Pros + Cons/The Right Time?

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With no one to help it's a tough haul tho easy to visit.

I'd never been and then met a girl on line in a science forum and to make a 4 year story short will be settling there in a few years semi-retired but still engaged with the biz here. I used to spend the winters in Western Cape South Africa which is gorgeous and low cost.

We travel a couple of months together ( just got back from SPain and France ) and I go there for 3 months each winter. Very different circumstances to yours.

You want to get engaged on the mcycle forums there as it's a good way to build some friendships and suss out some opportunities. Under 26 it's easy to get work permits for Aus.

http://www.international.gc.ca/experience/destinations/australia_australie.aspx?lang=eng

Oddly my riding partner in Cairns rides the identical Burgman that I have here and we met on the Burgman site in the US.
We have a very small business venture started to see where it goes.
http://www.cassowarymac.com.au
Aussies seem very good hearted but it's an expensive place. If you do get work tho the pay is generally quite high compared to Canada.

If you are willing to work the mines and remote areas incomes can be as high as $120,000 per year. I for sure recommend travelling while you can. Take a gap year after uni and roam a bit - Aus is a great spot. Cairns is a magnet for kids that age.

I mean - do places like this really exist??!! :D



and yeah thats me floundering around in it. :D
 
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MacDoc said:
With no one to help it's a tough haul tho easy to visit.

I'd never been and then met a girl on line in a science forum and to make a 4 year story short will be settling there in a few years semi-retired but still engaged with the biz here. I used to spend the winters in Western Cape South Africa which is gorgeous and low cost.

We travel a couple of months together ( just got back from SPain and France ) and I go there for 3 months each winter. Very different circumstances to yours.

You want to get engaged on the mcycle forums there as it's a good way to build some friendships and suss out some opportunities. Under 26 it's easy to get work permits for Aus.

http://www.international.gc.ca/experience/destinations/australia_australie.aspx?lang=eng

Oddly my riding partner in Cairns rides the identical Burgman that I have here and we met on the Burgman site in the US.
We have a very small business venture started to see where it goes.
http://www.cassowarymac.com.au
Aussies seem very good hearted but it's an expensive place. If you do get work tho the pay is generally quite high compared to Canada.

If you are willing to work the mines and remote areas incomes can be as high as $120,000 per year. I for sure recommend travelling while you can. Take a gap year after uni and roam a bit - Aus is a great spot. Cairns is a magnet for kids that age.

I mean - do places like this really exist??!! :D



and yeah thats me floundering around in it. :D
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It looks like such a miraculous place, I am more than excited at the idea of moving there eventually. I will save up to move to Melbourne and try to set up life there for myself.
 
unL33T said:
Older. Everyone does stupid stuff when they're young. Much more potential to kill yourself on a bike.

Most economy cars are better.
Except you can't use it in the winter.
Old cars are cheaper.
Except when it rains or snows and you can carry very limited stuff and almost nothing with a passenger unless you spend a lot on luggage.
Wrong. Gear just prevents minor injuries like road rash. If you're in a crash bad enough to kill you, it will probably still kill you with gear on.
Everything here is right except the last one. It doesn't take long to become comfortable. It takes long to become GOOD. Insurance isn't just expensive. It is many multiples of expensive at your age. At your age car insurance is expensive and I would expect to pay at least double for a bike.

I'm not saying you shouldn't ride. But don't try to sugar coat it. There are not really any real positives except that it's fun.
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No need to be unnecessarily harsh either.

Regarding practicality and safety, you're bang on. The most utilitarian of bikes is maybe as practical as the worst exotic car. And there is nothing safe about a bike over a car.

As for cost, my FZ6 is hardly an econobike but averages 5.5L/100km, better mileage than just about any car. There are plenty of good bikes like it, or smaller, that will kill any car in mileage. Motorcycle maintenance is cheaper, depreciation is less. My insurance is less than for my minivan. So cost is easily a plus over a car if you don't get anything real extravagant (doesn't have to be a scooter either).

When it comes to winter riding, it is obviously possible as some people do it, but they are a rare and hardy breed.

To the OP:

My experience riding in winter ended at -5 degrees. While I will cycle in weather down to -20, I found I reached my limit much earlier on a motorcycle. The obstacles were: 1) I couldn't stand to put my bike through that torture again, being super stiff and heavy with all the cold fluids, and spewing condensation through the exhaust forever. Never mind battery life and road salt; 2) My forehead would get cold and there was nothing I could wear over or under my helmet to prevent it; 3) the ridiculous amount time it would take to layer up then undress again at those temps.

IMO the answer to your question rests entirely on whether or not you are one of those hardy folks who can ride through the winter or not.
 
OP, it's nice that you have a good relationship with your parents and communicate well with them. Good luck with your decision.


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Sorry to dump some cold water here, but Australia is another country that discourages immigration. You write as if it is as simple as getting on a plane and setting up shop someplace else. If it was that easy, everyone from Bangladesh would move to Australia tomorrow. Even going to school there as an international student is 50k a year.

Your problems don't disappear by magically moving to the other side of the world.

Focus on obtaining skills and experience.
 
Umm you are quite wrong on that for people under 26. There are special visa classes that are available that let young people live and work in Australia.

Pay your way and get work experience by working while travelling. Canada has formal agreements with many countries to allow youth to work there temporarily. Those countries include:

Australia
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http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs/abroad.shtml

http://www.international.gc.ca/experience/index.aspx?lang=eng&view=d

http://www.international.gc.ca/experience/organizations.aspx?lang=eng&view=d

Canada and Australia exchange young workers all the time up to about the age 26.

Many many Australians including my step daughter and her friends come to work in Canada as well.

Let him travel - bloody hell -we're only young once....geeez bunch of old fogies and I'lm the oldest of the lot of you...:rolleyes:
 
Ok, my experience is limited to people 30+ who must pay 50k a year if they want to go to school there. Part of why my partner stayed in Toronto for now. A school in Aus was one of her choices for a PhD but it was too expensive. Too bad, I would have liked to have gone for a few years.

I also knew someone who married an Australian but the government wouldn't let him emigrate even though he was white. After a year of not being able to get legal work due to paperwork, etc. they ended up divorcing.

But if as you say that under 26 it is easier then I would be encouraging. But not if over 26.
 
MacDoc said:
Umm you are quite wrong on that for people under 26. There are special visa classes that are available that let young people live and work in Australia.



http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs/abroad.shtml

http://www.international.gc.ca/experience/index.aspx?lang=eng&view=d

http://www.international.gc.ca/experience/organizations.aspx?lang=eng&view=d

Canada and Australia exchange young workers all the time up to about the age 26.

Many many Australians including my step daughter and her friends come to work in Canada as well.

Let him travel - bloody hell -we're only young once....geeez bunch of old fogies and I'lm the oldest of the lot of you...:rolleyes:
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The scooter you posted up a few posts was absolutely beautiful and I'm definitely gonna look into getting one of those once I get my M1.

Thanks for the links for that youth travel website, as I didn't even know that was in existence! It looks like a much easier way to make my way over there and will also offer me the experience. I honestly can't thank you enough for all the help and advice you have been giving me, it means the world. It's like you are somewhat of my "online parent" who wants nothing more than to help, and I am so thankful for the time you are taking to help me through this and to help answer all of the questions I have, most of all for helping me keep the dream alive.
 
Been there done that :D....they both turned out okay tho very different-one travelled more than me ( that's saying a lot ) but totally urban no interest in drivers licence or motorcycles and the other not interested in travel but adores all things motorcycle....same set of genes - go figure.
Keep us posted on your adventures and try to get on one of the off road camps this year. Memorable and if you are bicycling - the best thing you can do is ride your bicycle on local roads as if you are riding a scoot or small motorcycle
WHere you can keep up with traffic take your space and obey all the stop signs and traffic lights.

No reason not to keep the thread active over the next couple of years as you hit your targets or run into roadblocks. :D

Zuma's are cool scoots with good road presence thanks to the dual lights.
Put a screen and top box on and you've got a very solid vehicle for around town.

This was kids 5 years back



Perfectly fine around town up to 60 kph ( 70 on a good day - 80 downwind downhill ) and reasonable quick to get there.

There are hop up kits as well that still stay under the ridiculous 100 cc limit.

100,00s of thousands of Europeans get it.





even the suits

 
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MacDoc said:
Been there done that :D....they both turned out okay tho very different-one travelled more than me ( that's saying a lot ) but totally urban no interest in drivers licence or motorcycles and the other not interested in travel but adores all things motorcycle....same set of genes - go figure.
Keep us posted on your adventures and try to get on one of the off road camps this year. Memorable and if you are bicycling - the best thing you can do is ride your bicycle on local roads as if you are riding a scoot or small motorcycle
WHere you can keep up with traffic take your space and obey all the stop signs and traffic lights.

No reason not to keep the thread active over the next couple of years as you hit your targets or run into roadblocks. :D

Zuma's are cool scoots with good road presence thanks to the dual lights.
Put a screen and top box on and you've got a very solid vehicle for around town.

This was kids 5 years back



Perfectly fine around town up to 60 kph ( 70 on a good day - 80 downwind downhill ) and reasonable quick to get there.

There are hop up kits as well that still stay under the ridiculous 100 cc limit.

100,00s of thousands of Europeans get it.





even the suits

Click to expand...
I will definitely keep this thread updated as time progresses and I inch closer and closer to my goal. I still have a lot of planning to do and I need to work out the financial bits, but in the end I am hoping it will all turn out well. I plan on signing up for a couple day motocross camp nearing the end of august and that should be a blast, again thanks so much for all the help, couldn't have figured half this stuff out without your advice.
 
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