Motorcycles can be intimidating but they don’t have to be unreachable.
Growing up I never had a chance to ride a motorcycle. We had an old Malaguti moped in our shed that I always wanted to get running but it just sat there collecting dust. My older brother dreamed of riding a Ninja some day – we were both big Top Gun fans – but it never happened. I could have easily gone my whole life never riding at all. But after I got back from my first deployment to Iraq I promised myself I was going to learn how to ride a motorcycle (and not kill myself in the process).
How not to get started.
A lot of soldiers come back from a deployment and buy a motorcycle. Often it ends in disaster. There are a number or reasons for that but it usually comes down to a new rider buying more bike than they can handle or not taking the time to learn how to ride properly. A new rider should almost never just go out and buy the best bike they can afford. A friend of mine got a really good deal on a barely used Harley-Davidson Road King this way. It had been purchased by a police officer who wanted to ride with his buddies. On his first ride with the group he laid his bike down at a stop light. He never rode again.
Riding a friend’s bike might seem like a good way to get started but this could also end badly. If you borrow a friend’s bike and you aren’t very experienced there is a good chance you may damage their bike. That’s a great way for you to get injured and to ruin your friendship. No matter how forgiving your friends are it’s hard to get over high dollar damage to a bike.
Becoming a good rider is a process. It is both more difficult than driving a car and less forgiving. Doing it properly is important but there is no perfect path. However, I believe their are two main entry points into motorcycling.
Start in the Dirt
This is how a lot of people learned to ride back in the day. At some point as a little kid they got plopped on a little 50cc bike with a helmet too big for their head and puttered around the back yard or a campground. This is still the best way to get started in my opinion. It’s pretty safe and kids are resilient. Plus it’s a skill they will never lose.
I didn’t get a chance to learn as a kid but I still started on a dirt bike. My first bike was a Yamaha TT-R 250. It was a little tall for a new rider and had a lot of zip but it had plenty to grow into. There are plenty of bikes in the 125 to 250 range from any of the major manufacturers, especially the Big Four Japanese companies. You really can’t go wrong with any of them these days. There also great bikes from KTM, Husqvarna, and other more specialized brands.
Though you can probably find a good deal on a used bike as a new rider I would suggest getting something new. Dirt bikes are made to be beat up. The last thing you want as a new rider is a bike that has something wrong with it. This will be discouraging and may turn you off to riding permanently. A new Yamaha TT-R 125 is around $3,300 which isn’t terrible. You’ll lose money when you sell it in a few years but see that money as an investment in learning how to ride. Or just keep it forever because it will run as long as you take care of it.
If you live in the country then a dirt bike is a great choice. But if you don’t then you’ll need to find somewhere to ride. This could be prohibitive if you live in a heavily urban area since you may not make the time to take your bike out. And you’ll need something to get your bike around. Either in the bed of a truck or on a hitch carrier. I used a hitch carrier for years and it worked great. Make sure you get good ratchet straps however. Early on my bike fell off the carrier at a stop light which was super embarrassing. Luckily it wasn’t much damage and I invested in better tie downs. Lesson learned.
Start with a Class
Even if you start on a dirt bike you’ll eventually want to ride on the road. The only way to do that is to get a motorcycle license. The best way to do that is through a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) sponsored class. You can often find these classes hosted at a local courthouse, college campus, or motorcycle dealership. The MSF website has a zip code search that can easily link you up with a class.
There are plenty of new skills that a basic rider course can teach you. Most of these classes start with a classroom portion of a few hours and a day and a half (or two) out on a controlled course (often a parking lot with cones set up). It may look a little silly to an outside observer but learning to take the correct angle in a turn or how to use your brakes aggressively but safely are invaluable skills to any rider.
Most of the basic courses provide a motorcycle and required gear. More advanced courses let you learn on your own bike, with your own gear, and are just as valuable. I took a sport bike rider course after I had my Yamaha FZ6R for several years and I found that class well worth the time and effort. Motorcycle riding is a lifetime accumulation of skills; you never stop learning.
However you decide to get into riding you won’t regret putting in the time and thought to doing it safely and to the best of your ability. A lifetime of fun awaits.
Mid-Life Thesis 