Completely New To This, Advice is Nice

Try a bunch of them...unfortunately you can't demo ride.

And your dad to think you're gonna be reckless like him...well... i find that in general us boys are more reckless and stupid than girls in all the things. Whether it be moto, skiing/snowboarding, etc i find women more level headed than us men with our caveman syndrome.

Joe Bass said:

Those 125s aren't terrible either.

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16year + 125cc = $2500 a year roughly. My friend's cousin is 16 with a 125.

TSquared said:

16year + 125cc = $2500 a month roughly. My friend's cousin is 16 with a 125.

remember you can only ride half the year, so it's basically paying 5k a month. 16 year old with that money comes from rich families, selling drugs or really good at commission sales.

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That's a typo, right? $2500/ month? That's $30k a year...

RoguePredator said:

Thank you. About the traffic, it seems motorbikes get around faster, since they're smaller and able to pass a bit easier than cars. I'm not saying I would, but the option is there. I would be careful. I want to keep that privilege as long as I can. Because, honestly, it looks fun. I'm not going to lie, one of my reasons is that I feel that I would very much enjoy getting around on a motorcycle. As for growing up too fast, no worries there. Even 16 brings along a lot of responsibility. I'm currently practicing with my G1, and I intend to get a full G license now that I've started (under pressure from parents for cars, instead of bikes) not that I mind, a G license would be beneficial. It's just, that motorbikes appeal more to me. That said, I will finish this, and hopefully then I'll be old enough to make my own decisions about this. Not to say I can't start researching now

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If you just want to get into riding motorcycles you can always buy a low cc bike for the race track and go days for beginners open track. You don't need to insure the bike to ride it on track.

But, if you plan to use it for road use, you should definitely wait until you're older. Insurance companies do not want to deal with anyone bellow 25 as they are considered high risk, so they make it super expensive to insure one at a younger age. When I was 24 I was paying about $4k a month for my 600, when I turned 25 it went down to $1.2k the following year with statefarm. Statefarm is good but you must have a G license and 5+ years of having your G license. Insurance between M1,M2 and M class makes no difference in cost to them, or does taking the course. However every insurance company works differently.

Joe Bass said:

That's a typo, right? $2500/ month? That's $30k a year...

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LOL, I mean 2500 a year!

TSquared said:

If you just want to get into riding motorcycles you can always buy a low cc bike for the race track and go days for beginners open track. You don't need to insure the bike to ride it on track.

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If I could do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I would have done this before turning 25.

Get your M2 through a appropriate riding school (RTI was mine). Find someone into trackdays/racing (you're a girl, riders love helping girls because this is a male dominated sport) to help you scout out a used 250. It'll probably cost $2500-$3000. Insurance at this point will cost you $3000+. Instead of wasting that money on insurance, go to the track (mosport RDT comes to mind) for a season. Each track weekend will cost you around $500-$700 which equates to around twice a month from June to September at $4000. You can opt out on days where you feel money is tight. Gear, for the helmet, boots, gloves, suit, and liners will be over $2000; you'd need these on the street anyway.

You can easily find someone to help you bring the bike to the track and give you some tips.

Total cost is $3000 (bike) + $2000 (gear) + $500x8 (trackdays) = $9000.

Once you've gotten a few track sessions, look into Racer5 for training next season.

The reason I'd suggest track instead of street riding is because the only thing you learn on the street is how to handle traffic. You learn very little about how to handle your bike. Insurance is also a gigantic rip off unless you crash; crashing at a race track is substantially safer than on the street because it is a controlled environment; you have grass run off (to slide onto) and "traffic" (other track riders) moves in one direction. There are flag marshals throughout the track that will wave a flag to let other riders know you have gone down so no one runs over you. Rather than pay for insurance, it makes more sense to pay to learn and have a **** ton of fun doing it.

There is one major down side to this: you may hate street riding after this lol

And if you dad goes to the track with you a double win!!!

...hmmm, maybe I should get my 16 yr old to go this route....

If I was in your position I would bring it up to your dad that he should try motorcycling now that he's older and more mature, then you can both go out together! Quality bonding time which at 16 you probably don't care all that much about, I know how I was at that age(not that long ago).

I think if what another commentator said about a 125cc bike for a 16 year old is roughly true thats really not that bad. The only problem is that's kinda expensive at your age when you consider you can only ride for 6-8 months of the year.

But I definately think you should start getting your licence ASAP, cause its going to take 60 days after m1 to get your m2, and 18-24 months after getting your M2 untill you can get your full M, and getting your full M is going to help ALOT with insurance.... getting your full G should help to.

I'm going to cast a vote in the "buy used" box, even though I bought new for my first bike, I love my bike but I think I should have bought used. It will be ALOT cheaper, because motorcycles are the type of hobby people get into, they ride alot to start then ride less and less untill they don't do it anymore, sort of like going to the gym.... point being there will end up lots of motorcycles for sale from people needed extra money and realizing they don't ride much anymore.... because there is so many for sale the prices drop alot on them, its definately a buyers market. I would also buy used gear provided it hasn't been in any accidents and your not squeamish about wearing someone else's gear.... most gear gets worn over your clothes, and because of the wind at riding speeds sweat usually isn't a problem.... it is crazy how cheap you can buy used gear and cycles... think less then half of original price.... there is often very good deals on new gear that is old stock to... I recently bought a leather motorcycle jacket that is very nice quality for 40% off, wasn't marked I just asked if he could do a better price and he knocked 40% off cause old stock...

So I think the prices involved will look like.... 2-3k for used bike in good condition, safetied, ready to ride. Either 125-250cc. 800-1000$ for gear. 2,500-3,500 Insurance each year. Its really the insurance that's going to hurt the most. But if you decide its to expensive to start right away, atleast get the licence process going to help with insurance when you finally have saved up enough. I regret not starting the licence process a couple years ago.

I guess I'll add my $0.02 since I started relatively recently.

I wanted to ride when i was 17, figured out what I needed to get the ball rolling.

A used CBR125 at the time cost ~$1700, insurance was $3500 1 payment for the first year - That was too much for me, waited a year and dropped down to about $2000. I hear people are getting quotes for around $2000-$2500 on their first year now though.

At first I bought some "budget gear" - Helmet and gloves ($120 total) + borrowed boots for my safety course with Learning Curves (when I was 17 - I don't remember needing my parents to consent as a previous poster mentioned...). Over the course of the year when I waited for my insurance premiums to drop, I saved up for proper gear (which I could have bought initially and saved $120) and ended up spending around $1500 for decent gear.

Only having a part time job and seasonal Summer job, it took a while to save up but was able to save enough money for approx 2 years of riding without work (lived with parents at the time).
There also has to be some money saved for maintenance, gas, and a bit extra just in case anything goes wrong - which tends to happen.

The ninja 250 was also an option for me, but the average price at the time was ~$1500 more for a ninja 250 over a cbr125 which was not in my budget at the time.

Without scrounging for pennies and wearing decent gear, I saved up around $6000 for 2 years of riding.

Set a goal for yourself, make a plan, and don't rush into it blindly.


Note: Being in Acton - relatively far from Brampton and Toronto, I'd think your insurance rates would be a bit cheaper.

You would learn a lot and have fun taking a course a moto-park.

Kid started there - get a 125 cc Honda and convince dad to run you up one day each weekend to Chatsworth.
http://www.motoparkracing.com

You can leave the bike there. They start them very young there. ( we're talkng 4 years old with training wheels on a dirt bike )

Kid rode his CR230 for a year and he learned a lot and we had a great time tho lots of driving....
This would be perfect for you
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-street-cruis...ad/1087658057?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
Drive it at Motopark for a year ( get dad to buy this one ) - it will hold it's value very well and they are bullet proof.

Then YOU buy something like this for your first year on the streets


http://www.kijiji.ca/v-scooters-poc...50/1086724509?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

Then sell the little scooter and ride the CRF230 for a couple of years as it's one of the few road legal machines that would be fun on the dirt and on the road for a new rider...

••••

Having a friend along was even better. His friend works for me now and has a FZ-06 bike he intends to ride track.

My son bought a 50 CC Jaz initially and insurance was $800 for the year under facility insurance.
Jaz waz underpowered but the Yammie 50cc was great



Good road presence and can handle secondary road speeds. You can ride that 8-9 months of the year,

Get by that year clean and you are on track to move up. Buy one used.
The insurance rates have strange cut offs so ask carefully.

Once you ride a 125 cc dirt bike you'll see how much fun they are and way cheap to get a road version.
Upright seating is safer as well as your vision is less restricted.

Kid moved up through a couple of bikes....bought the SV650s on his own and learned sport seating not its cracked up to be when we did Quebec and PA.

Flipped that out for a steal on a FZ-08 which he loves and will be a long term bike for him - he's 23 now.
He put some money this year into a better seat and a top box



and we're just home from a 10,000 km jaunt over 3 weeks in the Rockies...that's him in Hyder Alaska last month.

50th anniversary ride for me ( I started at 17 ) and I was impressed he was okay on some of the long days but that seating position makes it possible

If you can get your dad engaged to support the dirt riding you'll be a better rider for it and maybe he'll get re-engaged

Like you he was only interested in mcycles from the get go....not in cars and only recently got his G for work.

Don't overboard on street gear...dirt gear is cheaper and better protection in some ways and there's loads of good ladies jackets out there used.

You are in an excellent area to ride - you'd have a ball on the BW-50 and it should be affordable. Then move up.

Good luck ..get dad engaged....drive to Motopark - its only 90 minutes north of you.

Stick with it long enough and get to here....


Very nice lady on a BMW1000R

Thats her bike in the foreground. Serious serious motorcycle...0-150 mph in 10-11 seconds.
Hubby rides similar - the gold one