Low CC Motorcycle?

[Goodoer]

Forced quarantine has made me re-evaluate my life and what I've done. Always wanted a motorcycle, never got one as chicks, money, work, kids, etc. took my attention. Now, I'm looking into it.

I've never been interested in big cruisers and I'm past the race bike stage. I've always had a desire for dual sports ever since I seen a dude bombing down the highway on one.

Any recommendations for a NOOB that'll be riding around in the GTA for the most part?

Another question that I should legitimately ask is: Is it worth it to ride around in the GTA?

(PS - I find it crazy as to how much money I've spent on bicycles in comparison to what a motorcycle goes for).

 

[wigglee]

Insurance is a rip off though, considering how little use you get each year.

 

[John Henry]

Insurance is a rip off though, considering how little use you get each year.

Agreed . I have saved thousands over the years when I got rid of my Harley . Wasn't worth the expense for the few times that I rode .

 

[whitewaterguy]

Honda crf250l. Perfect urban crawler , yet will do 100km/hr all day
Or Yamaha tw200 loads of fun plus 90 mpg

https://www.google.ca/search?q=crf250l+top+speed&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-ca&client=safari




Or if you want a little more juiced, cb500x

https://powersports.honda.com/street/adventure/cb500x

 

[dsc]

Lots of variables to consider. Yes, insurance is a bitch in Ontario for motorcycles regardless of your driving history or years you have driven an automobile. I would figure 1K a year if you have a prefect driving record and chose a make other than HD. Harleys are typically 50% more because of the popularity and rate of theft.
Then you need to look at what style you are comfortable in, cruiser or standard because you ruled out sport and don’t get anything too heavy or top heavy. As a rider I recommend you search for a cheap used bike, there are plenty and I mean plenty of low mile used out there. You can get anything you want for pretty cheap. I sold a Suzuki S50 last year that I started on, the biggest problem was younger riders who insurance was more than the asking price of the bike.
Lastly, learning can be a steep curve when you start to deal with city traffic. It’s one thing to do the MSF in a parking lot and another to deal with cars around you on the highway or in city. I generally think the vast majority of drivers cut a motorcycle a break and give you some distance but the soccer moms can be real pain. But don’t let all the stories everyone has about somebody they knew died riding, or all the YouTube crash videos mess with you, it is a lot of fun.

 

[danmand]

I have no knowledge about motorcycles. I just wonder if you have looked into the electric motorcycles. https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/en-ca/model/zero-s

 

[Sophia Sinclair]

Once I get her in for a Spring, or should I say Summer tuneup, I'll have a 2008 Kawi Vulcan 500 with less than 300 km for sale.

 

[Tiger]

Honda crf250l. Perfect urban crawler , yet will do 100km/hr all day
Or Yamaha tw200 loads of fun plus 90 mpg
https://www.google.ca/search?q=crf250l+top+speed&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-ca&client=safari

Or if you want a little more juice, cb500x
https://powersports.honda.com/street/adventure/cb500x

Agreed, whitewaterguy knows his stuff
Those Hondas are fun and reliable, and if you want to spend the extra $$$ the rally version is pretty wicked looking

My first bike was a Suzuki 500 twin, loved letting it scream to 11,000 rpm. I'd recommend to avoid the 250 if you're going on the highway, as you'll get blown around too much and need some extra oopmh for passing

 

[John Henry]

Once I get her in for a Spring, or should I say Summer tuneup, I'll have a 2008 Kawi Vulcan 500 with less than 300 km for sale.

For sale . That's too bad . 300 km is really nothing in mileage . I guess you didn't get to use it that much .

 

[Sophia Sinclair]

For sale . That's too bad . 300 km is really nothing in mileage . I guess you didn't get to use it that much .

Unfortunately not. When I was in Woodbridge I wasn't allowed to park her in my spot, along with my car, as a troll (property manager's label) on the board wouldn't let me, even though none of my parking neighbours cared and neither did she. There's always somebody with too much time on their hands causing trouble, whether it be online or off. I stored her for a while with my landlord but he had to remove some vehicles from his condo spots and then I stored her at my house. Since moving back I haven't had the time to take her out and I'm going back to a condo, so sadly, it's time to let her go. I hope that she finds a good and loving home!

Funny Aside: Turns out one of my clients is related to her (property mgr, not my bike) and ran into her downstairs when visiting. Luckily there were enough units still for sale that he could say he was looking at one of them. After that he could only see me on her days off. You never know who knows who!

 

[Darts]

My motorcycle days are long over. Have you consider an e-bike? No license and no insurance and no gas.

 

[IMBob]

Zero. Electric. They have been in the market over 10 years. Shop in Oakville sells.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

Once I get her in for a Spring, or should I say Summer tuneup, I'll have a 2008 Kawi Vulcan 500 with less than 300 km for sale.

Sophia,

Are there any,................extras that come with the bike?
Test rides, ................O.K.?

Goodoer,

Have you considered this alternative. ( $2k. delivered to your door )

 

[Goodoer]

The TW200, CRF250L Rally and KLX250 were the bikes I was looking at. Maybe graduate to a CRF450L (or find a KLX650). I used to love taking a 3-Wheeler down dirt roads and trails (no helmet) back in the day. I'm now here in the GTA... An ATV will not fit in my garage.

I have a great mountain bike which I take to the park/trails, but I think I'm going to get rid of the road bike as I really feel like I'm going to die when out on GTA roads. At least a motorcycle can truly occupy a lane and keep up with traffic.

My wife has a fancy European bike that we were going to put an electric-assist thing on... On the same hand, she's interested in motorcycles too. I'd buy her something like a Honda Super Cub when they are released. That would be right up her alley.

 

[whitewaterguy]

The TW200, CRF250L Rally and KLX250 were the bikes I was looking at. Maybe graduate to a CRF450L (or find a KLX650). I used to love taking a 3-Wheeler down dirt roads and trails (no helmet) back in the day. I'm now here in the GTA... An ATV will not fit in my garage.

I have a great mountain bike which I take to the park/trails, but I think I'm going to get rid of the road bike as I really feel like I'm going to die when out on GTA roads. At least a motorcycle can truly occupy a lane and keep up with traffic.

My wife has a fancy European bike that we were going to put an electric-assist thing on... On the same hand, she's interested in motorcycles too. I'd buy her something like a Honda Super Cub when they are released. That would be right up her alley.

Get your wife the Grom. Very peppy and can cruise all day at 100. A caution about the Honda crf450l. It’s engineered more towards off road. Particularly when it comes to maintenance. An awesome bike , but oil changes must be done every
600 miles , and valve adjustments every 1800 miles. Thought about this bike as a secondary bike , but I don’t want to be doing oil changes once a week. Lol


https://www.advpulse.com/adv-bikes/things-to-know-honda-crf450l/

 

[GameBoy27]

Always wanted a motorcycle.

Do you have your motorcycle license? I started riding mini-bikes when I was 6 and got my license at 16. I raced motocross starting at 14 and have owned some pretty crazy bikes over the years. I sold my last bike a couple years ago. I'm still alive and want to stay that way, so I don't think I'll buy another.

But I do miss the freedom and feel of twisting the throttle. If I were to buy another, I'd get an on/off bike so I could do trails as well. I'm a bit out of the loop on current bikes, but there's already some good advice above.

Maybe something like this Honda CRF450L.

 

[Leimonis]

My motorcycle days are long over. Have you consider an e-bike? No license and no insurance and no gas.

Am I correct in my understanding that if your bike’s max speed is over 32km/h you need a license and insurance?
I’d love to get an electric bike that looks like a motorcycle such as Zero SR/F but I’m afraid it would need both license and insurance.

 

[G.D. Gentleman]

Am I correct in my understanding that if your bike’s max speed is over 32km/h you need a license and insurance?
I’d love to get an electric bike that looks like a motorcycle such as Zero SR/F but I’m afraid it would need both license and insurance.

You are correct. To ride any bike with electric-assist motor (legally at least) it will have a speed limit of 32 kmph in Canada. Other countries vary from 25kmph, 32kmph and at most 45kmph - again legally.

If you have an ebike that you remove the speed limit (hub motors) or has a Mid-Drive motor (even most of them are sold 'new' with limiter in place but can be removed) that the combination of the chain ring/rear case and RPM the motor turns at is faster than 32kmph - all of this scenario's are do so at your own risk and if caught there you face multiple fines such as:
You'd be subject to multiple fines including (but not limited to): Driving an unlicensed vehicle. Driving without a vehicle permit. Driving without insurance.
https://www.reddit.com/r/torontobiking/comments/6fqq34/laws_on_removing_ebike_governor/

The grey area of course is if you are pedaling on said bike above 32kmph (no assist) are you breaking the law? Never got an answer on that when I did my own research. What about downhill with the aid of gravity? Again, no clear answers that I could find.

Any full electric motorcycle (not assist rather a full unit such as the Zero models mentioned in this thread) require license, registration and insurance just like all the gasoline motorcycles on the road.

 

[G.D. Gentleman]

(PS - I find it crazy as to how much money I've spent on bicycles in comparison to what a motorcycle goes for).

Just like the hobby life, when you 'add it all up' - multiple bikes perhaps, upgrades for those bikes, etc - it's hard to actually do the math and realize how much you spent. Very well said and comparing it to how much of a motorcycle you could have purchased with the same money spent puts it into a great perspective.


Last year (I'm in my early 40's) I made the decision to forgo getting my motorcycle license and like you a starter bike that I had planned for 'in my 40's'. For me I have had one close friend and two family members killed on motorcycles in the last 10 years and I would think of them whenever I start to plan to go for the driver education classes and such. Loved riding dirt bikes as a kid and will hang on to those memories for sure.

This decision did lead however to one of the healthiest choices I have ever made. Picked up an e-bike spring 2019 (Bionx conversion if you know of it) and started riding at 315lbs. Over the summer I bought....a few more bikes and found joy in maintaining/upgrading them myself as much as I enjoyed riding them. Helped balance my life out (was always working too much as a self-employed consultant) and from June to October I managed to drop 50+ lbs. I hope to do the same this year and reach the 100lbs+ lost club by winter.

Thanks to this post Goodoer I did the math on what my collection of bikes cost me - and damn - that hurt. I don't regret it and was already planning to sell a couple of them off this year/next year (whenever it's safe to do so) to recoup some of that cost...and invest it most likely into the bikes I keep. I 100% feel your draw to go up into a full motorcycle compared to the ebike experience...perhaps because I spend a lot of my time (currently all my time in self isolation) outside the GTA where highway riding is a lot less stressful than the GTA is also part of my decision.

I'm grateful to have found something that works for me, finally, to help me win my battle of the waistline once and for all.

Good luck on your decision. I do hope you get to keep the ebike as well, variety is the spice of life we all know - and hopefully don't mind going 'slow' on it after you get a taste of the speed a full motorcycle gives you. Let us know this year what you end up deciding to move ahead with.

Cheers

 

[GameBoy27]

You are correct. To ride any bike with electric-assist motor (legally at least) it will have a speed limit of 32 kmph in Canada. Other countries vary from 25kmph, 32kmph and at most 45kmph - again legally.

If you have an ebike that you remove the speed limit (hub motors) or has a Mid-Drive motor (even most of them are sold 'new' with limiter in place but can be removed) that the combination of the chain ring/rear case and RPM the motor turns at is faster than 32kmph - all of this scenario's are do so at your own risk and if caught there you face multiple fines such as:
You'd be subject to multiple fines including (but not limited to): Driving an unlicensed vehicle. Driving without a vehicle permit. Driving without insurance.
https://www.reddit.com/r/torontobiking/comments/6fqq34/laws_on_removing_ebike_governor/

The grey area of course is if you are pedaling on said bike above 32kmph (no assist) are you breaking the law? Never got an answer on that when I did my own research. What about downhill with the aid of gravity? Again, no clear answers that I could find.

Any full electric motorcycle (not assist rather a full unit such as the Zero models mentioned in this thread) require license, registration and insurance just like all the gasoline motorcycles on the road.

A friend bought a pretty cool e-bike. She wondered if it could be made to go faster. I visited the shop where she bought it and spoke to one of the technicians. He showed me on one of the bikes. "Here, see this white wire, unplug it, that's it." Now it goes almost 50 km/h. No license, no insurance.