Riding Lessons with PRS for 2014 - Group Signup

[dachinesedude]

if you a starbucks poser get a 600+ cuz 250 below are pretty gay looking, my first bike was a purple 250 ninja tho lol literally got laughed at, but hey very good bike to learn on, extremely light and non-responsive throttle means you wont pop a wheelie accidently

seriously, you can die on any bike, so i think the size of it is irrelevant, just take the PRS course and have self control

its like buying a 500hp car vs a 150hp car, you wont be able to push the 500hp car to the limits on the streets anyways, why do ppl buy them then? personal preference, bragging rights, whatever

[CharlieH]

^

unless you crank the throttle in 1st gear at 10000 rpm you wont be popping any wheelies on a 600 anyways hahaha

[fT-z33wor]

Originally Posted by CharlieH

^

unless you crank the throttle in 1st gear at 10000 rpm you wont be popping any wheelies on a 600 anyways hahaha

Exactly I mean, THAT or pop the clutch like how you would clutch kick in a car. But still you have to go pretty out of your damn way to try to even wheelie on a 600.

[RabidRat]

Looking at a CBR600F4 this weekend.

63,xxx km though, that's kinda high.. what is the usual life expectancy in kms for a bike like this? I'm going to take it to a dealership to have it inspected (any recommendations, maybe Carter Motorsports? bike's located downtown), should I pay the full $100 for the compression test?

[bcrdukes]

63K for an F4 is not bad I suppose and they do last a long time. I don't know anybody who has had a bike that went bad due to mileage.

Is this an F4 or F4i? Just making sure.

[RabidRat]

F4, it's a little older. None of that fancy fuel injection haha.

[rk604]

Originally Posted by dachinesedude

if you a starbucks poser get a 600+ cuz 250 below are pretty gay looking, my first bike was a purple 250 ninja tho lol literally got laughed at, but hey very good bike to learn on, extremely light and non-responsive throttle means you wont pop a wheelie accidently

seriously, you can die on any bike, so i think the size of it is irrelevant, just take the PRS course and have self control

its like buying a 500hp car vs a 150hp car, you wont be able to push the 500hp car to the limits on the streets anyways, why do ppl buy them then? personal preference, bragging rights, whatever

i got a 600 as my first bike...but never been to starbucks with it. first time was with fT-z33wor, and that wasn't really posing cause i got out posed by fT-z33wor and his full suit LOOOOOOOL

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

F4, it's a little older. None of that fancy fuel injection haha.

If you can, try to get a bike that has fuel injection. It's one less maintenance item you have to worry about.

[i<3RWD]

lol yeah dont get a 125, 250 is smallest cc u should get a 125 cant even keep up to a grandmas scooter

[i<3RWD]

hey bud, if ur lookin for a bike here a decent one if u wanna start big might aswell just get this..... gsxr 750

[Doubl3_H]

im also interested, but with work and family, surrey is a little too far for me

anyone been with ProRide in N.Van?

[fT-z33wor]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

Looking at a CBR600F4 this weekend.

63,xxx km though, that's kinda high.. what is the usual life expectancy in kms for a bike like this? I'm going to take it to a dealership to have it inspected (any recommendations, maybe Carter Motorsports? bike's located downtown), should I pay the full $100 for the compression test?

Personally when I go bike hunting, I'd try to find something between 10,000-30,000 kms.
Small part of it was to do with the inevitable replacement of wear and tear parts that comes with the mileage.
High mileage does not mean beat up though, because how long a bike motor lasts is largely reflected on how well the bike itself was maintained by the owner.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't bikes retain their value better when they have lower mileage?
I'd imagine it being easier to sell too down the road. If you ever wanted to change bikes again or what not.

In regards to a carburetor on a bike, it would be nice to go with fuel injection for reliability as bcrdukes stated.
Eventually at some point, you are going to need to have your carburetor removed and cleaned, where as you don't need to worry about that with F/I.

Also you wont have to wait for your bike to warm up for cold starts, and wont need to play with the choke.
I normally just keep the revs low until the motor warms up to operating temps

Originally Posted by rk604

i got a 600 as my first bike...but never been to starbucks with it. first time was with fT-z33wor, and that wasn't really posing cause i got out posed by fT-z33wor,and his full suit LOOOOOOOL

troll dick move over 9000

Originally Posted by Doubl3_H

im also interested, but with work and family, surrey is a little too far for me

anyone been with ProRide in N.Van?

I have and it was exceptional. Some people will say PRS is better, and I'm not sure to be honest.
I was initially planning on doing my schooling with PRS, but I could only do night school, due to my day classes at sfu before. I couldn't justify booting into surrey through rush hour traffic from the sfu mountain campus, so I went with ProRide up at Cap college cross second narrows.

I would say its safe to assume they're both on par with one another, could someone else chime in?

[some_punk]

just finished prs a few weeks ago, in night school A, wish i saw this sooner, and got that 75 bucks off thing.

[RabidRat]

Fuuuu... went to go look at the CBR600F4 yesterday, looked incredibly clean and in mint condition. Satin black. (previous owner worked at a body shop). No issues that I could tell. Seller couldn't meet me til 5pm so I couldn't get an appointment to have it inspected that day, had to wait til Tuesday. Afterwards I kept thinking about how clean that thing was and decided fuck it, just gonna buy it. Gave him a call and turns out he'd already sold it.

[bcrdukes]

^
He did you a favour by selling it.

[CharlieH]

make sure you go over a check list before you buy any bike. just because it looks good doesn't mean it won't have any problems (especially since the guy worked at a body shop, would have been very easy to hide any visible flaws).

quoted from another forum:

How do you make sure you don't overlook something when you're checking out a used motorcycle? Print this checklist and take it with you.



Match the VINs
The VIN on the frame should match the VIN on the engine, and both should match the VIN on the title. If there?s a discrepancy, there should be a very good reason. If not, walk away.

Check the VIN
Call it into your insurance company for a real rate quote. Call it into the manufacturer for any recall info. And, if possible, call it into state authorities, to see if it has been reported stolen.

Check the maintenance records
Sure, these can be fudged, but when you buy a used motorcycle, you have to accept that you must rely on some level of trust. If these don?t exist, ask for a verbal account of maintenance history.

Examine tire wear
Look for cupping and make sure there's at least 1/16 of an inch of tread. Check the tire pressure while you?re down there. Improperly inflated tires may hint at lazy maintenance habits elsewhere.

Test for excessive bearing play
Ask the seller to put the bike up on the centerstand. Gently tug on the fork tubes front to back, feeling for play in the steering head. Also feel for movement in the front and rear wheels and side-to-side action in the swingarm. Basically, any play is bad and a safety hazard.

Check the steering head lock
Does it work? Use the key and find out for yourself, but just as important, look for any signs of damage or excessive wear. Has it been replaced or repaired? If so, the bike may have been stolen at one time.

Examine the air filter
It should be clean and properly installed. Consider a zero-tolerance policy. Dirt in the engine is a very bad thing. Also, is the airbox intact? Extra holes (punchouts) could be fine (as long as they are outside the filter), but ask the seller why they were performed.

Check all fluid levels
Discolored brake fluid, low coolant levels and dirty (or gray) oil are all bad signs. Don?t forget that some bikes have separate crankcase and transmission oil?and two dipsticks.

Perform a visual once-over
Look for any obvious mechanical issues?loose or missing fasteners, fluid leaks, pitting in fork tubes, rust in the fuel tank, cable continuity, chain play, sprocket condition, cracked wiring insulation, etc.

Perform another visual once-over
This time, focus on cosmetics with an eye toward identifying crash signs. Look for inconsistencies in paint shade or texture. Cracks in plastic or fiberglass may be invisible from the outside but obvious from the inside. Use a flashlight and check all the cracks and crevices. Examine footpegs and sidecases for scrapes. Do the control levers appear extra shiny? Ask why and when they were replaced.

Operate all controls
Test the brakes, operate the clutch and take note of sufficient play, shift gears, flip the turn signals, beep the horn, etc. If a test ride is not allowed, then put the bike on the centerstand and do a "dry run."

Start it
If the seller isn?t hip to a test ride, don?t get too discouraged. Many motorcycles have gone out for test rides and have not come back. But, by all means, start the bike. Put at least four of your senses to work: listen for odd noises, look for smoke, smell for burnt oil or coolant, feel for heavy vibrations. Throttle response should be crisp off idle and significantly more smoke should not accompany more throttle.

Get out the toolbox
At the least, check air pressures (tires, and forks and shocks, if applicable). If you?re so equipped and mechanically able, test the resistance of the electrics with a multimeter, brake disc thickness with a micrometer, and cylinder compression with a compression tester.

Are extras included?
Extras you want can make the deal sweeter. If the bike has aftermarket parts you don't want, see if the owner will take them off and lower the price. Ask for any stock equipment that was replaced with aftermarket parts. And don?t forget the tool kit.

?Is this the bike I want??
Often, what looks great in photographs and sounds great in website reviews, falls flat in person. Even if the bike itself is sound, if the model didn?t stand up to its lofty rep, go back to the drawing board. This is your last chance.

Negotiate
Don?t just meet the asking price without trying to get a better deal. Every item you found wrong is a negotiating point. You may get nowhere, but you might save a few hundred bucks, too. And never forget the power of these seven words: Is that the best you can do?

[RabidRat]

Haha yeah you're right. Definitely got way too excited seeing the bike in person =)

[bcrdukes]

Don't rush to get your bike yet. There's still lots of time. Take your classes first and go from there.

P.S. - Just got home from first ride of the 2012 Spring/Summer season.

[Raid3n]

^bastard! lol. i cant wait

[lil_kid]

Is the group rate still happening?

GF and I are interested in taking lessons at the end of April. Thanks!

[Kayci]

Yeah. I think RabidRat is waiting for at least 3 people to commit before the group is eligable for the discount.

[RabidRat]

Thanks Kayci.

Yup, group rate is still happening. Send me a PM when you're ready to commit to registering with us. If you need a little bit more time to think about it, I can put you on the Interested list.

[91civicZC]

Former PRS Student here, Highly recommended.

I grew up around bikes in my family, although I really didn’t get into them until I was older a couple of years back. A couple of observations:

You will realize how few people actually know how to ride properly, and wonder why there aren’t more deaths. Watching people with locked elbows and no head movement will make you shake your head.

The people I know who do race bikes (or used to) professionally don’t ride race bikes or crotch rocket’s on the street. I think they are both riding Harleys on the street now. Take that however you want.

You will realize that most in Vancouver are not “bike guys” (just like I would say there aren’t many actual “car guys” either). Most are into the look. The bike is a fashion statement to them like a purse. There is no appreciation for “bikes”, only what bike is cool to others and how it makes them look.

Ride YOUR ride, not someone else’s. Staying alive is more important than anything else. Respect your bike, don’t fear it. Don’t be scared to ride, just pay attention to everything and you will do fine. Remember that every other mother fucker on the road is trying to kill you. Keep that in mind and you’ll be okay.

Definitely take the class, you will be WAY better off afterward.

As for a first bike, if you just want something to learn on this season, and want to wait to next winter (when bike prices will drop) to pick up the bike you want, you can usually pick up old metric cruisers or UJM bikes for pretty cheap in okay condition. Good commuter bikes, easy to learn on, and no big deal if you drop it.

[i<3RWD]

Originally Posted by 91civicZC

Former PRS Student here, Highly recommended.

I grew up around bikes in my family, although I really didn’t get into them until I was older a couple of years back. A couple of observations:

You will realize how few people actually know how to ride properly, and wonder why there aren’t more deaths. Watching people with locked elbows and no head movement will make you shake your head.

The people I know who do race bikes (or used to) professionally don’t ride race bikes or crotch rocket’s on the street. I think they are both riding Harleys on the street now. Take that however you want.

You will realize that most in Vancouver are not “bike guys” (just like I would say there aren’t many actual “car guys” either). Most are into the look. The bike is a fashion statement to them like a purse. There is no appreciation for “bikes”, only what bike is cool to others and how it makes them look.

Ride YOUR ride, not someone else’s. Staying alive is more important than anything else. Respect your bike, don’t fear it. Don’t be scared to ride, just pay attention to everything and you will do fine. Remember that every other mother fucker on the road is trying to kill you. Keep that in mind and you’ll be okay.

Definitely take the class, you will be WAY better off afterward.

As for a first bike, if you just want something to learn on this season, and want to wait to next winter (when bike prices will drop) to pick up the bike you want, you can usually pick up old metric cruisers or UJM bikes for pretty cheap in okay condition. Good commuter bikes, easy to learn on, and no big deal if you drop it.

Apart of owning a bike u have to like the way it looks... u dont wanna wait all season to get some ugly cruiser. i agree with ur statement on not that many "car guys" in VC. As for the bikers they got tons of appreciation especially how we live in a fukin rainforest. trust me if its the guy tht buys the bike to pose they wont be around for too many seasons.... as for the ex pros there most likly old and want something a lil more "comfortable to ride. most likely if your younger ur not gonna wanna ride around in a Harley unless thats what u like... Man i dont think if ur in ur 20's ur gonna wanna be rollin in a mini van cuz its safer right lol.....

[lil_kid]

Thanks Kayci!

RabidRat, I've sent you a PM.