to get the Oil Changed after first 1000 Km. Anything else in addition to that for regular maintenance?


5) Any experienced riders care to ride with a noob?



Looking forward to your reply. Thanks in advance for any tips.

[smackenz]

First off congratulations on the bike, u should have the time of your life on her, i know i do

1- they were probably talking about royal distributing in guelph, but if the drive isnt too bad id head out to oshawa where there is a gp bikes and royal distributing right besode eachother. Ur gonna have to google the address unless someone else knows it.

2- dont quote me but i believe i read that no modular helmet will pass snell certification, but i believe there is a crazy new locking modular helmet which does pass, i think it was bell.

3- i live at home with a garage so i cant advise u other than to start praying now

4- oil changes and chain lubing/cleaning is pretty simple maintenance

5- im in brampton if u ever wanna ride gimme a shout

[nakkers]

Congratulations! Glad to hear you are researching out gear. IMO, get yourself a big closet. Riding, you will experience different elements, things that are comfortable, things that aren't. What works, and what doesn't.

I wear glasses too. Modulars are nice but honestly, I find I take my glasses off to put my helmet on and off anyways so, a full face is still the way to go. The best way I found that works without having to preparing for the weather conditions is going with contacts, clear visor and having a pair of sunglasses.


Name brand helmets are good. What fits is more important. So bring your glasses, wear the helmet while looking for other things like gloves, footwear and a jacket etc. Depending on the helmet, it may have adjustable padding so, ask for assistance.

I`ve got a tinted visor and it works just fine at night. At least in city riding with lit roads. Not sure I`d be comfortable out in the country roads with a tinted visor.

I've seen helmets with the tinted visor that comes down inside. Look on line for consumer reports about venting, fit, quality, function etc.

IMO, I go middle of the road in terms of setting your budget for your gear. Get a feel for what works for you, what doesnt. Stuff you don't wear can be used for a passenger, friend, riding buddy. etc. Or you may find some stuff just works under certain conditions and it's good to keep around until they happen.


Good luck. The advice about Royal is a good place to start.


Cheers.

[danesetti]

Congrats on the bike, royal is good they have a couple of locations Guelph, Whitby, innisfil, and sudbury, gp bikes is good too, but if you want to prices and don't mind wearing gear that's from previous years I would say cycleworld in scarborough. As for the shoei helmets, they come with tinted visors that you can change. And I'm pretty sure any experienced guys or girls on here will ride with you, just keep an eye out for noob rides on this site, and show up. Ride safe, you'll love it

[coyo]

I'll second that you're thinking of Royal Distributing in Guelph.

As for helmets and the visor issue; I got a Bell Star helmet with a transitions visor in the off season. The visor is FANTASTIC! It gets almost as dark as my previous dark smoke visor and will go crystal clear as the ambient light goes down. Originally I had thought of getting a dark smoke visor for the summer as well but the more I ride with this, the more I realize that it's plenty dark enough.

The downside? The visor retails for about $140. The upside to this downside? There's a bike show on at the International Centre at the airport this weekend and GP Bikes is there. I bought the visor from them for $99 at the January show. You're in Mississauga, I know where you're going tomorrow!

Cheers and congrats on the new bike.

[MR_ActionTime]

Thanks Smackenz.

Can anybody suggest a DOT Snell approved Helmet which has visors too?

Smackenz, do you wear sunglasses when riding in daylight?

[smackenz]

Thanks Smackenz.

Can anybody suggest a DOT Snell approved Helmet which has visors too?

Smackenz, do you wear sunglasses when riding in daylight?

ya i just go with sunglasses inside the helmet, it works fine and when its hot out i can leave the visor up and still see while i go fast, but u dont look as cool as the smoked visor lol

[sid_for_speed]

Congratulations on getting the bike...I plan to do the course this year and get my bike next year.....PLEASE USE THIS INFO...I went to Royal distributing by whitby to get me a helmet and gear for my course and they said between 19th and the 29th of April they are having a restocking sale...no taxes event..probably a good time to go buy gear then...their staff seem to know what they are talking about as well and can help us noobs.

[MR_ActionTime]

Thank you soo much nakkers. I just want to make sure that I buy the right stuff. The big thing for me so far has been my glasses. Every time I have to take the glasses off, put on the helmet and then squeeze the glasses through. Its an annoying process.

Thanks for the tips. Please let me know if there is any Helmet brand that you would recommend in Particular.

[Katapult]

Thank you soo much nakkers. I just want to make sure that I buy the right stuff. The big thing for me so far has been my glasses. Every time I have to take the glasses off, put on the helmet and then squeeze the glasses through. Its an annoying process.

Thanks for the tips. Please let me know if there is any Helmet brand that you would recommend in Particular.

The only right helmet is the helmet that fits you properly and does what you need it to do, protect you head in a crash.
I've been using modular helmets for years. Yes, they are not SNELL approved (and my current helmet isn't DOT approved, it's from the Italy) but the fit is fantastic and it's rated well (it also has a flip-down sun visor but I usually just wear my sunglasses)

I used to wear a full face Shoei and I would wear my sunglasses (or reg glasses) inside the lid. I also had a tinted visor that would just snap on.

Decide how much you are willing to spend and then hit a couple motorcycle shops and see what they have. Royal has a good selection as well.

Do not forget pants, jacket, gloves and boots. They all play a huge part in being safe on the road.

When I started out it was with a Danier leather jacket and used helmet. (I don't recommend this combo) Over the years i've purchased a lot better gear and I have different gear for different riding conditions. It gets really expensive if you start off with the best of everything.

I parked my bike in my underground for years without any problems. My buddy had his 'busa stolen 10 spots over and it was chained to a post.

You can try and chain it to a post. You can put a motorcycle alarm on it. You can leave it covered up so people don't know what kind of bike it is. I would recommend fire & theft insurance in case it does walk away.

Good luck.

[nakkers]

Thank you soo much nakkers. I just want to make sure that I buy the right stuff. The big thing for me so far has been my glasses. Every time I have to take the glasses off, put on the helmet and then squeeze the glasses through. Its an annoying process.

Thanks for the tips. Please let me know if there is any Helmet brand that you would recommend in Particular.

Honestly, everyone's noggen is different. Stick with a quality name brand, don't be afraid to try on different kinds. Some folks will only wear one name brand and stand by it. I don't subscribe to that train of thought. I have an HJC modular that was very reasonable in price, fits me well, not too heavy, it's quiet and my glasses are not a bother. It's only DOT cert and the front offers nothing but wind/weather protection.

Also keep in mind some of the more common brands do have "basic" models. They will be DOT or DOT/Snell cert but, the quality of materials isn't that great. But, do check out Arai, Shoei, Bell, HJC, Shark, etc...... and be patient.

[bikermahn]

As others said find a helmet that fits, I was close to ordering a helmet online because it was a "great deal" then went to RP to try it on. Didn't fit me very well, glad I went to a brick and mortar to shop. Found a helmet that fit my budget and head properly.

A bike has a ton more maintenance than a car, well technically not but you can neglect a car allot more. As for a Bike, you need to change tires more frequently, ensure you lubricate your chain, adjust your valves when they are required, check your brakes often. Then theres explaining to your wife/gf why a 30 minute commute from work now takes you 2 hours, theres maintenance
There is a whole ninja 250 faq which may help out. Some good details there.

[ModularGT]

I ride with a HJC helmet, need to get a new one as its past its expiration date. Was looking at the HJC IS-16, has the integrated sunshield your looking for. Also recommend trying before buying, walk around the store with it on for 30 min if you can. I used to have and Arai that used to give me a headache after 30 mins of wearing.

[k-man69]

If you ever want to ride, give me a shout.

[skip]

You are going to have to try on alot of helmets and find one that fits you right. Not every helmet will work the same with glasses. I know my old Shark didn't work with my glasses (pressure points on the sides) but my Scorpion works very well. I have had at least 7 full face helmets from different manufactures that I can recall and they all worked with glasses differently. Make sure you bring you normal glasses and sunglasses when you go to try them on. Remember a new helmet will be tight and squish your cheeks in but should have pressure points.

For bright sun I either swap to sunglasses, pop on a dark visor or both. If I'm doing a full day tour in the sun I will put on the visor for sure to avoid the raccoon eyes. Most full faced helmets will have removable visors.

[MR_ActionTime]

You are going to have to try on alot of helmets and find one that fits you right. Not every helmet will work the same with glasses. I know my old Shark didn't work with my glasses (pressure points on the sides) but my Scorpion works very well. I have had at least 7 full face helmets from different manufactures that I can recall and they all worked with glasses differently. Make sure you bring you normal glasses and sunglasses when you go to try them on. Remember a new helmet will be tight and squish your cheeks in but should have pressure points.

For bright sun I either swap to sunglasses, pop on a dark visor or both. If I'm doing a full day tour in the sun I will put on the visor for sure to avoid the raccoon eyes. Most full faced helmets will have removable visors.

Thanks Skip.

I tried a couple of helmets. To be honest, I love the fitting of Shoei the best so far. The only problem is that it doesn’t have sunlight visors on it. Ideally I would be able to get one of those additional Visor Add-ons on top of the regular visor for sunlight.

Any riders who wear glasses in particular, can you please give advice for what you do about wearing sunglasses? or do you just get an add-on visor? Are Visors hard to replace/swap? Is it something that can be done on the GO?

To all of those interested in riding together, I’ll definitely be messaging you once I get the bike.

Cheers

[MR_ActionTime]

I ride with a HJC helmet, need to get a new one as its past its expiration date. Was looking at the HJC IS-16, has the integrated sunshield your looking for. Also recommend trying before buying, walk around the store with it on for 30 min if you can. I used to have and Arai that used to give me a headache after 30 mins of wearing.

Really, A headache after 30 mins?? Ok, now that 's a good point. I'll definitely try that. Is the HJC helmet DOT SNELL approved?

Also, helmets have an Expiry Date??

[dr_sarcasm]

The default choices (a.k.a. the "big" players), if you live in the GTA and have an afternoon to waste, in no particular order are:

1. GP Bikes (Whitby)
2. Royal Distributing (Whitby)
3. Kahuna (Toronto)
4. Riders Choice (Toronto)
5. Parker Bros (Toronto)

Now, there are other places further west and/or north that have positive reviews and lots of happy customers (e.g. Blue Streak Racing, Royal in Guelph, etc.), but if you're in the GTA, it's completely up to you if you want to go out to see them.

If you want to go the online route, my preferences are as follows (no particular order):

1. motorcyclegear.com
2. canadasmotorcycle.ca
3. ridersdiscount.com
4. solomotoparts.com
5. motomummy.com

I've done business with all of the above, never had a complaint with any of them (and no one on the gixxer.com forums have ever had any negative things to say).

There is a online retailer I've left out, STG. With regards to the guys over at STG (a.k.a. sportbiketrackgear.com), my only issue is/was their standard price for shipping to Canada (they tack on a fixed dollar value) - 9 times out of 10 that makes them more expensive than the other 5 I've listed above (however, like the previous 5, no one has ever had a bad thing to say about Jason or Bryan).

If you want the gamut of online retailers who have some traction, then my final offering is motorcycle-superstore.com; I've never done business with them, don't know anyone who has, and quite frankly I only use them for the pictures...

Again, you could also use Blue Streak Racing (they have an online presence as well; and between them and Canadasmotorcycle.ca, you may be able to keep it "local").

Good luck.

[skip]

-generally around 5 years is the life of a helmet
-Shoei's are nice, they will sell tinted visors
-My prescription sunglasses are okley flak jackets. I have no issues fitting them in my helmet
-I have a clear and dark tinted visor for my helmet, change at need
-Tinted visors are bad for night riding

[MR_ActionTime]

Thanks a lot dr_sarcasm. That really helps.

I'll check them all out. Though the guys at Kahuna said they'll hook me up since I got my bike from them.

I went to Parker Brothers but I didn't see them having a very wide selection, unless they can get you anything you ask for.

I was planning on buying gear from Kahuna but I am in search for a pbetter price as welll. Thus, I will give royal distributors a try as well. Plus, the ride will be nice in this BEAUTIFUL summer. Hope it stays as nice.