I'm not in the city limits of Chicago but I am very close (O'Hare area). I'm looking for low traffic areas to ride around to put some miles on my bike until it's time to put the bike away for winter. Highways are a no-go for now because I'm a 200lb dude on a Rebel 300.

Anyone have a favorite loop that they do around the city and surrounding burbs? So far, my furthest trip was from O'Hare-ish to Cabela's out into Hoffman Estates (about 35 miles round trip).

I find myself going on I-90 and Lake Shore Drive more and more and running into stopped traffic. Until recently I waited like a good little 2 wheel car, but following the "< 10 mph speed differential", "merge back in at > 30 mph", and "only where passing is allowed" rules of thumb it actually doesn't feel all that dangerous? A lot of drivers are actually surprisingly courteous aside from the 1 out of 1000 that gets salty and honks.

Hey everyone, I’m reaching out because I’m hopefully looking for a riding buddy that is beginner friendly as the title says or maybe even just some advice for a newbie. I have taken the beginner course with ride Chicago and passed my licensing exams and also have a bike. I’m currently getting up at about 4 AM some mornings to practice, but I find that I’m still super nervous to ride during the day in traffic. I was hoping I could find somebody that would be interested in riding with me to help shake my road nerves or if anyone has any advice on getting over the anxiety of being out in traffic for the first few times.

Getting super tired of waking up at 4 😅 and I can’t help but feel like I’m not making as much progress as I should be by now.

Thanks for any help you can offer 💖

Hi everyone, I’m taking the safety course next Friday through the ISU program and just wanted to see if anyone had any advice or knows what to expect.

anyone trying to cruise into the city from the north burbs?

A friend of mine mentioned he’d sneak past indoor parking gates for overnight parking at garages that are unattended. It seemed pretty risky to me since he’s trespassing.
How common is this in the downtown area, and what are the risks besides getting towed (which doesn’t seem to happen in Chicago for bikes)? There are a lot of garages that don’t have attendants. Just security monitoring the cameras from somewhere.

Came out of my house to find this card on my bike and a small patch of oil under it. I investigated the source and found it to be the hole where the mount for my engine guard bars are. That bolt goes to a subframe and is nowhere near the engine. Also the oil was black and I can pretty clearly see through the window that my relatively fresh oil is barely amber.

So I can only conclude that this guy is trying to drum up business with business cards and a squeeze bottle of used oil. Except he's apparently a bad enough mechanic that he doesn't know to put the oil somewhere near the case where it might actually be coming from, not from a bolt that goes into the frame.

Mods I figured since this was an advertisement for a business that the contact information was fine, no other way to name and shame. If not I'm sorry.

It is indoor, deeded, key fob with 24/7 access and cameras.

HoA + tax comes to about 40 USD per month.

Lavender 2021 Genuine Buddy 125 taken from behind Gearhead in Lincoln Square near Western & Leland at 6:03 PM. Building footage shows an older white man in a pink/reddish shirt, hat and fanny pack taking it. Scooter has/ had Frida and a Mr Rodgers stickers and a black backrest; black milk crate. Plate DMCY49866. If you see it or a suspicious listing, please DM me. Thank you!

Got the wife signed up for an MSF basic rider class. She wants to learn on an automatic scooter/Vespa rather than than the motorcycles. is that an option? Or can we/I (licensed, active) rent a scooter for her if she is allowed to bring her own ride?

i’m seeing october classes updated for southern programs today so keep an eye out! i’m trying to snag October classes for joliet but no luck so far.

I was wandering if anyone has taken the basic ride course in Illinois and how that worked if I was to walk in. It says the upcoming classes at Joliet Junior College are all full but I can show up to walk in. Do they have a max amount of students they allow to walk in? Or what is the likelihood I would get in, when going to my first class?

Hello ChicagoMotorcycles,

First all, sorry if this isnt the correct place but it made most sense. Im passing through your wonderful city and would like to have a memory of riding around here in the summer. I was curious if you all could recommend a photographer who specializes in candid rolling shots. If so, please DM me the name and website. Thank you

If this is not the correct place, please delete mods and apologies.

Fully loaded with lots of accessories- saddle bags, engine guard, manual cruise control, quick shifter

Serviced in June 2026
Runs great, clean title in hand
$7000

Please reach out for more details and questions

Hi! I am a new owner of a IL Bello Vespa in uptown. Does anyone have any suggestions / leads on a parking spot for it for the next few months (until December?) or suggestions on additional measures / locks / covers to ensure it’s not stolen ?

Looking to sell my starter bike, not many of the Tiffany blue color way, especially not as clean as this one!

Looking for $3500 OBO.

DM me any questions!

Hello everyone, walked out of my house at 4:30am for work and realized my Grom was stolen. I know recovering a stolen bike, especially a Grom in a city like Chicago is a long shot but it’s worth a try.

Located in Cicero but could be anywhere at this point. No airtag or anything and only liability insurance unfortunately. Will definitely keep an eye out on marketplace and other groups etc. but if anyone spots it please let me know 🙏🏼

Thanks ya’ll, be safe

Does anyone have any extra $7K lying around? I really wanted to buy a new motorcycle from cf moto.

Hey guys! I’m new here and could use some help.

I passed my Illinois written motorcycle test and have my permit, but I can’t ride alone yet. Tomorrow I need to pick up my bike from a dealership in Crystal Lake and ride it to Gurnee (by 3 PM).

Looking for an experienced licensed rider to accompany me. I’ll pay $100 + a full tank of gas. Happy to discuss details.

If anyone is available tomorrow, please DM me. Thanks!

To all Chicagoans out there, where do you take your Grom for a little light off-road? I know that we don't have any approved OHV trail within 2-hour drive from the city so I was thinking any piece of land that's not properly attended for a very light off-roading should do. Any abandoned (or half-abandoned) construction project or land owned by the state and otherwise not in use or land with private owner who simply doesn't care too much...

II recently purchased a new Zx6r and I have never adjusted my suspension so I have no idea where to go. Kind of worried that a dealer won’t know wtf they’re doing and make it worse anyone know of a credible location I can go?

Hey guys, I'm an international student (24M) who wants to get a motorcycle license before October. I have riding experience in my home country and I am pretty confident about passing the road test.

I want to avoid the classes as they are too expensive. Do you suggest I take an instruction permit and give the road test myself?

And if so, how much should I expect to pay for all this?