Topic: The Motorcycling Thread

[mlin32]

Nice. Be careful of those leaves.

That's was my initial thought too, but roadway itself was unusually clean. The route winds up over 1500m so prone to twigs down, but unexpectedly good ride. Just the photos were taken on leafy pull outs.

Fog was a problem at the top though, visibilité down to 50m briefly. But very little traffic so less worry.

[dirtyjeffer]

that Z900RS looks really nice...i like it.

Kawasaki now has that bike on their website...i still like it, but $13,200 seems kinda pricey for what it is...there are 3 versions available (all black for $13k, the two tone SE at $13.2k, and a green "cafe" version for $13.6k).

also new on Yamaha's website is the Tracer 900...essentially a revised FJ-09...that unit is $12k...it looks pretty sweet too.

[mlin32]

Took advantage of the sole nicer day of weather for some more riding with a buddy .

https://youtu.be/jI4oCjgBf5k

[Guy]

I like the Kenny Roberts paint scheme on your friends bike! 

[mlin32]

Over the US holiday weekend, went back to see my parents. As previously promised, also joined a groupe ride with a track buddy and his son, rode both his 2007 CBR 600 and the tracked-out Ninja.

On the ride back, for a few reasons, I was able to have some alone time with the CBR. After filling it up, went on some backroads. Went to overtake a vehicle, clicked down a gear (habit on my 320cc bike)......!&§$ the power hit me like someone whacked me with a chair. A short wheelie and a few seconds later I was rocketing past 160  .

Sh*t that was fast. I mean, I've ridden more powerful bikes but on the backroads it feels so much wilder. More untamed. Especially when you have more open corners on flat land.

One of the more memorable holiday weekends.

[dirtyjeffer]

i was checking out the Yamaha website and noticed a change for 2018...the FZ series bikes are now MT series, so what was an FZ-09 is now an MT-09, meaning it matches the rest of the world...it makes sense to have one name (keeps costs to a minimum), but i kind of liked the FZ prefix (my last Yamaha was an FZ-750).

[mlin32]

Another small ride in groupe today, taking advantage of the relatively warm weather before the cold snap next week.

These guys took me up Skyuka mountain.....one of the sketchier roads I've been on with lot of leafy, super steep switchbacks (1st gear at times !!). The view was nice though.

[dkaz]

I'm jealous. My bad for canceling insurance on my bike at the beginning of November over a bad cold snap, it warmed up after a week and I could've been riding until mid December.

[dirtyjeffer]

I'm jealous. My bad for canceling insurance on my bike at the beginning of November over a bad cold snap, it warmed up after a week and I could've been riding until mid December.

our insurance doesn't really work that way...odd you can do that our West.

you buy your insurance here for the year...the "value" is prorated over the riding season (what they deem as riding season)...for example (and simplicity), say your rate is $660 for the year...you'd likely be looking at a breakdown of the following:

January - March: $10/month
April - September: $100/month
October - December: $10/month

so, if you bought insurance in January, then sold the bike in November and cancelled the insurance, you'd only get back $10-$20...they used to do it the old way (say, $55/month), but then people would insure the bike in April, pay $55/month until October, then cancel the insurance (since you aren't going to be riding it 12 months)...now the rates are prorated for the riding season with a tiny portion valued during the off season.

[dkaz]

I'm jealous. My bad for canceling insurance on my bike at the beginning of November over a bad cold snap, it warmed up after a week and I could've been riding until mid December.

our insurance doesn't really work that way...odd you can do that our West.

you buy your insurance here for the year...the "value" is prorated over the riding season (what they deem as riding season)...for example (and simplicity), say your rate is $660 for the year...you'd likely be looking at a breakdown of the following:

January - March: $10/month
April - September: $100/month
October - December: $10/month

so, if you bought insurance in January, then sold the bike in November and cancelled the insurance, you'd only get back $10-$20...they used to do it the old way (say, $55/month), but then people would insure the bike in April, pay $55/month until October, then cancel the insurance (since you aren't going to be riding it 12 months)...now the rates are prorated for the riding season with a tiny portion valued during the off season.

In BC at least, not sure about Saskatchewan and Manitoba which also has government run public auto insurance. Alberta is private and insured by the year.

I pay about the equivalent of $35/mo liability only through the government run ICBC for the months I have it plated plus a $19 short term insurance fee if I don't insure it for the entire year (just 3 or 6 months) or a cancellation fee if I cancel the plates before the 12 month policy is up. For those who are only planning on riding 3/6/9 months a year, it is cheaper to go short term than pay the cancellation fee I find.

On top of that, I pay $225 for comprehensive and collision through a private insurance company. That coverage is year round but it doubles as my storage policy if I don't have valid plates on the bike. If I went this route, I'd probably keep my bike insured year round as $35/mo for the liability portion is peanuts and there's always a short warm snap in January when I can ride my motorcycle.

But I didn't get that coverage through private when I got back to BC so I just paid a hefty $96/mo for full coverage through ICBC. But ICBC is very cheap for storage -- $28 for 6 months for my bike for full comprehensive. So when that early cold snap hit, I decided to just park my bike for the winter. I did not even ride enough to fill up the gas tank the entire month of October, just did 295km between Sept 25 and Nov 1, so it wasn't a huge loss for me to park my bike early. I am hoping for an early spring though like 2016 when motorcycles were back on the road in the Okanagan in mid Februrary.

[mlin32]

I'm jealous. My bad for canceling insurance on my bike at the beginning of November over a bad cold snap, it warmed up after a week and I could've been riding until mid December.

But if you re-insure in the spring, wouldn't the rates have potentially changed ? I just wouldn't want to sign up again in spring to find out premiums have gone up. It is really lousy that insurance for 2-wheelers costs so much in Canada.

I just keep mine insured all year- it's not horribly expensive. And I don't want to "relearn" riding after taking a multi-month hiatus if I don't have to.

Did a solo ride on Sunday afternoon; sometimes it's nice to ride alone for more focus and technique. Winter riding is always a bit sketch just because the tires never get up to optimum temperature even on sunnier, warmer (16°C valley, 12° at elevation) days, and the air temp drops precipitously after about 16:00 so it's a narrow window on the luckiest of days to get a nice ride in.

https://youtu.be/ooyFIF1i4MI

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I used to just get 6 months insurance in Saskatchewan. That didn't affect the rates.

What did affect the rates was the amount they're hammering anything over 400cc now. I looked at an absolutely immaculate 2000 Hayabusa, and even for an old duffer like me, it would run $2500/year for insurance.
There was something like a $600/year difference going from a DRZ400 to a DR650S, even though the 650 is by far the more mellow of the two. 

[rrocket]

I used to just get 6 months insurance in Saskatchewan. That didn't affect the rates.

What did affect the rates was the amount they're hammering anything over 400cc now. I looked at an absolutely immaculate 2000 Hayabusa, and even for an old duffer like me, it would run $2500/year for insurance.
There was something like a $600/year difference going from a DRZ400 to a DR650S, even though the 650 is by far the more mellow of the two.

Maybe word on the street was that you're a hooligan! 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Not me, man! I'm Mr. Mellow. 

[BWII]

It is really lousy that insurance for 2-wheelers costs so much in Canada.

Yes, yes it is.  MB is the same way jeffer described it...unless he's also in MB...that would explain it. Thieving punters (whoa...not a censored word lol) at MPI hate motorcycles. 

I just keep mine insured all year- it's not horribly expensive. And I don't want to "relearn" riding after taking a multi-month hiatus if I don't have to.

They make you retake your drivers test again if you don't have one insured for a few months?    I haven't ridden in years, or had a bike in 20...I could go buy one and plate it and drive off the lot like I've been riding forever.  No re-test needed. 

[dkaz]

I think he means more like having to get used to riding again after many months off the bike. Earlier this year I had a heck of a time trying to get comfortable with riding again after over 6 months off a bike.

[BWII]

Ahh, that.  Yeah, my hips always hurt like hell for the first week.  Not used to sitting like that.  Worth every minute of pain though.

[mlin32]

I just keep mine insured all year- it's not horribly expensive. And I don't want to "relearn" riding after taking a multi-month hiatus if I don't have to.

They make you retake your drivers test again if you don't have one insured for a few months?    I haven't ridden in years, or had a bike in 20...I could go buy one and plate it and drive off the lot like I've been riding forever.  No re-test needed.

Yeah, like DKaz mentioned, it's getting back used to riding after multiple months of break that I try to avoid. Since my riding is sport riding, it's easy to fall out of simple things like looking far far ahead, quick turning/steering, and just coordinating everything subconsciously if one takes a long break. After all, I don't have a dirt bike to keep my skills sharp during the off-season.

[dkaz]

I like group riding to start the season. Easy “we just got our permits” pace. I’m probably going to organize beginner oriented group rides locally to start the season.

[dkaz]

So I decided to do it, switched the liability insurance coverage from my van to motorcycle and storage insurance coverage the other way. Feels great to be on two wheels again even if it's just temporarily, I needed this. In -1 weather, just my exposed neck felt cold. I'll pop by MEC on the way home to grab a neck gaiter. I have to grab a Secret Santa gift anyway and my lazy side says my recipient who's an avid cyclist will like an MEC gift card.

I do have heated grips I should install.