Basic Instructions on How to Ride a Motorcycle

For all of you who are curious about riding a motorcycle but don't know where to begin, this article presents some instructions on how to ride a motorcycle. But before you get started--and possibly get in over your head--please be certain you know exactly what riding a motorcycle entails. You cannot simply jump on a motorcycle and ride off down the road - this is a surefire way of ending up in disaster. First, you must examine your attitude, then develop your abilities and, finally only then, actually ride a motorcycle.

Once you have determined you have the proper attitude toward riding, namely, that it is potentially and innately more dangerous than driving a car, then you can work on developing your abilities. The way you do this is through a certified instructor or class that offers motorcycling riding lessons. In that class, you will learn the exact instructions on how to ride a motorcycle. The following is a brief rundown of the information you will learn from such a class.

First of all, you must mount a motorcycle before you can ride it. The way you do this is to approach the motorcycle from the left side (the side that has the kickstand down). If the motorcycle is on a centerstand, don't attempt to mount it; instead, ask an experienced rider to first put it on its kickstand. Next, grasp the front brake (the lever on the right handlebar) firmly with your right hand, then swing your right leg over the seat of the motorcycle to the other side. Once you are firmly seated on the motorcycle, release the brake, center the motorcycle with your legs and swing up the kickstand with your left foot.

Make sure the motorcycle is in neutral gear by squeezing the clutch (the level on the left handlebar) and shifting the shifter (the level near the left footpeg) to neutral with your left foot (usually, neutral is one-half gear up from first gear, the very bottom gear). Insert the key and start the motorcycle with the electric ignition switch. Let the motorcycle warm up, using the choke as necessary (unless your motorcycle is fuel-injected).

To start moving, squeeze the clutch again and shift down to first gear. As you slowly release the clutch, apply a little bit of throttle (by rotating the right handlebar grip toward you), and find the "friction zone" -- the point where the bike is slowly moving forward without the clutch fully engaged. You can stay in the friction zone to control your slow-speed riding, say, in a parking lot. Smoothly apply more throttle and fully release the clutch in order to get moving at actual riding speeds. Once you are riding at a speed greater than about 5 mph, remember to use counter-steering, not steering, to steer the motorcycle.

Once you reach the proper speed for the next gear, release the throttle, squeeze the clutch and shift up the next higher gear. Slowly release the clutch as you apply more throttle. Continue to shift up into the proper gear as you accelerate to highway speeds.

These are the basic instructions on how to ride a motorcycle and get it up to highway speeds. A future article will cover how to corner properly, and how to slow down and stop! Believe it or not, braking is actually perhaps your most important skill to learn when riding a motorcycle.

Please note that the instructions on how to ride a motorcycle provided here are general guidelines and are not meant to replace actual motorcycle training given by a professional in a classroom setting. They are merely provided to give you insight on the mechanics of riding a motorcycle. Do not neglect to seek professional instruction as you start out on your journey of becoming a motorcycle rider.