potential first bike

Scooter, glad to see you're interested and taking some advice! Maybe you could consider getting an Yam XS650 in stock form and ride it a year, learn about it and enjoy it's interesting mystique! THEN, you should be able to trade up (or down depending) and find yourself a chop. OR, maybe after a year and some research you MAY decide to chop it yourself or brat it yourself or café it yourself.... Once you start riding one of these old Yam's, people WILL come up to you to talk about it. THAT can lead in a lot of directions (regarding your plans with the bike). Just something to think about...
 
I actually really like that idea, no idea why I didn't even consider riding it for a while first. Thanks man definitively something to consider : )
 
Scotty, keep this in mind, these are NOT big bikes, and definitely not COMFORTABLE bikes to ride. I have bigger, more powerful bikes, that are much more comfortable to ride, SUPER BIKES, bikes that you can really put the miles on, one just turned over 100,000 miles. So, in the end, you just may have a whole lot of money thrown into a bike that you may be, just disappointed in !!!!!!!

Scott
 
Scotty, nice to see that Madjap's idea got some traction.
Another thing you must examine before you start to customize is the Ontario Highway Traffic Act for minimum equipment on a motorcycle plus its effect on getting a safety certificate once your plan is running.
For example, not a complete list, fenders and a chain guard, front and rear brakes, instruments at least a speedo, direction lights, proper exhaust and so on. And whether or not you have a friendly mechanic who owes you a favour to get it safetied, down the road when you try to sell, you will find that your buyer probably does not and and if you can sell it, the expense to get it road worthy will be taken into effect.
Another idea for you: once the snow is on the ground, look for a gently used Sportster. Everything you need in a first bike, that is if the small Honda or Ninja didn't appeal to you.
 
Inconsistent regulations for sure. Each province has jurisdiction over registration of motor vehicles; every one is different. I have not researched suspension questions in Ontario; anything I say would be a guess.
Some folks will get their stock bike safety certified to change ownership into their own names and then go all sawzall on it. Police on patrol can and will stop a vehicle which appears to be unsafe and issue a ticket or other action.

Today there was a blitz on commercial vehicles for compliance with regs; apparently they set up a "truck jail" so that the units could be repaired and be released rather than have them towed. But there is only so much one can do in a parking lot.
 
yea im going to have to do some research on that, a lot of people on various sites just say to do everything with the stock bike then go nuts... but I want to look into it more first, anyways I have all winter to try to find the right bike to start on :p
 
I can't find anything about it in Ontario, the only thing in Ontario I can find is the handlebar height which is a non issue for me as I want them low anyways...
 
robinc said:
Hey Scotty_05

Here is a link to the Ontario Ministry of Transports' site Re: Highway Traffic Act safety inspections.
Scroll down the page, Schedule 6 for Motorcycles.

https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900611
Click to expand...

This part is interesting:
CanukRegSect6.jpg
The operative logic there is that the *and* requires that both conditions be met.
Kinda opens the door for a neutral switch controlled lighting relay, eh?
 
Scotty_05 said:
yea im going to have to do some research on that, a lot of people on various sites just say to do everything with the stock bike then go nuts... but I want to look into it more first, anyways I have all winter to try to find the right bike to start on :p
Click to expand...

Hi Scotty,
great that you agree that the initial deathtrap was not for you. Or for anyone who wasn't prepared to spend a fortune to get it roadworthy.
The right bike for someone to start on is the best bargain you can find in a small engine capacity dual purpose machine.
Easy to learn on, fun on trails, and less costly to operate and insure than a larger bike.
And, once you've learned to ride it you'll have a far better idea of what your next bike will need to be.
Also, it'll sell on when you are ready to buy another for a minimal monetary loss. Or you could always keep it.
Dunno how anyone can get by with only one bike, eh?
 
I wouldn't buy any of those bikes Scotty - they all look pretty dodgy to me. There is a lot to learn about older bikes - regardless of your prior knowledge and experience. We're all learning on this forum,

What I would say is that if you buy a good solid (i.e. stock) road bike - you can modify it later or sell it easily and buy a project bike once you have more experience JMO,

Pete
 
MaxPete said:
I wouldn't buy any of those bikes Scotty - they all look pretty dodgy to me. There is a lot to learn about older bikes - regardless of your prior knowledge and experience. We're all learning on this forum,

What I would say is that if you buy a good solid (i.e. stock) road bike - you can modify it later or sell it easily and buy a project bike once you have more experience JMO,

Pete
Click to expand...
I always tell my buddies to find a hard tail to borrow for a day, go riding for a good 50+ miles, and give me a call when there done pissing blood. Hard tails are for image, soft tails are for riders.
 
TOTALLY agree. There is a good reason why many old bikes were hard tails and NO modern bikes are......
 
madjap said:
Grumble-graffle-miffle-bergin-rabble-rabbin-grag.... Just the old hardtails SUCK arguments that always seem to pop up in these threads. Never fails and always seems to disappoint! ribble-miffle-raggit... Oh well. Could be worse I guess...
Click to expand...
Hi madjap,
there's no argument. Hardtails SUCK. And yes it could be worse, you could be back in 1937 when hardtail frames and bad brakes were state of the art.
Not that if I still owned my 1937 KSS Velocette I wouldn't trailer it to vintage bike rallies and proudly ride it on the Sunday short tour.
 
fredintoon said:
Hi madjap,
there's no argument. Hardtails SUCK. And yes it could be worse, you could be back in 1937 when hardtail frames and bad brakes were state of the art.
Not that if I still owned my 1937 KSS Velocette I wouldn't trailer it to vintage bike rallies and proudly ride it on the Sunday short tour.
Click to expand...

So, do they SUCK because you say so...? Because I say, they DON'T suck. UH-OH... We disagree...! Oh Christ...
 

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