Learning to Ride

You've made the decision, you're going to learn to ride a motorbike. Since most countries require motorcycle licenses you might want to investigate taking a riding course or two at a training ground which have adequate motorbike insurance to prepare. If you have some experience with riding before you test you will do better, because the questions on the test will make better sense.

What should you look for in a good training session? If you have never been on a bike before (even a bicycle), look for an outfit whose training motorcycles are fairly light-weight late model bikes with low seats. You'll be using your feet to balance at first and it's important that they can contact the ground. A riding session of two to three hours is long enough, riding requires new hand-to-eye coordination skills and there is some fatigue generated in muscling your bike around the course the first couple times as you use muscles you didn't remember having.

Facilities that have good courses and have been in business for a while are preferred. It is helpful, of course, to have a family member "show you how to ride" but unless they are very experienced, you will not get as good an education. What's important here is learning the motorbike's controls, and practising. Coordinating the throttle roll-on and clutch release can take some getting used to. Depending on your bike, these controls may be on opposite sides from your dominant hand, so make sure you get the make and model with the right set of controls for you. Learning to use the brakes for effective stopping is also part of what you'll need to know by the end of your first training session.

Look for an outfit that offers a pre-license, basic rider course, or some form of beginner training. What's important here is learning how to take off smoothly, what good riding posture amounts to, and how to use the brakes. It will take a while to get the hang of the throttle and using the clutch for smooth take-offs, so be prepared to practice. Once that skill is learned, you'll be learning how to use the throttle smoothly for speed control. Controlling the direction of the bike is accomplished mostly by learning how to "lean" with the bike. Next steps, cornering, and shifting when you are moving. Breaking these skills down into small chunks and mastering each one will give you excellent control over your bike and ensure a safer ride.

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