First time buying anything with a motor in it, need some guidance.

T

Turbinator

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I have finally decided to buy a motorbike, will be getting the CBR 125. Neither I nor anyone in my family has had a car so I have no idea what steps I need to take in order to get my bike licensed/plated/legal and whatever else I might be missing. I will be going for the M1 next week, still haven’t decided on whether I should take the $470 basic class or not, it doesn’t make much difference on my insurance quote. Without it I got a quote for $1100 as a first time (25+) rider for the CBR 125.

Once I get my M1, and am ready to call up someone on kijiji to go buy a bike, what happens?
What needs to happen between me finding a good deal for a 125 and me riding that 125 on a street?
 
Did you ever ride a bike? If not (and in most cases even if yes) - course is a very good idea, I'd say it's a must have.
 
mongol777 said:
Did you ever ride a bike? If not (and in most cases even if yes) - course is a very good idea, I'd say it's a must have.
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Yeah I did ride a bike before. The only thing that I feel I need to do when I buy my bike is to go to a big parking lot near me and practice shifting so it becomes a habit like smooth motion, rather than something I have to actively think about. I probably will end up taking the M1 course eventually to reduce the wait for the M from 22 months to 18 tough.

matthew said:
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/vehicle/register.shtml
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I've been to that website before and it has left me more confused and with more questions than before I went in. For example, the two fees the Vehicle permit and number plate fee, and the yearly validation fee. What do I need to have/bring with me to get those? What's all the talk I hear of emission and safety tests? Where do they figure in this grand equation? What about ownership papers, how does that work, what happens when I buy the bike from someone else?
 
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Turbinator said:
Yeah I did ride a bike before. The only thing that I feel I need to do when I buy my bike is to go to a big parking lot near me and practice shifting so it becomes a habit like smooth motion, rather than something I have to actively think about. I probably will end up taking the M1 course eventually to reduce the wait for the M from 22 months to 18 tough.


I've been to that website before and it has left me more confused and with more questions than before I went in. For example, the two fees the Vehicle permit and number plate fee, and the yearly validation fee. What do I need to have/bring with me to get those? What's all the talk I hear of emission and safety tests? Where do they figure in this grand equation? What about ownership papers, how does that work, what happens when I buy the bike from someone else?
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How did people ever accomplish anything before the internet?

You need to buy a bike (means you need to exchange money); the seller must provide a UVIP. You (or the seller) get the bike certified (safety check) and you take the ownership (info is provided in the UVIP) to the MTO office and hand over that paper work (means money is exchanged) and the bike is registered in your name. Now, assuming you have insurance (means you talk to an insurance company, provide the VIN of the bike and exchange money again), you take your insurance info with you (pink slip) to the MTO when you register the bike and you pay more money (exchange money) to get a sticker and a license plate and then you can legally ride the bike.
 
matthew said:
How did people ever accomplish anything before the internet?

You need to buy a bike (means you need to exchange money); the seller must provide a UVIP. You (or the seller) get the bike certified (safety check) and you take the ownership (info is provided in the UVIP) to the MTO office and hand over that paper work (means money is exchanged) and the bike is registered in your name. Now, assuming you have insurance (means you talk to an insurance company, provide the VIN of the bike and exchange money again), you take your insurance info with you (pink slip) to the MTO when you register the bike and you pay more money (exchange money) to get a sticker and a license plate and then you can legally ride the bike.
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Matthew, that was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you very much, I apprechiate it. I know something as basic as that might seem trivial to others but neither me nor any of my immediate family members ever did it before, and others I have talked to talked only ever talked about parts of the process, giving conflicting steps.
 
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And you will pay for yerly validation fee at the same time when you will be getting the plates. For example if you were born in Aug - it will be valid till Aug 2012 and then you wil have to pay again. Or you can pay to get 2 years sticker which will be valid till Aug 2013. Don't forget to put second part of sticker on the back side of your ownership papers (there is special area for that)
 
Turbinator said:
Yeah I did ride a bike before. The only thing that I feel I need to do when I buy my bike is to go to a big parking lot near me and practice shifting so it becomes a habit like smooth motion, rather than something I have to actively think about. I probably will end up taking the M1 course eventually to reduce the wait for the M from 22 months to 18 tough.


I've been to that website before and it has left me more confused and with more questions than before I went in. For example, the two fees the Vehicle permit and number plate fee, and the yearly validation fee. What do I need to have/bring with me to get those? What's all the talk I hear of emission and safety tests? Where do they figure in this grand equation? What about ownership papers, how does that work, what happens when I buy the bike from someone else?
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Good for you on deciding to take the course. It is great that you rode bike before - it will be a great refresher and potentially will help you to get rid of some bad habits (if you have any)
 
From personal experience, I strongly recommend you bring someone along who knows bikes well. Befriend someone on this forum and buy em lunch to thank em for backing you up for example. I made a mistake of going in on blind trust when I bought my current bike and it turned out the be a real mess. I didn't know what I should have been looking for and I paid the price.

A few of the things I learned to watch for:

1- Don't get a bike that's dirty. If they cant' even bother to clean it for sale, they probably didn't take care of it in other ways that you can't see as easily.
2- Whenever possible get written records of past maintenance to show that it is up to date and was done on schedule
3- Look up online how to recognize a worn sprocket, chain and tire. (easy once you've seen the pics) because these are the most common maintenance issues that might cost you hundreds of dollars within the first few months of buying a used bike.

The only other relatively common problem in second hands is potentially a bent frame or front shocks. But unless it's so major that the bike would be written off as salvage, this can be tougher to spot without really knowing your stuff.
 
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lies! your cellphone has a motor in it
 
Pre purchase inspection. Have the seller if possible take it to a shop and have it inspected. The money you will spend having this done will be worth it of u end up buying a peice of crap and have to spend tonnes on a certification.
 
1. Ask the seller for the UVIP (Used Vehicle Information Package) That will tell you; who itis registered to and if there is any money owing to anyone on this bike. It will also show the VIN number of the bike. Check the VIN number shown on the UVIP to the actual VIN Number on the bike to make sure they match. Have the price you are paying for the bike filled out on the UVIP. The amount you fill in there will be the amount you pay HST (tax) on when transferring the ownership into your name.
2. Buy the bike only if the seller has; or is willing to, certify the bike before you pay him (best to do this if you are a novice at knowing what to look for in a used bike).
3. Arrange for insurance coverage to start the day you plan to pick the bike up from the seller and get at least a temporary insurance slip from the insurer that you can take to the MTO office.
4. Get the bike's ownership papers signed by the seller (the portion that is signed when ownership of the vehicle is being transferred between parties). Also check that the VIN number shown on the ownership papers matches the VIN on the bike and the VIN number on the UVIP papers.
5. Take all that stuff to the MTO and tell them you want the ownership transferred into your name and a licence plate plus validation sticker for the bike.

Assessing the condition of a used bike is not that difficult but; if you are really unsure about what to look closely at - do take someone else who is more familiar with motorcycles. Can't hurt. Above all, be a good judge of character when talking to the seller. If they seem sketchy or they avoid giving straight forward answers to questions you have, then walk away. There's always another bike out there waiting for you. No need to rush the process. Use focus and logic not emotion in making your buying decision.
 
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