Finally getting started (East York, Honda VF750F) - advice welcome!

Hi all,

I'm a software developer with an electrical/computer engineering degree, living in East York and working in North York. I've wanted a motorcycle for years, and last week I finally took the plunge! I got a Honda Interceptor VF750F which (hopefully) only needs minor work to run -- the starter is slow, there's a leaky O-ring in one coolant line, it needs new gauges, and one carb diaphragm is torn; all stuff I'm confident I can learn to fix myself. (Advice is still welcome, though!)

What I most need advice on is gear and a riding course. A couple years ago I picked up a motorcycle helmet and armored gloves, and I have good hiking boots that cover my ankles; but I still need to get everything else, as well as a motorcycle license. Where are good places to go for gear in the GTA (or should I just shop online)? What should I look for to tell good gear apart from cheap, crappy gear that's just made to look like it's protective? How can I find gear which is protective, but also doesn't get devastatingly hot when I'm stopped in traffic? Does it matter which rider course I take, and if so, which is/are good?

As for the bike itself -- is it a stupid idea to start with a 550lb, 750cc bike? I never planned to start on something this big, but the deal a friend offered me on it was too good to pass up. I figure I can fix it up, get it safetied, and trade it for something smaller if that would really be a smarter idea, but now that I own it I've already got a soft spot for this thing. The reviews from when it came out all praise it for smooth power delivery and comfort while still having fun handling, all of which I like the sound of.

The bike:

Welcome fellow East Yorker!
I can recommend Learning Curves for getting your license. You can take a peak at them on Sat/Sun. Do you know the movie theater on Queen just east of Coxwell. Behind there is Eastern Ave and you will see a parking lot with some bins set up in the corner. This is where the course takes place. They took me from begining to full M.

Welcome to the world of motorcycles! Have you checked on the price of insurance? Usually a 750 is quite expensive for a new rider. I'd get some quotes before sinking too much time/money into it, you may need to go smaller.

I second Rebelrider1. I used Learning Curves for all my licence-related stuff (M1 exit course and also the M2 exit road test). They are fantastic. Great value and insight, and the location can't be beat for us East Yorkers!

the VFR750 may cost you a bunch to insure for the next few years. hopefully your age/experience can help offset.

if you need help on the bike, holler. East Yorkers, unite!

SpaceButler said:

What I most need advice on is gear and a riding course. A couple years ago I picked up a motorcycle helmet and armored gloves, and I have good hiking boots that cover my ankles; but I still need to get everything else, as well as a motorcycle license. Where are good places to go for gear in the GTA (or should I just shop online)? What should I look for to tell good gear apart from cheap, crappy gear that's just made to look like it's protective? How can I find gear which is protective, but also doesn't get devastatingly hot when I'm stopped in traffic? Does it matter which rider course I take, and if so, which is/are good?

As for the bike itself -- is it a stupid idea to start with a 550lb, 750cc bike? I never planned to start on something this big, but the deal a friend offered me on it was too good to pass up. I figure I can fix it up, get it safetied, and trade it for something smaller if that would really be a smarter idea, but now that I own it I've already got a soft spot for this thing. The reviews from when it came out all praise it for smooth power delivery and comfort while still having fun handling, all of which I like the sound of.

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For the course, both RTI and Learning Curves are solid options. See which offers one near you with the best timing and price.

For gear, if you shop at decent places (eg. GP Bikes) and/or stick to brand names like Alpinestars, Dainese, and to a less degree Icon, Speed & Strength, Joe Rocket, etc you are probably ok. Also a good way to look at things if the price seems good (not super cheap) and it looks protective, then it likely is. All good gear will be stupidly hot while sitting stopped, but most breathes pretty well once you are moving at 60km/h or more. When I ride, I have helmet, jacket, gloves, boots, textile pants, back protector, knee armour and it does get hot...but I'd much rather sweat than potentially bleed (or worse).

For the bike -- imo starting smaller would have helped you learn more/all the in's and out's. The VFR is heavy, but not geared like a Supersport, so it should be a little more forgiving with power delivery. If you don't ride stupid and give it more throttle than you should, and you are somewhat reserved on the road, you'll likely be ok. The bigger problem might actually be the insurance if you haven't looked into that yet. 750cc new rider will not be cheap, especially if you are young/under 25.

personally (and im sure in line with most everyone here) I ATGATT. kevlar jeans, jacket, boots, gloves, helmet, helmet cam. i have had good luck with ICON stuff. they are usually good value if you can get over the 'squidly-ness' of most of their stuff. If you have the cash and are just going for commutes and stuff, not mega-mile touring, go with Icon 1000. That stuff is fantastic for built quality and sturdiness, and doesn't make you look like a power ranger.
Either Snow City or GP Bikes carries the Icon 1000 gear. I am definitely a fan.

since you're gonna be riding in the city, get yourself a helmet cam that is always on (working like a dash cam). there are horrible (and borderline negligent) drivers, and if you have a cam rolling you will at least have evidence that they tried to kill you. it will probably save you a lot of grief. mine has paid off big time since i put one on my car and on my helmet.

Welcome @SpaceButler. Check out Kijiji or regear for some gently used gear. Should be getting close to the time of year people are ready to get rid of stuff. The issue I have with hiking boots are the laces. I picked up some entry level boots for ~$125 new

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Rebelrider1 said:

Welcome fellow East Yorker!
I can recommend Learning Curves for getting your license. You can take a peak at them on Sat/Sun. Do you know the movie theater on Queen just east of Coxwell. Behind there is Eastern Ave and you will see a parking lot with some bins set up in the corner. This is where the course takes place. They took me from begining to full M.

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Looks good! Thanks (to you and the others who seconded the recommendation). I just got my M1 today, so if I can get a jacket and pants I'm happy with, I think I'll probably try to take the course on the second weekend of October. My bike isn't running yet, let alone safetied and plated, but I figure it's best to get the M2 as early as possible to start the clock on getting my full M.

Iceman said:

Welcome to the world of motorcycles! Have you checked on the price of insurance? Usually a 750 is quite expensive for a new rider. I'd get some quotes before sinking too much time/money into it, you may need to go smaller.

Click to expand...

Thanks! And I haven't gotten any numbers yet; I tried getting a quote online but none of the insurers seem to support a bike this old on their online quote pages. I'm 33 and I've been driving cars since I was 16, with no collisions or traffic tickets or anything in the last 11 years, so hopefully that will help. But worst-case, I figure I'll fix up the bike I have as a streetfighter - basically finishing the job a previous owner started - and then try to trade it straight across for something smaller once I have it safetied.

thirstforspeed said:

if you need help on the bike, holler. East Yorkers, unite!

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Awesome, thank you! I've got a LOT to learn so I'd really appreciate that. Any tips on getting the hoses off my radiators? Pushing, pulling, and prying the end of the hose with a flathead screwdriver have all come up empty so far; I'm about to go through the shop manual for the bike to try to see if the hoses are standard (easily replaced) ones or not, and if they are, I'm tempted to just cut them.

conundrum said:

For gear, if you shop at decent places (eg. GP Bikes) and/or stick to brand names like Alpinestars, Dainese, and to a less degree Icon, Speed & Strength, Joe Rocket, etc you are probably ok. Also a good way to look at things if the price seems good (not super cheap) and it looks protective, then it likely is. All good gear will be stupidly hot while sitting stopped, but most breathes pretty well once you are moving at 60km/h or more. When I ride, I have helmet, jacket, gloves, boots, textile pants, back protector, knee armour and it does get hot...but I'd much rather sweat than potentially bleed (or worse).

For the bike -- imo starting smaller would have helped you learn more/all the in's and out's. The VFR is heavy, but not geared like a Supersport, so it should be a little more forgiving with power delivery. If you don't ride stupid and give it more throttle than you should, and you are somewhat reserved on the road, you'll likely be ok. The bigger problem might actually be the insurance if you haven't looked into that yet. 750cc new rider will not be cheap, especially if you are young/under 25.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips. I absolutely agree safety is the most important thing, but getting too hot can affect reaction time and balance, so I want to avoid stuff that I could get THAT hot in. Luckily that's probably not much of a worry until next July or so, so I should have time to get used to it.

As for starting smaller, I've read that before, and that had actually been my original plan. This bike was just a sudden opportunity I couldn't pass up -- friend of a friend lost his storage spot for it on very short notice, so he offered it super cheap if I could take it the next day. $300 plus $50 for delivery, and all it appears to need are a starter rebuild, carb diaphragm replacement (only on one carb), new rear turn signals, mirrors, and gauge cluster. As I said to someone else above, if it's too much to insure or I just don't feel comfortable on it as a new rider, I'll see if I can trade it straight across for something smaller once I get it running and safetied.

thirstforspeed said:

personally (and im sure in line with most everyone here) I ATGATT. kevlar jeans, jacket, boots, gloves, helmet, helmet cam. i have had good luck with ICON stuff. they are usually good value if you can get over the 'squidly-ness' of most of their stuff. If you have the cash and are just going for commutes and stuff, not mega-mile touring, go with Icon 1000. That stuff is fantastic for built quality and sturdiness, and doesn't make you look like a power ranger.
Either Snow City or GP Bikes carries the Icon 1000 gear. I am definitely a fan.

since you're gonna be riding in the city, get yourself a helmet cam that is always on (working like a dash cam). there are horrible (and borderline negligent) drivers, and if you have a cam rolling you will at least have evidence that they tried to kill you. it will probably save you a lot of grief. mine has paid off big time since i put one on my car and on my helmet.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm aware that riding is a risky thing and I intend to take that seriously. As for gear, while I'm sure I will commute with the bike, what I really want to do once I've gained the skill and experience for it is basically long adventure rides, mostly on twisty country roads, sometimes with unpaved sections. Would that change which gear you'd recommend?

I've already got a GoPro Hero2, so I'll probably just stick that on my helmet when I ride, and maybe upgrade to a purpose-built system after a while.

Joe Bass said:

Welcome @SpaceButler. Check out Kijiji or regear for some gently used gear. Should be getting close to the time of year people are ready to get rid of stuff. The issue I have with hiking boots are the laces. I picked up some entry level boots for ~$125 new

Click to expand...

Cool, thanks for the tip! Just to spread out the cost I'll probably use the hiking boots for my riders course, but then get proper boots before I start riding on my own in the spring.