Semi-experienced rider looking for an online community | GTAMotorcycle.com

Semi-experienced rider looking for an online community

Hi Everyone!

Been riding since 2014 mainly on a 2013 50cc Honda Ruckus and put on 6,600+ km mostly between Scarborough to downtown Toronto. I passed my M1 exit through a safety course with Centennial College using a Honda Grom (amazing little bike) but haven't been on a "real" manual transmission bike since then because I've always had trouble getting out of 1st gear *facepalm*. However, I swear by that safety course as it's kept me safe on the road on two wheels and also made me a better driver in a car with the same heightened awareness behind a wheel.

Between 2015 and 2017, I quit my job to travel through South America, SE Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and New Zealand. During that time I managed to get on two wheels several times but out of fear of getting into a serious accident while abroad, I drove within my ability and stuck to what I knew and rode only scooters. I've ridden various makes from SYM, Honda, Yamaha and countless Chinese models with different engine displacements up to 250cc. Among my notable rides, I drove around Easter Island amongst Moai heads, survived Saigon traffic in Vietnam (youtube it!), beat tourists to the sunrise at a Thai temple in Chang Mai, pushed a beater to the highest peak on Langkawi Island in Malaysia and became a licensed tuktuk driver in Sri Lanka to drive around the country in a TVS King (google it!)

By the time I got back from my travels, my Ruckus was due for some maintenance and the forums I've been lurking have gone defunct since. Courtesy of google, I came across this place a small handful of times while looking for local parts shops (why can't we have nice shops like the US?) and figured why not join since it looks fairly active here :). With that said, my M2 is going to expire this Sep and I'll be looking for help and advice from the community to getting my hands on a "real" bike soon (rental, used or new). Although the tuktuk was manual transmission it was by way of a clutched grip ship so it doesn't really count as proper practice (neutral was still between 1st and 2nd :D).

Anyways, enough of my long winded intro, I'm looking forward to your advice and to make a new home here.

Current goal: M2 exit, get a proper ride
Current dream bike: KTM Duke 390 (probably won't go 600cc since I ride mostly in the city)
Likes: Leaning into a curve; the rush of keeping up with traffic on 50cc
Dislikes: Streetcar tracks; lane splitters
Regrets: Passing up a chance to travel all of Vietnam on a rickety 150cc Honda Win fake
 
Hello

Nice intro

Welcome to GTAM

Honda ruckus is a great scooter

I've heard good things about Snow City in case you are still looking for a place to get maintenance done on your bike within Toronto

As for getting your M2, i'd look on kijiji for a cheap beater that you could take to a parking lot to practice clutch control

Lots of 250cc options - honda cbr250, ninja250
Depends on your budget

You could also take an M2 exit course
There is a thread on this forum where you get a discount from a specific school
You still need your own bike

Best of luck and post some pictures

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 
I second the awesome intro!
Sounds like an amazing trip.
Welcome to the forum!

Sent from my Purple LGG4 using Tapatalk
 
Nice, i rode the Mai Hong Son loop in Northern Thailand 2 years ago, Chiang Mai was great!

MTO stuff will be booking up fast, i'd recommend booking a date now if you feel confident about buying a bike and getting it sorted by then.

A course would be a great idea (i just passed mine last weekend) but it's going to cost you a pretty penny.
 
Welcome. Great intro story. I could never drive, let alone ride, in some of those places where traffic seems to be pure chaos and it's probably best if you don't know the road safety statistics. That you survived must count for something :)

Good luck in your quest for a Duke 390. Be sure you check insurance for that or any other candidate bike that strikes your fancy.
 
It's probably best to break things down into smaller items. I would say the best course would be to check insurance costs and buy a small bike that you have to shift constantly, but one that is capable of going on the highway. Book a course or test for Aug/Sept. and start practicing in a parking lot, then on quiet residential streets, then business, then highway. Work your way up. If a bike isn't in the picture very soon, you might want to consider re-doing the M1X (Gearing Up) course instead, and getting another five years to find a bike and practice.

Unfortunately, the M2X courses aren't really geared towards teaching you how to shift, they focus more on positioning, and traffic awareness.
 
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! It's been a busy few weeks because life gets in the way ?. I've looked around for a decent bike and might be picking up a 2008 Suzuki GS500 from a reputable dealer. 16k, $2999 and obviously certified. I've read here and there that it's a good entry level bike and it might just fit the bill for something with this kind of engine displacement. I may have to reconsider that Duke 390 if I end up with this.

Unfortunately, the M2X courses aren't really geared towards teaching you how to shift, they focus more on positioning, and traffic awareness.

This is exactly what I'm looking for. I've noticed lately that I could improve the way I ride. I've got the basics down as far as positioning and awareness goes but found myself in a few weird situations that could have ended badly. Handling the bike I can figure out on my own, getting expert advice on handling uncontrollable factors is crucial for me. More training is never a bad thing!
 
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Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! It's been a busy few weeks because life gets in the way ?. I've looked around for a decent bike and might be picking up a 2008 Suzuki GS500 from a reputable dealer. 16k, $2999 and obviously certified. I've read here and there that it's a good entry level bike and it might just fit the bill for something with this kind of engine displacement. I may have to reconsider that Duke 390 if I end up with this.



This is exactly what I'm looking for. I've noticed lately that I could improve the way I ride. I've got the basics down as far as positioning and awareness goes but found myself in a few weird situations that could have ended badly. Handling the bike I can figure out on my own, getting expert advice on handling uncontrollable factors is crucial for me. More training is never a bad thing!

GS500 is a really good beginner bike! I had one and I'm very happy that it was my first bike! Feel free to PM me if you have questions about the bike. Also, I'm not sure where you are located but there are meets all over GTA. You can get good advice on many of them
 
consider trying to get into something with ABS that you could ride for a while. That GS is over priced . We just bought a 2010 Vstrom 650 with 13k km for $4200 - not that I'm recommending it for you but just for comparison.

Not ABS but nice machine
2015 CBR 300 R | Sport Bikes | St. Catharines | Kijiji
 
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