[WHEYsted]

What are some of the best bikes for beginner riders?

[stevo911_]

250 Ninja, I would say is the best in the sportier category, its quick but not fast enough to get you into trouble too easily (it still can though), nice and light and a bit smaller so its easy to manage at low speeds, cheap insurance & great gas mileage, great for playing with in the twisties (once you replace the shitty stock tires)...

[Jermyzy]

Pretty much any of the 250cc bikes are pretty forgiving in case you put too much throttle. I think the 500cc ones (e.g. Suzuki gs500 or ninja 500) are a good compromise for a little more power. If you're confident you might be able to handle a middleweight like some of the 650s out there.

[stevo911_]

^the gs500's are a pretty nice bike to ride if you wanna spend a bit more money.
either way do a riding school

[racerman88]

ninja 250, any 500 and the SV650's are nice as well

[stevo911_]

The SV's are nice but after having ridden one i'd be reluctant to suggest that as a very begginers bike (judging from the average rider at the riding school i went to)

[Jermyzy]

^the gs500's are a pretty nice bike to ride if you wanna spend a bit more money.
either way do a riding school

RMS is clearing out their 2008's GS500 for $3999 +PDI/taxes right now. Cheaper than a 250!

[Timpo]

CBR125

[ecsw]

^ +1

[Midnitez]

^+2

[asian_XL]

CBR125

CBR125 is way too tiny for a beginner bike.

http://www.bikechatforums.com/files/cbr125small.jpg


when you pick your first beginner bike, try to stay away from few things.
1) bike that is too small or too big/heavy
2) the rider needs to lean forward a lot
3) bike that your feet can't reach the ground or too low


http://www.2fiddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/taufik_ninja-250r.jpg

this is perfect.

[ak1to]

ninja 250, any 500 and the SV650's are nice as well

I agree, my vote for a beginner bike that wouldn't be too expensive would be a:

Ninja 500
GS500
SV650

A CBR125 might be the least intimidating but you're really going to outgrow it quickly.

[ecsw]

CBR125 is way too tiny for a beginner bike.

http://www.bikechatforums.com/files/cbr125small.jpg



that's not you. :p

well, as long as you are arond 130~150lb, cbr125 should be ok. :)

[eurochevy]

ninja 250 without any lessons..with taking a course you realise you can do already good enough to surpas a 250 so any of the common 600 although easiest to ride would be a cbr 600

[iEye]

Keep in mind that if you go about 400cc, your insurance bracket moves up.

[hud 91gt]

An SV is a fine bike for someone with any sort of control, although i've seen what some people are like in the beginner course lol. I just picked up my first street bike, an SV650. With previous dirtbike experience the bike is quite easy to handle and won't scare you unless you really try. Fine bike for beginners if your not an idiot.

[KingCrimson]

250r ftw

[FORGED-RB24DET]

my first bike is currently a GSXR 600...

beautiful bike but make sure you have an understanding of bikes if your going to start off with a SS so you dont bite off more then you can chew

[CRiXy]

The new Kawasaki Ninja 250R is awesome!

I test rode it a few weeks ago and it's such a great beginner bike, I wish I bought it for my first bike. Best of all, it holds its value quite well.

[impactX]

ninja 250 without any lessons..with taking a course you realise you can do already good enough to surpas a 250 so any of the common 600 although easiest to ride would be a cbr 600

I'd bet that an experienced/pro rider would lap me on the track with a 250.

[gsxr7]

cant go wrong with an sv 650,predictable linear power good for learning but still fun once u get some experience.a 250would be great as well but might require u to upgrade quicker

[Glaedr]

I started off with a GS500 this year after taking PRS :D. I quite enjoy it, its a good bike for my size (190lbs, 6'1). I'm eager for summer to roll around, seeing as my bike is no in storage :(

[Jermyzy]

I read on bcsportbikes that honda will be coming out with a CBR250 next year with fuel injection and ABS. I think that would be an ideal starter bike!

[ziggyx]

I would suggest the new ninja 250 as well. Great bike for starter. The cbr125 is pretty good too but I think you will outgrow it. If you want a 125 maybe you can get the aprilia rs4 125. I heard they're coming to north america in 2011. Might be a little bit more pricey than the cbr125 though.

the other bikes people mentioned are great as well.

[taylor192]

I started off with a GS500 this year after taking PRS :D. I quite enjoy it, its a good bike for my size (190lbs, 6'1). I'm eager for summer to roll around, seeing as my bike is no in storage :(
My brother started on the same bike and he's about your size. He kept it for 4 years before upgrading. I'm a little bigger so wanted a slightly bigger bike and went with the SV650, and cannot see myself upgrading anytime soon.

[daytona675]

I'd say first off, go sign up for lessons if you don't already have. And see if you actually would want to ride. If you feel competent after your lessons, go straight to a 500-600cc class bike. A 250cc bike, you will out grow in no time, if you are going to do alot of spirited riding and highway rides.

After my lessons, I went straight to my daytona675, and I have no regrets. Make sure you feel comfortable and confident with a bike, and you shouldn't have any problems. This season was my first, I only started riding in August after taking my lessons in july. Got my full 6 in september.

You have to have the drive to learn to ride. If you don't, stick with something like the ninja 250. Good luck.

[tnbounces]

i've heard of a lot of people out growing their ninja 250's in a year or so. you'll end up switching for a new bike really quickly or be stuck to a beginner machine.

as for the GS500, that bike is a piece of crap. filled with primitive technology. the bike has no fuel injection, and starts with a choke. its got no power on the highway, and no grip in the corners.

for me, i went with a yamaha FZ6R. mid-range sport bike with a tuned down R6 motor. revs great. its forgiving enough without most of the draw backs of a beginner bike. i was also considering the Ninja 650R. didnt get that cus its got a 2 cylinder engine and i preferred the smoother in-line four. sv650's also a good choice.

[Culverin]

lols, I wonder how long it would take you to show up here.

Are you still riding or did you store it for the winter?

[Cota4RT]

Well let's see now; my first bike was a Suzuki 80, then a 90, then a 185, then a 360cc motocross, all of these single cylinder 2 strokes. Then I bought a 350cc four, then a 500cc thumper, then a 1000cc four that I still ride now, along with a single cylinder 250cc 4 stroke Trials bike that renders all of the street bikes totally boring. So; If you want to save yourself several decades and many thousands of dollars, just go straight to the 250cc Trials Bike !:) Once you crash it countless times learning, then start to win trophies, then you can go out and buy any bike you like with complete confidence that the only thing fun about riding street is going way fast.

[dn53]

I was thinking about a CBR 125 when i get some more experience on the road, but I've been hearing the things a wimp. Its nice and cheap, but maybe I should just look on jumping into the ninja 250r? I'm only about 5'6 130 lbs but don't want to outgrow a bike within a year. Any more opinions?

[Glaedr]

^ I would advise a ninja 250r to start off with, the CBR 125 is a very good beginners bike, thats it. You will outgrow it within a year for sure, do you have any riding experience? Taken a course?

I started on a Suzuki GS500, its a good bike for my size (6'1, 190 lbs).

[Cota4RT]

The 2011 CBR125R is a significant improvement over the earlier models, that's the bike I would recommend to lightweight novices, as for growing out of it I'm a veteran rider and still want one in my stable. For not too much more cash the new CBR250R is a beauty, they are too new for test ride yet, but I butt tested them all at the motorcycle show yesterday and CBR250R felt superior to the Ninja 250. For much bigger riders, I was very impressed with the comfort and euro style of the Moto Guzzi Cafe Classic.
:thumbsup:

[josel_atr]

hey guys, how much price difference annually is on a 250cc vs 600cc bike?

[alex.w *//]

i started with a cbr600rr.

I didn't want to start out small and upgrade later. Just get a big one and start learning on it. Imo i will never downgrade down to 250 or 125

[delSol97]

If you are tall and comfortable on it, any 600 is fine. If you ride like an idiot, you'll die on any of them.

But if you are short, you don't want to be worrying about dropping it everytime you get on it, so a 125/250 is a good way to go just for the seat height alone. It's also a good bike for those who's brains turn off at the turn of the throttle.

With the cheap insurance and 100mpgs on the 125R, pretty much everyone who rides should have one as a toy at the very least.

[Cota4RT]

hey guys, how much price difference annually is on a 250cc vs 600cc bike?

Are you referring to the cost of purchase, insurance, consumables, fuel or just the overall cost of ownership? High power bikes cost consume just short of double the fuel, rear tires, brake pads and chains. Insurance is outrageous for any motorcycle and 20~30% more on the large displacement bikes.
As for learning on a four cylinder 600; you'll always be a learner if you start out on one, unless you are a born natural and if so please introduce yourself, I've never met one before. :rolleyes:

[josel_atr]

Are you referring to the cost of purchase, insurance, consumables, fuel or just the overall cost of ownership? High power bikes cost consume just short of double the fuel, rear tires, brake pads and chains. Insurance is outrageous for any motorcycle and 20~30% more on the large displacement bikes.
As for learning on a four cylinder 600; you'll always be a learner if you start out on one, unless you are a born natural and if so please introduce yourself, I've never met one before. :rolleyes:

im still looking into it. i plan to take a prs riding course in the spring. i will learn on whatever bike they assign to me. dont think im a "born natural" at all. i havent even riden something over 50cc.

just tryna find out the cost of owning one. when you say "high power bikes". is this something over 600cc?

[Cota4RT]

Not all 600cc or even larger displacement bikes are created equal, many four cylinder machines that are sold as 'race replica' bikes are basically street legal race bikes, they produce upwards of 100 horsepower and have powerband characteristics that are not well suited to casual street riding, in low rev's they might be tame enough but when they reach optimum performance rev's the front wheel comes up easy in the first three gears and third can pull 100+ mph. easy. By comparison a Moto Guzzi Cafe Classic has a 744cc twin cylinder engine, puts out a maximum 50 horsepower and it's torque peak is reached at 3600 rpm.
For a quick and dirty way to glance at a bike and know what you are getting into don't pay attention to the cc's, look at the front brakes! If it has a single disk front brake, it's either a lightweight or lower performing machine, if it has huge twin discs up front, they are there for one of two reasons, it's either a very heavy bike or super fast crotch rocket.

[alpinestars]

a 600 is an excellent bike to learn on and grow with. 250 is much too small, and although a litre bike wont kill you at first, you won't progress quickly with a litre bike (give youre super cautious)

[corollagtSr5]

I taught myself on a 600cc. I'm only 5'4 too so risk of dropping it was high. My first ride was to the gas station and because there was so much traffic, i was scared to leave hahahaha. Then i was like fuck it, im going, left and went around the small streets around my friends neighbourhood. Then friends came, went with them to the brick while they followed me. I was still pretty scared of the bike. Then when i got comfortable on how everything worked, like how sensitive the brakes were, where clutch engagement was, and getting used to shifting and braking with the feet. Its very multitasking, but becomes more natural as you ride. It really all depends on the person too. I think 600cc is good. I've learned lots on it, just respect the machine. Say you want to buy a 600. Take pacific riding school out in surrey. Then buy a bike. You might not even like it.

[Cota4RT]

Watch all four of these, then tell us that 250cc is too small and that you can live to be a good rider on a 600cc bike by simply respecting the power.

modern 125 cc street bike
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pCNGmiYRYA

40 plus year old 125 cc GP ...crank up the volume for this one :thumbsup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMVNAYqnRT0

40 plus year old 250 cc GP ...crank up the volume for this one :thumbsup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBrb93O_Xg0

learning with all the right stuff :teach:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9zNUPDmnz4

[SuperSlowSS]

Watch all four of these, then tell us that 250cc is too small and that you can live to be a good rider on a 600cc bike by simply respecting the power.

modern 125 cc street bike


lol, your "modern 125cc" is the best 125cc 2 stroke(aprilia rs 125) out there... something very hard and expensive to get. I bet with a rider thats weights no more than 130lbs. I mean the thing can do 190kph... last time I checked even a 2009 ninja 250cc can't do much more than 160kph with riders around that weight.

....anyways back to reality for most people here in vancouver. I say new rider should start with bmw s1000rr + abs and traction control... in rain mode. Very safe bike. haha

[delSol97]

No kidding, I have a 125R and it's downright dangerous on the highway. It's great for going back and forth to work, but forget climbing any hills. I think I squeezed out 130kph on it, but the speedo-calibration is a little suspect on these things .. and I really wouldn't want to run the thing at redline for hours at a time.

If you do ride on the highway, you actually want heavy traffic so you don't get run over by people thinking you will be going faster than you can.


I'm stunned Honda is still keeping these around with the 250R coming out in the spring.

That new 250R is pretty darn slow too. It's not like the grey-market 250s that make 40+ hp. This thing is only going to have 26hp, which will be just as slow as the Kawi 250.

[Culverin]

That new 250R is pretty darn slow too. It's not like the grey-market 250s that make 40+ hp. This thing is only going to have 26hp, which will be just as slow as the Kawi 250.

What's a grey market 250?

[BoostedBB6]

Buy nothing.
Go take some riding class' and see how you like it. They usually have 2 or 3 bikes to choose from to ride on while you are there.
Find out what style suites you best. Learn the basics and then go from there.

Asking people what is best has no baring on what works best for you. Take the courses, get your L permit and start hunting around for something that fits you and works for you.

[Cota4RT]

lol, your "modern 125cc" is the best 125cc 2 stroke(aprilia rs 125) out there... something very hard and expensive to get. I bet with a rider thats weights no more than 130lbs. I mean the thing can do 190kph... last time I checked even a 2009 ninja 250cc can't do much more than 160kph with riders around that weight.

....anyways back to reality for most people here in vancouver. I say new rider should start with bmw s1000rr + abs and traction control... in rain mode. Very safe bike. haha

I weigh 145 with my riding gear on :D

and I know exactly what it's like to have the rev limiter kick in on my K100RS without tucking in :cool:

...I could scarcely make my point about noob perceived displacement limitations by showing off the performance of a CV carbureted bike like the ninja, now could I.

[Jermyzy]

Just as a side note, when I took the ART course during the summer, Kramer was out on the course on a Sherpa 250 and was spanking everybody's ass who was on a 600cc+ sportbike :lol

I'm really digging the new Honda CBR250. Once my wife gets more comfortable on her Kawi (e.g. after she drops it a few more times), I'm going to trade it in. FI + ABS = :thumbsup: !

[Cota4RT]

Just as a side note, when I took the ART course during the summer, Kramer was out on the course on a Sherpa 250 and was spanking everybody's ass who was on a 600cc+ sportbike :lol

I'm really digging the new Honda CBR250. Once my wife gets more comfortable on her Kawi (e.g. after she drops it a few more times), I'm going to trade it in. FI + ABS = :thumbsup: !

:thumbsup: someone who get's it

... speaking of horsepower numbers for the bikes I offered for comparison:
Aprilia RS125 32.5 hp
125cc Honda RC149 34 hp
250cc Honda RC174 65 hp
And some amateurs are actually recommending it's OK to learn on a Honda CBR600RR that cranks 118+ hp (as long as you take it easy and respect the power) :rofl:

[SilverBlitz]

honestly i started out with a 750cc but I'm willing to down grade to a 400cc or even a 250cc. Want to buy my gixxer 750 :D?

[marksport]

A good riding buddy of mine got RS50 as it is easier to get out and go for quick rides around town, not to mention how nibble it is for track days. He just loves this little bike, and he's a big guy. His other ride is a ZX14 that he is selling for a Ducati 1000GT

[delSol97]

What's a grey market 250?

These beauties....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CBR250

[BoostedBB6]

You should learn to ride on our Ducati :P

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w186/TimOram/OPP%201098/DSC07231.jpg?t=1292394550

Yes, it it is all carbon fiber (including the wheels)
Yes those are FRG900 SBK forks
Yes the front end alone is $35,000

This is the bike everyone should give a try. :P

But in all honesty, do the school and ask this again if you need to. You will learn a lot and you will know whats right for you.

[josel_atr]

sorry to keep jacking your thread op.

when shopping for a motorcycle, how significant is the year of the bike? and the kilometers?

would the older bikes (around 2000-2003) require more maintenance stuff compared to like a couple year old bike in general?

[Cota4RT]

sorry to keep jacking your thread op.
when shopping for a motorcycle, how significant is the year of the bike? and the kilometers?
would the older bikes (around 2000-2003) require more maintenance stuff compared to like a couple year old bike in general?

Kilometers certainly can reflect on wear and tear of the internal parts, if you can even trust the odometer, my Beemer had the entire instrument cluster replaced once and I strip my Trials bikes for competition as soon as I buy them, so the only honest one I own is my Honda Ascot's odometer. In my opinion the vintage has less relevance on the bikes value unless buying it as new. If you keep em' in great shape long enough motorcycles can even turn you a profit over the original sticker price. I paid $1,450 for my 1982 FT500 and I think I could easy sell it for that now.

It is note worthy that distributors such as Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda etc. only stock or attempt to order parts for about 7 years, so this can make some repairs difficult, things like pistons, rings and suspension parts may become unavailable, so it's a regular thing for restorers to substitute components or make parts that are otherwise unavailable. Outside of parts ordering 2000-2003 is not really old for a motorcycle, exhaust systems might rust but otherwise bikes are nothing like cars :)

For regular maintenance items, carbs require far more service than fuel injection equipped bikes. You need to assess the rest of the bike at time of purchase, examining the suspension components for wear, the chains (primary, valve and final drive if it has all 3) Stock up on oil, fuel and air filters, internal front fork parts, cables and clutch plates while you can still buy them.

If the original rider was really large or frequently rode 2 up, that can significantly impact the bikes mechanical integrity. I'm a featherweight myself so original items like seat, suspension and drive train are still in exceptional condition after 24 years. ...hope this helps some

[Titanium1.8]

Hi, sorry to hi-jack the thread. How much do I need to pay one of you mechanically inclined guys to 'inspect' a used bike before I buy?

[taylor192]

when shopping for a motorcycle, how significant is the year of the bike? and the kilometers?

would the older bikes (around 2000-2003) require more maintenance stuff compared to like a couple year old bike in general?

Hi, sorry to hi-jack the thread. How much do I need to pay one of you mechanically inclined guys to 'inspect' a used bike before I buy?
Guys, it is far less complicated than it looks. Trust me, I was in the same paranoid position last year, not wanting a lemon.

If you buy a popular model of bike, which most beginner bikes are, then the age doesn't really matter. Why? Cause the platform is sold for several years, and most of the parts interchangeable. For instance the model year range of my SV is 2003-2009, and even some parts on the previous Gen and next Gen are swappable.

Kms matter if your bike may need a major service soon. For instance my SV needs the valves checked every ~30K kms, and this costs a few hundred dollars. Thus when I bought a bike with 24K kms on it, I knew I was in for a big maintenance bill soon. Instead I could have bought a bike with 12K kms and not need this maintenance for years.

When I bought I based the purchase more on the seller than the bike. I contacted lots of buyers who were very anal, not friendly, ... then found an older gentleman who had documented every maintenance item on his bike, and even gave me a picture of it from the top of Mount Baker! Easy to tell he loved the bike and cared for it - so I bought it that day.

As long as the engine runs nice, the shocks don't leak, and the gears are pointy not worn, I'd say you're good to go. Bikes are pretty simple machines.

[BillyBishop]

I may as well jump in here to get some information for myself..

I've been looking into getting into riding for quite some time now, and have finally decided to have go at it. I'm going to get my 6L in the next few days and sign up for a PRS course in May. I've heard nothing but good things about them from family, friends, and forums.

In terms of gear, I've got to do more research/visiting shops and trying stuff out. I'm not going to cheap out on anything... if I need to spend $500 on solid, comfortable boots for myself, I'll do it hahaha.


In terms of a bike though, I need some advice like all noobs lol
My dad was an avid rider owning several bikes, but he took a break ten years ago so as to not get me into riding when I was younger. He says I should keep the option of buying an old bike, fixing it up, and riding that. He also has "hook-ups" with Honda when purchasing new vehicles, so he's leaning towards me buying a brand new Honda bike.

The two I'm looking at are the CBR125R and the CBR250RA. (May as well fork out the extra $500 for ABS, right?)
Price-wise, I'm leaning towards the 125... also because it's a smaller bike, cheap, and helluva lot of fun I hear.
But I'm (slightly) over 6 feet tall and, with gear, I'll be over 160lbs. (yeah, I'm really skinny haha.) My dad says my height won't be much of a concern with any bike, but I won't know until I actually get on one.

When I do get my bike, I'll be using it during the summer for highway drives here and also on the Island. The 125 isn't too good for highway riding I hear, with it's ~110km/h top speed. I wouldn't want to be redlining it in 6th too often lol


Looking forward to learning lots!

[//RacingSpirit>>]

go for the 250.....if you get the 125, and do your class 6 road test on it, you'll be limited to riding only bikes under 200cc's.

[ky]

For those of you that started off on a 650cc bike such as a Ninja 650R after getting your license, how much did insurance cost?

Thanks

[BillyBishop]

go for the 250.....if you get the 125, and do your class 6 road test on it, you'll be limited to riding only bikes under 200cc's.

Oh, that I didn't know. Thanks!

[CharlieH]

For those of you that started off on a 650cc bike such as a Ninja 650R after getting your license, how much did insurance cost?

Thanks



your insurance rates will vary greatly depending on your coverage. i only have liability on my bike with no theft or collision and it puts me at around $1000 a year with a 35% discount. the reason i didn't get theft or collision was because my insurance cost would have more than doubled.

imo, it's really useless to get theft/collision unless the bike is worth a lot of money. the amount of money you'd be spending in a year on theft/collision ($1200 in my case) would be a huge waste considering my bike is only worth about $6500 now. I park my bike in the garage every night, and i rarely leave it anywhere unattended for long periods of time. and if i was ever at fault in an accident, the other party would be covered by liability and i'd just buy a new bike or fix it myself. i see it as the most cost effective way to go. i'd think twice about it if i had a ducati 1198r or something though lol.

[Ludepower]

If your primary insurance is on your car. How much does insurance cost if the motorcycle is your secondary vehicle?

[SoNaRWaVe]

For those of you that started off on a 650cc bike such as a Ninja 650R after getting your license, how much did insurance cost?

Thanks

i started with a 600cc bike. with 35% discount and with theft and no collision, for 7 months, my insurance came to $900. this is highly affected based on how much you declare your bike value at. comprehensive package is the most expensive part.

insurance is also based on the cc brackets. if i recall, there are a few brackets. i only remember 125cc - 399cc, 400cc - 749cc, then 750cc and up?
please correct me, i know something doesn't seem right here.

The two I'm looking at are the CBR125R and the CBR250RA. (May as well fork out the extra $500 for ABS, right?)
Price-wise, I'm leaning towards the 125... also because it's a smaller bike, cheap, and helluva lot of fun I hear.
But I'm (slightly) over 6 feet tall and, with gear, I'll be over 160lbs. (yeah, I'm really skinny haha.) My dad says my height won't be much of a concern with any bike, but I won't know until I actually get on one.

i would suggest the 250RA. not only do you get ABS, the 250 has enough power for the highway. the 125 might seem a bit low on the power once you get used to the bike. for your height, most bikes will fit you fine. but each bike has a different riding position and i find that the 250 is the most upright and comfortable one.

only way to find out which one you feel comfortable on is to go and sit on as many motorcycles as you can before you purchase. but for sure, the 250 has the easiest learning curve and can be most fun at the beginning.

starting at a 600cc myself, i find the learning curve to be quite steep and it was hard for me to get used to. The main factor of that was because the riding position was quite aggressive and the throttle was sensitive compared to a 250. Doing shoulder checks were also a bit hard to get used to

[BillyBishop]

i would suggest the 250RA. not only do you get ABS, the 250 has enough power for the highway. the 125 might seem a bit low on the power once you get used to the bike. for your height, most bikes will fit you fine. but each bike has a different riding position and i find that the 250 is the most upright and comfortable one.

only way to find out which one you feel comfortable on is to go and sit on as many motorcycles as you can before you purchase. but for sure, the 250 has the easiest learning curve and can be most fun at the beginning.

starting at a 600cc myself, i find the learning curve to be quite steep and it was hard for me to get used to. The main factor of that was because the riding position was quite aggressive and the throttle was sensitive compared to a 250. Doing shoulder checks were also a bit hard to get used to

appreciate your advice.

+$500 for the ABS model... still a bit undecided whether I should go for it.

[SoNaRWaVe]

you can always go to different dealerships and see if you can test ride a few models. i think the extra 500 for the abs will be a good investment and it will hold its resale value a bit better if you ever decide to sell the bike for whatever reason.

[BillyBishop]

Good point with resale value

[BillyBishop]

I'm going to be honest here... I'm actually wanting to pick up an old Honda Rebel to start now. Found a number of inexpensive ones on CL already

[Ludepower]

If your primary insurance is on your car. How much does insurance cost if the motorcycle is your secondary vehicle?

I guess I'll answer my own question...since I got my bike insured today.
My car had 15% discount. I got into an accident a few years back.
When insuring my bike. I have 7 years driving experience. So the bike gets a 35% discount.
The car and bike have separate history.

[Tegra_Devil]

hey guys, bumping an oldish thread.

What are my best options for a 600cc Sport bike?

I have some riding experience....i rode my dads VTX1300 for a few weeks...

Im gonna head to riding school later in aug/sept hopefully to refine my skills and i will purchase a bike before then. I dont want to jump onto a 250, because ill probably get tired of it after a year or so and I feel like a giant on them (6'2 -195lbs).

So what are the best options for 600cc....I dont need a 600RR-A or anything like that :P...just a bike that will look sexy and keep me entertained for a few years :D

[CharlieH]

in my experience 06+ gixxers are the most comfy and easy to ride. R6s have the most aggressive riding position, and cbr600s have the least comfy seat. in terms of power/handling they're all pretty much the same.

[tool001]

i learned riding last year and bought a bike,, personally woudn't go below 500cc.

if u get a 250,,i can bet, after the first year, u'd wanna move up. 500cc u can keep for 2-3 years before you would wanna move up.

i got a gs500, because of riding position, parts..etc, cheap to maintain, insurance, gas.. etc etc.

ins. is 65 a month/ for just liab. no comp. no colli

[Jermyzy]

you can always go to different dealerships and see if you can test ride a few models. i think the extra 500 for the abs will be a good investment and it will hold its resale value a bit better if you ever decide to sell the bike for whatever reason.

ABS is definitely worth it. As for people asking about insurance, I think if you have at least 5+ years of DRIVING experience, you can apply for private insurance through Beacon now, saved me about $700/year

[BillyBishop]

It's been a couple months... no more CBR250R or Rebel for me... I'm picking up a '94 ZX6 (not ZX6R) in a couple weeks.

[tegz]

It's been a couple months... no more CBR250R or Rebel for me... I'm picking up a '94 ZX6 (not ZX6R) in a couple weeks.

I have no idea how good the old ZX6's are but that's pretty old for a sportbike.

Most people get 50,000~100,000 out of their bikes, and if it hasn't been well maintained (eg. sitting in the garage for years) it will be alot shorter than that. Don't expect the engine to be putting out as many HP as it was back when it was new either.

As I've said, I don't want to shit on your "new" bike, but I just hope you're making a smart purchase!

[BillyBishop]

I have no idea how good the old ZX6's are but that's pretty old for a sportbike.

Most people get 50,000~100,000 out of their bikes, and if it hasn't been well maintained (eg. sitting in the garage for years) it will be alot shorter than that. Don't expect the engine to be putting out as many HP as it was back when it was new either.

As I've said, I don't want to shit on your "new" bike, but I just hope you're making a smart purchase!

Haha thanks for the input, appreciate it. It's been checked out, I've done thorough research. Owned by an old fella. It's got 27,XXX on it

[SoNaRWaVe]

most of you probably know this local forum already, but if not, check out bcsportbikes.com (http://www.bcsportbikes.com). it has useful info on it and a section where they sell bikes too.

[LP700-4]

Is an R6 a good beginner? I heard it's the hardest to ride compared to CBR600RR and ZX6R
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[CharlieH]

^

r6 has the most uncomfortable seating position out of all the 600/750 sport bikes. newer gixxers are by far the most comfortable and easiest to ride.

[kyoshi]

hey guys, bumping an oldish thread.

What are my best options for a 600cc Sport bike?

I have some riding experience....i rode my dads VTX1300 for a few weeks...

Im gonna head to riding school later in aug/sept hopefully to refine my skills and i will purchase a bike before then. I dont want to jump onto a 250, because ill probably get tired of it after a year or so and I feel like a giant on them (6'2 -195lbs).

So what are the best options for 600cc....I dont need a 600RR-A or anything like that :P...just a bike that will look sexy and keep me entertained for a few years :D

Regardless of your physique, the riding schools will teach and recommend you go with a beginner bike ( 250s, 400s, 500s, heck even cbr 125).

The idea they preach is that you will learn faster with any of these vs a sport bike. The learning curve is a lot easier to pick up and you'll be a lot more comfortable. An "oh shit" moment on one of those usually will give you time to react. The "oh shit" moment on a sport bike has a lot less time to correct. Especially when you look at the power curves for the different types of bikes.

Pick up a beginner bike, ride it for your first season, and sell it next season for almost what you got it for typically.

I just got off PRS in June and bought a gs500. Loving it so far and already had a few moments where I probably would've flew off if I was on a GSXR600.

[tegz]

I personally love the R6 ergos.. u really gotta go sit on all of em and check it out. As for ridability, the R6 is really quite gentle up until at least 9-11K revs so I don't know if you'll like the lack of low and mid range power or not, but it makes it quite awkward to ride anything below 10K enjoyably.
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[SoNaRWaVe]

Regardless of your physique, the riding schools will teach and recommend you go with a beginner bike ( 250s, 400s, 500s, heck even cbr 125).

The idea they preach is that you will learn faster with any of these vs a sport bike. The learning curve is a lot easier to pick up and you'll be a lot more comfortable. An "oh shit" moment on one of those usually will give you time to react. The "oh shit" moment on a sport bike has a lot less time to correct. Especially when you look at the power curves for the different types of bikes.

Pick up a beginner bike, ride it for your first season, and sell it next season for almost what you got it for typically.

I just got off PRS in June and bought a gs500. Loving it so far and already had a few moments where I probably would've flew off if I was on a GSXR600.

Listen to this guy. Especially the "oh shit" part. A 250 with has MUCH more "freeplay" in throttle before it kicks you into trouble. A R6 with a slight twist will land you in trouble in no time.

I picked an 06 R6 as my beginning bike. I ride it ok now but looking back, I should have picked a 250 instead. The riding position is really aggressive where you are literally bending forward.

For most part, I only ride in city and never go past 6k RPM but I find it quite responsive to the throttle and it has enough power in that range.

Go and literally sit on all the bikes you like to see which one seats you most comfortable. I sat in a friends GSX and it is more comfortable than the R6. I can actually plant my foot on the ground on the GSX.

[LP700-4]

Does a 250 pack enough power for highways and stuff? Im 6'2 200lbs.... Dont want to be redlining in 6th the whole way

[CharlieH]

the 250 has enough grunt for the first 2 or 3 months but after that you're gonna be longing for more. the main point however is to learn how to properly turn and make low speed maneuvers, which is much easier on a 250 than a 600. 600s are very easy to ride fast but trying to get around in a parking lot is very difficult at first.

[tegz]

Redline on 6th on a kawi 250 is abiut 160km/h and it takes a helluva long time to get there too. It literally takes about 5-6 seconds on a 600cc, while a 250cc takes about double. A 600 will go up to about 270 before topping out. Decide for youself, but know that a 250cc can easily keep up with 600s on windy roads as long as you keep your speed through thr corners and the people you are riding with don't go balls out crazy (200+) on every straight they see!
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[SoNaRWaVe]

Is an R6 a good beginner? I heard it's the hardest to ride compared to CBR600RR and ZX6R
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if you are looking for a beginner bike, look for a used 250cc bike. you will probably sell it for almost the same price you bought it when its time to upgrade if thats what you're worried about.

learn to do things properly first is far most important than getting a bike with more power/speed/looks.

if you're worried about your size being on a 250, you can always call up some dealerships and see if you can test ride one first.

[Culverin]

I'm not on a bike yet. But here's how I look at it.
Safety gear is about prevention for when you or somebody eventually f*s up.

Getting a 250 would more be like prevention for injury for when you eventually over estimate your skills. We all tend to push the limits a little. You might take a small economic hit, $300-$500? Maybe a bit more for doing smaller bike, then upgrading. But I'd easily pay double or even triple that not to have my friends laugh at me being a retard and getting a bike too big for my skill. And that's ignoring the fact that you could end up breaking a limb. Imagine the sneers of being in crutches cause they think you're retarded? :fullofwin:

[6793026]

i've had my bike license for 10 yrs, after 5 bikes and over 40000km on bikes. i can say the 250 cc bike is freaking amazing. the 125 cc is a toy, but the 250 CC looks good, and rides extremely well
yes you'll be slow on straights but you'll be 1 second behind your buddy with an R1 at the next light. You will not outride your 250 CC. 250 CC bike and a 1700 CC harley packs as much punch when you bail. No one says you can't kill yourself on a 250 cc, it won't prevent nothing, it will however have an easier and more forgiving learning curve.

if you're starting on a new bike, go for the 250 CC.

[6793026]

Does a 250 pack enough power for highways and stuff? Im 6'2 200lbs.... Dont want to be redlining in 6th the whole way

the 250 CC will pack just as much punch when you are doing a corner. You buddy will be just as slow as you are doing a corner / hair pin turn... etc. they only difference is when you're on a highway, you'll be a bit slower on the stretch; you'll be in 5th gear while your buddy's R1 is on second gear. with your size, if u can land a deal on a cheap second hand R6 or RR.. it wouldn't be a bad idea.

[LP700-4]

Im not too worried bout looks and that kinda stuff, im not gonna be riding to look cool, ill be riding to have fun.

Getting a 250 first seems like the more reasonable step right now, but then having all that trouble of reselling and looking for a new 600 later doesnt look too fun....

I will be taking a course though, ProRide or PRS?

Are you allowed to take your own bike there?

[GabAlmighty]

I'm getting an R1 for my first bike... Uhoh.

[SoNaRWaVe]

Im not too worried bout looks and that kinda stuff, im not gonna be riding to look cool, ill be riding to have fun.

Getting a 250 first seems like the more reasonable step right now, but then having all that trouble of reselling and looking for a new 600 later doesnt look too fun....

I will be taking a course though, ProRide or PRS?

Are you allowed to take your own bike there?

Why would you want to bring your own bike? If there are any drops, it's better with their bike than yours.

Reselling a 250cc shouldn't be that hard, it's one of the fastest selling used bikes as most beginners would want that bike.

I think PRS actually uses 250cc for their bikes to teach students
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[LP700-4]

How bout if i buy a 600cc and want to learn and practice on it? Maybe itll help as you get a feel of your own bike, not getting better at riding on their bikes and then having the transition over to your own bike....

[SoNaRWaVe]

you can always ask but i doubt they will let you as its a safety hazard. if you are new, things may go wrong. they will probably just tell you to practice it on your own time and place with a supervisor.

on a 600cc, with a slight twist of the throttle (especially when you panic), you may end up doing a wheelie and flip over or even accelerate into an object or one of your fellow classmates.

riding a 250 and then transitioning to a 600 is not as hard as you may think. its like going from driving a standard corolla to a standard audi. the skills will always be there, its just a different vehicle.

if you really want to go for a 600cc, its totally your call though. just telling you all i know from experience that its not the best choice. one person may be struggling with it where as its natural for another. just want you to make the most informed and safest decision so you have many riding seasons ahead of you.

depending on where you're located, we can meet up somewhere if you want to try and sit on a 600cc bike. your best bet is still to sit on alot of bikes from different dealerships.

[LP700-4]

Thanks for your help guys it's not till probably next summer I'll be riding I plan to get my motorcycle license in October....

Another problem is insurance what's the cost gap btwn a 600cc and a 250cc?
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[BillyBishop]

Another problem is insurance what's the cost gap btwn a 600cc and a 250cc?
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There are a few insurance brackets based on the engine displacement
I'm not too sure about the start and the end of the brackets, but I know that there's one that goes up to 249cc, another 250cc - 499cc, another 500cc - 749cc, and I think the last one is 750cc and up.

Your best bet is to just walk into an Autoplan center and ask them. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

[SoNaRWaVe]

My insurance was around 900 with comprehensive but no collision for 7 or 8 months. Might have been a year. I need to double check on that later on. But my friends 250 for pretty much the same policies is around 400 or 450. So it's almost half to go to the lower bracket. Once I confirm when I get home I will edit this post.

Comprehensive is the most expensive part but how much you declare your bike is worth will also affect your rate
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[CharlieH]

theres no point in getting collision/theft if your bike isn't worth much. when i had my gixxer 750 i was paying 1000 a year with liability only. with collision and theft the price would have been 2100. i really didn't see the point in paying 1100 a year to protect a 6500 dollar bike that may or may not get damaged/stolen.

[Jermyzy]

Im not too worried bout looks and that kinda stuff, im not gonna be riding to look cool, ill be riding to have fun.

Getting a 250 first seems like the more reasonable step right now, but then having all that trouble of reselling and looking for a new 600 later doesnt look too fun....

I will be taking a course though, ProRide or PRS?

Are you allowed to take your own bike there?

You don't want to take your own bike to the PRS course. First of all, much better to learn on a Sherpa than any sport bike so you can properly learn all the basics. Second you don't want to do a couple of hours of slow-speed maneuvers on your own bike. Third, good chance you'll drop it at some point. Also, I'm pretty sure PRS won't allow it :)

[Jermyzy]

theres no point in getting collision/theft if your bike isn't worth much. when i had my gixxer 750 i was paying 1000 a year with liability only. with collision and theft the price would have been 2100. i really didn't see the point in paying 1100 a year to protect a 6500 dollar bike that may or may not get damaged/stolen.

You can get comprehensive quite cheap from private insurer like Beacon. I think I can't remember exact amount, but I think it was only ~$300-400 to insure my SV for the year and includes storage insurance

[6793026]

if you own a jap bike, i would get theft.

[SoNaRWaVe]

if you own a jap bike, i would get theft.

Interesting, why would you say that as oppose to other makes of motorcycles?

[6793026]

say you have a ducati 1098 or an aprilia. The likelyhood of it being stolen is less because it's such a high profile bike, parts are easily traceable if you start seeing it on CL. say it wasn't for part, it would be used for track / stunt bike in both which will be a huge issues cause people will bound to notice why you're using a 25k bike as a stunt bike. I'm not even going to get into the fact of the key ignition and how hard it would be ...

[Culverin]

My 50cc Aprilia scooter has a chip in the key that talks to the onboard computer. If the code I use doesn't match to the key, it won't start. That's on a $4500 scooter.

I'd imagine a $20k duc would have at least that and much much more.

[LP700-4]

say you have a ducati 1098 or an aprilia. The likelyhood of it being stolen is less because it's such a high profile bike, parts are easily traceable if you start seeing it on CL. say it wasn't for part, it would be used for track / stunt bike in both which will be a huge issues cause people will bound to notice why you're using a 25k bike as a stunt bike. I'm not even going to get into the fact of the key ignition and how hard it would be ...

Makes sense, but if i had something like a Ducati, i woudnt cheap out on the insurance. Anyways, people can always trailer it over to states or somewhere far away....

[SuperSlowSS]

on a 600cc, with a slight twist of the throttle (especially when you panic), you may end up doing a wheelie and flip over or even accelerate into an object or one of your fellow classmates.



lol NO! ok fine...if your rpm is very high up and your weight all way at the back...and you weigh like 100lbs or something. And most stock throttle aren't that sensitive.

if you think 600cc is "bad"...try riding something with a 1098 engine in it. ;)

as for the OP...take PRS first before you buy anything. Start with something small and used. You will learn much faster.

edit: shit i just saw what you posted... apparently 600cc with rpm under 6k has enough power. Yeah you don't know what torque and power is yet. ;)

[Culverin]

Usually, what percentage throttle do you guys ride in the city? I'm assuming you guys are going "a bit" above average traffic? Let's call it under 70km/h on a large city street?

I'm just curious, because on my 50cc, I'm usually sitting at 80% or WOT.

[6793026]

Makes sense, but if i had something like a Ducati, i woudnt cheap out on the insurance. Anyways, people can always trailer it over to states or somewhere far away....

I don't even think that's possible. How do you even get a bike across the border and explain to the border guard you have a stolen bike on the back of your car? somewhere far away?

I don't know about you, but I don't see people going on vacation from say Kelowna and think "hey, maybe today I'll drive around West Van and look for a Ducati and drive it back home in Kelowna so I can ride a stolen Ducati on track?"

people steal bikes for parts and / or stunt bikes... cause they won't be able to ride it on the streets.

[LP700-4]

I don't even think that's possible. How do you even get a bike across the border and explain to the border guard you have a stolen bike on the back of your car? somewhere far away?

I don't know about you, but I don't see people going on vacation from say Kelowna and think "hey, maybe today I'll drive around West Van and look for a Ducati and drive it back home in Kelowna so I can ride a stolen Ducati on track?"

people steal bikes for parts and / or stunt bikes... cause they won't be able to ride it on the streets.

Maybe your right. But for the hell of it if you have a Ducati, then get theft. People can probably hide it in their garage and youll never find it. Chances of recovering the bike is slim......

[icydude]

Buy the bike you want and ride safe.

[SoNaRWaVe]

I don't even think that's possible. How do you even get a bike across the border and explain to the border guard you have a stolen bike on the back of your car? somewhere far away?

I don't know about you, but I don't see people going on vacation from say Kelowna and think "hey, maybe today I'll drive around West Van and look for a Ducati and drive it back home in Kelowna so I can ride a stolen Ducati on track?"

people steal bikes for parts and / or stunt bikes... cause they won't be able to ride it on the streets.

alot of people actually trailer a bike down to the states to ride but i don't know if the border customs always check the paper for the bike. i personally have never been ask for my registration when driving my car down the states so i don't know if that would be any different for bikes on trailers.

but yes, most bikes are stolen to take apart and sold for parts. that would be the smart thing to do, but then again you do see deals online that are just too good to be true....

[CharlieH]

Usually, what percentage throttle do you guys ride in the city? I'm assuming you guys are going "a bit" above average traffic? Let's call it under 70km/h on a large city street?

I'm just curious, because on my 50cc, I'm usually sitting at 80% or WOT.


i'd say around 20% while cruising

[6793026]

I don't know why someone would hide a stolen bike in a garage... unless they're keeping it for museum purposes or to impress a girl.

I'm sure you are right, they probably won't give a shit if u're trailer-ing your bike over for a race course in the US but for a thief from the US to come all the way up to Van to steal an Aprillia, put it on a pick up truck would generate way way way too much heat let alone going across the border.

[tegz]

People can just fill in the VIN bracket w/ something like epoxy so the letters are no longer visible.

Afterwards they can use it as a track bike.. noone will know. which is why I'm so paranoid.

Btw most ducs are pretty terrible starter bikes imo, unless you invest a couple hundred worth of gearing and O2 optimizers to make it easier to do parking lot maneuvers in first gear.

[LP700-4]

Hey guys, im back. Today i had the experience of riding a friend's ZX6-R around the block, i kinda liked it, wasnt too hard, and seating position wasnt that bad either. The real dilema now is should i stick to the 250 -> 600 cc plan or just go to 600 right away? Also considering a CBR600RR or R6.

[CharlieH]

honestly dude if you can be mature about it then just get the 600. in the end it's all about whether you respect the power or not. grab the 600, go take PRS and just practice carefully. i'm 5"10 165 lbs and i started on a gsxr750. there was definitely a learning curve but i was patient and didn't let my ego get the best of me. as long as you treat the bike with respect it'll treat you the same way. good luck bud.

[Recon604]

ninjas are okay for beginners, not to expensive

[SoNaRWaVe]

What Charlie said. If you really end up getting a 600cc first, the learning curve is eater steep an may not be enjoyable. But if you don't let yourself over ride your ego and skill set and take it slow, you should be ok.

I still recommend the 250 -> 600 route. You can build your skill on an easier learning curve, then sell your 250 in a couple seasons and then move up. At the end it's your call. Just ride safe and don't skimp out on gear.
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[Recon604]

What Charlie said. If you really end up getting a 600cc first, the learning curve is eater steep an may not be enjoyable. But if you don't let yourself over ride your ego and skill set and take it slow, you should be ok.

I still recommend the 250 -> 600 route. You can build your skill on an easier learning curve, then sell your 250 in a couple seasons and then move up. At the end it's your call. Just ride safe and don't skimp out on gear.
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yeah i really recommend following this. riding a motorcycle is pretty dangerous.

[LP700-4]

What Charlie said. If you really end up getting a 600cc first, the learning curve is eater steep an may not be enjoyable. But if you don't let yourself over ride your ego and skill set and take it slow, you should be ok.

I still recommend the 250 -> 600 route. You can build your skill on an easier learning curve, then sell your 250 in a couple seasons and then move up. At the end it's your call. Just ride safe and don't skimp out on gear.
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This is always the more reasonable route to take, still havent decided yet... I guess I'll take my time on this one.

Cost is gonna be another factor. New or used for a 250?
New Ninja 250 costs about 5000 then add bout 1000 for gear then 900 for PRS then comes insurance which is probably only 400-500 ish. Total bout 8500?? Sound bout reasonable?
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[dru]

Personally I'd go with the 250 to 600 route. If you're looking at a ninja 250 I'd buy used just to avoid the added dealership costs. I started on a cbr125r (they didn't have the new model 250 out yet for Kawasaki and there was no talk of 250 for Honda at the time). Rode it everyday for a summer and sold it in October. For the next two seasons I rode an older model R6 (99-00). The following year I rode a Triumph 675 and now I ride a Z1000. I can honestly say by starting off on a small bike you will learn a lot on the road and about motorcycling in general. I would consider it the safer, more expensive route because you'll be buying and selling your bikes within 1-2 seasons (maybe 3). It's hard to gauge your comfort level by just riding around the block. To fully get a feeling for the bike you'll have to ride it in the city where you'll be exposed to stop and go traffic, turns, cars and pedestrians.

I'm an advocate for working your way up, but at the same time I do agree with some of the users here. If you're smart and mature about it you can learn on a 600, but invest in some sliders and just take it slow. Most drops happen at low speed for beginners when they maneuver the bike while turning or parking so with a bigger bike it's something to consider as well.

Best of luck in your bike search!
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[kyoshi]

Go sign up for PRS asap, learn on their motorcycles first to get the swing of things.
That may help you out with your decision, but the overall conclusion is that most people learn faster on a smaller bike. If you're concerned with your build you can ask to try out their gs500 on the road ride. It has a bit more power than the 250 and a comfortable riding position as well.

I loved the CRF I had on the my road ride, it was really light and chuck-able.

[BoostedBB6]

say you have a ducati 1098 or an aprilia. The likelyhood of it being stolen is less because it's such a high profile bike, parts are easily traceable if you start seeing it on CL. say it wasn't for part, it would be used for track / stunt bike in both which will be a huge issues cause people will bound to notice why you're using a 25k bike as a stunt bike. I'm not even going to get into the fact of the key ignition and how hard it would be ...


This whole statement hinges on a criminal being smart enough to realize this.....I recall a rash of higher end bikes being stolen 10 years or so ago that were found a local shop here in Van City.....criminals and common sense do not mix. They just see $$$$ and go after it :P

[SoNaRWaVe]

This is always the more reasonable route to take, still havent decided yet... I guess I'll take my time on this one.

Cost is gonna be another factor. New or used for a 250?
New Ninja 250 costs about 5000 then add bout 1000 for gear then 900 for PRS then comes insurance which is probably only 400-500 ish. Total bout 8500?? Sound bout reasonable?
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brand new 2011 is 4300, so out the door its easily over 5k with taxes, PDI and what not. you can get decent gear for about 1k, but it depends if you like the name brands. you got helmets from 200-1k+.

i got a jacket + gloves + helmet at modern for about $500 bucks when aaron still gave combo deals there. if you want something like alpine star, then you will be paying more for the brand.

do some research online on gear to get a better budget. motorcycle superstore is generally a common one.

insurance is about 400-500 for a 250. i believe thats without the theft and collision. for a 600cc, its about 900...

so at the end, i would say more like 9k. but thats with a new ninja. i would HIGHLY recommend a used one. you would easily save yourself about 1k - 2k depending what year you buy.

[LP700-4]

brand new 2011 is 4300, so out the door its easily over 5k with taxes, PDI and what not. you can get decent gear for about 1k, but it depends if you like the name brands. you got helmets from 200-1k+.

i got a jacket + gloves + helmet at modern for about $500 bucks when aaron still gave combo deals there. if you want something like alpine star, then you will be paying more for the brand.

do some research online on gear to get a better budget. motorcycle superstore is generally a common one.

insurance is about 400-500 for a 250. i believe thats without the theft and collision. for a 600cc, its about 900...

so at the end, i would say more like 9k. but thats with a new ninja. i would HIGHLY recommend a used one. you would easily save yourself about 1k - 2k depending what year you buy.


Yea if i do go the 250-600 route then definately itll be a used 250.

Ive actually got my eyes on this ad, what do u guys think
2005 Yamaha R6 - Nice Bike (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/mcy/2501008759.html)

I hit him up with an email, he told me he dropped it at about 10k kms, has bout
32k now. Also paint is a bit chipped here and there.

Still, its only $4200, probably could get it down to 4k with a bit of lowballing , but then insurance still doubles.

[SuperSlowSS]

LP670-4 SV, how much do you weigh? if you don't mind

[LP700-4]

Im 6'2 203-4 lbs

[dru]

Don't forget to factor in taxes even though it's a used bike. HST on $4000 is still several hundred dollars.

At 6'2 you might be more comfortable riding a bigger bike. Have you considered looking at a SV650S? Its has a decent seat height and more of an upright riding position which is more beginner friendly. If you opt for a newer one ABS is also an option! A lot of options on CL too.
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[Jermyzy]

^+1 on the SV650. The V-twin has a linear power curve so you don't have to rev to 10k+rpm to get power, much more usable in the city. On the newer models, ABS is actually standard :)

Having said that, learning curve is much better starting off a 250. I strongly suggest buying used...I bought my Ninja 250 brand new for almost 6k OTD (I bought their theft protection package...what a waste!) and I moved up to my SV650 after just 3 months.

[tegz]

Yea if i do go the 250-600 route then definately itll be a used 250.

Ive actually got my eyes on this ad, what do u guys think
2005 Yamaha R6 - Nice Bike (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/mcy/2501008759.html)

I hit him up with an email, he told me he dropped it at about 10k kms, has bout
32k now. Also paint is a bit chipped here and there.

Still, its only $4200, probably could get it down to 4k with a bit of lowballing , but then insurance still doubles.

That bike looks pretty fucked if u ask me. Wouldn't buy it... "flat black" lmao covering all the scratches from lowsides he's not mentioning in the ad.

Email the guy, see if he's honest about damage, then consider it if it's worth while, I guess.

[SoNaRWaVe]

it does look pretty beat up from those pics. might be the quality of the camera though. but definitely don't buy the first bike you see. don't rush it.

look at a BUNCH of bikes and get an idea what you're looking for and for price comparison. you will end up getting a better bike for a better price and at the end, you'll feel better about your purchase.

its always AFTER you buy the bike when all these what-if questions come in. shop around.

and if you do buy private, once you have your eyes set on the bike, make them ride it to a shop and you can pay for a pre-inspection. and if its all good, then you can buy it from there. some tips also, if its a newer bike, make sure there's no lien on it and you can always pay a bit to do a VIN check to make sure its a clean title.

it might be a steal of a price for a bike, but the damages will may end up costing you more if you're not careful.

[LP700-4]

Im in no rush to buy, just want to keep an eye out for any steal of the deals.

Im thinking of a R6 or a CBR600RR, any known faults or issues to look out for?

Also, ive decided to go for the 600cc starter bike, i know that if anything goes wrong i might kill myself, but i think that if i can be extremely careful and mature about owning the 600cc, then all is well. I wont cheap out on gear or anything, will be taking PRS in 2012 spring, but should i get theft and collision for the insurance?

I have now till winter-ish to look for a bike, so no hurry whatsoever.

Edit: what do you guys think of this one? http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/mcy/2485737462.html

[tegz]

Im in no rush to buy, just want to keep an eye out for any steal of the deals.

Im thinking of a R6 or a CBR600RR, any known faults or issues to look out for?

Also, ive decided to go for the 600cc starter bike, i know that if anything goes wrong i might kill myself, but i think that if i can be extremely careful and mature about owning the 600cc, then all is well. I wont cheap out on gear or anything, will be taking PRS in 2012 spring, but should i get theft and collision for the insurance?

I have now till winter-ish to look for a bike, so no hurry whatsoever.
Why don't you take PRS this summer, get your MST over with and start looking for a bike? :D

Not too much can go wrong with the jap 600's mechanically, imo.. but it'd be smart to google "common issues with [model & year of bike]". A bunch of forum threads will probably result in some good info.

[SoNaRWaVe]

Why don't you take PRS this summer, get your MST over with and start looking for a bike? :D

Not too much can go wrong with the jap 600's mechanically, imo.. but it'd be smart to google "common issues with [model & year of bike]". A bunch of forum threads will probably result in some good info.

highly suggest this. if you can get your MST over with at the end of summer, you have all winter to look and research for bikes. so by spring or early summer, you can buy a bike and get your full Class 6.

i started school in june last year and by the time i got my bike and what not, the season was pretty much over.

[Culverin]

It's only over if you let it. I pretty much rode my scooter all year long. The only time I didn't ride was when it rained in sheets, snow on the ground, or it was below freezing.

I pretty much rode all the way down to temps hovering around freezing. I've had frost on my seat and mirrors after popping inside for bbt.

[LP700-4]

Why don't you take PRS this summer, get your MST over with and start looking for a bike? :D

Not too much can go wrong with the jap 600's mechanically, imo.. but it'd be smart to google "common issues with [model & year of bike]". A bunch of forum threads will probably result in some good info.

highly suggest this. if you can get your MST over with at the end of summer, you have all winter to look and research for bikes. so by spring or early summer, you can buy a bike and get your full Class 6.

i started school in june last year and by the time i got my bike and what not, the season was pretty much over.
I have a group of people that all want to get their motorcycles and stuff the same time, one of them has gone out of country and will be back near december so we all agreed on waiting for him. Having said that does PRS have any group rate discounts? Not a large group, just 3-4 people.

[blum2001]

I have a group of people that all want to get their motorcycles and stuff the same time, one of them has gone out of country and will be back near december so we all agreed on waiting for him. Having said that does PRS have any group rate discounts? Not a large group, just 3-4 people.

minimum 4 for $50 off each person. In the process of taking the course, just finished the classroom stuff.

[SoNaRWaVe]

if you haven't set your mind on PRS yet, try sundays motorcycle school. you can always email him to see if he gives discounts.

by name, PRS is better though.

[LP700-4]

Sorry im asking so many questions here but should i go to PRS, ProRide up in north van or that Sunday Motorcycle school? Sunday's is bit cheaper than PRS and ProRide, also closer than both of them. Any other suggestions closer than Sundays?

[Jermyzy]

^You will find 99.99999% of people who took PRS will strongly recommend it for good reason

They were able to each my wife to ride...that says enough :lol

[Wilso09]

minimum 4 for $50 off each person. In the process of taking the course, just finished the classroom stuff.

Just finished the classroom portion at PRS aswell, what class are you in? I'm in the weekend class.

On another note, I've been looking around for a used SV650 (2003+, "s" model or not, doesn't matter), any common issues about these bikes? From everything I've read and heard, the SV is a great bike to start with that isn't a 250.
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[CharlieH]

prs iz bezzzt bro

[LP700-4]

PRS sounds like the more obvious choice, but Sundays and ProRide is lots closer. We still havent decided, but from all you guy's comments i dont think we will regret going to PRS.

[bcrdukes]

Without a doubt, PRS.

[LUUUUUUUU]

PRS

[BillyBishop]

And for good measure, I'll chime in for PRS as well.

I may be young, but I've taken a wide variety of classes/courses including ones on sports, music, outdoor survival, martial arts, combat, flying lessons, construction, and - most recently - motorcycle training. All had their own valid ways of teaching in the most effective manner; PRS is no exception. It's noticeable to me that there are things learned in motorcycle training that I have learned elsewhere already. Having experienced such a wide array of teaching styles in different fields, it's easy for me to say that PRS has garnered and successfully implemented some of the best aspects from all fields.

That said, I haven't been to any of the other schools, let alone checked them out.


LP670-4 SV, I think you were asking about insurance earlier. I went to my local Autoplan broker and got quoted ~$900 for full coverage (collision and comprehensive) with a declared value of $2500. That was for one year, 600cc, 10% discount. (Should be 15% by now....)

I think I will declare the value higher, though.

I'm only going to be insuring my bike for three months, so I thought what the hell, I'll take the collision and comprehensive for the extra $80 or whatever it was. It's my first bike and I'm a new rider... something might happen.

[LP700-4]

^ Thanks for the info, my buddy told me his ZX6R was upwards of 300 bucks a month, new rider, full coverage. Which scares me and continues to make it a worry about getting a 600. Mind you, if I get a 600 it would be same kinda deal, except his would be a 2009 bike with a higher value.

After reading all u guy's posts again I realized you guys probably think I'm a lot older than I am. I'm actually still in HS. and just for that fact I have decided to get myself back onto the 250 route. Ive actually thought bout this, being me I love going WOT on bikes, whether it be my old dirtbike, the 50cc pocket bike, or the Honda rebel 125 I used to rip around in. I actually got to sit on a ninja 250r and it isn't really as miniature as I thought. I've figured that if I do get a 600 then most of the time I'll have to ride slow and only be able use a fraction of the performance it actually has. On a 250 however I can use what it can produce, without killing myself, along with cheaper maintenance and running costs.
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[bcrdukes]

$300/month for insurance? :fuckthatshit:

Get your basic from ICBC then go to see Paul @ Cassells. Or heck, Paul can do it all at one for you. Make sure you tell him you took a course!
Cassells has new Beacon Announcement (http://www.bcsportbikes.com/forum/showthread.php?131522-Cassells-has-new-Beacon-Announcement)

[LP700-4]

He's a new rider with a 09 ZX6R monster edition valued at approx $7500-8000. 300 bucks is what ICBC has him at now. Not 18 yet but probably able to get this after a season.
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[tegz]

$300/month for insurance? :fuckthatshit:

Get your basic from ICBC then go to see Paul @ Cassells. Or heck, Paul can do it all at one for you. Make sure you tell him you took a course!
Cassells has new Beacon Announcement (http://www.bcsportbikes.com/forum/showthread.php?131522-Cassells-has-new-Beacon-Announcement)
I thought to be eligible for private insurance (w/ good rates anyway) i think you need at least 5~10 years with license and a cleaaaan driving record. the latter makes me a non-candidate :(


wish i had a 600 back in HS!!

[blum2001]

Just finished the classroom portion at PRS aswell, what class are you in? I'm in the weekend class.

On another note, I've been looking around for a used SV650 (2003+, "s" model or not, doesn't matter), any common issues about these bikes? From everything I've read and heard, the SV is a great bike to start with that isn't a 250.
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We were probably in the same classroom group.. Was towards the back of the classroom with my gf. Nightschool A.

[blum2001]

PRS sounds like the more obvious choice, but Sundays and ProRide is lots closer. We still havent decided, but from all you guy's comments i dont think we will regret going to PRS.

I was in the same dilemma as you about a month ago. ProRide is a LOT closer to me as I live downtown but the obvious choice for me was PRS, after over half a dozen close friends recommended them. Yes, it takes me about 40mins to get there but so far its been worth it. Personally, I decided to go with the one that friends, coworkers, rs'ers recommended, not the one that was closest in distance.

[LP700-4]

Yea, everyones agreed to PRS, its almost impossible to get there by transit, so i guess we'll work something out. Its definately more trouble going there, but with all the votes for PRS, there probably will be no regrets.

Also asked for a insurance quote for a Ninja 250R valued bout $3800, full coverage would be around $800 a year. Sound about right?

[BillyBishop]

Yea, everyones agreed to PRS, its almost impossible to get there by transit, so i guess we'll work something out. Its definately more trouble going there, but with all the votes for PRS, there probably will be no regrets.

Also asked for a insurance quote for a Ninja 250R valued bout $3800, full coverage would be around $800 a year. Sound about right?

I took the bus from Richmond there twice, actually. It wasn't too bad to be honest. I ended up being bored waiting for the bus from 72nd to 78th, so I walked it in 25 minutes.

Sounds about right, yup.

Just bought and insured my bike a few hours ago. Paid $335 for 3 months of Basic + $1mil liability. Kawasaki ZX6.

I'm not sure if you know, but how I understand it is that insurance for a motorcycle is based strictly on its displacement. Your Ninja 250R will have the same insurance price as a CBR250R, Rebel 250, Sherpa 250, etc. So my '94 ZX6's insurance costs the same as a CBR600RR, R6, or ZX6R's would.

[v.Rossi]

You can get to PRS through public transit, you get off in Surrey Central I believe and catch the bus that stops at 78th and walk two blocks in. I vaguely remember now sorry, if you're taking the night course they'll drive you to the skytrain because it's not the nicest area at night apparently.

I don't think the ZX6R(636) cost the same as CBR600 and R6. It has a 636cc displacement while the rest have a 600cc, but the 07 zx6rr is also 599cc.
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[LP700-4]

^ Surrey :fullofwin: I hope to be taking the morning or afternoon course so probably no worries.

I took the bus from Richmond there twice, actually. It wasn't too bad to be honest. I ended up being bored waiting for the bus from 72nd to 78th, so I walked it in 25 minutes.

Sounds about right, yup.

Just bought and insured my bike a few hours ago. Paid $335 for 3 months of Basic + $1mil liability. Kawasaki ZX6.

I'm not sure if you know, but how I understand it is that insurance for a motorcycle is based strictly on its displacement. Your Ninja 250R will have the same insurance price as a CBR250R, Rebel 250, Sherpa 250, etc. So my '94 ZX6's insurance costs the same as a CBR600RR, R6, or ZX6R's would.
Doesnt insurance also adjust based on value of bike? If not then there would be no reason you only have to pay 335 for 3 months while my buddy has to pay close to 300 for 1 month. Also ZX6-R but 2009.

Im going to have to go with full coverage, 1st time rider and all. Probably going to be able to take it off and refund a bit after some riding? And the quote i got was for new rider, no discount or anything.

[SoNaRWaVe]

Insurance for bikes are by brackets. As I mentioned before, and if i recall correctly, the brackets are anything up to 400cc, then its 401cc-750cc, and then 751cc and up?

I don't remember if that is correct but you get the idea. Then the value you declare for your bike will also affect the rate. You can always ask your agent to play with that number to see how much difference it makes.

I don't think the ZX6R(636) cost the same as CBR600 and R6. It has a 636cc displacement while the rest have a 600cc, but the 07 zx6rr is also 599cc.

that 636 will be in the same bracket as the cbr600 and r6.

Im going to have to go with full coverage, 1st time rider and all. Probably going to be able to take it off and refund a bit after some riding? And the quote i got was for new rider, no discount or anything.

depending on your bike, IMO, it is not worth it to get theft. for a peace of mind, you can get comprehensive but that is the most expensive part if i remember correctly. any discounts you get should be tied with your car insurance. unless you have an accident in history, the discount will be different for your bike than your car. my car has full 43% discount, while my bike only has 35% discount due to an accident like 10 years ago. i don't know why an accident 10 years ago would affect it though...

[tegz]

zx6r's are actually cheaper than the rest, i have no idea why.

speaking for myself, all the other 600's appeal to me alot more.

[LP700-4]

depending on your bike, IMO, it is not worth it to get theft. for a peace of mind, you can get comprehensive but that is the most expensive part if i remember correctly.

Theft is possible, i mean like i dont live in a bad neighbourhood or anything, but shit happens, if i get theft then its only a fraction of the cost of a new bike, im not going to be insuring it full year, maybe like 3 months / 6 months then ill be getting storage insurance the rest of the year.

I know, all this for a Ninja 250, :fullofwin:

[Jermyzy]

^Or you can get private insurance through beacon. Less than 1/2 the cost of ICBC and you get full year coverage including storage insurance

[LP700-4]

Can't as I posted above im a younger RSer still in HS not eligible for beacon or Meagan filtzpatrick or whatever.
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[tegz]

u got access to a locked home garage?

[LP700-4]

Yep, my bikes won't be spending much time sitting in the streets.
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[PUPPY]

looking into getting a motorcycle once i turn 16 and get a license. dw i am going to be responsible about it lol.
considering either the ninja 250 or the cbr250 which seem to be the top 2 beginner bikes. but i know nothing about them and need some opinions. it sounds like the ninja is faster when it comes to highways and open roads, but since i am going to be using this in the city, the honda is more practical.
also, i heard that it costs almost $300 a month to insure the motorcycle as a new rider. is this true?

[LP700-4]

^
I am in the exact same situation as you, for some reason i dont really like the CBR250. Fuel injection and ABS sound really good though. On the other hand the Ninja 250 is carbureted, no abs, but i seem to be favoring it more. Both bikes are similar in power and size.

Insurance is whats going to be killer for us new riders, but not that much as $300. I got a quote for a Ninja 250 for about 800-900 bucks a year. Full coverage.

[6793026]

the 250 RR is really really good. trust me, it's way way way better than the kawi....my friend bought one and it's an amazing machine. totally kept up with me on my ducati on s2s. RR is always much more easier to sell than the kawi.. no idea why, but it's not uncommon kawi are cheaper to buy but also cheaper to sell

[v.Rossi]

^
I am in the exact same situation as you, for some reason i dont really like the CBR250. Fuel injection and ABS sound really good though. On the other hand the Ninja 250 is carbureted, no abs, but i seem to be favoring it more. Both bikes are similar in power and size.

Insurance is whats going to be killer for us new riders, but not that much as $300. I got a quote for a Ninja 250 for about 800-900 bucks a year. Full coverage.

It can be $300 depending on your third party liability, percentage discount and whatever additional add ons you get. What's full coverage, is that basic which is only $200,000 liability which isn't much if you at all if you hurt someone badly...

I'd go with Honda over Kawasaki, their bikes are built like their cars. Reliable.
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[kyoshi]

just a note for those who can get beacon, they require that your bike be stored in a safe secure place (locked garage, behind a locked fence, chained, etc)

[LP700-4]

In my opinion, Kawasaki is the way to go, as the brand solely builds bikes, what can go wrong? Looks way better than the CBR, more fuel efficient, carburetor will be a pain but thats about it.

And yes insurance does vary even for the same bike, but shouldn't be $300.

[PUPPY]

In my opinion, Kawasaki is the way to go, as the brand solely builds bikes, what can go wrong? Looks way better than the CBR, more fuel efficient, carburetor will be a pain but thats about it.

And yes insurance does vary even for the same bike, but shouldn't be $300.

i think the black cbr looks better tbh haha
hmmm , my friend recently got his bike and he's paying $250+ a month

[LP700-4]

^ To each their own.

Is That $250+ a month for a 250cc?? My friend is also paying near that price, except that his is a 09 ZX6R
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[Dazzl240]

250cc great for insurance

[Jermyzy]

the 250 RR is really really good. trust me, it's way way way better than the kawi....my friend bought one and it's an amazing machine. totally kept up with me on my ducati on s2s. RR is always much more easier to sell than the kawi.. no idea why, but it's not uncommon kawi are cheaper to buy but also cheaper to sell

Each person's opinion is different. FWIW, in an issues of Motorcyclist/Sport Rider (can't remember which, I get both subscriptions), they had a comparison of Ninja 250/Honda CBR250/Hyosung GT250R and the Kawasaki came out on top. Also, what are you basing the reselling on? The CBR250 has only been out for a few months...people have been buying/reselling the Ninja 250 for ages now...that's why most people buy the Ninja 250 as a first bike, as they can sell the bike for pretty much what they bought for used.

[bcrdukes]

Yeah the CBR250, while favourable in many ways(i.e. FI > carb) they have their problems and quirks. The bike has been out in different markets but its still too new here. There are so few out there that it can be easily referred to as a first model year.

I'd stray away from the CBR250 for at least a year until they can work out the quirks with the motor and transmission.

[SoNaRWaVe]

FS: 2011 Honda CBR250R Almost BRAND NEW $4800 (http://www.bcsportbikes.com/forum/showthread.php?134435-FS-2011-Honda-CBR250R-Almost-BRAND-NEW-4800)

not bad of a deal if you ask me.

[AlphaKappa]

^ better deal and looks better :D

2009 blue ninja 250r (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/mcy/2517189714.html)

[tegz]

Surprised noone hasn't jumped on the cbr 250r yet...

[6793026]

my friend bought the blue kawi i think

the red one ain't bad for the cbr 250, however, it's red and not the traditional color of cbr

[kyoshi]

Thinking back. I would've preferred something with FI since choke and warm up is a lil annoying hahaha.
All gs500 owners will know what I'm talking about. Damn cold blooded bike.
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[LP700-4]

Are carbs actually that much trouble? I srsly want FI but i dont like how the CBR250 looks...

[BillyBishop]

Are carbs actually that much trouble? I srsly want FI but i dont like how the CBR250 looks...

Not trouble, really. Think about the effort required to prime your lawnmower's engine before starting and maybe using the choke. It's just something you get used to.

kyoshi, is the GS500 that bad? Haha I was going to get one. The ZX6 I got instead is quite the opposite. I've never needed to use the choke.

[SoNaRWaVe]

carbs aren't really that troublesome. its just one of those things they take care of in one of your maintenance packages. unless you plan on cleaning it out yourself, then i'm not too sure.

its just in the morning it takes a bit to warm up before you can ride. but you can usually open full choke for a min and then decrease it with it open about half way and then ride. and in a few mins, you can generally just close it. or you can full choke open and warm a few mins and then close and ride.

by the time you get your helmets and glove on and pre-trip your bike, it usually is warm enough to ride.

[truth]

yeah I own a GS500F, the warming up isn't really an issue at all for me. Start up the bike, helmet/gloves on, check my mirrors I'm good to go.

[kyoshi]

It's pretty loud and it doesn't help that the bike is air cooled.
It takes a bit to heat up and then it cools down fast so chances of choke start are higher. It's got a bit of the lawn mower sound for start up, but once its ready to go, its sounds nice and burbly.

Love it though, perfect bike for around town and a few trips.
I start my bike up, walk it out of the gated area and lock up. Then its pretty much ready to go after I finish zipping up and putting on my gloves.

[LP700-4]

Hows the availability of spots in PRS? do you have to book a spot like now for a course in Jan 2011?

[bcrdukes]

How about you pick up the phone to call and ask them?

[LP700-4]

Too lazy :fullofwin:

[Dazzl240]

I think you can start within 2-3 weeks.

[TouringTeg]

Just want to chime in here. My 04 ZX6R 636 is the same insurance cost as the CBR600RR etc. 42% discount, $50 a month (no comprehensive).

I just started riding in March 2011. It is my first bike and was a lot to learn on. Now I am a lot more comfortable with it.

[blum2001]

Hows the availability of spots in PRS? do you have to book a spot like now for a course in Jan 2011?

I called PRS towards the 3rd week of June, and started 3 weeks later. Just call them and find out.

[v.Rossi]

I didn't want to create a thread for my quick question and since this thread gets higher traffic than others.

Ive got scuffed up fairings(dropped and lowsided, shitty.. oh well what's done is done) and was wondering is it cheaper to get my whole oem fairing set painted(me doing the prepping work, sanding down + primer) or to buy new fairings and slap them on(~$550 with S+H off eBay)?

That's without knowing/having any connections. If its dead easy but time consuming I will consider doing it myself as a winter project with the right online step by step tutorial, but I think I'd have a better sleep having it professional painted.

Enlighten me, thanks in advance
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[BoostedBB6]

Hey Rossi,

What bike you riding?
As for EBay plastics.....some people have luck and they work out ok but NEVER as good as OE plastics.

If its just some light rashing I would take this as a chance to have the whole bike painted in a new color :P (I'm in this boat too, My R1 has some light rash on the left side thanks to an idiot cager).

Tim

[tegz]

Fix what you can make look as if there was no damage, as for the rest, find OEM parts at the chop shop or ebay.

Wouldn't go fake ebay plastics, as you're seriously lowering the value of a bike for sale in the future imo.

[v.Rossi]

It's an F4i, i was thinking getting the bike repainted to how I want it to look. I took the idea off another bike that was custom painted., gorgeous. I know with the aftermarket fairings I'm probably going to have to adjust them here and there for fitment, no big deal there. But there's only so many sets out there, Im not a fan of the repsol as I think it's too much, but I'm really liking the playboy fairing scheme minus playboy logo lol.

That's fine if it's not as good as OEM fairings, I have frame sliders waiting to be put on after what I decide to do...

It is 'light' damage IMO, though that's subjective. One fairing is pretty scuffed up, the other side is still in good condition. In the end I think I'm going to get a whole new set off eBay rather than repaint. If I get it painted I'm sure I'll be looking at a g-note at the very least and my valve spring service is coming up as well...

Life is all about the bejamins...
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[v.Rossi]

Well I looked around for my one fairing that's damaged, was quoted $445 however from dealership not a chop shop. $445 for one side fairing vs eBay whole new set like I said ~$500.

My bikes an 01... I have lots more km to put on it haha and I definitely know i wont make much back of what I bought for as the years go by. Probably best to my advantage to just keep it.

I really want to get it repainted instead of slapping on certain fairing sets... Thinking of getting a second job for my bike to do so. Then once everything's said and done, frame sliders!
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[tegz]

Well I looked around for my one fairing that's damaged, was quoted $445 however from dealership not a chop shop. $445 for one side fairing vs eBay whole new set like I said ~$500.

My bikes an 01... I have lots more km to put on it haha and I definitely know i wont make much back of what I bought for as the years go by. Probably best to my advantage to just keep it.

I really want to get it repainted instead of slapping on certain fairing sets... Thinking of getting a second job for my bike to do so. Then once everything's said and done, frame sliders!
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If saving money is an issue, and you don't plan on selling it soon, why bother fixing it up? It's just fairing damage, just put on some sliders and ride that shit out!

[!oHenry]

Well I looked around for my one fairing that's damaged, was quoted $445 however from dealership not a chop shop. $445 for one side fairing vs eBay whole new set like I said ~$500.

My bikes an 01... I have lots more km to put on it haha and I definitely know i wont make much back of what I bought for as the years go by. Probably best to my advantage to just keep it.

I really want to get it repainted instead of slapping on certain fairing sets... Thinking of getting a second job for my bike to do so. Then once everything's said and done, frame sliders!
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Ah who cares about how it looks, as long as it rides. =P With that said, check craigslist or the chop shop or supersport motorcycle works. You might get lucky and pick up some fairing pieces for cheap. You would be surprised at how many random near mint fairing pieces there are out there. There are cheaper options than going for a full paint job.

If saving money is an issue, and you don't plan on selling it soon, why bother fixing it up? It's just fairing damage, just put on some sliders and ride that shit out!

+1 Season is nearing a close. Save up for next season

[bcrdukes]

Too lazy :fullofwin:

I suppose you shouldn't be riding.

[LP700-4]

I suppose you shouldn't be riding.

I probably shoudnt. :okay:

But who says im riding? Im just PREPPING for my riding.

[SoNaRWaVe]

I probably shoudnt. :okay:

But who says im riding? Im just PREPPING for my riding.

you should prep by calling PRS and booking a spot.

[LP700-4]

you should prep by calling PRS and booking a spot.

Actually i still have to do my knowledge test, but question here is that do i have to wait out the 30 days before MST?

Example.

I do my Knowledge test tomorrow on the 12th, get the 30 day restriction from riding solo thing before im eligible to do the MST. So September 12th im eligible.

Do i have to do my course after September 12th or is there some kind of leniency about the restriction period if you do a course?

[v.Rossi]

You ask too many questions, just pick up the phone call PRS and ask them about the MST question as well, they'll give you way more informed and detailed answers.

Dont be shy, they don't bite... except Dat.
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[LP700-4]

I do ask too many questions.....

Unfortunately it seems like I would rather ask a bunch of ppl on RS and get mixed or wrong answers then to go and ask the people who actually know what I'm talking about who can actually give me an answer
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[SoNaRWaVe]

Once you pass the knowledge test, you can take the course. I believe the knowledge test is a prerequisite for the course.

If you don't take the course then you have to wait the 30 days before doing the MST. The school I went to does the MST on sight. If you pass they give you a form and you can go to ICBC and get your interim license. They also booked my class 6 test with ICBC.

Each school might be different so you'll have to call and ask them.
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[LP700-4]

Okay, but here is an honest question, is it better to have more power in the high end like the R6 or to have more power in the low revs?
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[SoNaRWaVe]

That is totally up to you as a rider. Everyone has different riding styles and preferences. You will find out after a season or two and you will buy your second bike accordingly. I would suggest you think where would you be riding mainly to answer your own question.

If mainly city, you would rarely reach high revs but highway on the other hand, is better to have more power on the higher rpms. But that's just my opinion.
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[tegz]

you can reach the upper revs where ever you go... even in the city, going up to 15K+ redline on first is possible, but you choose not to be a douchebag and alarm all the people around you when it's crowded.

[LP700-4]

That is totally up to you as a rider. Everyone has different riding styles and preferences. You will find out after a season or two and you will buy your second bike accordingly. I would suggest you think where would you be riding mainly to answer your own question.

If mainly city, you would rarely reach high revs but highway on the other hand, is better to have more power on the higher rpms. But that's just my opinion.
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Mostly city commuting, but would having lots of power in the low revs be a problem?

Like for example getting off a light then going into a turn on a wet day, woudnt having most of the power in high revs be better?

you can reach the upper revs where ever you go... even in the city, going up to 15K+ redline on first is possible, but you choose not to be a douchebag and alarm all the people around you when it's crowded.
No hopefully i wont be an attention whore and go 1st gear 50kph :alone:

[SoNaRWaVe]

no matter where the power of your bike is, it shouldn't be a problem if you know what you are doing and respecting the bike.

for city commuting, a 250cc is definitely more than enough.

i am curious as to why you thinking having power in high revs are better in for that second question. how fast would you be turning? most of the time, you would stop and then turn, or slow and without stopping, turn (say around 20km/h). you don't need high revs for that, in fact, you would probably be around 3k-4k rpm.

power in low revs gives you more torque low end. so you can take off easier and easier going up hill. depending on bike, this can be trouble if you are new and panic. for example, if you rev too much and release your clutch, this may cause a wheelie and throw you off your bike (can easily happen on a 600cc vs a 250cc, 250cc is more forgiving on the throttle). if you are turning slow and decide to rev it too much, you can low side the bike.

power in high revs are better when you are up to speed or on the highway. but like above, it can cause problems as well.

like i said, either way, if you know what you are doing, respect your bike, ride within your skill, drop the ego, ANY bike will run fine and won't cause any problems. once you start riding, you will realize what your style is and then can decide what you want in your bike (ie. power in low rev, or power in high rev).

honestly, each bike has a different power band (power in different rpm ranges) and you wouldn't really notice the difference until you start riding and building up experience.

sorry for the long rant, but keep the questions coming if you got em. other than that, i highly suggest you take your knowledge test whenever you are ready and take the course. everything will just start to click.

[6793026]

bikes are meant to be ridden in high revs. if u think switching gears at 3000 rpm then that's fooked up. MOST bikes... now only most, starts kicking in at 5 - 7000 rpm and that's when the fun begins.

[CharlieH]

^

on top of that sport bike motors are so high strung that you'll ruin the motor if you're always hovering at 3k rpm lol.

well maybe not ruin, but it's definitely not good for it

[bcrdukes]

I redlined the living hell out of my Vespas and my recent RD200. I plan on redlining the hell out of all my motorcycles because they're designed to operate that way.

Keeping it in the lower RPMs will likely do more harm than good.

[tegz]

On busy streets I usually up shift around 6.5-8K on my prev. inline4 and judging from some of the responses here I'd say that's pretty conservative :D

[SoNaRWaVe]

yea, in the city, i usually up shift at the 6k mark. isn't the 3k mark almost idling?

[LP700-4]

Hmmm, I rode a Honda 125cc in china, i always shifted below 6k.... Even at WOT i shifted very early.....

Ive always thought shifting early means healthier for the engine, guess im wrong.

[bcrdukes]

No. These motors need to be revved up. They aren't designed like cars and are built to tighter specifications. I'm not encouraging anybody to redline all the time but I personally keep my revs higher up.

Say if for example my redline was at 12,000rpm, I would rev it up anywhere between 8-10K before shifting. In the city with absolutely no highway riding, my friend on his CBR600 F4i would go only as far as 3rd only and when absolutely necessary. His motor is at 48,000km.

I redline the living shit out of my Vespa. In fact, to the point where it's at WOT before I even shift. Did this on 3 Vespas. One where I tore the motor apart. It was so clean and healthy.

In the end, do whatever you're comfortable with. You are the master of your own domain. :)

[tegz]

Man redlining in a recent 600 on first is like going 90+ km/h :(

Different story on a 250... which is why they say if u get a 250 u'll be riding it harder and be learning faster unless you take the 600 to a track every other weekend!

Members at BCSB organize summer trackdays at pitt meadows. Will be going to every single one of them next year!

btw sonar, if your bike is idling anywhere thats pretty much not 1000-1400 rpm (assuming it's an I4) then you might need to adjust your idle revs.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the "norm" for idles on I4s is exactly 1200rpm i believe.

[LP700-4]

Hmmm, i got my eyes scanning around for bikes, there are lots of steal of the deals but they are named "Rebuilt Status" does this actually mean anything?

Dont want to save couple hundred and have to spend a couple thousand for future repairs.....

[SoNaRWaVe]

if you scratched your fairings and went through icbc, that itself can give it a rebuilt status, but thats just aesthetic damage. bike should run just fine.

on the other extreme end, forks and/or engine and what not could have been damaged from a crash before to give it a rebuilt status as well. just buyer beware and always get a pre-inspection and carfax (or other similar car reports) done.

tegz, yea, i just started my bike, seems idle is around 1200-1400rpm. was just taking an eyeball guess on top of my head for that 3k rpm guess :P

on the other hand, this doesn't seem so bad of a deal: 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250r SE *Mint* $4000 (http://www.bcsportbikes.com/forum/showthread.php?134927-2009-Kawasaki-Ninja-250r-SE-*Mint*-4000)

[gdoh]

how many ks can you get on a bike before it needs heavy maintenance???

[SoNaRWaVe]

define "heavy" maintenance

[LP700-4]

if you scratched your fairings and went through icbc, that itself can give it a rebuilt status, but thats just aesthetic damage. bike should run just fine.

on the other extreme end, forks and/or engine and what not could have been damaged from a crash before to give it a rebuilt status as well. just buyer beware and always get a pre-inspection and carfax (or other similar car reports) done.

tegz, yea, i just started my bike, seems idle is around 1200-1400rpm. was just taking an eyeball guess on top of my head for that 3k rpm guess :P

on the other hand, this doesn't seem so bad of a deal: 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250r SE *Mint* $4000 (http://www.bcsportbikes.com/forum/showthread.php?134927-2009-Kawasaki-Ninja-250r-SE-*Mint*-4000)
I still havent decided with the 250 vs 600 dilemma,

I mean i dont mind riding a 250, especially as insurance and gas is so expensive these days. But i have sat on one and i looked foolishly big on that thing. It'll probably have enough power, maybe just a bit off for a nice long highway journey.

On the other hand, riding a 600, insurance will blow, gas wont be as good, but i get size and more power. Power will be more difficult to handle along with the momentum of the bigger bike. The difference is, that i wont look like a retarded giant on the bike.

What bikes did you guys start off with? :fulloffuck:

[Wilso09]

I just picked up a Suzuki SV650 this season as my first bike out of PRS and I love it! Riding position isn't as agressive as a full on super sport bike, the v-twin motor gives me great low end torque, handling is very smooth, and compared to a super sport it feels more forgiving.

Everytime I head out on a ride with the SV I fall in love with it some more. Great platform to start and grow with.
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[Klobbersaurus]

i just started riding and got a gsxr 600, didnt want the hassle of having to buy a 250 and then having to sell it,

[CharlieH]

started on a gixxer 750. respect the power and be responsible and you'll be fine

[SoNaRWaVe]

I still havent decided with the 250 vs 600 dilemma,

I mean i dont mind riding a 250, especially as insurance and gas is so expensive these days. But i have sat on one and i looked foolishly big on that thing. It'll probably have enough power, maybe just a bit off for a nice long highway journey.

On the other hand, riding a 600, insurance will blow, gas wont be as good, but i get size and more power. Power will be more difficult to handle along with the momentum of the bigger bike. The difference is, that i wont look like a retarded giant on the bike.

What bikes did you guys start off with? :fulloffuck:

i started off with a 600 and as charlie says, respect the bike and you will be fine. i found the 600 to be a steeper learning curve than on a 250.

just to be clear though, as much as you want to and many of us do, don't buy your bike based on looks. that is probably the greatest mistake of all.

better to look like a fool riding a 250 for a season or two and learn properly then ending up on the gravel riding a 600 and whatever consequences that may follow.

a 250 top speed is 170km/h. thats redlining on top gear, but it can easily do the 120km/h on highway. so unless you plan on getting your bike impounded, a 250 is fine for highway journeys.

[CharlieH]

+1 on the learning curve. low speed riding on the 600 is going to be the biggest challenge when you start out. grab the front brakes a little too hard in a parking lot and bike's on the ground before you know it lol

[blum2001]

My gf and I finished our course at PRS a couple weeks ago, and she bought an R6 and is riding it fine. I'm using her bike whenever I can but for this week I've been using my buddies 09 GSXR-750. Like everyone said, respect the bike and you'll be fine.

[gdoh]

define "heavy" maintenance

i mean before it starts to become a money pit...i just want a general idea of many kms you can get out of the bike so that i know for when i want a bike

[bcrdukes]

i mean before it starts to become a money pit...i just want a general idea of many kms you can get out of the bike so that i know for when i want a bike

I don't think bikes go through any kind of money pit maintenance other than maybe valve adjustments.

It will become a money pit for sure if/when you crash. :fullofwin:

[LP700-4]

i just started riding and got a gsxr 600, didnt want the hassle of having to buy a 250 and then having to sell it,
I dont mind going through that process of selling and buying another bike, if it means the best for me.
i started off with a 600 and as charlie says, respect the bike and you will be fine. i found the 600 to be a steeper learning curve than on a 250.

just to be clear though, as much as you want to and many of us do, don't buy your bike based on looks. that is probably the greatest mistake of all.

better to look like a fool riding a 250 for a season or two and learn properly then ending up on the gravel riding a 600 and whatever consequences that may follow.

a 250 top speed is 170km/h. thats redlining on top gear, but it can easily do the 120km/h on highway. so unless you plan on getting your bike impounded, a 250 is fine for highway journeys.

I dont really mind much about looks, if it means i can become a better rider. A guy i know says hes gonna get a ZX-10R for his first bike....:fuckthatshit:

I've narrowed it down to 3 bikes. The R6, Ninja 250, or the older CBR600F4i

Budget: ~4Gs for a bike, 1.5Gs for gear, 1G for Insurance, 900 bucks for PRS

[v.Rossi]

I have the F4i its very forgiving, that doesn't mean you won't or can't drop it though. Your list of bikes is a pretty weird option IMO, I mean from either R6, F4i to 250cc? That's like m3, a4, crx not really but you get the idea. R6 i read is harder to learn on than 600RR, is more agressive(mind you, that does not mean faster) and I heard was problematic and uncomfortable. Though comfort varies from rider to rider, you may be taller while others are shorter, torso height, etc etc. Though the daytime 675 is a lovely bike, but I've heard from everyone it's just stupid uncomfortable.
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[v.Rossi]

But yeah just remember respect the bike(don't showboat or do something you shouldn't), remember where you look is where you go(really fucking important!! Target fixation is everything) clutch before braking, don't put weight on your bars, always be relaxed and know your limit. Some don't wear gear, I don't know.... it's a risk but I mean I don't always wear a condom. So i cant judge lol

You'll probably suck going fast on turns at first like your rear tire will slide, took me a while to get the hang of it. Say you wanna turn right, push the bars left to turn right. That whole idea really messed with my head, and the harder you push the sharper your turn. But this is only on speeds above 25kmh
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[LP700-4]

^:fulloffuck:

I kinda get that countersteering concept, it really works when your on a bike going down cambie at like 30kph

Edit: Wait a minute isn't it push left to lean left, push right to lean right?

I have the F4i its very forgiving, that doesn't mean you won't or can't drop it though. Your list of bikes is a pretty weird option IMO, I mean from either R6, F4i to 250cc? That's like m3, a4, crx not really but you get the idea. R6 i read is harder to learn on than 600RR, is more agressive(mind you, that does not mean faster) and I heard was problematic and uncomfortable. Though comfort varies from rider to rider, you may be taller while others are shorter, torso height, etc etc. Though the daytime 675 is a lovely bike, but I've heard from everyone it's just stupid uncomfortable.
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This list really kinda depends on what i feel after i take PRS,

maybe a 250cc if i feel like i cant handle all the power of an 600cc.
maybe an F4i if i feel like i can handle a 600, but want a lower end sportbike
the chance of an R6 is probably slim, i dont want to ruin my dreambike with my newbie skills.

[CharlieH]

dont worry about the counter steering concept because it's something that comes naturally, and doesn't require any thought. but in short, you push left to go left and right to go right. but pushing right means the wheel will be turning left and vice versa, hence the term counter steering. anything with two wheels will counter steer if you're going fast enough, so if you know how to ride a bicycle then you won't have to worry about it on a motorcycle.

[JettaMKII]

'best' beginner bike is probably a ninja250. but i started riding this June with an '03 CBR600RR and have had nothing but good times on it. it's easy to throw around and all the power is up top so if you're smooth on the throttle then it's nothing to worry about. same thing with brakes.. haven't had any incidents. before i get on a bike i make sure i'm in condition to focus on the ride otherwise i'll drive

[tegz]

^:fulloffuck:

I kinda get that countersteering concept, it really works when your on a bike going down cambie at like 30kph

Edit: Wait a minute isn't it push left to lean left, push right to lean right?



This list really kinda depends on what i feel after i take PRS,

maybe a 250cc if i feel like i cant handle all the power of an 600cc.
maybe an F4i if i feel like i can handle a 600, but want a lower end sportbike
the chance of an R6 is probably slim, i dont want to ruin my dreambike with my newbie skills.

Countersteering is just a concept you should keep at the back of your head. It'll become natural after your first 10 minutes of real riding if you're trained properly.

[124Y]

Think about it this way...If you drive your car and you turn your steering wheel to the left, you actually get pulled to the right by centrifugal force. The difference is that on a car, the outer wheels keep your car from leaning.

[LP700-4]

Ok guys, quick update, i've gotten my L for motorcycles, borrowed my buddies' 08 Ninja 250 for a couple hours the other day. Might be because i havent been on the bike for that long, but the 250 feels really powerless. So i took that bike outta my list.

Now im looking at doing PRS ASAP and buying a 600cc bike. How is PRS in the winter? Should i just wait out until the spring, do prs, and start riding in the summer?

What do you guys think of this bike?Gixxer 600 (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bnc/mcy/2640192639.html)

[ali36]

My boss took the PRS course during the winter time around Novemberish and said it was okay but pretty cold. Id say just do it now if you have time. This is the perfect time to buy a bike since they are so cheap because its almost Winter. Good call on not getting the 250 but the plus side on that bike besides being a good learners bike is the cheap insurance. Theres a considerable difference between a 600 and 250 in terms of insurance but when you take the PRS course you learn on a 250. I bought an R6 right after the course and Ive been pretty confident on it. Im a short guy and I bought an R6, I sat on a gsxr 750 and a zx6r and found it a little easier since it was smaller as I could touch the ground with both feet almost ( im 5,5 ). I ended up buying a 1999 R6 since it fit my budget a little better and I got a hell of a deal on it. On the R6 I can only tippy toe on both sides when the bike is straight, I know its probably dangerous and I probably should get it lowered but ive gotten used to it lol.

[CharlieH]

Ok guys, quick update, i've gotten my L for motorcycles, borrowed my buddies' 08 Ninja 250 for a couple hours the other day. Might be because i havent been on the bike for that long, but the 250 feels really powerless. So i took that bike outta my list.

Now im looking at doing PRS ASAP and buying a 600cc bike. How is PRS in the winter? Should i just wait out until the spring, do prs, and start riding in the summer?

What do you guys think of this bike?Gixxer 600 (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bnc/mcy/2640192639.html)

i wouldn't take PRS during winter time since you wont be getting any practice until next season. take it during spring time and start riding right away. that way you won't forget anything.

as for the gixxer... i'd recommend you bring a friend who really knows their shit to look at the bike because there's a lot of stuff that needs to be checked when buying used bikes, nevermind a rebuilt one.

[LP700-4]

RS Sportbike inspection meet? jks

If anything I might look to do an inspection when I find a bike I'm serious on. I'm just lookin around for steal of the deals.
Any shop or place you recommend for inspections?
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[CharlieH]

I'm more than willing to come help you inspect the bike if I have time haha. 5th gear on westminster hwy is really good, and obviously any dealer would be good for an inspection as well.

[bcrdukes]

+1 to Bill @ 5th Gear

If you are looking for an older bike, Dave & Darcy @ Cypress Motorbike in Delta gets my pick.

[Jermyzy]

Countersteering is just a concept you should keep at the back of your head. It'll become natural after your first 10 minutes of real riding if you're trained properly.

Hahaha. I was in Mexico last year and rode an ATV for the first time. For the first few minutes, I kept pushing left to turn left, and pushing right to turn right and ran into the bushes a couple times. I swear the tour guide thought I was a retard :lol