Completed Motorcycle School, passed M1 Road Test, need help for what to do next!

B

bigpurplehippo

Member
Forum Sponsor
I recently posted a thread about getting into motorcycles because of the looks of a cruiser. Well, I had the opportunity to ride a cruiser-ish motorcycle at the Riders Training Institute recently (Suzuki TU250). I found that I did not like it as much as the street/sport motorcycles.

Originally, I was planning to get a massive motorcycle straight out of motorcycle school. However, just based on the input the instructors gave me, I do not think I am ready to ride one. I think the instructors gave me some great tips and lots of areas to work on. I would like to work on these skills for a period of time before I get my M licence.

Although I have a completed motorcycle school, I still need a month or so before I can get the M2 Licence, which I will probably have in the end of July. I have these following questions:

1. I am looking at a 250cc street/sport motorcycle. I need something affordable, for beginners, easy on insurance, and can be resold. It can be both new or old. What is it? Where can I get it? When should I resell it? I would not have much time to ride one... should I just wait until next summer??

2. Insurance is a big monster I have not thought about much. I have done motorcycle school, have a G licence, and currently doing an undergraduate degree. Please give me 2 or 3 names I can phone up. I don't even have a motorcycle now, so should I phone them when I buy a motorcycle or should I get insurance and then a motorcycle?

3. Where can I practice?? I am a serious newbie. I do not want to cause accidents. That said, I still need to practice. I live near College and Bathurst. Does anyone know any places near there that are 'motorcycle-friendly'?

Thanks a lot and I appreciate any comments!
 
Last edited:
What do you mean you completed motorcycle school, but need another month before you get your m2? When you go to the training course if you were there for the full weekend they do the m2 test there, so if you did that and passed it then you already have your m2 now, you just have to turn in the paperwork to the mto after 60 days from the time you wrote your m1.
 
Johnny5 said:
What do you mean you completed motorcycle school, but need another month before you get your m2? When you go to the training course if you were there for the full weekend they do the m2 test there, so if you did that and passed it then you already have your m2 now, you just have to turn in the paperwork to the mto after 60 days from the time you wrote your m1.
Click to expand...

Incorrect. You only have your M2 once your papers are handed into the MTO.

OP you are probably looking at either the Honda or the Kawi 250. There will be a lot more Kawi 250's on the market then the Honda's because they have been around longer. A lot of the time you can resell them in the same condition for a minimal loss. Sell it once you've outgrown it and are fully confident on the road. Resist riding 2up straight away especially with inexperienced passengers. I'm sure you'll have more answers as you go, but just remember one last thing.....








THE SEARCH BUTTON IS YOUR FRIEND!

There are at least 20 posts every season identical to yours.
 
C-Note said:
Incorrect. You only have your M2 once your papers are handed into the MTO.
Click to expand...

Yes that is what i meant. I said that after you hand the papers in. But my point was he says he took the course and passed, but then goes on to say that he will be taking the m2 road test at the end of July. I think he's got something confused. You do the m2 test during your msf course on the sunday, so if he passed that he has the paperwork, and just need to take it in to the mto, he shouldn't have to be taking any more tests, other than the full M test in 2 - 5 years.
 
Gotcha.
 
Johnny5 said:
Yes that is what i meant. I said that after you hand the papers in. But my point was he says he took the course and passed, but then goes on to say that he will be taking the m2 road test at the end of July. I think he's got something confused. You do the m2 test during your msf course on the sunday, so if he passed that he has the paperwork, and just need to take it in to the mto, he shouldn't have to be taking any more tests, other than the full M test in 2 - 5 years.
Click to expand...


OP said he will have his M2 license in the end of July, which means he probably just wrote M1 written test in the end of May. You need to hold M1 for at least 60 days to be qualified to have M2 license, and it's irrelavent to if you did the M1 exit or not. If you did the M1 exit within the 60 day period, you still gotta wait till the period is up to get your M2 license.
 
C-note is right, you will probably wanna check out Honda CBR or Kawi Ninja, 250cc. Ninjas are very easy to resell once you are ready upgrade to a bigger bike.

Check out the subforum Insurance, there's tons of useful information there. I have done some research there and it's recommended that you call around and get some quotes before you go buy a bike.

Good luck on your hunting! I'm thinking about getting a Ninja 250 myself. ;)
 
Re 1: As others have said, Honda and Kawasaki are popular. Find a dealer and go sit on some there. Find a bike that you are comfortable on, and with weight you are comfortable with. I'd even consider the Kawasaki Ninja 400 - really liked that one (my second choice)

Re 2: Find some bikes that interest you and then get quotes. The quotes will help you decide if you want to get a bike this year or wait until next, since if you're a student, you're probably still young (eg. expensive to insure). I got quotes from some bike insurance company that advertized on here (forget name), TD Meloche Monnex, and State Farm. I ended up going with TD.

Re 3: Downtown is the worst place to learn. I live College and Bay, and I take Bay down to the Lakeshore and ride along there. I go to the Port Lands to practice. Little traffic there, and there is a good loop to practice around (Cherry to Unwin, to Leslie, to Commissioners, and back to Cherry)
 
Sorry about any confusion. I passed my M2 Test last weekend. However, I only got my M1 only a month ago, and I have to wait 60 days before I can submit my paperwork. So even if I did pass my M2 Test, I will still have to wait until Late July until I have a M2 officially.

C-Note: I forgot about search! Okay thanks. I will look into that.

dodgingwrenches: Thanks for answering each of my questions! I will do the same with insurance! Thanks a lot. I think I just need to figure out a loop that does not have much traffic. Perhaps early in the mornings or later in the night.


I heard there were two types of starter motorcycles, the 250cc and the 125cc. The 250cc is double the price of the 125cc. What do you guys think about the 125cc? I don't see many of them on the market, where do I get those to take a look at them?
 
Jinniwind said:
OP said he will have his M2 license in the end of July, which means he probably just wrote M1 written test in the end of May. You need to hold M1 for at least 60 days to be qualified to have M2 license, and it's irrelavent to if you did the M1 exit or not. If you did the M1 exit within the 60 day period, you still gotta wait till the period is up to get your M2 license.
Click to expand...

I know all of that since i've done it and gone through that process. It appears that the OP edited his post after my first reply. At first he was saying that he had already gone to RTI and had completed the course, but said he had to go back at the end of july to do his m2 exit. I think he meant just to go hand in the paperwork.. actually he just posted above this confirming that.. That was what i was getting at... :)

@ Bigpurplehippo, you could always go back to one of the schools for the 1 day refresher course and take a spin on the 125 and 250 sportbikes to see how you like them, they have them at most schools. When i took my course at Centennial we had them as well as the 250 cruisers and were allowed to try them all. Also, regarding price, there is no rule that you have to buy new, there are lots of good deals on kijiji for used bikes.
 
Last edited:
bigpurplehippo said:
Sorry about any confusion. I passed my M2 Test last weekend. However, I only got my M1 only a month ago, and I have to wait 60 days before I can submit my paperwork. So even if I did pass my M2 Test, I will still have to wait until Late July until I have a M2 officially.

C-Note: I forgot about search! Okay thanks. I will look into that.

dodgingwrenches: Thanks for answering each of my questions! I will do the same with insurance! Thanks a lot. I think I just need to figure out a loop that does not have much traffic. Perhaps early in the mornings or later in the night.


I heard there were two types of starter motorcycles, the 250cc and the 125cc. The 250cc is double the price of the 125cc. What do you guys think about the 125cc? I don't see many of them on the market, where do I get those to take a look at them?
Click to expand...

Ive been shopping and looking and reading.

125 cc is great for city commuting, but highway driving will leave some missing power to be desired..+ supposedly the seating isnt very comfy.
Of course 125 will be lower on insurance... but you'll probably outgrow it a LOT faster than a 250cc.
 
Johnny5 said:
I know all of that since i've done it and gone through that process. It appears that the OP edited his post after my first reply. At first he was saying that he had already gone to RTI and had completed the course, but said he had to go back at the end of july to do his m2 exit. I think he meant just to go hand in the paperwork.. actually he just posted above this confirming that.. That was what i was getting at... :)
Click to expand...

That explains everything lol!
 
125's are a waste of time and money. I might get flamed for that comment but could care less. They can barely hit 120, and passing a transport truck on the highway could even blow you over a whole lane. Skip them all together
 
I started and still have my GS500F and I am into my second season.

For insurance you can look into combining your car and bike together to get a discount. I did this with State Farm. My car insurance went up a bit but my bike insurance went down quite a bit and I saved $200 a year doing this.
 
C-Note said:
125's are a waste of time and money. I might get flamed for that comment but could care less. They can barely hit 120, and passing a transport truck on the highway could even blow you over a whole lane. Skip them all together
Click to expand...

Flame flame flame rage... Meh..

It really depends on what kind of ride you're looking for.
The 125 is light and easy to maneuver and is also cheap to repair if you were to drop it for any reason. The signals/mirrors usually break the fall which will cost you like $40 to fix assuming you're not flying down the road at the time of the fall.
Resale value on a used cbr125 is almost as good as a ninja 250. You can probably buy one for $1500-$1700 and sell it for about the same 10k km later and upgrade to something else if you feel that it doesn't have enough power.
Due to my lack of $$$ as a student, I'll be keeping my 125 until I'm done school until I get more $$ and upgrade. It really depends on your financial situation. (Gear and accessories can be pricey too)
 
Last edited:
LePhillou said:
Ive been shopping and looking and reading.

125 cc is great for city commuting, but highway driving will leave some missing power to be desired..+ supposedly the seating isnt very comfy.
Of course 125 will be lower on insurance... but you'll probably outgrow it a LOT faster than a 250cc.
Click to expand...

The difference for me between the cbr 125 '07 and ninja 250 '08 was $80/year (I was 20 years old w/ 1 ticket). The real difference in price really is the bike itself.
As for the comfyness of the seating, On my third week riding, I went on a 700km ride w/ someone and my *** was a bit sore but it wasn't too bad. I cant really compare to any other bike since I haven't ridden on any other. I guess, like helmets, you won't really have anything to complain about until you try something better.
 
Time to get a bike!!! I'd suggest something old and used for sure. A 500 Ninja is a decent starter bike.

For areas to ride. Your neighborhood is pretty busy so if your aren't used to that you may want to ride at night or early morning when the traffic is less, until you get used to it.

I liked riding up University to Lawrence, up Bayview to the Edward garden area and then down Leslie. It didn't used to be too busy.
 
I don't have a lot of experience here (being a newb myself) but if you were considering a 250 cruiser to begin with, know that a 250 sport bike is faster. I second the recommendation of the 125cc bike. It'll cost less and the insurance will be less as well.

If highway riding isn't your goal then lack of power shouldn't be your concern. As stated above the 125 will be easy to flip once you've got your confidence.

FYI ... I found my bike on kijiji. I haven't found many dealers that make money selling starter bikes.
 
C-Note said:
125's are a waste of time and money. I might get flamed for that comment but could care less. They can barely hit 120, and passing a transport truck on the highway could even blow you over a whole lane. Skip them all together
Click to expand...

Agreed. I found it rode and felt like a glorified bicycle, but that said there are plenty of new and experienced riders that love them. 125 and 250 are identical on insurance with pretty much everyone btw.

the CBR125 goes for 1400-2200(overpriced at 2200) and the Ninja 250 I've seen go from 3000 in the off season to 5000 at the beginning/mid season.
 
Hi Everyone, I really appreciate everyone's input. However, I have some unfortunate news.

I got an insurance quote, based on a both a 125cc and 250cc motorcycle. They were both around $3200. I did not expect it to be that high. I think this is the case because I don't have much experience and because I am 21. So, even if I do get a less expensive 125cc bike, the insurance would be killing me.

As a consequence, I think I am going to wait it out. Perhaps wait another year or two, or after I finish my degree. It really sucks because I was expecting to start riding later this summer, but there is absolutely no way I can afford the insurance on top of a motorcycle, and there is no way I could sustain riding for the next couple of seasons with that type of insurance.

I'm thinking in a couple of years, I could move a bit outside the downtown area, that way practising would be easier for me too. But just after that consultation with insurance... I know I can't do anything right now.

Thanks for all the help again!
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom