Most important things for beginner riders?

[Misti]

If you had to choose the most important things for beginner riders to consider when they are first starting out with riding motorcycles, what would they be and why?

[HoneyBadgerRy]

Start on a light weight bike with good brakes and enough motor to move its own weight. It doesn't have to be super sporty or anything, but when the time comes that you need to do an emergency maneuver you shouldn't have to wrestle a huge cruiser, and you should have enough power/brakes to get out of the way.

People get to hung up on looks and they want a big cruiser because that's what they like. That or they think something slow like a Honda rebel would be better because its slow, but having passing power can save your life.

[Tim Fox]

Ride defensively. Do not ride in someone's blind spot. Always look way ahead of where you are. Look at the road surface for gravel,sand ,water. And sickness morons!

[wendyjboss]

Take the MSF course. Get a bike as soon as you can and ride, ride, ride. Practice what the MSF instructors taught and ride some more. Ride as much as you can. Stay out of heavy commuter traffic until you know how to handle the basics without too much confusion, e.g. take back roads.
Learn to work on your bike to keep it running and safe. If it's broke, fix it.

For buying, check the tires. Rubber dry rots. Tires are super important. Find out how old they are. If they are five or more years, you probably should buy new tires. To purchase and mount the tires, unless you do it yourself, this will add about 4-500 dollars to your expense. Don't buy cheap tires. Look at the fairing, was the bike dropped? If so, there may be hidden issues with the fairings or other parts.

Ride safe and enjoy!!!

[Tim Fox]

Anti swearing must be turned on

[motodancer]

Originally Posted by HoneyBadgerRy

People get to hung up on looks and they want a big cruiser because that's what they like. That or they think something slow like a Honda rebel would be better because its slow, but having passing power can save your life.

Are Rebels really that slow?

[Racer x]

Get training from professionals. The MFS course will not teach you anything past simple operation of the controls. It is not natural to ride a motorcycle and there is a lot to learn. Learning it the hard way takes to long and you could be killed doing it. Study what makes motorcycles turn and stop.
And read books on how to avoid accidents. Proficent cycling is a good one.

[HoneyBadgerRy]

Originally Posted by motodancer

Are Rebels really that slow?

Decently heavier and less powerful that the ninja, so I'd imagine so. I've never actually rode one so idk.

[CaliGrrl]

For me, the most useful thing is the mental side of motorcycling. Predicting what other drivers will do and how to stay out of the way of their stupid (which can be done while either riding or driving). It's ultimate-defensive-driving.

I've also taken my riding kind of slow as far as what I take on. Parking lot, an area of super low traffic, then city streets that I already know the layout, then a bit busier. Canyon roads, because they're fun. Higher speed roads. And eventually, freeway. it took a few months to work up to that.

It was also helpful to have a mentor ride with me, and talk at me on the helmet intercoms. He helped me pick out a bike, checked it over to make sure it all worked right, and how to do the maintenance.

[Lazarus]

Adapt, overcome, improvise.

Adapt, to all the idiots on the road and know they are going to do things that put you in harms way be it intentionally or unintentionally

Overcome, your bodies natural preservation mode and the "this isn't natural but I'm doing it anyways" feeling. We aren't supposed to ride that fast on 2 wheels, probably even on two wheels at all, but we do it anyways because we love it.

Improvise, there will be times where you are stuck on the side of the road because your bike is being a finikey little b***h, (hope that never happens to any of you) or you have to take a different route home due to traffic, accident, road work, etc or you may even become lost after taking a wrong turn. Keep calm and use a level head to help yourself out of the situation.

Most importantly practice practice practice. New riders should practice swerving, emergency braking, all the drills that will essentially save your life someday.

[adouglas]

1) Have a "learning" mindset from the very beginning. LISTEN. Accept that you really DON'T know this stuff yet. Suck it up and get training... and when you're in the presence of the instructor, engage, ask questions and pay attention.

2) Take it easy while you learn. Be hyper-aware of your environment and be conservative on the road.

3) Be very self-aware throughout your riding career. Think about and understand SRs and why they happen.

4) Understand the risks. Think and speak rationally about them, especially with the inevitable loved one who is dead-set against you riding. "You'll get killed for sure" and "I'll be fine, I know what I'm doing" are unrealistic ends of the spectrum, yet they're the foundation of most such discussions. You're not going to die the moment you leave the driveway. You MIGHT get hurt.

5) Use your brain. Think critically. You'll hear all kinds of crap from all kinds of people, much of it misleading and a fair bit of it flat wrong. The purpose of your brain is to think. SO THINK, DAMMIT! "Gee, I don't know what happened" and "the bike got away from me" are code for "I wasn't thinking at all and I don't understand how this works."

6) Don't bow to peer pressure. Ride YOUR ride. Choose the bike that YOU are comfortable with. Stay within YOUR limits.

7) Understand the difference between form and substance. For some, it's about self-image and what others think of you... a "lifestyle." For others, it's about skill and riding. Recognize this and think about where you fit along the spectrum. Nothing wrong with farkling your bike to the gills and cruising down to bike night if that's what floats your boat, or letting your beard grow for a few days and playing Sons of Anarchy... but that stuff won't make you a knee-dragging canyon carver, or even a safe and competent rider.

8) I'm saving equipment for last because too often, people go straight there and bypass the most important piece of hardware... the nut behind the wheel. Too many beginners do not buy proper gear, even those who have an ATGATT mindset from the outset. They think with their wallet instead of their head. Do the math. Find out how much getting hurt actually costs. Think in vivid detail about what happens if you hit the pavement at 40 mph and dress for that. This is just as necessary an investment as the bike is.

9) And the predictable... don't bite off more than you can chew when it comes to the bike. I was up in Loudon last Monday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Beginner group got red-flagged because some poor overconfident Rossi wannabe pranged his pretty new Panigale. Went into Turn 1 and decided he couldn't get the bike turned, so he just gave up and laid it down. The guy lacked basic judgment skills. He's okay, but has just learned a hard, several-thousand-dollar lesson. Assuming he did learn from the experience.

[Racer x]

https://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Mo.../dp/1889540536

This is a good book to read about how to stay safe and predict people's actions

[Dave Wolfe]

Target Fixation!!!!!!!!!!

Wanna live? Know about this and DONT DO IT. That being said, I have no idea how to teach this to a newb. I mean, do you send the student thru a turn, then send your dog out in front of bike, and repeat until student can make it thru turn without crashing or having your dog run over?

[snot]

How to inspect the bike before you ride.
Take the MSF
Practice practice practice... During low traffic times.

[csmith12]

First things to consider...

Confidence level - It is the key to overcoming the unknowns that come up from time to time.

A healthy respect for fear - It puts the brakes on venturing too far, too fast. EDIT: I feel the need to define healthy here. I don't mean healthy as in a lot, I mean it as a riders ability to learn from what has scared them and adjust going forward.

Trust in yourself - To believe the "raw" messages that come from your gut.

Building a support system - Helping hands bursts through road blocks, prevents stagnation and adds a boost of confidence when low.

Setting reachable goals - Nobody is an expert out of the gate but a controlled commitment to the end goal via achievable smaller ones will help you stay the course.

Celebrate every victory - yep, even the small ones.

Don't lose the connection to your inner child - If it aint fun... then why?

Find your zen - Learn to be at peace while in the presence of chaos.

[SLOWn60]

Originally Posted by Misti

If you had to choose the most important things for beginner riders to consider when they are first starting out with riding motorcycles, what would they be and why?

Assuming the goal of your inquiry is to result in a skilled motorcycle rider with the best chance of survival:

- Are they an appropriate candidate; can they ride a bicycle competently and with confidence? Learning to ride a motorcycle is a complex, unforgiving task. Having a proven skill set of successful bicycle operation both filters appropriate candidates and simplifies initial motorcycle operation and a better chance of success.
- Do they have the resources to obtain appropriate gear, training & equipment? Appropriate safety gear for the type of riding, appropriate professional training to learn best practices of both machine operation and survival skills and do they have access to safe, reliable and appropriate equipment to learn on.

[SLOWn60]

Invite @ZeroGravity360 to read this thread so hopefully she realizes we are not dumping on her but trying to get through to her so she has the best chances for a long life of safer motorcycle riding enjoyment.

[allanoue]

@Motofool 3 points

1) Learn how to avoid dangerous situations. Adapt riding strategies that keep you out of trouble, such as ride at 70% or lower of your comfort level.

2) when 1) fails practice emergency evasive skills most important of them is emergency stopping but you want a complete bag of tools so practice them all so in an emergency, the skills are in muscle memory.

3) when 1) and 2) fail ATGATT (nuff said)

[VaFish]

Originally Posted by Dave Wolfe

Target Fixation!!!!!!!!!!

Wanna live? Know about this and DONT DO IT. That being said, I have no idea how to teach this to a newb. I mean, do you send the student thru a turn, then send your dog out in front of bike, and repeat until student can make it thru turn without crashing or having your dog run over?

The bike goes where the head goes.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Misti

If you had to choose the most important things for beginner riders to consider when they are first starting out with riding motorcycles, what would they be and why?

What kind of riding?

A proficient motorcyclist in all branches is an extremely rare occurrence.

[SLOWn60]

Originally Posted by Motofool

What kind of riding?

A proficient motorcyclist in all branches is an extremely rare occurrence.

That's why Supermoto was created, Hernan!

[motodancer]

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

Invite @ZeroGravity360 to read this thread so hopefully she realizes we are not dumping on her but trying to get through to her so she has the best chances for a long life of safer motorcycle riding enjoyment.

Well she took all her info off her profile so I'm guessing she gone..
but if she's anything like me, she'll be lurking around

As for the original post, I'd say make them take the MSF. I learned so much during that course. And then go street riding with someone who's experienced, because the MSF really only prepares you to ride in a parking lot & around cones and other motorcycles. I was super confident during the course. They thought I was a natural ... but that doesn't mean I'm ready for the streets!

[SLOWn60]

Originally Posted by motodancer

Well she took all her info off her profile so I'm guessing she gone..
but if she's anything like me, she'll be lurking around

As for the original post, I'd say make them take the MSF. I learned so much during that course. And then go street riding with someone who's experienced, because the MSF really only prepares you to ride in a parking lot & around cones and other motorcycles. I was super confident during the course. They thought I was a natural ... but that doesn't mean I'm ready for the streets!

I've been riding 40+ years and still take courses. There are always things to learn and practice under the watchful eye of a trained, professional teacher.
Perhaps your next step to advance your skills is to give Misti or Chris a shout out for a course this summer in your area!
Full disclosure: I have been a student of Misti and attended several California Superbike Schools. I receive no benefits or discounts from my cheerleading of their school or any other school. I pay full retail and the same great coaching as any other student. I only know Chris from reading his posts here. I'm convinced he too offers excellent coaching for his students. My only purpose for promoting their schooling is to encourage others such as yourself to rapidly improve your skills & safety by simply attending riding schools beyond just the basic course offered for licensing.

[VaFish]

My daughter that has been riding for 10 months now says the most important thing is to accept that you will drop your bike.

[tfkrocks]

In no particular order:

- Take a riding course! Then take more courses later if possible. Strive to keep improving.

- Be honest with yourself about the risks of riding a motorcycle. Get the best gear possible and wear it, but also know it's limitations.

- Be honest about your own abilities. Don't get overconfident.

- As a rider, only you are responsible for your own well-being. Set aside any ego on the road because being it doesn't matter how wrong the other drivers are when a minor fender-bender for a car could easily be a world of hurt for a motorcyclist. Being "not at fault" doesn't really matter if you're injured or killed.

[CC Cowboy]

Ride like everyone is out to kill you!

[InvisiBill]

Originally Posted by VaFish

My daughter that has been riding for 10 months now says the most important thing is to accept that you will drop your bike.

I disagree. I accept that I'm a bigger, taller guy, but I've managed 6 years and 3 bikes (the smallest being my EX500) without dropping/crashing any of them in any way, including a number of months on my permit before I could get into the MSF class. (I'm knocking on soooo much wood right now.)

It's not the end of the world if a new rider drops their bike. Mistakes happen while you're learning. But I think just accepting it as inevitable makes it a lot more likely to happen. I hate making mistakes and damaging my things, so I'm very careful to do whatever I can to avoid dropping my bike. I think not dropping my bike has a lot more to do with me paying a lot of attention to those little details than it simply being that I got lucky.

Originally Posted by csmith12

Confidence level - It is the key to overcoming the unknowns that come up from time to time.

A healthy respect for fear - It puts the brakes on venturing too far, too fast.

There's a fine line between confident and cocky. Realize that you do know what you're doing, and you're able to handle the things that come at you. At the same time, realize that there's still a lot for you to learn and room to improve. Being too timid or completely fearless are both bad for learning and enjoyment while riding.

Originally Posted by Dave Wolfe

Target Fixation!!!!!!!!!!

This is a big one. Once you get past thinking about the most basic controls of a bike, you just tend to go where you're looking. It's a natural reaction to focus on a threat. You need to recognize that and deal with it, either by actively looking away from the threat or by actively steering away from what you're looking at. Both require some form of action to avoid riding straight into the threat. A lot of accidents could've been avoided, but the rider panicked and rode directly at what they were trying to get away from.


And finally, as many others have said, get professional training. The MSF BRC covers a lot of things mentioned in this thread. It teaches you how the controls work. It teaches you how to inspect the bike before you ride. It teaches you the fundamentals of how to ride. It's definitely a beginner class (at the end of my class, the instructor literally said, "Congratulations, you're now beginners!"), but I feel it did a great job of covering at least the basics of all the areas relevant to riding. Once you've got some seat time and are comfortable riding, check out the ARC or similar classes to learn even more. While there are a few natural-born riding experts, you're most likely not one if you're reading beginner tips on a message board. Trust that the people who have lots of experience and have done lots of studying in this area do know what they're talking about, and most likely are much better at it than you are. Even if your method manages to get the job done, there's probably a benefit to doing it their way (they're going to teach you the best way to do something, not an inefficient way that happens to mostly work out).

[motodancer]

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

I've been riding 40+ years and still take courses. There are always things to learn and practice under the watchful eye of a trained, professional teacher.
Perhaps your next step to advance your skills is to give Misti or Chris a shout out for a course this summer in your area!
Full disclosure: I have been a student of Misti and attended several California Superbike Schools. I receive no benefits or discounts from my cheerleading of their school or any other school. I pay full retail and the same great coaching as any other student. I only know Chris from reading his posts here. I'm convinced he too offers excellent coaching for his students. My only purpose for promoting their schooling is to encourage others such as yourself to rapidly improve your skills & safety by simply attending riding schools beyond just the basic course offered for licensing.

Thanks for the info. I know several people that ride so I'm not on my own. And I do plan on taking the Intermediate course later on this summer, and then the Advanced course next year if it's offered (there was only one this year & it was canceled (not enough people signed up I guess)). I will be working as an Aide for some of the BRC so I'm hoping that'll give me some extra experience as well

[CaliGrrl]

Originally Posted by InvisiBill

I hate making mistakes and damaging my things, so I'm very careful to do whatever I can to avoid dropping my bike. I think not dropping my bike has a lot more to do with me paying a lot of attention to those little details than it simply being that I got lucky.

This is my goal, too. I've dumped her twice now, but they were slow-to-no-speed tipovers that did very little damage and I'm hoping that's the end of the end of the falling over business. Maybe I don't push as hard in the corners as I could, but that's ok. I don't want to hurt my bike.

[choneofakind]

Open mind and curious attitude. A sense of wonder often helps.

The most important part is what's in your head.

[Misti]

Originally Posted by adouglas

1) Have a "learning" mindset from the very beginning. LISTEN. Accept that you really DON'T know this stuff yet. Suck it up and get training... and when you're in the presence of the instructor, engage, ask questions and pay attention.

2) Take it easy while you learn. Be hyper-aware of your environment and be conservative on the road.

3) Be very self-aware throughout your riding career. Think about and understand SRs and why they happen.

4) Understand the risks. Think and speak rationally about them, especially with the inevitable loved one who is dead-set against you riding. "You'll get killed for sure" and "I'll be fine, I know what I'm doing" are unrealistic ends of the spectrum, yet they're the foundation of most such discussions. You're not going to die the moment you leave the driveway. You MIGHT get hurt.

5) Use your brain. Think critically. You'll hear all kinds of crap from all kinds of people, much of it misleading and a fair bit of it flat wrong. The purpose of your brain is to think. SO THINK, DAMMIT! "Gee, I don't know what happened" and "the bike got away from me" are code for "I wasn't thinking at all and I don't understand how this works."

6) Don't bow to peer pressure. Ride YOUR ride. Choose the bike that YOU are comfortable with. Stay within YOUR limits.

7) Understand the difference between form and substance. For some, it's about self-image and what others think of you... a "lifestyle." For others, it's about skill and riding. Recognize this and think about where you fit along the spectrum. Nothing wrong with farkling your bike to the gills and cruising down to bike night if that's what floats your boat, or letting your beard grow for a few days and playing Sons of Anarchy... but that stuff won't make you a knee-dragging canyon carver, or even a safe and competent rider.

8) I'm saving equipment for last because too often, people go straight there and bypass the most important piece of hardware... the nut behind the wheel. Too many beginners do not buy proper gear, even those who have an ATGATT mindset from the outset. They think with their wallet instead of their head. Do the math. Find out how much getting hurt actually costs. Think in vivid detail about what happens if you hit the pavement at 40 mph and dress for that. This is just as necessary an investment as the bike is.

9) And the predictable... don't bite off more than you can chew when it comes to the bike. I was up in Loudon last Monday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Beginner group got red-flagged because some poor overconfident Rossi wannabe pranged his pretty new Panigale. Went into Turn 1 and decided he couldn't get the bike turned, so he just gave up and laid it down. The guy lacked basic judgment skills. He's okay, but has just learned a hard, several-thousand-dollar lesson. Assuming he did learn from the experience.

Good stuff!! I especially like #7 and #8 May I quote you in the article I'm writing if I can fit it in?

Originally Posted by Motofool

What kind of riding?

A proficient motorcyclist in all branches is an extremely rare occurrence.

Mainly street riding. A new rider just starting out with buying a bike to ride on the street. This was a question asked in a letter to the editor of the Canadian magazine I write for, Motorcycle Mojo Magazine. I'm writing a feature article on the top 10 most important things for new riders to consider when first starting out and the reader was looking for opinions from seasoned riders looking back at when they first started. What do they wish they knew back in the beginning months of riding, what do they wish they had spent their $$ on, what should they wait to purchase until they are more seasoned....that kind of thing. It's mostly done but I always like to check in with the masses to get opinions from everyone else that was once a beginner. There are some great comments in here!

I especially LOVE how almost everyone has stated the importance of PROFESSIONAL RIDER TRAINING!! This is something that I skipped in the initial stages of my riding and I could have benefitted from learning how to ride properly before i had developed such bad habits that were hard to break!

What about technological advances since you first started riding? What kinds of tech do you find important to utilize now?

Misti

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by Misti

Good stuff!! I especially like #7 and #8 May I quote you in the article I'm writing if I can fit it in?


Misti

Certainly!

[InvisiBill]

Originally Posted by Misti

What about technological advances since you first started riding? What kinds of tech do you find important to utilize now?

I'm a bit torn on technology items. I'm a total geek and love technology that improves our lives. As long as the programming is done well, a computer should be able to outperform a person almost every single time. Good EFI can deliver much more precise fueling than a carburetor. Good ABS can monitor the wheel speed and adjust braking force (and even engine power) in a fraction of a second. They ban electronic aids in a lot of racing because it eliminates the variable of driver skill (which is largely the point of racing contests). Ideally, I'd love to see all the latest technology available on any bike I'm shopping for.

However, I grew up out in the country and learned on old, simple vehicles. Even the newest EX500, like the EX250, is largely unchanged from the very first model in the mid-80's (and it wasn't exactly a pinnacle of technology then). I think you learn your machine better when you don't have technology helping you. You get a feel for the subtleties and learn how to finesse it into doing what you want. We had a low spot in a field that would fill with water then freeze in the winter, giving me a nice little arena to practice limited traction on the quad. My first winter with my license, I frequently drove my dad's extcab, longbox, RWD F150. During that winter, I got my first car, a RWD Cutlass with a 350 and bald tires. I spent a lot of time with the backend kicked out (mostly on purpose), but I was completely comfortable due to all the time I spent playing with the quad on the ice.

My fear with excessive tech is that you're isolated from all those minute details, so you never learn how to best handle them. With ABS and traction control, I never would've learned about breaking the backend loose by locking the brakes or punching the gas. It would no longer simply be habit to steer out of the backend sliding around. I feel I would've been less prepared the first time I did happen to lose traction. If you're completely reliant on the tech, you're screwed if you ride a bike without that feature or get into some situation that exceeds the system's capabilities.

But new riders are the ones who benefit the most from those safety features. If a n00b can just focus on applying maximum braking force without having to worry about locking up a wheel, they'll probably stop more quickly and maintain maneuverability, usually leading to a better outcome.

I think my ideal process would be for a rider to learn in a safe, off-street environment on a basic bike, to learn those subtleties. Practice locking up your brakes and losing traction in a field rather than on Main Street on your way home from work. After that, begin street riding on a bike with all the safety features to give them as much advantage as possible in avoiding damage/injury. I realize many people probably don't have the means to get a separate bike/area for learning those things beforehand, so perhaps start on a bike with lots of safety tech to learn the basics of riding, then switch to a bike without all that extra stuff to pick up the finer details. This method will require some unlearning and relearning of habits, but already knowing the fundamentals of riding may make it easier to pick up on those little things too.


Not really tech, but still hardware... A lot of the budget/starter bikes seem to have weak and/or mismatched spring rates. Look into what your bike has. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on upgrading to a triple-clicker and cartridge forks, but if the spring rates are completely out of line for your weight, the bike will behave weirdly. If you can spend a little bit to get springs that are at least close to your weight, the bike will be much more predictable and stable. It's hard to get used to the bike when it's completely collapsing the suspension or skipping over bumps (or maybe each end is doing one). I see it like tire pressure - sure, advanced riders can tweak it up or down tiny amounts for squeaking out a slightly faster lap; but if it's way off, it will cause lots of problems and everyone at every level should make sure it's in the correct range.

[CaliGrrl]

Originally Posted by InvisiBill

I think my ideal process would be for a rider to learn in a safe, off-street environment on a basic bike, to learn those subtleties. Practice locking up your brakes and losing traction in a field rather than on Main Street on your way home from work.
::snip:::

Not really tech, but still hardware... A lot of the budget/starter bikes seem to have weak and/or mismatched spring rates. Look into what your bike has. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on upgrading to a triple-clicker and cartridge forks, but if the spring rates are completely out of line for your weight, the bike will behave weirdly.

Like you, I learned to drive without any safety assistance, in weather, and on a frozen lake and I think that was a good thing. I take comfort from the fact that I have never used the ABS in a car in a panic-stop; I learned how to hold traction and stop without it. Plus I drive super-defensively so I rarely need to panic-stop.

I've got a pre-gen ninjette and will agree that she has soft springs in the forks and it would probably do better in braking if I replaced it. So far, I've got used to the soft spring and my braking takes that into account.

[Mechanikrazy]

Originally Posted by Misti

I especially LOVE how almost everyone has stated the importance of PROFESSIONAL RIDER TRAINING!! This is something that I skipped in the initial stages of my riding and I could have benefitted from learning how to ride properly before i had developed such bad habits that were hard to break!

What about technological advances since you first started riding? What kinds of tech do you find important to utilize now?

Misti

Definitely professional rider training. Between CSS, Cornerspin, and trackday coaches, I've learned a lot about my actual riding style from the "Hey, I noticed you were doing this" conversations as compared to my perceived riding style.

In terms of new technology, I'm a fairly simple person. I think ABS is important for all-weather street riding as I just do not believe that a rider can consistently make a first emergency stop in the rain as fast as ABS. Unless we start off each ride with parking lot drills to figure out where the limit is, ABS is a good ace up the sleeve for inclement weather.

But at the same time, unlike cars, I still think it's very important to learn how to ride without ABS.

[Z1R rider]

It's hard to believe, but I have to think probably the safest way to learn would to be getting a dual purpose bike and spend a lot of time in the dirt. Open fields and easy trail riding so you can learn the controls until they're second nature without street or highway traffic. Not as glamorous as a racy or chromed out street bike but you have to "learn" to ride and survive the learning. I'll bet most old timers on here learned in the dirt. Like CC Cowboy said "they're out to kill you", and my favorite, that I beat into my kids heads, "you NEVER have the right-of-way!"

[csmith12]

In general, my kids learned to ride like this;

Pedal Bike
4wheeler to learn controls (mainly clutch and shifting)
Clutchless pit bike pw80 open field and yard to focus on the throttle (This is where Jade still is)
125 dirt bike in open field
125 dirt bike on very easy trails (this is where Lance is)
Naked pregen on road is the next step if they can pass my other tests lol

[DEFY]

Originally Posted by csmith12

In general, my kids learned to ride like this;

Pedal Bike
4wheeler to learn controls (mainly clutch and shifting)
Clutchless pit bike pw80 open field and yard to focus on the throttle (This is where Jade still is)
125 dirt bike in open field
125 dirt bike on very easy trails (this is where Lance is)
Naked pregen on road is the next step if they can pass my other tests lol

I'm a lil disappointed you didn't start them on the Kiddie carousel to learn lean angle when they were 1.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by DEFY

I'm a lil disappointed you didn't start them on the Kiddie carousel to learn lean angle when they were 1.

I wish, but due to my poorness at the time... I was bikeless.

When it comes time to teach them to hang off, we are gunna start with this device at our local meijer.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by csmith12

I wish, but due to my poorness at the time... I was bikeless.

When it comes time to teach them to hang off, we are gunna start with this device at our local meijer.

There's a really cool vintage merry-go-round at the Rye Playland amusement park north of NYC (where they filmed the Tom Hanks movie "Big"). It's called the "steeplechase" and it goes fast enough that you feel some real g force. Notice people leaning in.

Take a close look and you'll see the horses have mulitple "stirrups" to let you get proper body position. You can put your outside foot higher up than the inside one.

Link to original page on YouTube.