Tips and Tricks for Beginner Motorcycle Riders

| September 6, 2010 | Comments (0)

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 ring true, just by virtue of the fact that a motorcycle is effectively an engine with wheels… and that’s it.  99.95% of the time your motorcycle will be faster than a car; you will encounter drivers who don’t see you when they are turning, merging, or are otherwise trying to steal your spot in traffic; you will bite off more than you can chew when you mash the throttle.  These are realities that every motorcycle rider, regardless of experience, has to face.

That doesn’t mean that riding a motorcycle is hazardous to your health (despite what many people would have you believe).  Rather, it means that as a new rider it is your responsibility to ensure that you are adequately prepared to handle the task with confidence.  In order to be confident you need to be confident in four key areas: safety, training/skill, licensing, and your motorcycle selection.

Motorcycle Safety

This is the most important aspect of riding a bike that you’re going to have to get down pat.  Unlike a car, there is no steel cage protecting you.  If you get into an accident there is very little between you and the pavement.  For that reason along it is crucial that you are as safe as possible.

  • Have all of the right gear - You will have seen this several times on this website by now, and here it is again: always ride ATGATT.
  • Do not ride with passengers until you have a lot of riding time under your belt - Many new riders don’t realize just how much a passenger changes the way a motorcycle behaves.  Are you ready for a passenger?

As always, stay within the posted speed limits and don’t override your comfort zone.  If you’re riding in a group and the group is moving at a pace that you aren’t 100% comfortable with slow down and stay safe.

Motorcycle Training/Skill

You weren’t a perfect driver the first time you got in a car, and you aren’t going to be a perfect rider the first time you hop on a motorcycle.  Expect to spend some time learning how to control your bike, as well as discovering where your limits are.

  • Read a motorcycle training guide - We hammer this point to death, but the fact still remains that motorcycle training guides are the best way to acclimate yourself to a motorcycle before you get on and ride.  We recommend Get Ready to Pass ($27 w/videos) or MotoLearn ($15 without videos).  Both will save you time spent searching the net for information, not to mention that they will help you feel more comfortable when you first decide to go for a ride.
  • Practice in a safe environment - Hopping on the freeway for your first ride is not a great idea.  Practice in a parking lot until you are comfortable with the basics.  Once you’re comfortable with slow-speed riding, move from a parking lot to residential side roads that are infrequently used.  Hit the highway once you are comfortable with the bike overall.
  • Take a motorcycle safety course - This is part and parcel with reading a training guide, and we recommend that you do both.  Most motorcycle safety courses cost a few hundred dollars and they will walk you through all the basics.  Not only that, but most include accident evasion- in our opinion, a lifesaver of a course.

Motorcycle Licensing

Never ride your motorcycle on public roadways without having the appropriate license and insurance.  Just don’t do it.

Motorcycle Selection

If you’re reading Beginner Motorcycle Reviews you probably already know the recommendation that we are going to make.  Do yourself a favor and start small.  Check out the top 10 motorcycles for new riders and see our recommendations.

  • Don’t buy a crotch rocket - Should your first car have 600 horsepower?  No.  Should your first bike have 120 horsepower?  Absolutely not.  Buy a rocket after you’ve had a year or two of riding experience.
  • Don’t buy a heavy hog - The heavier the bike the harder it is to control.  Cruisers are sweet (we love the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom), but the bigger they are the harder they (potentially) fall.

Related Blogs

Related posts:

  1. What Exactly is a Beginner Motorcycle, Anyway?
  2. Debunking Myths About Beginner Motorcycles
  3. Top 10 Motorcycles for New Riders: 2010
  4. The “Must Do’s” of Stopping on a Motorcycle
  5. Review: MotoLearn.com Motorcycle Training Guide

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Category: Headline, Learn To Ride A Motorcycle, Motorcycle Articles

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