Learning to Ride and Care Your First Motorcycle

If you’re like most Americans, you probably know how to ride a bike.  After all, few people consider a motorcycle unless they grew up riding bikes as a kid or have been cycling as an adult. Because of this, you may think you have motorcycle riding all figured out. Isn’t a motorbike just a bicycle with a motor, after all? Unfortunately, it’s not nearly as easy as it looks when you’re starting out, but it does become easier over time. 

Here are a few steps to start you off as you learn to ride a motorcycle.

1. Get Mentored

Many motorcyclists would argue that choosing two wheels over four is a way of life. They are passionate about their motorcycles and are often more than happy to take a newcomer under their wings. Check meetups for motorcyclists in your area, or just look around your street. You may just spot someone shining up their Harley Davidson. There are also formal training programs all across the country that you can sign up for.

2. Beware of Your 4-Wheeled Companions 

As a driver, you’ve probably had a close call or two with motorcyclists. In your mind, the motorcyclists appeared out of nowhere and you didn’t even see the person. However, the truth is that even when motorcyclists follow the rules of the road and do their best to be seen, drivers often miss them. Keep that in mind when riding a motorcycle. Never assume that other drivers see or recognize you. One of the best ways to stay safe is to be a proactive, defensive rider. If you see the potential for danger to happen, slow down, switch lanes or even pullover. Better to lose a few seconds or minutes than your life.

3. Wear Protective Gear

Helmets won’t offer much protect to your head if you have a collision at 50 MPH. Even so, wearing one is a lot safer than wearing none at all. The good news is the safety gear for motorcycles is a lot cooler than the gear you often wore with your bike as a kid. From full bodysuits to colorful graphic helmets, there is a whole range of accessories around to offer you as much protection as possible. When riding, you should also opt for motorcycle jeans instead of casual sweatpants or shorts. The last thing you want is to be stuck with a painful case of road rash if you wipe out.

4. Practice Often

Riding a motorcycle requires skill and concentrated effort. And, like all other skills, it requires practice to become good at it. The two main things you’ll have to practice is rounding a bend and braking quickly. You may want to start with learning to brake quickly by practicing in a parking lot, going at just 25 MPH or so. Keep in mind that the front brakes generally stop you faster than the rear. Once you’ve mastered this, check around your area to see if there are any tracks where you can practice rounding the bend. If not, find a road with as little traffic as possible and practice there.

5. Learn Basic Motorcycle Maintenance 

When you got your first car, your parents, older sibling or friends probably gave you a few tips on how to keep it running. You learned the basics, such as when to schedule an oil change, or even how to do it yourself, and what to do if you get a flat tire. You need to brush up on that same kind of information for a motorcycle, or you won’t be riding your machine for long!

Riding a motorcycle is riddled with dangers, but for the daredevil in you, that’s all just a part of the thrill. When you’re ready to invest in one of your own, check out our full inventory at Chaparral Motorsports.