Buying the First Bike | GTAMotorcycle.com

Buying the First Bike

MT93

Member
Hey guys,

So I'm gonna be in the process of getting licensed over the next several months and I was just browsing online for starter bikes (Ninja 250/300) to at least get an idea how much these bikes would cost.

I have a few questions hopefully you can help me out with, however.

1) Would it be premature in getting a bike now before I'm even licensed nor have any riding experience? I assumed listings for bikes would be kind of cheaper now during winter so I thought, why not try and take advantage of that? Any sense or truth in that, anyway?

2) Should I avoid buying a bike that is, lets say, an 08 or 09 model because of its age? There's a bike that I'm currently looking at that's an 08 Ninja 250 but it only has 6k km on it as this owner (2nd owner) only rode it for a a few seasons and then had it stored for the past 4 years albeit properly during the winter months.
Again, here I'm assuming that as long as the bike has been properly maintained and has no significant repair that is needed, it shouldn't be a big deal?

Appreciate your help and suggestions!
 
Welcome to the forum.

Best wishes on starting your motorcycle journey.

First things first, get ready to pay through the nose for insurance. Get even more ready if;

  1. you live in Brampton/Scarberia
  2. you`re younger than 25
  3. you can't bundle this with a home/car currently insured
Now to answer your questions;

  1. It is typically cheaper to buy in the offseason. If you have a buddy who can ride it home or access to a trailer then you might as well keep your eyes open. Depending on your budget, you could snap up a fairly recent model for about 3 grand, ride it for a few years and then get almost all your money back. Because they make great starter bikes the demand is always there. I'm talking about most bikes in the 300cc class, Ninja 300, CBR300, R3 around 2014. Which leads me to #2
  2. The issue with buying older bikes is there is potentially more stuff to wrench on to get it safe/roadworthy or if you have an OCD complex 'all fixed up'. If you can wrench yourself then this will obviously alleviate some of the concern. Things to be wary of on older bikes (seals,tires,fluids) and this is regardless of mileage, a lot of times these things simple wear out.
Now you won't be able to insure the bike without a license and most insurance companies will laugh at you if you ask for quotes with an M1. Best advice is get access to a trailer (rental or buddy/family) and keep an eye on the market for a steal in the offseason.

Cheers.
 
1) Would it be premature in getting a bike now before I'm even licensed nor have any riding experience? I assumed listings for bikes would be kind of cheaper now during winter so I thought, why not try and take advantage of that? Any sense or truth in that, anyway?

It'll be cheaper now than in April, but realistically, the best time to buy would have been in October/November before the sellers figured out their winter storage situation. If a seller currently has his bike in storage, he's not going to pull it now to sell at a discount, he's going to wait 3 more months and get full pop for it.

There might be some distress sales here and there, but for the most part, you're probably going to be waiting till prime season for the selection to open up.

2) Should I avoid buying a bike that is, lets say, an 08 or 09 model because of its age? There's a bike that I'm currently looking at that's an 08 Ninja 250 but it only has 6k km on it as this owner (2nd owner) only rode it for a a few seasons and then had it stored for the past 4 years albeit properly during the winter months.
Again, here I'm assuming that as long as the bike has been properly maintained and has no significant repair that is needed, it shouldn't be a big deal?

You have to evaluate vehicles on a case by case basis. A 08/09 bike that's been meticulously cared for might be a better buy than a 2018 that's been beat to sh!t and never maintained.

Go and see the bike in person. If you don't know much about motorcycles, bring a friend who does. Impossible to gauge the condition of the bike just by pictures in an ad - pix that might have been taken years ago.
 
1/ Not premature at all honestly because you're looking at reasonable bikes for a new rider to start out on, and it's a buyers market for the next 4-6 weeks at least. Once there's a touch of the spring in the air the market changes. Just don't get sucked into looking at 250/300's and end up buying a 600RR or something because your biggest challenge as a new rider is insurability.

On that front, what's your age, rough location, and driving record? All these can have a big impact on motorcycle insurability - those 3 things can be the difference between "Ouch, that stings a little" as a new rider and "I need to sell a Kidney on the black market for my first year riding". ;)

2/ Age isn't the end of the world as long as you know what you're looking at. Tires may be old and need to be changed (so price that in), fluids may need a flush, etc. Some of that maintenance is easy to do yourself if you're handy. But make sure it's priced accordingly, especially this time of year. 4 years of storage is a little concerning though unless it was *really* done right - check that there's no rust in the tank, that it runs correctly without any signs of stumbling through various RPM's, and check that there's no signs of rodent damage anywhere on wiring harnesses, etc. But if it was done right, 4 years isn't a huge deal. May need a new battery if it hasn't already been replaced.

In the above scenario it would pay to find someone knowledgable about bikes to come look at it on your behalf just to make sure everything is good. I'd also try to arrange a quick test ride somehow, again, by someone who's already licenced and knowledgeable if the seller has any question. Even if it's just up and down the street. That can tell a lot.

Edit: Looks like there's 3 of us replying with basically the same info at the same time lol. ;)
 
welcome, as most of the questions have been covered already, I contribute by suggesting you be cautious at intersections when riding in general (slow down a bit and become more aware) and invest in some high vis gear
 
Welcome to the forum.

Best wishes on starting your motorcycle journey.

First things first, get ready to pay through the nose for insurance. Get even more ready if;

  1. you live in Brampton/Scarberia
  2. you`re younger than 25
  3. you can't bundle this with a home/car currently insured
Now to answer your questions;

  1. It is typically cheaper to buy in the offseason. If you have a buddy who can ride it home or access to a trailer then you might as well keep your eyes open. Depending on your budget, you could snap up a fairly recent model for about 3 grand, ride it for a few years and then get almost all your money back. Because they make great starter bikes the demand is always there. I'm talking about most bikes in the 300cc class, Ninja 300, CBR300, R3 around 2014. Which leads me to #2
  2. The issue with buying older bikes is there is potentially more stuff to wrench on to get it safe/roadworthy or if you have an OCD complex 'all fixed up'. If you can wrench yourself then this will obviously alleviate some of the concern. Things to be wary of on older bikes (seals,tires,fluids) and this is regardless of mileage, a lot of times these things simple wear out.
Now you won't be able to insure the bike without a license and most insurance companies will laugh at you if you ask for quotes with an M1. Best advice is get access to a trailer (rental or buddy/family) and keep an eye on the market for a steal in the offseason.

Cheers.
Thanks for your reply!

Well, in regards to insurance, I'm 27 (male) with a full G licence and a clean record. I do live in Scarborough so I know that will be a con towards insurance rates. I will definitely be doing the motorcycle safety course as well so hopefully that lowers the rate. Also, thats another reason why I'm opting in getting a smaller bike versus a larger one, to avoid high insurance. I should be able to include this under preexisting insurance that I have as well.

Honestly, I just thought that if I get an older bike that I won't need to spend nearly as much on it but this is where inspecting the bike and doing my due diligence is going to come into play. The current owner mentioned that he installed a new battery and cleaned the chain and that the bike is functional with good working break pads. But I have yet to ask him further questions as I'm waiting for him to get back to me.

I'm gonna have to really think this over as to whether I wanna take a chance on an older model with potential future maintenance, or, one that is more recent (2013) and has also been taken care of.

Decisions, decisions!
 
It'll be cheaper now than in April, but realistically, the best time to buy would have been in October/November before the sellers figured out their winter storage situation. If a seller currently has his bike in storage, he's not going to pull it now to sell at a discount, he's going to wait 3 more months and get full pop for it.

There might be some distress sales here and there, but for the most part, you're probably going to be waiting till prime season for the selection to open up.



You have to evaluate vehicles on a case by case basis. A 08/09 bike that's been meticulously cared for might be a better buy than a 2018 that's been beat to sh!t and never maintained.

Go and see the bike in person. If you don't know much about motorcycles, bring a friend who does. Impossible to gauge the condition of the bike just by pictures in an ad - pix that might have been taken years ago.

Thanks for the advice!

I actually may have access to a trailer so if I do see a good bike now for the right price then I wouldn't mind "putting the cart before the horse" if you know what I mean lol

I'll keep everything in mind though when I go see the bike in person.
 
Honestly, as was mentioned, a well maintained older bike in good condition can end up being a lot better in the end versus something newer that was thrashed and trashed. You just have to know what to look for.

Where's the bike located? You can probably find someone here who'd come look it over for you.
 
1/ Not premature at all honestly because you're looking at reasonable bikes for a new rider to start out on, and it's a buyers market for the next 4-6 weeks at least. Once there's a touch of the spring in the air the market changes. Just don't get sucked into looking at 250/300's and end up buying a 600RR or something because your biggest challenge as a new rider is insurability.

On that front, what's your age, rough location, and driving record? All these can have a big impact on motorcycle insurability - those 3 things can be the difference between "Ouch, that stings a little" as a new rider and "I need to sell a Kidney on the black market for my first year riding". ;)

2/ Age isn't the end of the world as long as you know what you're looking at. Tires may be old and need to be changed (so price that in), fluids may need a flush, etc. Some of that maintenance is easy to do yourself if you're handy. But make sure it's priced accordingly, especially this time of year. 4 years of storage is a little concerning though unless it was *really* done right - check that there's no rust in the tank, that it runs correctly without any signs of stumbling through various RPM's, and check that there's no signs of rodent damage anywhere on wiring harnesses, etc. But if it was done right, 4 years isn't a huge deal. May need a new battery if it hasn't already been replaced.

In the above scenario it would pay to find someone knowledgable about bikes to come look at it on your behalf just to make sure everything is good. I'd also try to arrange a quick test ride somehow, again, by someone who's already licenced and knowledgeable if the seller has any question. Even if it's just up and down the street. That can tell a lot.

Edit: Looks like there's 3 of us replying with basically the same info at the same time lol. ;)

Really appreciate the help!

No, I'm definitely not getting anything bigger than a 300cc thats for sure! I need the riding experience first and I wanna be able to afford insurance haha.

I've yet to go and see the bike in person so at this current time, I don't know much else except for what I said earlier and what's on the bike listing itself.
 
A Ninja 250/300 may be your first bike, but it will most definitely not be your last bike. Know the difference between cosmetic damage and mechanical damage. You may be able to save yourself a lot of money by picking up a bike with rashed fairings due to a low-speed dump rather than a shiny bike which has never had its oil changed.

And if you buy a pre-rashed bike, you're not going to freak out when you, yourself, dump it while learning how to ride. Plus, when you sell it, you'll probably get exactly what you paid for it.
 
Honestly, as was mentioned, a well maintained older bike in good condition can end up being a lot better in the end versus something newer that was thrashed and trashed. You just have to know what to look for.

Where's the bike located? You can probably find someone here who'd come look it over for you.
I believe it's in Scarborough! Yeah, if I could have someone come along with me that would be great.

Still have to get some more info from the seller though.
 
I believe it's in Scarborough! Yeah, if I could have someone come along with me that would be great.

Still have to get some more info from the seller though.
i'm in north york near Scarberia. PM me if you want a second set of eyes sometime.
 
It's always fun spending other peoples money. ;)
 
Before you buy anything, get an insurance quote first. Even if you aren't licensed, tell them you are just to get an idea. You don't want to be that guy/gal who buys a bike only to find out insurance is astronomical.
 
Another thing to maybe consider... if you are going to be taking the safety course, they provide you with different styles of bikes to ride. So you'll get to test them out and switch around a bit, and maybe discover that you like one style over another.

As far as insurance, I'm in Scarborough as well and just a few years older. Full G but with a couple of minor speeding tickets. Quotes varied quite a bit for me when I was calling around. The ones that were reasonable wanted me to pay the entire premium up front unless I was going to be bringing over my car insurance also.
 
Can't ride it, can't buy it. There's enough you can't tell by a stationary bike that its a risky proposition. If the clutch plates/transmission was junk, the suspension bobbles or is perma bottomed out, the engine feels/sounds funny at high RPMs. Any one of these would cost more to fix the savings of buying off season. If you got a buddy and a weekend warm enough, sure.
 
Another thing to maybe consider... if you are going to be taking the safety course, they provide you with different styles of bikes to ride. So you'll get to test them out and switch around a bit, and maybe discover that you like one style over another.

As far as insurance, I'm in Scarborough as well and just a few years older. Full G but with a couple of minor speeding tickets. Quotes varied quite a bit for me when I was calling around. The ones that were reasonable wanted me to pay the entire premium up front unless I was going to be bringing over my car insurance also.
Any particular insurance company you'd recommend going with?
 

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