Topic: The Motorcycling Thread

[CSH]

My wife gave me a M2 training course as a birthday gift earlier in the week. Got my M1 today. Course is in Sep.
Any thoughts on a bike: First time driver so insurance should be reasonable, Also we live in GTA (more insurance questions)
Friends are recommending 500cc or less CBR250 or CBR500
Thoughts?

[Gurgie]

My wife gave me a M2 training course as a birthday gift earlier in the week. Got my M1 today. Course is in Sep.
Any thoughts on a bike: First time driver so insurance should be reasonable, Also we live in GTA (more insurance questions)
Friends are recommending 500cc or less CBR250 or CBR500
Thoughts?

Duke 390?

For a first bike, I'd get a cheap used one (of course that doesn't exist right now) if possible. I'd look in the fall when prices generally drop & people don't wanna store them. I'm not up to date on bikes like I used to be as I haven't had one in 9yrs now, and haven't been looking for any either.

[PJungnitsch]

She definitely wants to start on a 125 or 250 max.  She rode a Kawasaki 125 something-or-other on the course and said "the bike was so fast and felt so heavy".    Very lol, of course, but her two-wheeled frame of reference is a bicycle.  It would certainly suit her to get something that won't scare her as she's finding her comfort level riding on the street.  But fack, pickings are slim.

Well the good news is that the number of bikes under the 400cc mark that have come out over the past decade or so is quite a good selection.  Not the worst idea to go with a lower CC for her first bike.  If you were to go new, I'd say this would be a fantastic starter bike for her https://www.ktm.com/en-ca/models/naked-bike/ktm-200-duke-2022.html .

I totally dig the Duke styling, but she finds it a bit aggro.  The Honda Rebel 500 is what she has in mind for her destination bike.  But in the interim she wants a Monkey:

How about a Van Van 200? 

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-dirt-bikes-motocross/gatineau/2017-suzuki-van-van-200/1626498088?undefined

Much like my TW200, but with a little more power (good) and injection (good too)

Nice in that these types of bikes are light, docile, and very droppable. No ABS though, and highways can be a problem, especially in hilly country

[rrocket]

My wife gave me a M2 training course as a birthday gift earlier in the week. Got my M1 today. Course is in Sep.
Any thoughts on a bike: First time driver so insurance should be reasonable, Also we live in GTA (more insurance questions)
Friends are recommending 500cc or less CBR250 or CBR500
Thoughts?

Duke 390?

I second this.

There's also a Duke 200 for those needing smaller

[Jaeger]

Congrats to her!

I'd wager the Rebel 500 would likely be tame enough to be a beginner/forever bike. The cruiser style bikes are pretty mellow for the displacement. But I get that probably feels giant at first.

Yeah it's mostly a matter of perception, but to paraphrase Dumbledore,  just because it's happening in your head doesn't mean it isn't real. 😄  The Monkey will be fine for poodling around Oakville and taking easy rides up in the country. A highway cruiser it is not, but I don't see much of that happening year one. Heck, I only seem to end up on the highway when Rob drags me there. 

[Jaeger]

My wife gave me a M2 training course as a birthday gift earlier in the week. Got my M1 today. Course is in Sep.
Any thoughts on a bike: First time driver so insurance should be reasonable, Also we live in GTA (more insurance questions)
Friends are recommending 500cc or less CBR250 or CBR500
Thoughts?

Nice gift and congrats on the M1! Are you set on a sports bike? I like Gurgie's suggestion of the Duke 390. Nearly ended up with one myself.

[Fobroader]

My wife gave me a M2 training course as a birthday gift earlier in the week. Got my M1 today. Course is in Sep.
Any thoughts on a bike: First time driver so insurance should be reasonable, Also we live in GTA (more insurance questions)
Friends are recommending 500cc or less CBR250 or CBR500
Thoughts?

The Versys I got was a brilliant starter bike, 300, decent power, more than good enough for commuting, on the highway, its buzzy. If I had to do it again, I would have probably gone for a Honda CB500X just for the extra highway abilities.

[Jaeger]

CB500x is another good choice.

[CSH]

Thanks guys. I will check out the CB, KTM and the Versys

[Blueprint]

How about a few classics?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1977-honda-xl175/

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1975-honda-cb360t-5/

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-honda-cb550k-7/

Always had a crush on the CB750 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-honda-cb750k/

[Blueprint]

Good prices in Quebec on starter bikes... Plate costs (because no-fault insurance) are killing the market here.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-moto-chopper/ouest-de-lile-qc/moto-honda-modele-rebel-1984/1619245267

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-moto-chopper/ville-de-montreal/suzuki-gz250-best-starter-bike-meilleure-premiere-moto/1624444145

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-moto-chopper/ville-de-montreal/honda-rebel-250-2003/1623042798

And how's that for less than scooter money:

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-moto-chopper/longueuil-rive-sud/honda-shadow-ace/1623438557

[dkaz]

Good options for someone in BC to buy an ride home. As long as the bike doesn't have a salvage/rebuilt title, OOPI is not required.

[John Simon]

Every time I see People riding Huge bikes like BMW GS1200, Ducati Multi Strada, Honda Gold Wing, Etc in pleasant cloudy weather, I used to Wish Man I also want my hands on a bike like these, but because of the inflation the prices goes skyrocket, so I hold my decision to go get a Suzuki Boulevard, and try a lite bike as it was my first bike. So I went for Yamaha's YBR 125G, Its a trail style bike with a small fuel economical engine and somewhat okay power. That little bike annoy me a lot. I have only driven it 3K Miles and changing engine oil after every 500Miles but still I had to Overhaul my bike's engine twice and it costed me more than the price of the bike itself. I Wish that my next bike would be much more reliable than this. Wish Me Luck Everyone. 

[Jaeger]

A really BIG bike as a first bike will be a mistake far more often than not, but your little bike sounds like a reliability nightmare.  I have zero patience for that, so I'd be looking to bail for something else were I in your shoes.

[Jaeger]

Fun ride on a perfect day up to Belfountain / Forks of the Credit this weekend.  Turns out I just missed seeing Quad in the area.







I'm happy to say that I negotiated the famous hairpin successfully this time. 



This C8 duo pulled up for coffee just after we did.  Sports cars, motorbikes and cyclists all favor the same roads.



As for the bike, with the first full season mostly behind me, I'm loving it every bit as much as I hoped I would.  I occasionally cast an admiring glance at the big brother CB1000R, but I can't imagine that I could really make use of the extra power on the street, and definitely would not be able to wind it out as often.

I did miss out on a road trip with Rob because I don't think I'm up to a several hours of highway riding on this thing.  Plus no luggage.  The latter is fixable, but wind blast gets old for me after about 20 min on the highway and the type of wind screen that would help would also look positively ridiculous on this bike.  I could see a Triumph Tiger Sport 660 or similar as a second bike, but space for three bikes is presently a problem in search of a solution.

That said, such journeys would be maybe a once-a-year thing, and for the type of riding I do 95% of the time, my bike is pretty much perfect.

[No H2O]

I finally got a pic from the location that you see on the poastcard of this road.


And I finally got to drive this road (not my video) as often as I have been around the lake. The rider is coming up from the south, I came from the north through Riva del Garda. And yes, at 1'40" the roads are that narrow. One of the roads used in a James Bond movie; so was the Furka Pass in Switzerland used in Goldfinger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2eEvGwTPZc

[Jaeger]

Breakfast this past weekend at my fave spot in Campbellville - lots of nice bikes on hand and very chill and friendly riders to chat with.

[Fobroader]

Riding the last few weeks has been challenging due to the heat. I was so happy I invested in some Klim ventilated gear or I would have freaking died!! I'm not complaining about summer weather either Mother Nature, just making an observation!!!

[Jaeger]

Riding the last few weeks has been challenging due to the heat. I was so happy I invested in some Klim ventilated gear or I would have freaking died!! I'm not complaining about summer weather either Mother Nature, just making an observation!!!

If ventilated gear hadn't been invented, I'd hardly have been riding this summer. 35 degrees and humid in leather - nope - not up to that.

[Fobroader]

Riding the last few weeks has been challenging due to the heat. I was so happy I invested in some Klim ventilated gear or I would have freaking died!! I'm not complaining about summer weather either Mother Nature, just making an observation!!!

If ventilated gear hadn't been invented, I'd hardly have been riding this summer. 35 degrees and humid in leather - nope - not up to that.

I couldn't imagine rocking black leather like the Harley types in this kind of weather

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