New Rider and my Experiences so far

dontgiveajack

dontgiveajack

Well-known member
Hi all, new here. Thought I'd introduce myself and put down my experiences thus far as a new rider. Hopefully the info here will help new riders.

I'm 25, 5'5, 140lbs, currently live in Oakville, got my M1 and M2 through a Motorcycle Saftey Course in Ottawa in 2010. Unfortunately, never got to ride since then! (They supplied the bikes).

Bike Decision
So finally, this year I decided to DO IT. I'm getting a 2009 Ninja 250 Limited Edition Green. ~8000km, aftermarket exhaust, frame sliders, rear tire stand. with safety. Was thinking of the CBR 125 (which I learned on in the course) but I knew highway driving was going to be a problem through research-- it is capable of doing 120kph perhaps. So, went to this site: http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Main_Page and decided to go with the 250. Got everything you need to know about maintenance, performance, etc... I'm not a speed junkie so I think the 170kph limit is going to be plenty for me (who knows what the future holds though). I will probably tour on it and lots of ppl have toured on this with no problems.

Insurance
TD Melloche Monnex gave me a quote of ~$530 for the year!! Just 3rd party liability. No comprehensive. I think the lady said it was another $35 for comprehensive. If that's true, I may get it fully covered since the price of a Motorcycle lock is probably $100 anyway. Insurnance is paid over 7 months in the summer, but it is insured all year. Some insurance companies do it over 12 months. I have car insurance with them also which may have added a discount. I also am a Brock University Alumni and they gave a discount for that as well. They have a huge list of schools they give discounts for. Everywhere else I looked is at least ~$800. And I have no accidents, tickets, etc...

Gear
After reading a lot, I know not to skimp on this one. I'm estimating I'll be paying close to another $500.

All I have to do now is pick up the bike, get gear and get it registered! Should be riding next week :)

One question: do you guys recommend doing the M2 Exit course? It's been over 2 years since I took the M1 Exit. You think I'll have forgotten how to ride? (Hard to say until I get my bike) Do they assume you have some level of riding in order to take the M2 Course? Or should I maybe take a refresher course and pay for a M2 test on my own?
 
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Most riding schools in the GTA offer refresher courses. You haven't ridden in two years and had little exp prior to that, so i would say it's money worth spending.
 
Welcome to the forum, and I second what Jayv has said. The the lay off and your limited experience it would be a wise decision to take a refresher course. Cheers
 
Welcome!!
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Great choice of first bike, I had both the CBR125R and the Ninja 250 and I liked the Ninja a lot more. Don't get too attached to the 170km/hr number however ;) It does about 160km/hr indicated and the speedo is off, GPS says it's about 150. Still more than enough to lose your license.
 
dontgiveajack said:
One question: do you guys recommend doing the M2 Exit course? It's been over 2 years since I took the M1 Exit. You think I'll have forgotten how to ride? (Hard to say until I get my bike) Do they assume you have some level of riding in order to take the M2 Course? Or should I maybe take a refresher course and pay for a M2 test on my own?
Click to expand...

I'm sure they don't expect anything from you as long as you satisfy all the conditions, but it's a question of what you expect from yourself rather than what they expect from you. Unlike G1 exit vs G2 exit gap, the M1 exit and M2 exit gap is steep (from based on my research - I don't have M yet).

IMO, even after a refresher, you are most likely not going to have enough skills to pass the M2 exit road test in traffic. Again IMO, one would def need a few thousands of kms of experience before that.
 
Welcome to GTAM!!
 
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