a novice motorcyclist needs mentoring

[kisho]

ok guys, im only 19 and i havent got my m1 yet, but i looked into buying a motorcycle and i decided on buying a hayabusa..lol....im kidding im kidding..(put that typing finger away). i did my research on what kind of a bike, i would need and in the beginning i was up for the r6 but now i know better and i settled on an 08 250r or buy the time i buy it will be a 09. the bike is gonna run me around 5000 according to kawasaki's site but i do not know if the dealer is going to add on to the price. thats asides, i havent got my m1 yet, and i decided before i do that, i want to buy my gear and helmet, so i would be ready for my road course. now for my road course i already looked up all the information and most likely i think im gonna have time to do the course next spring due to me being my only financial income source.

so you guys are getting the basic idea now, my questions are
1. what should i expect on my m1 test
2. i dont know wat gear i should buy, for sure im going to buy a helmet and gloves but im still deciding on the armour or the jacket, i havent looked much into that but any help would be appreciated
3. i have no clue where to buy my gear as in like an actual shop and i live in scarbrough

oh and sorry for my slang words in this post and if someone else already asked these questions, again my applogies, i could do more research but i have no time due to my studies
thanks again guys

[TheGradyTrain]

First off welcome to the board. If you're waiting until next year to do your M1 course. Then hold off on buying gear until the upcoming M/C shows. The first one being the Manufactures show at the MTCC in December. Then the Supershow at the International Centre out by Pearson Airport in January. You can usually get really good deals on last year's gear.

As for the M1 test. Pretty simple stuff. Just be sure to read the Motorcycle Riders Handbook. Also you will want to review the Drivers Handbook as well. Since you will also be doing the G1 portion as well. If you don't feel like buying these books. Visit your local library. They should have them. If not. Place a request for them to purchase them and add them to the collection.

As for courses, http://www.ridertraining.org/ontario.shtml

Good luck!

[ROQET]

Welcome

[k9drift]

Welcome to the board,

If I remember correctly, 3/4 questions on M1 test are rules of the road much like your G1 test, and 1/4 questions are on materials from Motorcycle Handbook. So don't forget to refresh your memory on the rules of the road too when you study for M1.

try to go the different shops and get an idea of what kind of gears are out there.
There is CycleWorld (sheppard and McCowan) and SnowCity (http://www.snowcity.com/) in scarb. Go check them out when u have the chance.

[djbordie]

welcome to the boards, im a fellow newb as well and have some advice.

GET YOUR M1 NOW and book your course for october...
simple as that. I believe RTI (not sure of website) has a few spots open in the GTA for late semptember, all of october and i think the course ends in november...Im saying get the bulk of your licencing done now. It will make next season better for you.

I recently got my m1, booked my RTI course, and bought a bike. Ninja 250 1997, real proud, amazing condition, real good bike. Reasons for not buying an 08 or 09? .... there are too many.... To name a few, the 08s are sold out and are going for 1000-2000 more than the dealer sells for...and they are used. the 09s???? good luck finding one, a few dealers have told me to put $200 down for next years model, with NO NO NO guarantee that I will get one. They say they have 50 ninja 250s coming and over 90 people already have a deposit and are waiting for them...
So, i bought a used bike and havent looked back.
Might be a good idea if your a totaly newb to buy a used bike to learn on, i havent been here long and have seen a few posts about newbs with their new 250r ninja's and they have wrecked or dropped them...its common for new riders to drop a bike or get in to accidents, maybe not 250kph accidents, but enough to cost you an arm and a leg in repairs (not litteraly)...

my .02

ohh ya and for the pimp factor, that most newbs are looking for --- "but i dont want an old bike, they are ugly"...check this out and tell me its not sexy..my bike is 11 years old...

[kisho]

thanks for the help guys, i didnt know there was a shop at sheppherd and mccowan, that was a huge help, i'll probably be visiting soon like tomm or somthing, and thanks for referring me to the show at the mtcc i'll definetly check that out. for the test wat area of the g1 should i focus on and wat area of the m1? and also is a jacket enough for upperbody protection or should i go with the armor or both?

[kisho]

lol djboardie, ya i want to get my licence stuff out of the way but i have a course to pay for and all of this is coming out of my own pocket and i dont have the money as of now, so that was to wait and the bike you might be absoultely right because i have no clue on how these thing works, if that is the case, i might have to settle for a used bike and now im thinking abt buying 600cc bike i kno i shouldnt do it for the safety of me, but if i dont run into 2000 and up 250r's i might have to settle for a 500 or a 600. IMO i cant stand the older model's because thats just my taste, and i dont think i learned how to respect them yet lol, im sure i will when i take my roadcourse, then i think you guys will probably see a diffrent side of me..hopefully..but for now..im still the teenager that wants a flashy bike not so much a fast bike but a decent one..sry to anyone that had hopes in me for thinking i might be a diffrent kid then the rest of the immature teenagers out there

[floman]

If you're strictly thinking of picking up gear for the course and before you buy the bike, if money is an issue, just pick up a decent pair of gloves and a good lid. A black helmet generally goes with any color bike. I've heard of places (I think it's Parker Brothers) where you can rent a helmet for the course and the deposit paid can go towards the purchase of a new helmet n the future.

For the courses itself a good leather jacket (borrow one if you don't have) or a heavy denim jean jacket as well as boots that pass the ankle is generally all that's recommended.

A dedicated motorcycle jacket, armor and stuff can wait until after you get your bike when being color coordinated with your gear and bike may matter a bit more.

As for the M1, read over the Motorcycle handbook several times in addition to re-familiarizing yourself with the Driver's Handbook. I'd take a bit more time to put to memory traffic signs. The test is pretty straight forward and you should be done in 15-20 minutes

[derekz]

If you're scrambling for money now, then you better forget about getting anywhere near the new bike, especially anything bigger than 250. If you get 500cc or more, you'll pay twice for your insurance per year than what you pay for the entire bike. And you should listen to some of the advice you're getting here - being 19 year old + new bike = its almost certain you'll drop it sooner rather than later, hopefully when going slow. You'll see how sexy that bike will look then. Just like the other guy said - get an older bike. You don't have to go back 11 years - you can probably find a decent bike that is only 4-5 years old but looks brand new. And lastly, if you really want to save some serious bucks - don't buy the bike here, but rather go to the ebay and find something south of the border - you'll get flashy bike, few years old, for 3 grand, that looks better than new (free mods). With little money too. There is some hassle to get it across the border but its definitely worth it, if you're willing to deal with it. I've done it and so did bunch of my buddies (check www.riv.ca for set of rules). And check out my ride - its nearly 9 years old - does it show?

[kisho]

hmm like floman said, i'll pick up a good pair of gloves and a black helmet, i'll borrow my dad's leather jacket and use my old safety boots.

question - can i use my nike airforces, which goes well above my ankle?

i already have my book for m1 and g1 so i'll read over those, key points are traffic signs, and as for the bike, im just going to wait, ill deal with it next year, because the season is done anyway, hmm wat else..oh and derekz, you make a really good point, i will look into it deeply later on when im in the process of buying a bike, but im not sure im ready to deal with all those hassle because ultimately, my parents arent going to be involving in any of this. so if i have to do it, im going to have to do it alone and ya ur bike looks wicked cool man, seriously i dont think im ready for that kind of a bike yet, maybe in abt 10 years, but i love the new harlies and i dont really know any other cruiser bikes names. but i watched a show on discovery on harlies, after that i gained alot of respect for the harlies.

anyways, you guys have been ALOT of help, honestly, i think it would have took me a week or two to figure out all these stuff, but luckily i found this forum and im glad i found this. hopefully im gonna be a long term member, and eventually this month or so im going for my m1. again thanks for the help guys, im sure im gonna be posting alot more doubts and questions in the future. so for now, im gonna stick to my books, later guys

and ride safe..

[squid pro quo]

can't go wrong with a 250 Virago or Rebel as your first bike!
good luck!

[Motorcycle_Girl]

Check out Auto Trader for used bikes...there are plenty of them out there from people who have decided that riding is just not for them. As other people have said when you are new the likelyhood of dropping the bike is higher so damage to a new bike just seems to hurt a little bit more. I bought two bikes for under $2000. One to ride and one for parts. Last winter I combined the best of both bikes. Most people would not realize that my bike is 23 years old and has 60,000 km on it. It runs well and with new paint it looks great.

If you can wait until next spring to take your test and the course you will find a lot of great deals on gear at the Motorcycle show in December.

Best of Luck!!

[phucyall]

Look around these forums. There's a group buy thread for the 250 Ninjas being organized. Last time around it turned out to be a pretty good deal for those involved so I'd suggest checking that out if you are really serious about getting a bike (and specifically a 250).

Also get your m1 out of the way now and do the m2 course and test while it's still warm and nice on the weekends.

If you are going for the '09 Ninja and doing the group buy then you might as well wait a bit before getting all your gear. There are a couple of motorcycle shows in the winter and from what I hear there are tons of deals to be had at these.

[TheGradyTrain]

question - can i use my nike airforces, which goes well above my ankle?

As taken from the Centennial College website.

5. Must wear a heavy long-sleeved jacket (non-synthetic - leather or denim for example), blue jeans or heavy slacks, full-fingered leather gloves and heavy-duty leather boots that have a heel and cover the ankle, (e.g., leather cowboy boots, work boots). High-top running shoes or jogging boots are not acceptable.Anyone dressed inappropriately will not be allowed to ride.

[ArthurGray]

welcome

[kisho]

As taken from the Centennial College website.

i was just thinking like safety boots, their bulky and dont you need a gile feet to shift gears and get ur boot under the lever so you can pull the gears up...i dont kno i was just thinking abt space problem since the levers are small

[TheGradyTrain]

I don't recommend the steel toe boots either. Purely because of their bulkiness. However, the likes of Wal Mart or Zellers sell acceptable hiking style books for under $50.00.

Cheers!

[Teek]

i was just thinking like safety boots, their bulky and dont you need agile feet to shift gears and get ur boot under the lever so you can pull the gears up...i dont kno i was just thinking abt space problem since the levers are small

To start, you can get most any boot underneath. It's true that most motorcycle boots allow a better 'feel' (which is needed between 1st and Neutral), but if you're looking at the bare minimum for now, yes a decent set of safety boots will do.

Secondly, about the bike.
There are some pretty neat looking older bikes. Ya, I'm not fond of the single huge headlight either, but do some shopping around, see if you can't find a used bike. There are 4 rules you want to remember:
1.) The higher cc it is, the higher price those plastics are.
2.) The newer it is, the higher price those plastics are.
3.) It's REALLY REALLY likely you'll drop your first bike. Not at speed (hopefully), but maybe at a standstill, or a few km/h on gravel, or in rain, or backing over the neighbour's dog, or something. Those plastics are expensive.
4.) You will probably not stay at 250/500 for very long.

Use the first 3 facts to pick the year.
Use the last fact to decide whether this bike has to be everything you wanted in terms of style and beauty, or whether you'll wait til 2010, and then pick up a 600 that's gorgeous to you. It's a financial decision, and sometimes our hearts win over our brains. Mine included

But regardless, welcome to the forums.

[kisho]

thanks for the advice teeks. today i went to cycle world at mccowan and sheppherd, and i ran into the icon daytona jacket for 349.99 and a ckx brand's helmet for 119.99 and another icon helmet which has anti-fog and ventilation and all that for 179.99 then for gloves i havent decied on what pair but its gonna run me around 60-70 dollars,

i tried on the jacket my size is 2xl
and the helmet is also 2xl or xxl
gloves are the same

thats my research for the day, wat do you think abt the prices and the products

[Teek]

thanks for the advice teeks. today i went to cycle world at mccowan and sheppherd, and i ran into the icon daytona jacket for 349.99 and a ckx brand's helmet for 119.99 and another icon helmet which has anti-fog and ventilation and all that for 179.99 then for gloves i havent decied on what pair but its gonna run me around 60-70 dollars,

i tried on the jacket my size is 2xl
and the helmet is also 2xl or xxl
gloves are the same

thats my research for the day, wat do you think abt the prices and the products

My honest impression echoes what someone else said:

We're so close to sales, that you'd be foolish to buy anything at full price right now. I picked up my Nexo leather jacket, normally $400+ for $219 on sale. It might not be the final jacket I love for the next 20 years, but the style's good, the fit's nice, the quality is good, and that saved me a bunch. Watch the board Dealer Deals, and if something comes up, buy it. Though, I got lucky: I bought a blue jacket, eventually bought a blue suzuki. Might not have looked so smart on a green kawi or a red honda.

Also, good choice on Icon. I like to stick to better gear, because you can find out the hard way that even though Brand X used hardened leather, they used the cheapest sewing techniques, and should you unfortunately fall, they separate and give you as much protection as cloth.

Just one additional gear note:
A good helmet can cut down on wind noise. But I can't tell you how valuable anti-fog strips are. Seriously, they're worth every penny and more.