Thinking of packing it in on the street... | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Thinking of packing it in on the street...

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Priller said:
Anyone else done something similar? Any regrets doing so, or did it work out in the end?
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I had similar thoughts 2 years ago. In short:
  • 2019: Picked up a 3rd gen SV that summer with the intent that it would be my last street bike and first track bike. I figured I would take my time to slowly transition to a track-only setup and learn a few things in the process.
  • 2020: By May, license plates and lights were off the bike. Started to do a few track days in June/July but still felt like I wanted something to ride around on the street every once in a while. Not interested in group rides, long distance touring or getting a rush of adrenaline on the street. An hour's ride on Sunday morning every 2-3 weeks does it for me (in addition to track days of course). As has been mentioned on here, I wanted to keep insurance going as well, just in case, but at minimal cost. Shopped around and decided on a TU250X - cheap, reliable, light, fun - probably ended up doing 75% track and 25% street last year.
  • 2021: So far this season, I've done 95% track and 5% street. I only get the urge to ride street when I haven't been to the track in a few weeks. Even if it's only 5% of my total riding, I intend on keeping the street bike for the convenience.
No regrets whatsoever on my end. I find it suits me and my circumstances very well and I'm enjoying motorcycling more than I ever have.
 
I sometimes feel like we expect too much from our motorcycles, as if they can solve all our problems in life


"it should be good on the highway!"
"it should be good in the twisties!"
"it should be good in the dirt"
"it should make traffic more bearable "
"it should cure cancer!"

buying something external to fix something internal never works
 
Priller said:
Supermoto is an option, but it'll depend on insurance, I think. They really appeal as city bombers, but I just don't do that kind of riding anymore.

It's up with the Africa Twin as one of the two choices if I decide to go the ADV route. Love the looks, the brand, the size, the whole lot.


Definitely in my future at some point, especially trials. Would augment the track stuff, for sure. No interest in MX, but trails/enduro and trials strongly appeal. No idea how to go about it locally, though. Do I need to join a club to make the most of trails etc?


This is an excellent point, and a great litmus test.


The nutcases in cars is one of the reasons why I don't commute on a bike anymore, and a huge obstacle to the day-to-day riding I just don't do anymore. I sometimes commute to our office in Mississauga, but it's more frustrating than fun these days. When you add schlepping all the gear etc, it's something I do less and less. I think my mileage this year is under 1000 km total!


Having gotten used to some of the better roads in BC (not the best riding in the world, but definitely better than here), it was a real disappointment to hit the old hot spots and discover they were about five corners all told. Add the reduced limits and roadside convictions, and that's the main reason I'm in this conundrum. I got some good Niagara route tips from @theassassin, but the limits are all lowered so far now. I absolutely need to be able to drive for work, as visiting different sites is critical, so I just can't take the risk of a suspension.


Yeah, maybe the @Evoex route of getting a cruiser is another option, but that's not really why I ride, if I'm honest.


Trips down to Ohio and Pennsylvania would be great, but I'm not really looking to do longer tours. Maximum length would be Friday evening to Sunday evening, and with that limitation, the 'transaction time', as you call it, starts to become just too high a percentage. Whether it's navigating the GTA or the border, Hamilton isn't a great spot for weekend tours to twisty roads...


Yeah, part of me gets this, and part of me really resents the way Ontario motorcycle insurance finds a way to squeeze you even if you don't ride. Stopping their overpayment cycle is a huge appeal of getting off the road. It's such a broken system in this province.
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Joining a club is important. The SOCT uses a lot of private land and some secret sports for practice.
www.sovt.website

SOVT

A club to support classic moto trials in Southwestern Ontario
www.sovt.website www.sovt.website
 
Sometimes you just need to take a break.

What is the saying, if you love something, set it free and if it returns?

I wouldn’t sell it.

Just check with your insurance agent/broker about parking it for a year and what options you have to avoid taking a hit financially if there is a gap in coverage because It was cancelled etc.

I completely understand where you are coming from.

So pivot accordingly. Park it, get something else, sell it and forget about it.

I’d be inclined to get something smaller to zip around in but no matter what you ride, you won’t be leaning at 9/10ths on public roads.

But I’m fat and old and it doesn’t take much to put a smile on this fella. I just cruise the back roads of the Niagara Region and it seems to keep my heart pumping and wanting to ride those same roads. Fast or slow


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I'm very new to riding so I still have fun riding around the city, checking out the talent at lakeshore ;) etc...

You gotta do what pleases the heart. If you are not compelled to get on it. Leave it in the garage for a little while, see if you ever get the itch to just go ride. If you dont get that for a while, say a year. You are propably over riding it on the streets.

I would say. Get a bike which you can handle to its fullest potential (unlike yours which is overpowered for your skillset) and take it to the track to develop your skills constantly, then get back on your bike at the track.
 
Priller said:
Yeah, maybe the @Evoex route of getting a cruiser is another option, but that's not really why I ride, if I'm honest.
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I totally get this. I stopped street for the same reasons; I was riding to safer public roads with no hidden intersections or whatever to train cornering. I also had a budget section called "traffic violations"; luckily I never had to use the funds tho!

Kinda hard to ride a cruiser fast through a corner, as you likely know, without dragging some part of the bike so that makes sense too lol
 
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I am in Hamilton as well and sometimes think I want to go out for a ride, and then think of how many times I've gone to the same boring roads around here and end up not going. Doesn't help my bike is so uncomfortable that I don't want to go further than 45 mins from home. Have been down to maybe once a week this year if I'm lucky.
Have a couple dirt bikes as well that I take to motocross tracks, but that becomes a chore sometimes too loading up and having to drive an hour for something half decent...becomes almost a whole day venture. Once riding it sure is fun though, after taking a 5 or 6 year break from dirtbiking it sure made me realize how much I missed it.
 
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one having these feelings...on a side note, I'm getting out almost daily on the new bicycle hubby bought us...usually do about 10 km which isn't bad for someone who hasn't been on a bike in probably 20 years or more... :D
 
ifiddles said:
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one having these feelings...on a side note, I'm getting out almost daily on the new bicycle hubby bought us...usually do about 10 km which isn't bad for someone who hasn't been on a bike in probably 20 years or more... :D
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Well, maybe try expanding your riding area by 30 minutes? There are some pretty cool roads up and around Guelph Lake... or a bit farther is Conestoga Lake or Paris area.
 
bigpoppa said:
but then all the ugly bikes in your garage will get jealous and give you a divorce
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If you make something dependable, it can be ugly.

if you can’t make it dependable, it better be pretty.
 
everyone should get a grom.
amirite @Evoex
 
Many people who race quit street riding and some of the top pros have never even had a motorcycle license.

This is my first year back on the street after 7 years of track only. I feel way safer on the track but I now live in Muskoka area so a street bike is more fun than before. And I have more money to afford the toys :p

As for insurance, until this spring I hadn't had bike insurance for about 9 years and my coverage is about $55/month. They didn't care about the time lapse as I was still an insured car driver. To me I think that's a cheap rate for a 599 and being still under 30.


I'd say make the switch. If you miss the street later on you can always buy again.
 
Priller said:
Warning: navel gazing ahoy! This is one of those threads where I'm mulling things over out loud. Any and all input appreciated, particularly from those who've dealt with similar issues.

So I've had my Tuono here for almost two years (holy moly, time flies), and I'm finding I'm just not riding it very much. I absolutely love the bike, miles more than anything I've ever owned. It does everything I ask effortlessly: comfort, handling, looks, acceleration, speed, you name it.

The problem is that I ride for cornering, and there just isn't anything worth riding to nearby (Hamilton is not a sportbike mecca!), especially as all the limits nearby have been lowered to a torturous 40-60 km/h. Even at license-losing speeds, it's just not fast enough to be fun. 110 km/h on most of these roads, even the twistier ones, is still 'one hand on the bars and check out the scenery' speed.

I have thought about trading in for something less overpowered, say an RS660, but I genuinely don't think that really solves the problem. Instead of being bored at 4,000 rpm, I'll be bored at 7,000 rpm.

While getting something in the touring/ADV segment is an option, I don't really have much desire to do much distance stuff. Getting anywhere decent in Ontario from here involves either getting through Toronto all the way from one side to the other, or doing lots of dull zigzag backroads to work my way over the top. Doing that twice in a weekend is no fun, and I don't see myself doing longer tours at this point in my life. If I have a week or more off, I'd rather spend it with my wife and family. And before anyone says to move out of Hamilton, we absolutely love it here, especially as a family, and have no desire to live anywhere else.

So what Ontario does have to offer is a decent selection of tracks to scratch my itch. Four tracks (if I'm kind to TMP) are doable in a day, and Calabogie takes a day and a half, needing to get there the night before. I really enjoy Grand Bend, Mosport/CTMP and Shannonville, each bringing a unique challenge.

For now, I'm happy to do track days. Not fussed about lap times, just having fun carving corners and getting a lean on. The Tuono is still massively overpowered for my needs, though, as I really don't care about top speed at the end of the back straight. Part of the reason I bought an RC51 as a track bike is its relatively modest horsepower numbers, likely around 115-120 at the wheel (80+ lb.ft of torque will help drag my fat arse out of hairpins, though).

While all of the above seems straightforward, it's a bit weird to consider not having a street bike, as I've had one for almost my entire adult life. While I don't actually ride much anymore, I still know I can, which feels normal. To get all dramatic, not being able to feels a bit like amputating a limb.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I've got my mind made up, but I just need time to be sure it's the right move. Anyone else done something similar? Any regrets doing so, or did it work out in the end?

Thanks for your indulgence...
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Park your bike, give someone the keys, and instruct them not to let you have them no matter what until September. That's basically peak riding season, so if you feel meh after that, you pretty much have your answer.

Personally, I think an RC51 is also overkill for the smaller tracks like Shannonville, TMP, and the RDT. I couldn't stand my 998 on the RDT, so it only sees the main track. I also vote for trying out a supermoto next, whether it's just for the track, or also gfor the street. Hamilton's a great place to live if you own one of them.
 
so is a supermoto the same as a dualsport? or do the wheels make them different (meaning the percentage of street/dirt rating)?
 
ifiddles said:
so is a supermoto the same as a dualsport? or do the wheels make them different (meaning the percentage of street/dirt rating)?
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depends if the manufacturer did it right or half assed it

The new klx300sm for example, has completely different (and fully adjustable)suspension, wheels and tires, brakes, gear ratios etc entirely separate from its dual sport counter part.

the expensive KTM/huskys also do this, they come prepped and ready to rip


I think in the past they were like that, full on dirt bikes with 17" wheels and street tires, much like the naked bikes of old, that were crashed sport bikes, with fairings removed, and upright renthal bars installed, now days they are purpose built bikes from the factory, designed by the engineers, that are miles better than their progenitors.


heck they even have competition race bike supermotos (450 smr) that i'd be tempted to buy and somehow convert to street legal, but I imagine they dont last long (amirite @Lightcycle ?)
 
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saw this in the comments section of 701 supermoto video:
1627791588319.png
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