The time is now....finally ready to start on the road to fulfilling a dream... | GTAMotorcycle.com

The time is now....finally ready to start on the road to fulfilling a dream...

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I have always been intrigued by motorcycles. I am somewhat boring by nature but have always found myself drawn to 'the bike'.
Been putting this off as I don't know any other riders, 40+ or otherwise but am now looking at the various schools around town.

I am hoping to successful complete a course this spring and purchase a used bike shortly thereafter. (I was thinking of 250cc but my colleague at work tells me
that is probably too small for me. Unsure--but I'll start looking more seriously as we move closer to spring.

Some useful posts here--I have already been made aware of a few things I had no idea of--so thank you to all the great members here and thanks for letting this
newbie join up!
 
Unless you are substantially over 250 lbs, don't let people tell you that a bike is too small for you. Good luck and have fun.

EDIT:

If you are thinking about a 250cc cruiser, don't do it, buy something bigger. The power produced by cruisers is ridiculously lower than that in sport/standard/adventure bikes of similar displacement.
 
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Welcome!
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A lot of fun can be had on a 250. Do you have an idea of what type of bike you would like to buy?
 
Buy a used 250.

No matter what bike you purchase, you will want a different bike next year. It's the law of the universe. Go small, friendly and cheap for your first foray.
 
For sport bikes 250 is a good starting place. 250ccs for a cruiser is too little if you're average sized or larger. The power isn't there like it is with the sport bikes. On the other hand if you're willing to spend a couple grand on a starter bike to learn on and then sell in a couple seasons any small bike would do.
 
I started riding at 48, so you're definitely not alone. My first bike was a Yamaha Virago 250 cruiser.
What I loved about that bike was the riding position and it's light weight and low centre of gravity.
It was incredibly easy to learn on and had very forgiving throttle response. When I dropped it, it was very
easy to pick up. Because it had engine bars on it, when it did fall over, there was NO damage to any expensive plastics.

At no point riding alone did I find that it wasn't enough bike to learn on (I weigh 200 lbs). I could easily keep up with traffic
around town. On the highway it ran out of get-up-and-go at around 110 km/h, so I only rode highway when absolutely necessary.

When I started riding with friends with larger bikes I found myself running the poor 250 at wide open throttle
just to keep up.

In my second season of riding I upgraded to a 1100 Virago.
I sold the 250 for $400 less than I paid for it.

Were I to do it over I'd still start on the 250 cruiser, for me it was the correct bike.
 
OP, welcome to the forum and motorcycling in general. I am by no means an expert, but I will offer an opinion. I too started late (late 30's). I always wanted a cruiser, and bought my ideal bike that had been in my mind's eye my whole life. It ended up being a 750 Shadow. It is perfect for me as I am short with short legs and heavy (250+). As stated in other posts, most cruisers don't have much power, so I would actually liken the speed of my bike to being dominated by a cbr/ninja 250. So if you want a sport bike 250/300 great starting range. Cruiser, I would recommend no less than 500/650, unless you are tiny. These bikes will allow you to get the feel of riding, build your confidence, and not hurt for insurance. Last year alone we saw too many 40+ riders enter into our sport/hobby with too big cc bikes (large harleys, high cc SS), and became statistics. Get to the next show, sit on some bikes and enjoy.


As far as courses, people will mostly say they are all about equal. I will be doing my m2x with RTI this spring, as they interested me the most at the last show. I took the weekday m1x course at Humber. If you can swing it, that's what I would recommend. With 5 instructors and only 20 students, I felt like I received almost private instruction.


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Welcome!

I started a little late IMO, which was just in 2013 at the age of 27. I started out with a cbr250. half the people i spoke with told me not to start there. stating the fact that i would most likely get bored of it and it wouldn't do well for me when i go on the highway. the other half supported my decision of going to a 250 because of the things i would be able to learn on it and to get comfortable on it.

if i had to do it all over again, i would do the exact same thing. i learned alot when i had my 250, i kept up with my friends, who rode 600's, on the highway, and it was also more forgiving.

i bought the cbr250 for $2700, sold it for $3000. i made money on it. and now i'm riding comfortably on a 600.

learning how to ride a bike isn't a race. the more you get used to the smaller (this word is subjective) bike, the easier it would be when you do finally move up. good luck on your choice and i suggest going to a training course when you get your M2.
 
Do what you want. Dont let others dictate your choices. If you feel more comfortable with one, go with that one.

Depreciation on bikes is VERY low compared to cars so selling it and buying your next step up is not an issue.
 
Certainly bikes appreciate in value, like houses, especially when you look at used GTA market . . . LOL
 
I would say 250-500cc is fine but honestly shop around sit on the bikes and see how they feel to you, see how you like the seating position and if it's a good place for you to control your bike from. If you need a couple practice rounds (once your have your bike and have taken the course) in a parking lot or around town hit me up or there are usually some other friendly people on the forums.
 
I got my license at 24. The only regrets I have is not getting it earlier.

I still remember vividly my first bike ride on the road
 

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