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ramminghard
12-12-2002, 11:41 PM
i have been looking around for motorccle safety courses to take come spring. In Calgary. i have only found one from the calgary safety council but i was wondering if there are any others that are good. Also is the safety course recemonded. i have ridden dirt bikes all my life and a few street bikes but not much.
any info would be great.

LaughingTiger
12-12-2002, 11:49 PM
Originally posted by ramminghard
i have been looking around for motorccle safety courses to take come spring. In Calgary. i have only found one from the calgary safety council but i was wondering if there are any others that are good. Also is the safety course recemonded. i have ridden dirt bikes all my life and a few street bikes but not much.
any info would be great.


I just went and took the test...it's easy.. I used to race motorcross when I was little..... Don't waste your money on
the safety course shit, not worth it, you learn all your skill first hand when your on the street....

ramminghard
12-13-2002, 12:04 AM
That is what i was thinking of doing.
ya the test is quite easy, almost the same as the learners. i took them both at the same time, not realizing that the motorcycle one expires after one year so i have to take it again.

RT16V
12-13-2002, 08:40 AM
Sure, you learn alot on the street - bu there are many survival skills that can be learned from riders with many years experience. Learn these while you are still developing your new skills & they become habbit for life. Find the money, take the course, save a bit on insurance & most important of all it may save some of your skin in the end. If you're only concerned about getting your liscence, it's not really necessary - but if you are interested in becoming a good rider, then it is a very good start.

I took one through Foothills Driving Academy, it was not bad at all for $250.

kevie88
12-13-2002, 09:54 AM
I agree with RT, Learning motorcycle skills firsthand has almost killed me a few times.. I kinda wish I would have taken a course before I broke my back.. Oh well, at least there was no permanent paralysis. You might not be as lucky as me tho.

ramminghard
12-13-2002, 10:22 AM
the real reason that i would take it is to get the class six. but i heard that the test with ama is just around the block. doesn't seem too hard. i have an uncle that used to ride for the calgary police service so he said that he would help me out.

LaughingTiger
12-15-2002, 08:08 PM
Originally posted by RT16V
Sure, you learn alot on the street - bu there are many survival skills that can be learned from riders with many years experience. Learn these while you are still developing your new skills & they become habbit for life. Find the money, take the course, save a bit on insurance & most important of all it may save some of your skin in the end. If you're only concerned about getting your liscence, it's not really necessary - but if you are interested in becoming a good rider, then it is a very good start.

I took one through Foothills Driving Academy, it was not bad at all for $250.


Insurance is so cheap on a bike anyway....:rolleyes:

ramminghard
12-16-2002, 01:33 AM
Does the insurance go down with the safety course? also what would be the average insurance rate? i have heard everywhere from 300 to 1200?

gpomp
12-16-2002, 02:18 AM
Originally posted by ramminghard
Does the insurance go down with the safety course? also what would be the average insurance rate? i have heard everywhere from 300 to 1200?

Insurance for bikes is like $450 per year. :dunno:

FN49
12-16-2002, 03:01 AM
Originally posted by gpomp


Insurance for bikes is like $450 per year. :dunno:

I depends on the bike. Sportbikes are quite expensive to insure compared to cruisers or dual sports. Taking a safety course does decrease your insurance but I don't know how much. If you have ridden dirt bikes all your life you probably won't learn much from taking one of those courses.

gpomp
12-16-2002, 10:59 AM
Originally posted by FN49


I depends on the bike. Sportbikes are quite expensive to insure compared to cruisers or dual sports. Taking a safety course does decrease your insurance but I don't know how much. If you have ridden dirt bikes all your life you probably won't learn much from taking one of those courses.

Well, I know that a 99 F4 is $450 per year.

RT16V
12-16-2002, 06:35 PM
Originally posted by LaughingTiger



Insurance is so cheap on a bike anyway....:rolleyes:

I wasn't using insurance savings as a primary benefit of a safety course - it's just a secondary plus. Any money saved is better than none at all.....

RT16V
12-16-2002, 06:36 PM
Originally posted by FN49


I depends on the bike. Sportbikes are quite expensive to insure compared to cruisers or dual sports. Taking a safety course does decrease your insurance but I don't know how much. If you have ridden dirt bikes all your life you probably won't learn much from taking one of those courses.

It's not really about learning to handle a bike in terms of actual skills (ie: getting moving on the road). It's more about surviving on the road with all those inattentive drivers - you can't learn that on a dirt bike ;)

LaughingTiger
12-16-2002, 07:30 PM
Ins is very cheap for a bike....average full coverage is $400-500 per year....

You can't do as much damage or hurt as many people on a bike as you can w/ a car, thats why it's so cheap...

RiCE-DaDDy
12-16-2002, 11:49 PM
dont skimp on lessons. riding a bike is a bigger risk and I wouldnt skimp. take a course!! US statistics show that 90% of all motorcycle accidents are by people that are self taught.

FN49
12-17-2002, 12:14 AM
Originally posted by RT16V


It's not really about learning to handle a bike in terms of actual skills (ie: getting moving on the road). It's more about surviving on the road with all those inattentive drivers - you can't learn that on a dirt bike ;)

I have never taken a safety course but what from what others have told me it doesn’t sound like one would get much out of it if one had lots of riding experience. Riding in the dirt is still probably the best way to get your skill level up on a bike. As far as riding on the road just be very aware of all that is around you and have an “escape” ready if you need it.

Where do you guys get your insurance? I have had my license for 4 years and the cheapest place I found for my 94 XR650L was $366 per year with comprehensive and liability (no collision). I priced out what it would be for a 2002 V-Max this spring and it was around $800 (Full coverage). $450 for a 99 F4 seems low unless you have had your license for a while.

GTS Jeff
12-19-2002, 04:07 AM
Originally posted by RiCE-DaDDy
dont skimp on lessons. riding a bike is a bigger risk and I wouldnt skimp. take a course!! US statistics show that 90% of all motorcycle accidents are by people that are self taught. but arent 90% of cyclists self taught?

sml
12-19-2002, 11:34 AM
Originally posted by gpomp


Well, I know that a 99 F4 is $450 per year.

It's $800, not $450!!!

sml
12-19-2002, 11:43 AM
Originally posted by LaughingTiger
Ins is very cheap for a bike....average full coverage is $400-500 per year....

You can't do as much damage or hurt as many people on a bike as you can w/ a car, thats why it's so cheap...

No. Bike insurance is cheap because it's based on 6 riding months in a year. March-Oct. Insurance companies bank on the fact that you probably won't be riding when it's -30 outside or when there's an inch of snow on the ground. SO, if you work out the actual period that you can ride, it'll work out to $1600/yr, which is the same as insuring a regular car.
And if you think that you cannot do as much damage with a bike than with a car, think again. Most bikes in a crash end up being total loss ($10k to replace the bike). Most cars get into a scrap can be fixed for under $5k. The other reason why bike insurance is "cheaper" is because the value of a bike vs the value of a car. That's how insurance works. The value of the vehicle is rated first, then the saftey rating. The fact that a bike usually costs less than a car offsets the fact that it's less safe to be riding.

sml
12-19-2002, 11:45 AM
Originally posted by Jeff TYPE R
but arent 90% of cyclists self taught?

Not just that, but another stat shows that 50% of all riders on the road don't even HAVE a motorcycle license!!! YIKES! :confused:

sml
12-19-2002, 12:10 PM
Originally posted by FN49


I have never taken a safety course but what from what others have told me it doesn’t sound like one would get much out of it if one had lots of riding experience. Riding in the dirt is still probably the best way to get your skill level up on a bike. As far as riding on the road just be very aware of all that is around you and have an “escape” ready if you need it.

Where do you guys get your insurance? I have had my license for 4 years and the cheapest place I found for my 94 XR650L was $366 per year with comprehensive and liability (no collision). I priced out what it would be for a 2002 V-Max this spring and it was around $800 (Full coverage). $450 for a 99 F4 seems low unless you have had your license for a while.

I disagree. In the saftey course I took (Calgary Saftey Concil - great reviews), there were 2 guys who'd been riding dirt for 5 years. Yes, they were good at going fast, turning corners, power braking... BUT, this is not a rally course, it's a course on SAFETY!!! You learn many things like emergency maneuvers, collision avoidance, scanning road/road condition ahead, slow speed/parking lot maneuvers, control, control, control!!! What those guys with 5 years of dirt bike experience doesn't have are those very skills that they teach you at the saftey course! And they're NOT easy to learn, especially if noone TELLS you about them! Example, what is the optimal lane position for you to see the road ahead and also for other motorists to see you? Which lane should you be in depending on where on the road you are (straight road, crossing intersection, crossing intersection with car turning left or right, turns, etc)? Needless to say, I recommend this course to EVERYONE who plans to ride and stay ALIVE!
There is no doubt in my mind that those guys who rode dirt before had all the neccessary skills to operate a motorcycle with ease, what kills them when they plan to take their bikes onto the streets is that there will be a soccer mom out there in their minivans and suv who are sipping a latte on the one hand and talking on the cell phone on another and running a bit late to pickup their son/daughter who "forgot" to shoulder check and nails you and your bike into oncoming traffic. Now imagine that you're going 120 down Deerfoot and oncoming traffic's coming at you at 120. That's 240km/h combined speed on your impact point. ouch. They would need a vaccum cleaner to pick you up.
SO, PLEASE don't think that because you have the skills to operate a motorcycle is enough to keep you alive on the streets, it's how alert you are of your surroundings that will keep you away from being buried 3 feet deep. Take the saftey course, it's only $250!!! You'll save that amount in insurance cost in 2 yrs! Like someone else said in this thread, you want to start off on the right foot. It's really a small cost consider what's at stake. Statistics say that most motorcycle accidents are not caused by the rider, it's caused by people in a car who didn't see the rider.

LaughingTiger
12-19-2002, 12:12 PM
Originally posted by sml


No. Bike insurance is cheap because it's based on 6 riding months in a year. March-Oct. Insurance companies bank on the fact that you probably won't be riding when it's -30 outside or when there's an inch of snow on the ground. SO, if you work out the actual period that you can ride, it'll work out to $1600/yr, which is the same as insuring a regular car.
And if you think that you cannot do as much damage with a bike than with a car, think again. Most bikes in a crash end up being total loss ($10k to replace the bike). Most cars get into a scrap can be fixed for under $5k. The other reason why bike insurance is "cheaper" is because the value of a bike vs the value of a car. That's how insurance works. The value of the vehicle is rated first, then the saftey rating. The fact that a bike usually costs less than a car offsets the fact that it's less safe to be riding.




Dude...think about plpd...the reason that is cheap for a bike is the reason I said.....If you crash your bike into another car, it's not goin to do as much damage as it would if you crashed a car into another car... And it's alot easier to kill someone else or hurt someone else w/ a car then it is w/ a bike..... My friend in Van has a bike and only pays $600 per year and you can ride alot more there then in Calgary.... I asked the insurance guy about bike insurance and that's what he told me..... My friend in calgary pays $550 per year full on his 2001 ninja(21 years old), and the other pays $350 full on his ninja..(28years old)..

I don't know but all the points are good...

LaughingTiger
12-19-2002, 12:20 PM
$1600 per year for a car.......SHit!!!:eek: where the hell are you getting your ins...mine is way over that.....

LaughingTiger
12-19-2002, 12:22 PM
Originally posted by sml


Not just that, but another stat shows that 50% of all riders on the road don't even HAVE a motorcycle license!!! YIKES! :confused:


Ha...I could believe that...I know a few...scary

FN49
12-19-2002, 06:55 PM
Originally posted by sml


I disagree. In the saftey course I took (Calgary Saftey Concil - great reviews), there were 2 guys who'd been riding dirt for 5 years. Yes, they were good at going fast, turning corners, power braking... BUT, this is not a rally course, it's a course on SAFETY!!! You learn many things like emergency maneuvers, collision avoidance, scanning road/road condition ahead, slow speed/parking lot maneuvers, control, control, control!!! What those guys with 5 years of dirt bike experience doesn't have are those very skills that they teach you at the saftey course! And they're NOT easy to learn, especially if noone TELLS you about them! Example, what is the optimal lane position for you to see the road ahead and also for other motorists to see you? Which lane should you be in depending on where on the road you are (straight road, crossing intersection, crossing intersection with car turning left or right, turns, etc)? Needless to say, I recommend this course to EVERYONE who plans to ride and stay ALIVE!


All of that info (i.e. optimal lane position) is in the Alberta Motorbike guide that you have to study to get your license.

You probably do learn some good things at those safety courses but I think that safe riding is for the most part common sense. Like I said in my other post always be aware of what is around you and always have a plan of action should something happen. Unfortunately on a bike you don't get a second chance.

FN49
12-19-2002, 07:01 PM
Originally posted by LaughingTiger





My friend in calgary pays $550 per year full on his 2001 ninja(21 years old), and the other pays $350 full on his ninja..(28years old)..




Where do they get their insurance? That seems like a good deal!
...Or do they ride Ninja 250's?

LaughingTiger
12-19-2002, 08:03 PM
Originally posted by FN49



Where do they get their insurance? That seems like a good deal!
...Or do they ride Ninja 250's?


My friend that pays $550 gets it from AMA I think..?? I'll check about my other friend too.. I don't know.. It's a 600cc.. zx-6 I thk

ninspeed
12-24-2002, 09:41 PM
i got a quote for 725/year for a 2001 f4.... i think i might buy it this summer :D

bol
12-24-2002, 09:50 PM
$1500/year for a 2002 Yamaha R6 for me :P

ramminghard
12-27-2002, 03:06 PM
Well i just called TD and got a qupte for a 98 cbr 600 and my insurance for a 17 yr old with a new liscence is $358 a year. $490 for full coverage.

oasis
12-27-2002, 03:41 PM
i don't know where you guys are coming up with these insurance quotes but i'm 22 and have a 02 gsx-r 600 , i pay almost $1400.00/year for full covrage with a some what clean record.

ramminghard
12-27-2002, 08:32 PM
I called TD today and that was the quote they told me

LaughingTiger
12-28-2002, 07:10 PM
Originally posted by oasis
i don't know where you guys are coming up with these insurance quotes but i'm 22 and have a 02 gsx-r 600 , i pay almost $1400.00/year for full covrage with a some what clean record.


I thk your paying to much....TD is spose to be really good

I'm going w/ them in spring.

ramminghard
12-29-2002, 02:50 AM
Theft is a must on motorbikes right?