Motorcycle School: Bay Area
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From: Central Valley,CA
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Motorcycle School: Bay Area
Any recommendations? I want to get my motorcycle license and hopefully by summer get my CBR. Please list cost, days of training, and any additional info. that I should know.
Any bikers here? How much are you paying for insurance? Dealership recommendations? Thanks guys!
Any bikers here? How much are you paying for insurance? Dealership recommendations? Thanks guys!
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learned this from my friend who rides-
if under 21 youre required to take a CHP course (on the weekend)
in class and an actual marked course ~$200?
He got insurance from Honda Ducati (sunnyvale/mtn view El Camino) for $88 A YEAR! obviously the least amount of insurance he could find. (hes 21 on a BSA from the 50's )
so a newer bike will be more expensive
if under 21 youre required to take a CHP course (on the weekend)
in class and an actual marked course ~$200?
He got insurance from Honda Ducati (sunnyvale/mtn view El Camino) for $88 A YEAR! obviously the least amount of insurance he could find. (hes 21 on a BSA from the 50's )
so a newer bike will be more expensive
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Take an MSF course, it's probably the preferred way get your license if you ask most experienced riders. Most insurances give you a discount if you take an MSF course.
http://www.ca-msp.org/
Just look up the schools in your area, most are taught on the weekends at a parking lot of community college. If you're under 21, the price is greatly reduced for the class as the state subsidizes much of the cost to encourage safer riding.
If you're under 21 and this is going to be your first bike, insurance will cost you quite a bit, roughly $100/month or more depending on the bike you get and coverage. State Farm comes highly recommended but many times, they won't insure motorcycle only. For cheaper insurance with service that isn't horrible, try bike-line.com. You don't need to get full coverage if you're willing to pay for your own repairs, but theft is really common and DO NOT SKIMP ON UNINSURED MOTORIST. There are so many uninsured drivers out there and hit-and-runs on motorcycles is rampant.
What kind of CBR are you planning to get? If you are completely new to riding, I wouldn't recommend getting a 600cc supersport until you've had a little more experience riding. Get something used and small that won't get you in trouble if you accidently grab a fist full of throttle. Also, most people drop their bikes sooner or later, sometimes when not even moving. A brand new sportbike that gets tipped over in the driveway can easily result in $600-1000 worth of damage. Common bikes to start out on that are still fun but more forgiving are the Ninja 250/500, SV650, GS500, or an older CBR like a F2 or F3.
Good luck and safe riding. Check out www.bayarearidersforum.com when you get a chance.
http://www.ca-msp.org/
Just look up the schools in your area, most are taught on the weekends at a parking lot of community college. If you're under 21, the price is greatly reduced for the class as the state subsidizes much of the cost to encourage safer riding.
If you're under 21 and this is going to be your first bike, insurance will cost you quite a bit, roughly $100/month or more depending on the bike you get and coverage. State Farm comes highly recommended but many times, they won't insure motorcycle only. For cheaper insurance with service that isn't horrible, try bike-line.com. You don't need to get full coverage if you're willing to pay for your own repairs, but theft is really common and DO NOT SKIMP ON UNINSURED MOTORIST. There are so many uninsured drivers out there and hit-and-runs on motorcycles is rampant.
What kind of CBR are you planning to get? If you are completely new to riding, I wouldn't recommend getting a 600cc supersport until you've had a little more experience riding. Get something used and small that won't get you in trouble if you accidently grab a fist full of throttle. Also, most people drop their bikes sooner or later, sometimes when not even moving. A brand new sportbike that gets tipped over in the driveway can easily result in $600-1000 worth of damage. Common bikes to start out on that are still fun but more forgiving are the Ninja 250/500, SV650, GS500, or an older CBR like a F2 or F3.
Good luck and safe riding. Check out www.bayarearidersforum.com when you get a chance.
Last edited by crazy_sherm; Mar 2, 2007 at 10:40 PM.
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Just goto MSF or Cycle Lloyds
I disagree with the guy above. CBR600 is a great bike to learn on. Super easy to ride, I even know a few girls that started on those. You can get an F3 for cheap these days. But I would rather get the fuel injected F4i.
Only thing crappy about them is the hard *** seat. Corbin makes a nice replacement.
I disagree with the guy above. CBR600 is a great bike to learn on. Super easy to ride, I even know a few girls that started on those. You can get an F3 for cheap these days. But I would rather get the fuel injected F4i.
Only thing crappy about them is the hard *** seat. Corbin makes a nice replacement.
Last edited by Lurk; Mar 2, 2007 at 10:42 PM.
new rider
yup, im a new rider too. Learned on a r6 600cc. Good luck, just be safe and be careful. Pretend that every car is out to hit you and don't expect them to know that you;re there. Already heard enough stories about cars making riders go down. Good luck. BIKES ARE SUPER DUPER FUN FUN!
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I took the MSF course through the DMV when i was 19 and at the time it cost $75. I have heard it has gone up in price lately. You can find if about in the back of the DMV handbook. And the class is totally worth the price.
Like crazy_sherm said, be weary about somethings when choosing your first bike. One thing to keep in mind is that you will probably drop this bike. You may drop while riding or maybe while in a parking lot. With that in mind, consider that fairings are not cheap and neither is painting. A naked bike is a good starter, IMO. I started on a 2000 Suzuki Bandit 600. I crashed about six months into riding and my bike was mostly undamaged. You can get a supersport 600cc, but it is alot of bike. I now ride ZX-6R (636) and it is really fast. What it really comes down to, is that no matter what bike you get, be smart and ride within your limits. And do track days
Edit: Insurance can be cheap. My bandit was only $36/month through State Farm but that policy also included my WRX. Now i pay about $90/month for the ZX-6R and Bandit.
For dealerships, my recommendation is don't buy a new bike as your first. You will be really sad if your brand new bike accidentally tips over and the fairings get ruined. But, my fav dealership is Bike World on El Camino in Sunnyvale, however, i dont think they sell Hondas.
Like crazy_sherm said, be weary about somethings when choosing your first bike. One thing to keep in mind is that you will probably drop this bike. You may drop while riding or maybe while in a parking lot. With that in mind, consider that fairings are not cheap and neither is painting. A naked bike is a good starter, IMO. I started on a 2000 Suzuki Bandit 600. I crashed about six months into riding and my bike was mostly undamaged. You can get a supersport 600cc, but it is alot of bike. I now ride ZX-6R (636) and it is really fast. What it really comes down to, is that no matter what bike you get, be smart and ride within your limits. And do track days
Edit: Insurance can be cheap. My bandit was only $36/month through State Farm but that policy also included my WRX. Now i pay about $90/month for the ZX-6R and Bandit.
For dealerships, my recommendation is don't buy a new bike as your first. You will be really sad if your brand new bike accidentally tips over and the fairings get ruined. But, my fav dealership is Bike World on El Camino in Sunnyvale, however, i dont think they sell Hondas.
Last edited by debbid; Mar 3, 2007 at 07:00 AM.
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I took the MSF course last november and since im under 21, it costed me $150 but if you're over 21 then it'd be $200. If you want to get ur M1 soon then i suggest you try getting in the class ASAP because theres a very very long waitlist. Its only 12 people per session so you'd have to wait about a 2-3 months after u sign up and pay for the class to be able to actually start the class. Everyone seems to be rushing to get their M1 at this time so they can ride in the summer. Classes take place in Fremont, Mission College and San Mateo?
I heard from most of my friends that ride is that the worst place to buy a bike is Rider's Choice in Santa Clara. Im currently trying to look for a honda cbr f4i so if any of you guys know someone who is trying to sell theirs, let me know! =)
I heard from most of my friends that ride is that the worst place to buy a bike is Rider's Choice in Santa Clara. Im currently trying to look for a honda cbr f4i so if any of you guys know someone who is trying to sell theirs, let me know! =)
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From: Central Valley,CA
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Tons of great info. on bayarearidersforum. Thanks for that! I still have a lot to learn about bikes, but I look forward to it. I choose to go with MSF course. I found one close to my area www.mjcride.org
The bike I want is a 2007 Honda CBR 600RR, but I'm thinking of starting off with a used bike. Any recommendations? Thanks for all the great info. Hope to be riding soon!
The bike I want is a 2007 Honda CBR 600RR, but I'm thinking of starting off with a used bike. Any recommendations? Thanks for all the great info. Hope to be riding soon!
Originally Posted by crazy_sherm
Take an MSF course, it's probably the preferred way get your license if you ask most experienced riders. Most insurances give you a discount if you take an MSF course.
http://www.ca-msp.org/
Just look up the schools in your area, most are taught on the weekends at a parking lot of community college. If you're under 21, the price is greatly reduced for the class as the state subsidizes much of the cost to encourage safer riding.
If you're under 21 and this is going to be your first bike, insurance will cost you quite a bit, roughly $100/month or more depending on the bike you get and coverage. State Farm comes highly recommended but many times, they won't insure motorcycle only. For cheaper insurance with service that isn't horrible, try bike-line.com. You don't need to get full coverage if you're willing to pay for your own repairs, but theft is really common and DO NOT SKIMP ON UNINSURED MOTORIST. There are so many uninsured drivers out there and hit-and-runs on motorcycles is rampant.
What kind of CBR are you planning to get? If you are completely new to riding, I wouldn't recommend getting a 600cc supersport until you've had a little more experience riding. Get something used and small that won't get you in trouble if you accidently grab a fist full of throttle. Also, most people drop their bikes sooner or later, sometimes when not even moving. A brand new sportbike that gets tipped over in the driveway can easily result in $600-1000 worth of damage. Common bikes to start out on that are still fun but more forgiving are the Ninja 250/500, SV650, GS500, or an older CBR like a F2 or F3.
Good luck and safe riding. Check out www.bayarearidersforum.com when you get a chance.
http://www.ca-msp.org/
Just look up the schools in your area, most are taught on the weekends at a parking lot of community college. If you're under 21, the price is greatly reduced for the class as the state subsidizes much of the cost to encourage safer riding.
If you're under 21 and this is going to be your first bike, insurance will cost you quite a bit, roughly $100/month or more depending on the bike you get and coverage. State Farm comes highly recommended but many times, they won't insure motorcycle only. For cheaper insurance with service that isn't horrible, try bike-line.com. You don't need to get full coverage if you're willing to pay for your own repairs, but theft is really common and DO NOT SKIMP ON UNINSURED MOTORIST. There are so many uninsured drivers out there and hit-and-runs on motorcycles is rampant.
What kind of CBR are you planning to get? If you are completely new to riding, I wouldn't recommend getting a 600cc supersport until you've had a little more experience riding. Get something used and small that won't get you in trouble if you accidently grab a fist full of throttle. Also, most people drop their bikes sooner or later, sometimes when not even moving. A brand new sportbike that gets tipped over in the driveway can easily result in $600-1000 worth of damage. Common bikes to start out on that are still fun but more forgiving are the Ninja 250/500, SV650, GS500, or an older CBR like a F2 or F3.
Good luck and safe riding. Check out www.bayarearidersforum.com when you get a chance.
