Beginner Riding Tips
All information provided on the page is from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. The link is provided at the bottom of the page.
First of all it is a good idea for beginners to take a quality hands on begginers motorcycle course in an off-street, controlled environment. Riding a motorycle can be a great, freeing experience when done with skill and ability. It is not something that your born with. Practice brings the skills and confidence you need so you can deal with any situation that might arise while riding.
Eye protection is a priority when riding a motorcycle, it does not take much to injure the naked eye. Even a windshield on a motorcycle cannot give you the eye protection that you need. A tiny insect in the eye could hinder your sight and bring great pain. Clean, unscratched lenses provide the best protection. Tinted motorcycle glasses or goggles for the day and dont forget clear motorcycle glasses or goggles for night riding. In most states its the law. Please refer to our state motorcycle laws page.
Motorcycle outerwear is important also, heavy duty material such as denim or leather provide against abrasions, and combined with zippered vents provide good air flow. Loose fitting lightweight material such as cotton is not the best choice for riding.
Hand protection is imperative when riding a motorcycle, gloves can provide protection from abrasion and if the vehicle in front of you kicks up a rock and hits a bare knuckle, OUCH!
Boots made of strong leather and over the ankle will protect ankles. Also thick rubber tread soles protect against slipping in case of grease or other slippery products when you put your foot down to get off the motorcycle.
Raingear is always good to have stored on your motorcycle in case the weather turns bad.
Licence requirments and motorcycle insurance vary from state to state, contact your local DMV for your states requirements.
Find out what kind of motorcycle you are wanting, there are so many types of motorcycles available, from large touring/travel bikes, to crotch rockets and everything else in between. Once you have chosen your motorcycle, get aquainted with it. Know the controls, the levers, the brakes and pedals. Feel the way it handles. It is not a good idea to lend a bike or borrow one. Look at is as personal as a toothbrush. Practice with the turn signals, the horn and the dimmer switch before you have to use them because of another drivers inadvertant choices. If your motorcycle has a reserve tank locate it before your running out of gas on the highway and needing it.
Shifting Gears
Find your bikes sweet spot when it comes to the coordination of clutch and gear. To start off, pull in the clutch, shift into first gear, roll on the throttle a little, and ease out the clutch. There is a friction zone when switching gears when the clutch takes hold and the bike starts moving. You dont want to stall the bike or over rev the motor. Shift in a straight line, shifting on a curve is not recommended. Learning the sound of your bike will tell you when to shift without looking at the instrument panel. Every motorcycle is different. When you downshift to a lower gear, you should (in one swift, smooth
movement) be able to squeeze the clutch, rev the engine a little to let it catch the lower gear smoothly, and shift down. When you come to a stop in traffic, leave the bike in first gear with the clutch disengaged (just in case you want to accelerate out of there in a hurry). Who knows what may be comingup behind you.
Braking
The front brake on your motorcycle can supply as much as 70% or more of your stopping power. The single most important thing you can learn about braking is to use that front brake every singletime you want to slow down. Always apply both the front and the rear brakes at the same time. If necessary, apply them hard, but not so hard that you lock up either wheel. A locked wheel, as well as causing the bike to skid, results in downright inefficient braking. The time to take your left foot off the peg and put it on the ground is just as the bike comes to a complete stop.When you have the opportunity, practice your braking.
Turning
When you are riding along the road, you lean a motorcycle into a turn. Learning to lean is an essential part of riding a motorcycle. It is a normal function of the bike when you are changing its path of travel - and quite, quite different from turning the steering
wheel of your car. To get the motorcycle to lean in a normal turn, press the handlebar in the direction of the turn and maintain slight pressure on that handlebar to take you smoothly through that particular turn. In other words: press the right handgrip to go right; press the left handgrip to go left. Your instincts to keep the motorcycle on a smooth path while keeping it from falling over usually take care of this without you even noticing it.(Demonstrate to yourself how a motorcycle moves by pressing ahandlebar slightly while traveling in a straight line. The motorcycle will move in the direction of the handlebar you pushed.)
- Slow down before you enter the turn; look as far ahead as possible through the turn.
- Keep your feet on the pegs, and grip the gas tank with your knees.
- Lean with the motorcycle; don’t try to sit perpendicular to the road while the motorcycle is leaning over.
- Keep an even throttle through the turn, or even accelerate a little bit.
Check the tires. They are the most important parts of your bike. If your engine quits, you roll to a stop. If a tire quits - trouble! Make the effort to check the surface of the tires, looking for cuts in the rubber or foreign objects - like a nail. Check the tire pressures with a good gauge. If a tire is low every time you check it, even though you have added the proper amount of air each time, you have a slow leak. Fix it before it becomes a fast leak
Check the controls. Cables are quite strong and rarely break, but look for kinking or stiffness or anything unusual in their operation.
Check your lights, including brake light, headlights, and turn signals to make sure everything works. Also check your horn and adjust the mirrors.
Check the oil and fuel and, if the bike is liquid-cooled, the coolant levels.
If your motorcycle has chain-drive to the rear wheel, make sure that the chain is properly tensioned and in good shape. Chains do need an occasional cleaning and dose of lubrication.
Make sure the sidestand and centerstand fold up properly, and stay up. If one of the retraction springs is weak or broken or missing, replace it.
As you roll off, check your brakes. Just to make sure they haven’t gone away.
Now, go enjoy yourself.
Maintance
Maintain your bike with regular services, keeping your motorcycle clean can stop alot of problems that dirt and mud can hide. Check fluids and top them off if needed and do a monthly battery check. Keep a kit handy for cases like loose screws. Always have the manual handy. It will provide information for the fuse box location and how to get a tire off in case of a flat.
