The Cost to Ride in the city

[puttockc]

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So I am a 21 year old(22 august) non student just making my way through the world, I have a GM2, got my m2 October 2009,

I like near yonge and bloor and take the ttc everywhere, I was thinking about getting a small bike (cbr125, ninja250, cbr 250) for getting to work and getting around, and of course for the fun.

What I am trying to figure out is the cost,for a cbr125 I was quoted $1,400 a year and I figure I could pick one up all in, tagged and taxed, for $2,000.

but can anyone tell me how much it costs to maintain a small bike? oil, consumables, lubing chains and tune ups whatever.


I have a leather jacket and a good full face DOT/Snell helmet. but what about the rain? what do I need for that,


do summerise my questions


what rain gear?

Cost to maintain Small bike?

cbr 125 skinny tires ok in the rain?

I travel around 2-4 am a lot should I need extra visibility gear?

what else should I consider?

I don't want to screw myself over with costs and responsibilities I did not expect


Thank you in advance to everyone for your help and suggestions


-Christopher

 

[evang]

since you're clearly not about powern and costs are a factor in your decision, perhaps you should also consider a scooter?

cheap to insure, and you can park on the sidewalk for free. ie: you'll never pay for parking anywhere! Bikes don't have that luxury.

I've got a scooter that I use for getting around town. great for running errands and I can easily cart my groceries home with it even. Cant do that on my bike.

Not to mention they're way more practical for and fun as **** to drive in the city.

just a thought.

 

[evang]

if you're set on a bike, go with a 250 ninja. way more capable on the highway then a 125 and more options in terms of saving money on a used machine then the honda 250 which just came out.

 

[puttockc]

since you're clearly not about powern and costs are a factor in your decision, perhaps you should also consider a scooter?

cheap to insure, and you can park on the sidewalk for free. ie: you'll never pay for parking anywhere! Bikes don't have that luxury.

I've got a scooter that I use for getting around town. great for running errands and I can easily cart my groceries home with it even. Cant do that on my bike.

Not to mention they're way more practical for and fun as **** to drive in the city.

just a thought.

scooters seem to cost more initially, and my only reservation about them otherwise is when I want to leave to city, they wont even keep up on surface streets, I was thinking I could run up to steels then take it (at 80) on a 125 all the way to visit my family (milton)

 

[knowledge]

We can answer most of your questions if you calculate how many kms you'll be doing yearly (be very generous). & call for a quote to insure all 3 bikes 'cause we can't answer that for you.

I agree with evang, if you're all about cost, then a scooter will make much more sense (and you can find scooters which are highway-capable). The stock brakes on the 125 and 250r aren't very good (I'd say even worse for the former), so that's something to consider.

 

[CruisnGrrl]

since you're clearly not about powern and costs are a factor in your decision, perhaps you should also consider a scooter?

cheap to insure, and you can park on the sidewalk for free. ie: you'll never pay for parking anywhere! Bikes don't have that luxury.

I've got a scooter that I use for getting around town. great for running errands and I can easily cart my groceries home with it even. Cant do that on my bike.

Not to mention they're way more practical for and fun as **** to drive in the city.

just a thought.

you can NOT park on the sidewalk period. how ever you can park on the street for free.

if it doesn't have pedals you can't park on the sidewalk

 

[Dayao12]

I would get the 125 if you're concerned about finances. It's definitely the cheapest to insure and gets amazing mileage. It works great on the highway; I've taken it to Wasaga. But do take into account its lack of passing ability. I'd have to keep out of the fast lane if I see cagers closing in behind me. Then when you do find yourself, upgrade to something sexy =D

 

[timtek]

i saw few scooters parked on sidewalk of downtown all the time...

if i live in downtown core...i would probably get scooter...and i would be more so if i'm active during 2-4AM...you'll be tired and scooter takes you the troubles of clutch works.
and REAL MAN RIDES SCOOTERS AND STILL LOOK LIKE A MAN! (k..only some lol)

if you're set on bikes, CBR 125R would be my suggestion.

 

[Vlad]

I like near yonge and bloor and take the ttc everywhere, I was thinking about getting a small bike (cbr125, ninja250, cbr 250) for getting to work and getting around, and of course for the fun.

If you don't plan leaving the city and/or riding on highways get a 125 or a scooter. Scooter has advantage for errands and parking (yes, you can park on the sidewalk in downtown core and you will not get a ticket, but it's not formally legal). If you want to have fun and venture outside GTA I'd suggest a 250 (my preference goes to Ninja) - you won't outgrow it as fast as you will a 125.

but can anyone tell me how much it costs to maintain a small bike? oil, consumables, lubing chains and tune ups whatever.

I hope owners of small bikes will pitch in, but I can tell you that it costs me $2,500 to $3,000 for a 20,000Km season total, including gas.

I have a leather jacket and a good full face DOT/Snell helmet. but what about the rain? what do I need for that,

You need to get soaked a few times first, like the rest of us . If you are just commuting short distances suck it up or take TTC - it's not worth putting the rain gear on, IMO. Otherwise do some research on rain gear or buy rain resistant ("waterproof" is a lie) jacket/pants/boots/gloves. There are too many solutions to cover here and everyone has his/hers favorite. I carry HJC two piece rain suit only on long trips and avoid to use it unless it's cold on top of rainy to avoid soaking in my own sweat under it.

cbr 125 skinny tires ok in the rain?

I'd be more concerned about streetcar tracks and frost hives, but you'll need to adjust your riding to the road conditions anyway. It's not like 250 tires are all that fat.

I travel around 2-4 am a lot should I need extra visibility gear?

Absolutely! High visibility gear is a good idea day or night, even on a very big and otherwise visible bike. Put reflective strips everywhere you can, especially the helmet. Wear a hi-viz vest. Upgrade your headlights and brake lights (modulators recommended). Leave your turn signals alone - aftermarket "blinkers" or integrated turn signals will only compromise your safety.

what else should I consider?

Consider yourself invisible and ride like everyone else on the road (and sometimes off) is a blind and deaf moron. Ride as much as you can as often as you can and enjoy every minute of it, even when it hurts. Know your limits, don't push them and keep the rubber side down. Welcome to the board!

 

[Cha0s00100]

If your running around the city just get a 125 and be done with it. You will be lacking the "Cool" factor, but its all you need for getting around the city. The tires are more then capable and you can get touring tiers put on if you want more grip in the rain.

The only thing is you will need to do your best around those street car tracks with those small tiers. If you think you will have a hard time doing this get a 250 CBR as it has ABS / Fuel injections (big plus in my eye's over the kawi). If cost is an issue and you think you will have a hard time getting around the street car tracks just get a used kawi ninja.

Done and done ;P

Ride safe buddy and watch for those pot wholes in the city

 

[omnivore]

WR250 (R is dirt capable version, and X is supermoto version-either will do) with a rear luggage rack.

Will do everything the other bikes mentioned here will do, and a whole lot more!

 

[puttockc]

maybe 1,500 kilometers, I have no idea really, I have totally changed my lifestyle since I moved downtown

do you mean the kawi or the cbr has poor brakes?

 

[knowledge]

maybe 1,500 kilometers, I have no idea really, I have totally changed my lifestyle since I moved downtown

do you mean the kawi or the cbr has poor brakes?

At 1500 kms, that's only an oil change a season (one jug will last 2 years + 1 filter) and a can of lube for maintenance which will last you a couple of years. It'll be years before you have to take it to a shop at 9000kms & 14000 kms. But it's the unexpected costs that sneak up on you. If you drop your bike and you gotta repair stuff...that's gonna cost. If someone backs into your bike (which has already happened to me downtown)...that's gonna cost. Fairings/parts for the cbr125 are a lot cheaper than parts for t he ninja 250, so that could be something to consider as well if you're going to have a stretched budget. But realistically speaking, it seems hard to believe that you'd only have 1500kms a year - even if it's just downtown.

Omnivore's suggestion's a good one - if I wasn't so in love with sportbike styling, I'd have an enduro bike for commuting. Those things are such a blast and the suspension's half-decent.

Kawi 250r & cbr 125 both have crappy brakes. I spend a lot of time engine braking (even downtown).

 

[knowledge]

double post

 

[Riceburner]

If I lived DT and only ever occasionally go out of town, I'd get a 250 super moto.

I did own a CBX250 when I did live DT and went out of town occasionally. It had a max speed of 120km/h...I just stayed in the right lane on the DVP.

 

[Petraeus]

get a 250 for sure, 125 cant do highways.

as for rain gear i got a $300 gorex suit from marks work wear-house and have been out in thunderstorms, the weather this past week was a joke for me.

other than that get full theft and fire cus ur bike is probably gonna get nabbed

btw i just had the 24,000 km service done on my bike, but every year theres something, tires, breaks, sprockets/chain, etc, its not much but i'd say set aside $1000/yr for service, you can do the oil/filter yourself or pay a friend a case of beer every 5000km

oh and if u have the chance get the new cbr250 that thing is sick, gonna be my next bike when my zzr250 dies

 

[onecartel]

Sumo = most fun you can have in the city... or hitting up trails on the weekends...... or riding through closed construction sites, empty parks, inside shopping malls, schools, apartment buildings, sewers....

For the rain, you'll want an over jacket, pants and either boot covers or a separate set of waterproof boots and gloves.

Hi-viz vest is good for shady conditions (fog, lack of street lighting) or to feel content you have appeased the ATGATT-hiviz crowd.

Maintenance is minimal on most entry level bikes.. lube some things, change the oil, check the valves. You'll get the hang of it quickly. I ride between 4-6,000km a month and the only expenses are 1L oil changes every few weeks ($12), lubing the chain as required, changing the air filter as required ($20) and replacing parts I break off.

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