GSXR 600, 20 yrs old, G2 & M1

[paperstacks]

being female always helps...but that's a no go for you...

ironically i've considered that many times, for reasons unrelated to the motorcycle... but realized there really isn't much i would gain from becoming a gal (hey but that's just me)

Unless you join the military, then they pay for the operation... No joke...

as ontario residents, don't we have the sex-reassignment surgery included in ohip?.. Still, one does need to qualify for it, by proving "psychological" need which is actually done at CAMH... It offends me though, that this has to be done at that facility (oh yea, the hormones and pills and stuff, and breast surgeries for males, etc. are the non-covered extras)

anyway, calling for quotes soon!

[kellen]

I've got the over/under at $3250

[vkhamphi]

I call bs, unless you can prove this.

He doesn't have to prove anything, this isn't a court of law (or getting caught by the wife coming home late). You either believe it or not.

[strictlye]

I don't wanna get you to be dissapointed but the best bet for your first year riding if you want something sporty that has some guts is to either get a Katana like I did, or an SV650.... Insurance on these bikes does NOT have a supersport surcharge and I can guarantee you that even if you keep it for one year, you will not be dissapointed. My Katana makes me mad happy in the twisties, and at the same time has enough balls in a straightaway that it will out-accelerate 99% of cars in the street if thats your thing.

Not true with Statefarm! The SV is more expensive than a GSXR 600. Since they charge by cc, then technically there a bigger (assumed faster) bike. My insurance dropped $400/year when I bought me gixxer.

[VifferFun]

I work at a major Canadian insurance company. I'm going to put it bluntly for you:

FORGET ABOUT THE GSXR.

The insurance you would pay on a Gixxer is astronomical for a reason; because they are MUCH too powerful for a beginner! Even if you could afford the bike and its insurance, you would likely end up hurting (or killing) yourself. But of course, just like everyone else, you would be "very careful".

Look at getting a beginner bike: Ninja 250, Ninja 500, GS500, etc. Ride this for two or three years, gain some experience, and then consider getting a SS bike. They retain their value quite well, so you will have no problem selling if you decide to upgrade. I started on a Ninja 250 and have no regrets.

Cheers!

[08R6]

I agree with the previous post. Stay away from the supersport for a while or you WILL pay a ton for insurance. My wife got her G2 in October and has never even ridden a bike on the street yet, the quote we got for a 2009 ninja 250 was just over $600 per year full coverage. Now she is a bit older than you but still brand new rider the 250 will be fine and she won't get soaked with insurance.

[VifferFun]

I agree with the previous post. Stay away from the supersport for a while or you WILL pay a ton for insurance. My wife got her G2 in October and has never even ridden a bike on the street yet, the quote we got for a 2009 ninja 250 was just over $600 per year full coverage. Now she is a bit older than you but still brand new rider the 250 will be fine and she won't get soaked with insurance.

I started on the 250 and it is plenty of bike for the new rider, or even a rider of two or three years. I rode mine for three years, and never really got "bored" of it; the only reason why I got the Viffer was because I was involved in a not-at-fault collision that totally the Ninja 250.

Even after riding the 250 for three years, the VFR750 scared me for a bit when I first got it, and the Power-to-Weight ratio on the VFR750 is MUCH lower than the GSXR600.

I would start looking at the beginner bikes. If these aren't good enough, then perhaps you are getting into the sport for the wrong reasons.

Cheers!

[paperstacks]

thanks for all the advice! LOL! i'm open-minded, and for sure am "getting into the sport" for all the right reasons... Now, i keep on reading and reading and reading... Researching different bikes and what people have to say about them... I can't disagree - Kawi Ninja 250 actually seems like a very plausible beginning! Now, when it comes to availability - it starts to look like it's not that easy to grab yourself a 250 in Toronto! Of course i'm looking for a used one, but nonetheless its not even March yet - and the bikes are selling like hotcakes... I'll post up what i end up with, as soon as i do

[VifferFun]

thanks for all the advice! LOL! i'm open-minded, and for sure am "getting into the sport" for all the right reasons... Now, i keep on reading and reading and reading... Researching different bikes and what people have to say about them... I can't disagree - Kawi Ninja 250 actually seems like a very plausible beginning! Now, when it comes to availability - it starts to look like it's not that easy to grab yourself a 250 in Toronto! Of course i'm looking for a used one, but nonetheless its not even March yet - and the bikes are selling like hotcakes... I'll post up what i end up with, as soon as i do

Wow, someone who is open minded and listens to others . . . what a great and rare response! The usual response is "I will be very careful on my 600" and they continue trying to get one anyways.

It is still early, so keep looking and the beginners bikes will show up for sale. The good thing is that they are very "liquid assets", so you can buy one and sell it after a season, quite easily, without losing a lot of money.

You don't have to restrict yourself to the Ninja 250. I started on that bike and was very happy with it, but there are others too. Here are some other great beginner bikes:

- Kawasaki Ninja 250

- Kawasaki Ninja 500 (half naked bike, not that much more powerful than the 250 and also insurance friendly)

- Suzuki GS500 (and the new ones are looking pretty nice, with a style like a GSXR). Here's one for sale: http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum...ad.php?t=78661

- Honda CBR125 . . . although this might be a little TOO small.

- Buell Blast . . . although I would never buy one of these myself.


A good website for specifications is www.bikez.com . . . it will give you the class, horsepower, weight, etc.

Here is an EXCELLENT article on buying your first bike:

http://www.bcsportbikes.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=45571

Glad to see that you are doing your research.

Good luck!

[VifferFun]

Also, before you ever buy a bike, get an insurance quote first so that you know what you are getting into. Even if you buy a beginners bike, the insurance is not going to be cheap because of your age and lack of experience. You don't want to end up with a shiny new toy in your driveway that you can't afford to insure!

Cheers!

[VifferFun]

Now, when it comes to availability - it starts to look like it's not that easy to grab yourself a 250 in Toronto!

You don't have to restrict your search to T.O. I bought my Ninja 250 in Gatineau (basically Ottawa on the Quebec side of the provincial border), and I actually took it home in the back of my Dad's old minivan

[paperstacks]

well the dream of the gixxer is not gone, just postponed i guess... for sure one can enjoy ninja 250 as a first bike no less than any other bike (Buell Blast seems to be a solid machine too, but... i guess i'm not part of that market... i'll use the fact that kawi ninja has been around MUCH longer as my excuse)
it's true about learning on a smaller bike too, i can appreciate the ease of learning the technique and skills on a more 'forgiving' bike...

so that next season when i am better (as in, don't drop the bike that often) - i can finally get me a gixxer and pop wheelies while lanesplitting down dvp!
lol just kiddin

As for location - i do look out for sales all over east Canada, and i've spotted some nice offers... I'm more than eager to go far for the bike, and i hope i'll be able to... But i dont have a car and none of my family and friends do, so it'll be tricky to even visit dealerships )) Does anyone has any experience renting a trailer just to transport a bike? Or any other possibilities? Besides riding it of course - it's great when a bike is ready to go, but i wouldn't try riding it back to Toronto from Hull, not on an unfamiliar bike

[paperstacks]

... and I actually took it home in the back of my Dad's old minivan

As in, the bike can fit in the back of say, Dodge Caravan?? That sounds promising then!

[VifferFun]

As in, the bike can fit in the back of say, Dodge Caravan?? That sounds promising then!

I used a 1995 Pontiac TransPort when I hauled my little Ninja, and it has been transported in the back of that van twice.

If you were to rent a Cargo Van from Enterprise (it's pretty cheap, and unlimited mileage in Canada), it would for sure fit in the back. Just make sure you have a few guys to lift it in and your set.

There should be lots of nice beginner bikes coming up for sale soon. Check here on the board, Craigslist, Kijiji, BuySell.com, and AutoTrader.

Shopping for the perfect bike is fun

Cheers!

[kellen]

so, have you called for ANY quotes an ANY bike yet?

[Jlin]

I'm paying 2100 with liability and theft for a 250!!! But i'm only 20 but still that seems nuts. Planning to upgrade next season but after reading this thread i might jus stick with my ninja. It's a great starter bike but the carb and the slow response is starting to get on my nerves lol.

[adamcbrrr]

the responses are getting gloomier by the minute so what's a young man to do?

i mean... is everyone riding a SS motorcycle in Ontario today (even as 'small' as 600cc) 30+ years old with over a decade of good driving record? Or some 20 year olds actually get to ride their [rich parents' money] away?

Me personally, all the years i lived in toronto, i came up in parkdale and flemo park mostly, you know what it is, i still live the streets. But i don't want to go back to crime and hurting people - i just got into university, hold a stable job, so thangs are good for me. Yes i do still know my parents (and they are well), though i am by no means rich. I make more than enough to support myself, plus every month i make at least $1,000 extra cash just for fun. I used to spend that on shallow *****, leaving it all in the entertainment district, my girlfriends, bad habits. Now i don't do drugs no more, i even QUIT smoking, and started saving. So honestly, tell me - how impossible is it to ride a bike legit in Ontario? Am i asking for too much? I really just want to try myself and see if its real love i got for motorcycles, or just another flyby eye candy thang... I mean, everyone started riding at one point or another, right?

Hey buddy just remember that its your life and your money, Brolo makes alot of good points about bieng debt free when you are young and how it will affect the start of your life, I can't dispute that he's right. But if you truly want this bike than do it, having money is great but you can't take it with you when you die!

[Team_Green]

For insurance the diff between an R6 & a GSXR (or any other 600cc supersport bike) is next to nothing, esp considering they have a supersport surcharge added.

I actually think they're all the exact same. I'm 26, GM2 and my quotes for a '09 r6 and '09 zx6r are the same, $829 a year. So I'm pretty sure all 600cc supersports are the exact same as long as they are the same year.

[TomC]

I'm paying 2100 with liability and theft for a 250!!! But i'm only 20 but still that seems nuts. Planning to upgrade next season but after reading this thread i might jus stick with my ninja. It's a great starter bike but the carb and the slow response is starting to get on my nerves lol.

you try shimming the carb needle yet?

[TomC]

I briefly read through the thread, so please forgive me if these points seem redundant...

Enough people are going to blast you for riding a SS as your first bike, so i'll skip that part .

The total cost of ownership for most supersport bikes are by no means low, so don't let the bike cost alone fool you. You JUST got into university, and you're now working, making enough to cover yourself and more than $1000 of disposable income per month. That's Awesome. But when school starts, are you still going to be putting in the same hours? What about tuition expenses, books? Are you planning to work 40 hrs a weeks and attend 15+ hrs of lecture per week as well + studying? Just because the laws in Toronto allow you to finance a bike doesn't mean you should. Debt fueled spending is a slippery slope, as another forumite had so well described. You may envision yourself, at this very moment, to be able to pay for all of this. However, **** happens and you WILL find yourself paying much more on unforeseen expenses, and that's when **** hits the fan.

If you're still dead set on purchasing a gixxer, definitely go with your own suggestion of buying one 5+yrs old, i think deals can be had for around 5k, maybe less. IMHO however, they look rather dated, and this sort of defeats the your initial reasons for purchasing one (which i would assume would be for reasons of vanity, *i'm pretty guilty here as well*)

oh and, please don't go and hating on the kids with rich parents, as this is very much a relative issue. My parents are well off, but i worked 20+ hrs a week throughout university, and i never spent that money on a bike or a car, the money all went to alleviating my expenses...mind you,even with 20+ hrs a week, i could not cover my schooling without help.