You’ve gotten past the part where stalling the motorcycle at lights is the norm, and you’ve eliminated the “coast to a stop” as your standard mode of deceleration. A certain degree of confidence is beginning to show itself, and that’s good. Now is the time to “up your game” a little bit, and start learning [...]
Thinking about buying your first motorcycle, or perhaps hopping on one for some joy riding? Want to enjoy the most addictive mode of transportation around, but not too sure of how or where to begin? Keep reading. The key to successful (and safe) riding is patience. There are some things about motorcycles that will always [...]
This is part two of a three part guide. Read Learning to Ride Sportbikes: A Beginners Guide – Part 1 if you haven’t already. In the first part of this guide we talked about the basic pre-work involved in getting ready to ride your new sportbike. Having a clear, positive mindset will ensure that you [...]
This is part one of a three part guide. Before you read any further, know this: there is absolutely no replacement for getting on a motorcycle and learning through experience. No, I am not saying that you need to hop on your bike and go for a ride down the highway. What I am saying [...]
Have you ever noticed that whenever you buy a new car (or motorcycle) that it always seems faster the day you buy it than it does six months later? This is what happens when your mind and body get used to the speed (as well as the forces applied to it), making your motorcycle feel slower than it is.
Remember, especially if you’re just learning how to ride a motorcycle, that the motorcycle doesn’t actually slow down- you just got used to the speed. This is why people modify their cars to make them faster, and this is also why people go from 600cc super-sports (already capable of 10/11 second quarter mile times) to 750cc or 1,000cc motorcycles.
A couple of weeks ago we reviewed MotoLearn.com, an excellent online training guide for new motorcycle riders or prospective motorcycle riders. MotoLearn.com is a well written guide that any new rider, especially considering its skimpy $16 price tag, should read.
“Get Ready To Pass” is, by all accounts, a much better product. Along with pictures and reading material, it presents incredibly high quality videos on every aspect of riding. Not only that, but the material presented is applicable for both cars and motorcycles. While most people will already have their car license before getting their motorcycle license, having that information present is a bonus if you don’t have either license.
I can still remember the first time I had a passenger on the back of my motorcycle. I was riding a 1999 Kawasaki Nina 500R at the time (a classic beginner motorcycle- read our Kawasaki Ninja 500R review here), which was just barely big enough for me (I was 6’2″ and 265 lbs at the time). When my passenger, my 115 lb girlfriend, got on the back the motorcycle the suspension dropped a fair bit at the rear. It was like riding a completely different motorcycle.
Are you ready for a passenger on the back of your motorcycle?
Riding ATGATT (all the gear, all the time) is something that every new rider does at first. After all, it only makes logical sense. However, many riders soon begin to stop wearing some of their gear when they go riding. They forget that safety is more important than “looking cool”, and it only takes one meeting with the asphalt to make that a rather harsh lesson.
This article explains why riding ATGATT is crucial for all riders, especially new ones. If you have ever wondered what the difference between a pair of work boots and riding boots were, or why those $30 motorcycle gloves are so important, this article will explain it all.
Many people will ask an experienced rider the same old question: “How do I ride a motorcycle?” The answer, of course, is quite complex. Most riders start off with the “oh, well you just do this yabba yabba yabba…”. Good luck trying to explain it, because to be honest, it’s the feel of riding a motorcycle that a new rider needs to experience.
Naturally, because of this, we tend to find the “how to” guides to be a little off the mark. Some do a good job of explaining the mechanics of riding a motorcycle, and others do an excellent job of describing the feeling that comes with riding a motorcycle. None of them, it seemed, were able to do both.
Until MotoLearn.com.
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