Riding can be a great activity but it is not for everybody. Some people really ought to just say, no thanks, and forget motorcycling altogether.
Motorcycle.com has a great article – using Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) input – on the all important question of whether people who think they want a motorcycle are really suited to riding one. Not everyone is.
As a long-time rider, all I can say is learning to ride a motorcycle is one thing; learning how to think like a motorcyclist is another. Case in point: a lot of people may have done a little dirt riding, or even kind of learned how to ride on a friend’s bike, but that WON’T cut it riding on the street by itself. Cars, road hazards, weather, health, etc. all require you to learn how to handle yourself in a vehicle that is imminently more fun than a car, but far less forgiving if you make an error.
I took the basic MSF course years ago and I actively hone my skills while riding year-round. I go in the dirt every so often (even on a non-dirt bike) to remind myself how to handle the bike when the tires are sliding around and how to brake when I don’t have good traction. When I rain ride I call upon a totally different attitude and set of skills than when in the dry. I love to lean, and lean far, so trust me when I say that takes practice and good familiarity with you bike and your ability. On a motorcycle you NEVER stop learning and you can never let your guard down — it’s NOT a minivan with automatic transmission, crash protection, traction control, ABS and a plethora of safety features to save the inattentive driver from themselves.
The MSF course has saved my life hundreds of times. I strongly recommend ANYONE who thinks they want to ride, first take a proper motorcycle training course. I also think just reading the Motorcycle.com article will help some decide it isn’t for them.
