Learning to Ride a Motorcycle

Learning to ride a motorcycle is one of the most exciting things one can ever experience in his lifetime. You are really missing out on the thrill and exhilaration if you've never ridden a motorcycle. To ride a motorcycle can be enjoyable at first but can turn dangerous if things don't go as expected. It is a totally different task from learning to drive a car. In a motorcycle's case, you need to concentrate mainly on the motorcycle's balance while riding it. Whereas, while driving a car, you need not concentrate on the car's balance. Anyone can learn to ride, be it young or old.

Learning to ride, strongly depends on the bike you are using. It's easy if you learn on a low-powered bike instead of a heavy one. It should be an ordinary bike that doesn't have much power or pickup. If you directly jump on a superbike or a cruiser, you can be in big trouble. High-powered bikes have a lot of acceleration, multiple gears and raw power. Moreover, they are very difficult to handle, even for people who regularly ride bikes. They are not meant for first time riders or learners, but for professionals. Keeping your eyes on the road while riding is sacrosanct.

You should always have a good trainer sitting on the pillion seat and assisting you, who has at least a few years of experience in riding. Learning to ride alone without a trainer may lead to accidents and cause severe injuries. Before getting on the motorcycle, ensure that the brakes, accelerator, gears, and other parts are fine. Take a note of all the technical specifications of the bike such as number of gears, gear ratio, bike's power and torque and so on. You should never try to ride the motorcycle without knowing all these details.

You should always wear safety gear before learning to ride, and that includes riding gloves, jacket, boots, and a helmet. Riding the bike without wearing any or these safety accessories can cause serious injuries, no matter if you are at a high or low speed. Sit on the motorcycle and get a feel of the bike and adjust your body weight to optimize your balance. Keep one foot on the ground and the other on the foot-rest, and notice the bike's weight. Remember that every motorcycle is different from the rest, so it's recommended to spend some time with them initially.

Start the bike after you are comfortable with all its controls. Some may have kick starters and some may have electric starters. If it's a kick start bike, kick the lever to the ground for it to start. But be careful of the kick lever as a kick back can hurt your calf badly. Before you kick start, ensure that the gear is in neutral and the neutral light is on. This is the time to execute all the operations that you've learned.

Just give it a bit of throttle initially, press the clutch and engage the first gear by pressing the gear lever downwards or upwards depending on the gear pattern. When the gear is engaged the neutral light on the console will turn off. Increase the throttle and release the clutch simultaneously. Remember that the rate of the throttle increase and the clutch release should be in proportion and at the same time. When the speed of the bike increases, press the clutch and use the gear lever to change to the next gear. This process should continue till the bike is in the topmost gear. If you need to slow down, apply the brakes by pressing the brake lever to the ground. If you need to stop, press the clutch and change from the highest gear to a lower or the lowest gear. The speed depends on the gear you have engaged. If you need to turn, slow down a little bit and keep an eye on the corner. Practice till you are comfortable with the bike and confident enough to ride alone.

Once you have learned to ride your bike, I'm sure you would start feeling the adrenaline once the wind starts whistling in your ears. Just make sure you don the safety gear and I hope you have a pleasant ride.