New Street Rider from Hamilton/Toronto! | GTAMotorcycle.com

New Street Rider from Hamilton/Toronto!

STS

New member
Hey Everyone! Hope you are all out riding right now and not reading this but if you are here's the basics!

My Name's Steve, I'm 19 from Hamilton but travel to Toronto often. I'm a upper year student at McMaster for Engineering. Always been a ICE fanatic, anything with an engine is what I'm interested in. I spent 3 weeks reading forums and watching youtube videos to decide what riding lawn mower to get, I've learned lots. I've ridden bikes for a good majority of my life, dirt and track so I'm only new to the street. I'm also a pretty big guy (6' 2", 245) so i'll probably be starting out on a 650/600 (SV650,FZ6,F4i,GSF650 etc.) but I haven't decided just yet. I'm a major car, bike, nuclear and racing (WRC, F1, Moto (GP/2), Dakar) enthusiast. I'm currently working with a NASCAR team on car set-up as my summer job.

Joined the forums to gather insight on routes, insurance, events and to potentially gain some riding friends. None of my friends ride (as much as they would like to) due to the cost. Between my job/school and travelling around for work I can't ride much so i'll be on my fathers policy for the time being which makes it easier on myself but still leaves me as a solo rider.

Thanks in advance for your advice and if you have any questions about me or my research/education areas feel free to ask!

Cheers!
 
Welcome to the forum!

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Welcome!
Wheelie.gif
 
Welcome to the forum.

I can't ride much so i'll be on my fathers policy for the time being which makes it easier on myself but still leaves me as a solo rider.

Unwise, this was hashed out in another thread a month or three back - basically, if you get in an accident and actually need your insurance, if the insurance company discovers that you're actually the primary rider on the motorcycle and it was just in your dads name for the dollar savings, well, they could cancel the policy and deny any claims. Unfortunately, if the bike is yours, you're really the primary rider, and your dad has nothing to do with it in reality....you need to get a bike that is financially insurable under your own name. I think (but don't quote me on it) that your choices of bike (short of the F4i) should be, well...not insane when it comes to insurance, but as many around here will tell all new riders - call for insurance quotes BEFORE ever buying a bike. ;)

Hate to say it, but at 19, forget about the F4i - there was another rider in your age bracket that tried to insure one a while back and got an $8000/year quote. He was also considering (or likely did in the end, actually) doing the same thing you were suggesting, insuring it under his dads name for $1K/year instead while he was actually the primary rider, but no amount of discussion could convince him that he was actually opening a potential can of worms by doing so. You sound significantly more mature and of sound mind and judgement already vs him, however. ;)
 
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@PrivatePilot I was thinking the same thing, but looking at it again, and I may be wrong, but it seems his dad does ride and will actually be the primary rider.

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Welcome to the forum.



Unwise, this was hashed out in another thread a month or three back - basically, if you get in an accident and actually need your insurance, if the insurance company discovers that you're actually the primary rider on the motorcycle and it was just in your dads name for the dollar savings, well, they could cancel the policy and deny any claims. Unfortunately, if the bike is yours, you're really the primary rider, and your dad has nothing to do with it in reality....you need to get a bike that is financially insurable under your own name. I think (but don't quote me on it) that your choices of bike (short of the F4i) should be, well...not insane when it comes to insurance, but as many around here will tell all new riders - call for insurance quotes BEFORE ever buying a bike. ;)

Hate to say it, but at 19, forget about the F4i - there was another rider in your age bracket that tried to insure one a while back and got an $8000/year quote. He was also considering (or likely did in the end, actually) doing the same thing you were suggesting, insuring it under his dads name for $1K/year instead while he was actually the primary rider, but no amount of discussion could convince him that he was actually opening a potential can of worms by doing so. You sound significantly more mature and of sound mind and judgement already vs him, however. ;)

@PrivatePilot I was thinking the same thing, but looking at it again, and I may be wrong, but it seems his dad does ride and will actually be the primary rider.

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You are correct, my father wants a bike to enjoy and will be the sole rider for the most part (He lives about 65 KM away from me) except for when I visit him on some weekends/holidays. Riding in general is expensive even excluding the insurance aspect and, with tuition/rent I normally couldn't afford to ride. I was originally never going to ride on the street until I graduated and got my full M due to the cost but my dad offered to put me on the policy to gain some previous insurance experience for when I do get my own bike and to be able to take my M2X eventually. He's undecided on which bike he wants to get, he loves the Bolt/Vulcan S but also sport touring bikes. The only reason the F4I was on the list is the cheap entry cost (due to everyone selling them off (insurance)) and upright position. I've ridden 600's around Mosport and Grand Bend so i'm not unfamiliar with them either but I worry for my dad who has only ridden 250 dirt bikes and 125 street bikes (back in the 80's).

I am quite against insurance fraud as I know it only makes our rates go up in the long run!

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Edit: Also the insurance quotes we've gotten are roughly these, my dad is not very computer literate so I'm doing most of this for him:

$1m/$500 deductible for comp/coll

F4I/YZF600 (not R6) - ~$120/mth
GSF650/FZ6/SV650S - ~$75/mth
Ninja/CBR 250 - ~$40/mth

I'm not entirely sure what is a good rate and what isn't but they all are affordable. I really don't want a 250 for myself or my dad because I truly believe for anyone over 200 lbs they are unsafe. You never know what could happen on the road and if you encounter an enraged individual who just has something out for motorcyclists I believe you need the power to be able to remove yourself from that problem. I used to race 250's when I was younger (before my grow spurt which made me non-competitive, I only mention it because someone will ask "have you even ridden one?") so while they fit the bill I'm just a little paranoid for myself and my dad. Those darn road rage videos... entertaining but boy do they make you a little bit paranoid.
 
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If you don't live at home, I don't see how you can be a secondary rider -- Doesn't that require you to live at the same address?
 
If you don't live at home, I don't see how you can be a secondary rider -- Doesn't that require you to live at the same address?
Lives at home. Job involves major travel so parents home is primary address. If again, I am reading it right. Or can you use your RV as your primary?

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Lives at home. Job involves major travel so parents home is primary address. If again, I am reading it right. Or can you use your RV as your primary?

Sent from my custom purple Joe Bass mobile device using Tapatalk

Correct again, my primary address (license, bank accounts, CC's, official school docs) is at my fathers house. In the summer I'm travelling all around Canada and the U.S. And during the school year im in a student house which changes every year/semester depending on the lease. I try to pick up a sublet from people that have switched schools or dropped out which makes renting a lot cheaper!

The racing team I work for is just outside of Toronto and my SO also works there hence the 65 Km's.

Wrong quote but incase he sees this: How do you like the 650F? We've been looking at those, seems like a good compromise between SS and touring bikes.
 
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@STS, wish I was this right irl ?
Use the @username will send notification without having to quote

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Correct again, my primary address (license, bank accounts, CC's, official school docs) is at my fathers house. In the summer I'm travelling all around Canada and the U.S. And during the school year im in a student house which changes every year/semester depending on the lease. I try to pick up a sublet from people that have switched schools or dropped out which makes renting a lot cheaper!

The racing team I work for is just outside of Toronto and my SO also works there hence the 65 Km's.

Wrong quote but incase he sees this: How do you like the 650F? We've been looking at those, seems like a good compromise between SS and touring bikes.

I guess the additional rider thing might work then, assuming the bike 'lives' at your parents' house, and assuming your dad insures himself on it and actually uses it (making you an actual secondary rider).

As for the CBR650F I like it/am still happy with it -- Was really debating it or the CBR600RRA, but I couldn't see myself riding on a supersport for over 2 hours without wanting off for a 20 minute break. In comparison, I could ride my CBR250RA all day with the only breaks being potentially lunch, and the 2-5 mins it takes to gas up and go when needed. Ergonomics on the 650 are slightly more aggressive than the 250...but not where near SS levels. Insurance and potential risk of theft also weighed in, and truthfully the power didn't seem that different below 120km/h...so to really stretch the 600RRA's legs in any gear you'd be well above the legal limit...and technically same is true for the 650F as well.
 

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