starter bike advice | GTAMotorcycle.com

starter bike advice

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blinky

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I've decided I want to buy a bike. need advice. I think my budget(and being a new rider) is dictating a CBR 125 or 250, or maybe a ninja 300. I went to Motorsoul and they had 3 different kinds of bikes to try and learn on. I loved the Yamaha TW200 but my riding will mostly be on city streets and those seem out of my budget. I liked the cbr a lot too. Based on my budget I'm thinking cbr or ninja. Thoughts anyone?
 
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My first point of advice would be to check with your insurance company first. Often they have vastly different rates depending on the model/make you insure. As a new rider, you are going to bear the brunt of the fact that many new riders are going to have accidents. It sucks, I know, but there is no way around that one.
Second, Don't get a bike that is underpowered for what you will be using it for. Like if you are gonna carry a passenger, highway driving, etc.
Third, get one that feels comfortable. As a new rider, you need all your attention on the road, not on your sore butt, legs, etc.

Have a great riding career!

Jock
 
As the person above me said, check your insurance quotes first. Chances are, the quotes will make the decision for you (on which bike).

Don't be surprised if the cost of insurance is more than the bike itself!
 
For city riding any of those should be great. Though it is a good idea to check insurance before getting a bike, see what works in your budget.
 
Check insurance... not online actually call them!

Get a 250, will be awesome for you. Great bang for your buck and great resale value.
 
comfort should be your first thought,then price,and insurance, that Yamaha TW200 looks like a cool bike.
 
Nobody's mentioned this yet, but please make sure you include safety gear in your budget. Good gear ain't cheap.
 
I was in the same boat as you. I sat on a cbr 250 and a ninja 250 but I ended up with a ninja 500. I I felt it was more comfortable to sit on, it had a little more weight to it (a good thing) and power wise was very good, but not crazy and can be found at great pricing.

Insurance numbers for me were cbr 125 $1060/year, cbr250 1260/year ninja 500 $1420/year.
Reference 37yrs, male, TD home auto, and with 2 cars and a house policy. This season, Sept 2013 was only $110, until Feb 2014, seasonal.
 
Thanks I'm just finding that out. I'm hoping to pick away at getting gear over the winter. Motorsoul instructors gave me good advice on brands and safety ratings to follow but it's sure adding up already.
 
I'm unsure that a 500 might be just too much for me just starting out, but good to keep in mind. Thanks for the insurance heads up too.
 
Yes, even the salesman at the dealership advised me to check insurance first before buying a bike, I was looking at KTM Duke 690.

So yes check insurance first, 125 is not bad.
 
blinky said:
Thanks I'm just finding that out. I'm hoping to pick away at getting gear over the winter. Motorsoul instructors gave me good advice on brands and safety ratings to follow but it's sure adding up already.
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There's the bike show in January(?), you can probably pick up gear then too.
 
Go used. You can get a lot more bike for your buck. Even it it needs work, older Japanese bikes are simple and cheap enough to fix.
 
i love my ninja 300! cant go wrong with styling, fuel injection and some highway power too.

Get a used N300, ride a season and then upgrade when you are ready.
 
thanks for all the tips. I did check with TD for insurance and I'm happy with the quotes. It might just happen!!!!
 
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blinky said:
Thanks I'm just finding that out. I'm hoping to pick away at getting gear over the winter. Motorsoul instructors gave me good advice on brands and safety ratings to follow but it's sure adding up already.
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My first year I spent at least $1300 on proper gear. It's not cheap.

A TW200 is over your budget? I thought those things were cheap.

A Ninja 300 should have plenty of highway power and the ABS is a great safety feature for bad weather. That's probably how I would go if I were to start over.
 
250 is a nice choice, you will like it! like others said, always check your insurance first, it might cost you more than the bike!
 
I got a CBR125R, they are a dime a dozen on kijiji and cheap to insure, the only problem is the competition when selling them. You can buy one with low km spend a few months putting a few hundred more km on it and will likely still have trouble selling it unless you lower your price but overall what you save on insurance and gas mileage compared to CBR250 / EX300, you will be on top. Remember you have to pay tax, transfer of title, plates and registration fees on top of the bike price. I bought a CBR125R for $1700 and after all that including insurance and gear I am at double that.
 
Used bike, used gear. The only thing that I would buy new is a helmet.
Bike shows are a waste of time. Local stores sell their outdated gear there for double/triple the price of what you pay for it in the States. Scanning kijiji for deals is a better option. Or the for sale section here.
Royal Distributing sales are not too bad either. I wish these guys opened a location that is actually in Toronto or Mississauga.
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