Going to finally pull the trigger! Tell me if I have all the steps correct. | GTAMotorcycle.com

Going to finally pull the trigger! Tell me if I have all the steps correct.

K

kekekekyle

Active member
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Hey everyone,

I've been playing with the idea of getting a motorcycle for awhile now and I think I am finally ready to pull the trigger. I know the season is almost over, but better late than never, right?

I am a complete newbie. But, I tend to research the heck out of every major decision I make. What I haven't really found though, is how to start the process from scratch. Thus, I am posting here to see if I have everything right:

1. Write M1 written test to obtain M1. I can simply show up to any MTO DriveTest centre without appointment and just write it?
2a. Rent gear. https://www.studiocyclegroup.com/ (any other recommendations?)
2b. Book M1 exit course. http://www.learningcurves.ca/index.html is probably the one I will go with. So it is 1 in class session and then 1 "hands on" session? No prior experience is fine?
3. Wait 60 days from date of M1 written test and submit pass to obtain M2 license?

...

n. Obtain M license (in a few years :p)

Did I miss anything?

Thanks!
P.S. this post does not properly convey how excited I am :D
 
if you are going to ride in the future, consider purchasing your own gears instead of renting it
 
yep.
u got mostly everything right.. BUT motorcycling is more of a spontaneous thing. for me anyways.

go to ministry
go to school. they will tell you everything you need to know. they usually supply the helmet and bikes. what you have to bring is ankle high boots. safety boots would work too for the course. any decent gloves will do for course. i used gardening gloves.
 
First of all welcome to the site buddy!

So I'll just give an overview of your steps but with more detail.

1. Write your M1 written test to get your M1 license. The test is three pages long containing two pages worth of G1 material such as signs. You also do not need an appointment but beware you need valid identification. SIN is not valid for them. Get your birth certificate that's what I did.
2. If your planning on getting a motorcycle right away then it would be a good idea not to rent gear but just invest in new gear. Otherwise, renting gear should not be a problem and studio cycle is fine from what I've heard.
3. After you get everything book your M1 Exit. It will consist of one class theory and 2 classes hands on with the motorcycle. Bicycle experience is recommended.
4. Wait 60 days after completing the course and take the package they give you back to the MTO to get your temporary M2. Your actual card will be mailed.

Good luck and Ride Safe!
 
I think AFGUNZ mentioned this but I don't think he was clear...

In point 3, I believe he's recommending a Rider training course. I HIGHLY recommend the course too. I started riding this year too and I found that course was instrumental in getting me confident on the bike.

Plus at the end of the course you test for your M1 exit. So it saves you that step. The course costs about $450. Many colleges have them. If you want more details on that, please feel free to ask.
 
TheNewDude said:
I think AFGUNZ mentioned this but I don't think he was clear...

In point 3, I believe he's recommending a Rider training course. I HIGHLY recommend the course too. I started riding this year too and I found that course was instrumental in getting me confident on the bike.

Plus at the end of the course you test for your M1 exit. So it saves you that step. The course costs about $450. Many colleges have them. If you want more details on that, please feel free to ask.
Click to expand...

Damn, I was looking at the wrong course (M2 Exit).

Yes, the M1 Exit is 1 classroom + 2 days of riding, then the test. So, if I don't have any prior experience, what should I do?

BTW I am renting gear in the unlikely case that I chicken out after the course.

Edit:
Afgunz said:
First of all welcome to the site buddy!
...
3. After you get everything book your M1 Exit. It will consist of one class theory and 2 classes hands on with the motorcycle. Bicycle experience is recommended.
...
Click to expand...

So if I can ride a bike, I should be okay for this course?
 
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If you can ride a bicycle, you'll be fine. They recommend that for some experience with balancing the bike on 2 wheels.

Renting isn't a terrible idea, but eventually, you will need to invest in gear. I know many people who have chosen to rent gear so that they can buy their gear when they purchase a bike to colour coordinate their gear and bike. Personally, I bought my gear before the test, but to each their own...

Good luck with everything. Riding is a blast so enjoy the journey!
 
Why rent gear if you can buy a DOT approved helmet for $40-50 ? And it's brand new and not worn by hundreds of people. That's what I did when I did my course, it's almost the same thing as renting and you won't feel bad if you chicken out. Besides those rented helmets are pretty much useless since I am sure people have dropped them and the interior foaming has cracked.

As for the rest, I am sure you can find a leather jacket and some boots. Try Value Village, that's what some of classmates in the course did. Worked out great.
 
malim said:
Why rent gear if you can buy a DOT approved helmet for $40-50 ? And it's brand new and not worn by hundreds of people. That's what I did when I did my course, it's almost the same thing as renting and you won't feel bad if you chicken out. Besides those rented helmets are pretty much useless since I am sure people have dropped them and the interior foaming has cracked.

As for the rest, I am sure you can find a leather jacket and some boots. Try Value Village, that's what some of classmates in the course did. Worked out great.
Click to expand...

Well, I also wanted more time to research the best gear (at my price point). I actually didn't know helmets were as cheap as $40-$50, but that plus jacket plus gloves will probably still be over the $75 rental fee.
 
+1 buy a cheap ~$50 helmet that's DOT. You'll want something new after your first season anyway at which point you'll have a much better idea of what you want and how to shop for it. Keep the first one as a spare or for the gf.

And no need to rent or buy gear (except the helmet) if you have at least one of each of the following:

Old leather or denim jacket
Leather gardening or shop gloves that cover the wrist
Leather work boots or timberlands that cover the ankle (I wore my old winter boots lol)

Oh yea, bring water and maybe a small snack. If it's gonna be 25+ that day bring LOTS of water.
 
Screw renting. Like others said, buy a cheap DOT for 50 bucks, at least it will have a new smell instead of 10 years of sweat in it. You can even get a half decent helmet for that much when on sale. Like an entry Shark or something similar. Jacket - you can wear pretty much any leather jacket or they may let you use a heavy jean jacket. Ask first. Boots need to be just that, don't have to be motorcycle. Gloves you can find for $20, make sure they go beyond your wrists.
With your own stuff you don't have to worry about damaging anything either.
 
Yep those boots look good. They are heeled and up to your ankle. Don't think it should be a problem!
 
Don't know where you're located but I'd be more than happy to lend you an old leather jacket for the course, just PM me if interested. I've got a spare, padded textile riding jacket too if they'll allow it.
 
Hey kekekekyle,

I'm a noob and I'm currently at Step 3 of the process you described, waiting for the 61st day to hand in my paperwork to the Ministry so I can add some information to your post.

I took the Learning Curves course offered in the Beaches two weeks ago and I highly recommend it. With taxes you're looking at $450 for the three day course. You will have a 3 hour in class session on the Thursday at the Days Inn at Queen St. East and Kingston Rd. They'll basically guide you through filling out your Ministry paperwork and discuss some basic things you should know about riding like which tire track to ride in and the gear you should have, etc. Pretty basic and goes by pretty quickly. Saturday and Sunday is the hands on riding part of the course. They start off really basic, i.e. you push the bike around the course with the engine off, then you sit on the bike, engine off and someone pushes you around the course. Very basic but it's a good way to teach a new rider in my opinion. Someone who has riding experience may find it boring but I thought the instruction and progression was laid out well. Riding was from 8am to 4pm both days, don't be late. You can rent gear from them if you need to but I believe it's only helmets. Helmets had to be DOT approved. We were told you need boots that cover the ankles, a "tough jacket" preferably leather or textile but they told us a jean jacket would be acceptable and gloves. They specifically told us no "gardening gloves". On Sunday we practiced in the morning and by 1pm we were all doing the M1 exit test. Everyone in our group passed. The weekend I did my course it was hot as f*ck, it was 30 degrees with high humidity and it sucked a**! I brought a cooler full of bottled water. Even if it's not hot out when you do the course I would highly recommend bringing water and a towel because it can get warm wearing all that gear.

Like everyone else mentioned you should buy your gear but if you're not able to right now I would recommend borrowing gear from friends who ride if you're unsure if you're going to follow through and buy a bike because the costs can really add up. I bought all new gear, Scorpion EX500 helmet, Scorpion gauntlet style gloves, Joe Rocket textile jacket and Alpinestar boots which cost me about $700. Expensive yes, but when it comes to safety now is not the time to be cheap.

I hope this helps. My friend and his brother took the course a month before I did and he passed along this information which helped because I was a bit anxious. The instructors are very good and really friendly. Don't worry about not having any riding experience, myself and 90% of my fellow students had no riding experience. Just relax, pay attention to the instructors and have fun! Good luck!
 
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BTW, I forgot to mention the bikes you learn on at the Learning Curves course are Honda CBR125 so they're small, light, easy to ride bikes. They also have a small 80cc dirt bike and a couple of other bikes like a Rebel which you can ride. I recommend trying as many different bikes during the course as you can as they all feel different and have different riding positions.
 
Thanks for the support so far, everyone. I wrote and passed my M1 this morning with a perfect score!

eljay: I already have those Clarks.

AF4iK: I might take you up on that offer, thanks! I am planning to visit some stores this weekend. Do you guys have any suggestions? I was looking at these helmets.

TOYJ: Great info, I'm submitting my registration form to learning curves today.
 
Looks good OP. Any idea on what type of bike you're looking to eventually get?
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