For a person knowing how to ride a motorcycle could be a lot of fun. The finest way to properly ride a motorcycle must be safe and should be done in a controlled mode. So, you should learn the protection first and be assured that you have suitable safety equipment or gear for the bike riding. A beginner can also join any motorcycle safety rules courses that offer you the proper instructions to be the right rider.
However, there’s a mistaken belief regarding the motorcycles that riding a motorbike is not safe as motorcycles are not protected like cars or trucks with a steel cage. But, this is not the exact truth because if you learn how to ride a motorcycle with proper safety gear and guidelines, then it will be the best thing to enjoy. So, the rider must have a safety-certified helmet, a bike-riding jacket, certain shielding gear, and an alert brain. The one more important thing in riding a motorcycle safely is the concentration or the focus of the rider.
A Step by Step Tutorial on Exactly how to Ride a Motorcycle
It is quite obvious that you are excited to know how to ride a motorcycle properly. So, welcome to the stage-by-stage tutorial for bike riding. Following are some essential steps that need to be considered and follow to ride a motorcycle:
1. Simple basics related to the riding a Motorcycle
Even though the motorcycling could be a great fun, it is also significant to have a learning attitude of riding a bike with a full respect as well as carefulness. With this approach, you not only certify that you are arriving in this high-risk zone with pensiveness and preservation instinct, but it will also make the entire course even more gratifying.
The main step is to know which type of motorcycle you want to ride. You must always remember that even if you ride a motorcycle in the learning session, the main important thing is always to wear a safety gear. Before beginning a riding tutorial, you must ensure that your bike must be driveable and safer to ride on roads.
Before beginning the ride, always check the following things with you in advance:
- Tires or wheels of the motorcycle must be inspected.
- Controls like handles, lever, wires, pipes, the throttle must be checked.
- All the Lights of the bike including battery light, headlights, direction signals lights, mirrors, etc all must examine.
- The next important thing to check is the fuel oil of the motorcycle.
- The various Chassis like the frame, chain, and suspension must be inspected.
- You should also verify that the stands of the bike i.e. center stand as well as the kickstand is working properly.
2. Get the Correct Safety Gear
The next important step in the tutorial is getting the correct safety gear for you. As everyone knows those as the population is increasing day by day, a number of vehicles are also growing. You may have to face a lot of traffic jams on the roads as well as in the parking lots. It also leads to more accidents sometimes. So, it becomes very significant that while riding a motorcycle you are safe by wearing several safety gears comprising of gloves, durable outfit, shoes, and a certified helmet (that is obligatory by national law in maximum countries). As soon as you are dressed correctly, you are also set to go on your bike.
Some of the essential safety gears that must be used by a motorcycle rider are as follows:
Helmet
A helmet is worn on the head for its safety. The motorcycle helmet might be the solitary most vital part of the gear that you possess. So, you must find that helmet which safeguards you appropriately. A correct helmet will always fit well on your head; will not obstruct your view on a front side and will be comfortable in wearing.
Before buying a helmet, a motorcycle rider must consider the following things first:
Since you are a beginner, there is no need to purchase an expensive helmet for yourself overloaded with several features. You can buy a simple helmet also.
The helmet must be of DOT (Department of Transportation) or ECE (Economic Commission for Europe) standard which can encounter the standard levels of safety. Helmets are generally verified by being throwing down on diverse surfaces and through hard safety tests.
The helmet must be perfect for your head size. So, in order to discover the correct size, you must go to a shop that trades in helmets and acquires an expert fitting.
When you try the helmet on your head, always check that the eye-port must be just overhead your eyebrows. Then, put your fingers amongst the helmet and the head. If the fingers get fit inside effortlessly, then you undoubtedly require the smallest size.
Moreover, there are diverse helmets for dissimilar head sizes. So, always ask the retailer for assistance in finding the correct shape.
As you are a beginner, you must go for a full face helmet or integrated helmets. These helmets provide the maximum wide-ranging protection.
A Motorcycle rider’s Jacket
A motorcycle rider’s jacket might be the difference between the protection and severe damage or even demise. It not only guards you when you fall from the bike but also gives a sense of heat in cool climatic conditions. Since you feel very comfortable when you wear a jacket, you will also remain alert throughout your ride. These are usually made up of leather or fabric.
Below are some important points that a rider must know about a jacket:
When you buy a leather jacket, always get sure that it is for motorcycle use only because ordinary leather jackets are not manufactured to safeguard you.
At the time of buying a jacket, pick that one which has control captivating body armor that encounters a CE (Certified European) rating. It is not mandatory in each country but still it is advisable.
The jacket must suit the weather conditions in which you are going to ride your motorcycle. The warmer climatic jackets have more zips and openings for airflow. But, you may not feel free to move your arms in these types of jackets.
Additional Gears for more Protection
A helmet, as well as a jacket, can do a decent job of guarding you, but besides them, there are few more gears that are more useful and protective. Some of them are boots, gloves, pants, etc. The correct pair of non-slippery boots are also an essential gear that supports the ankles with a metallic sole. These kinds of ankle boot will not twist easily even if you bang. The gloves will shield your hands and fingers by keeping them warm. It also allows the maximum nimbleness to the rider.
Following are some vital considerations regarding the additional gears:
You should buy the gloves that have a holding band around your wrist. This band will benefit the gloves to colonize in an accident. It will retain your fingers moveable although being robust and gripping.
The boots for the ride must take hold of the toe as well as heel and could not be twisted easily. If the boot rotates easily, then this is a warning of what may occur to the rider’s foot in an accident as it is not adequately durable.
The Pants which you need to wear on motorcycle riding must be made from similar materials of which jackets are prepared. A costly jean will not offer the equivalent level of safety that specially designed motorbike pants will provide because jeans are not manufactured to guard you and it can be easily shredded in a mishap.
3. Use your Legs and Get Familiar with the Motorcycle Controls
Throwing a leg above a motorcycle might be a difficult move as it depends on what is your height and what is the height of your bike. Each motorcycle is different, so you must spend some time to become acquainted with your bike for a safer ride. Some of the vital steps are as follows:
So, beginning from the left-hand side of the bike, try to stable your balance by tilting moderately alongside the reservoir or the handlebars.
Then, using your entire load on your left side leg, pick your right leg upward and above the motorcycle. You should be careful while lifting your leg higher because it may get trapped before getting to the other side of the motorcycle.
As soon as you sit with your legs on each side of the motorcycle, you must rest on the bike’s seat and have a sense of the bike’s efficiency.
The next thing is to make sure that the mirrors are adjusted properly.
Familiarize yourself with the position of the foot-peg and the settings of turning signals (left or right), horn as well as headlights.
4. Recognize the Motorcycle’s Controls i.e. Throttle or Brakes
The next step in the list is getting familiar with the main controls of the bike i.e. throttle or brakes. This will facilitate you to learn the bike more easily and you can also emphasize more on your method of riding.
Your right hand is accountable for the two main essential purposes in motorcycle riding i.e. acceleration as well as decelerating.
By bending the grip towards yourself, you can use the throttle. Since this is a very delicate control of the bike, so you need to be very alert while using it as half-knowledge can lead to big accidents.
Your right-hand controls the front side brakes too. When you drag the handle, it put on the front tire brakes. If you pull the lever very hard, then the front brakes might get slam which may cause the motorcycle to slip
The maximum numbers of bikes are capable of getting stopped by using a two-fingered system. But, there are certain bikes which need the full hand to wrap over the lever. So, you must use all those techniques which work finest with your motorcycle.
The right foot of a bike rider controls the back brake. However, you must be alert while using the front brakes because the rear brakes turn out to be less effective as the weight transfers to the front side during decelerating.
The back brake use is more beneficial during reduced grip conditions as well as for managing the low speed.
The rear decelerating is occasionally more useful on cruises (as they carry their maximum weight on the back wheel). The front brakes are generally the best effective method to stopover a bike.
5. Recognize the Clutches of your Bike
The clutch of the bike is a handle just ahead of your left-hand control. A maximum number of bikes necessitate only two-fingered action, whereas bikes that are used for sightseeing, voyaging often need the entire hand to take hold of the lever.
A clutch is a technique to link and cut off the engine of the bike from the transmission. As soon as you squash the clutch handle, your bike will come into a neutral position. Once you let it go, you are allowing the engine to set upon the transmission.
So, you must do the practice of pulling the clutch gear through your left-hand as well as do it so gently and slowly. While using the clutch, visualize it as a regulator switch so that you will become capable of using gears more easily.
6. Shifting/Changing of Gears of Motorcycle
The gears of motorcycles change in a different way than the four wheelers. However, they function on the similar principle i.e. pulling the clutch, changing gears, discharge clutch/accelerator, etc. But, motorcycles gears are changed by moving the lever upside or downside through the leftward foot.
The bike gear shift outlines are given below:
Sixth gear (if applicable in your motorcycle)
- Fifth gear
- Fourth gear
- Third gear
- Second gear
- Neutral gear
- First gear
The maximum number of motorcycles follows this pattern that is also referred as 1- down/5 – up or 1 – down/4 – up. The setting of the neutral gear by your left foot will take some time for you to getting used to it. The meter in your front side has a green letter “N” that indicates that your bike is in Neutral. There are so many interpretations and opinions of different people from all over the world that the rider without using the clutch can change the gear and it would not affect anything. But, if you are driving for long distance, it will be good enough to use the clutch control each time.
The order of shifting in a motorcycle should be done in the following way:
- Unlock the clutch by using your left hand.
- Change the gear by using your left side foot.
- Then use the clutch in the end.
- If you properly control the clutch, then it will add evenness to the entire shifting procedure. There are few things that need to be kept in mind:
You should not over-accelerate in every gear.
Always change the gear before the whole load shifts on the bike’s engine.
If you are not riding on a highway, then there is no need to put pressure on the engine by giving more acceleration.
7. Start up with your Motorcycle
At this time, as you get aware of your motorcycle’s utilities, the next thing to do is to start the bike. Nowadays, the bikes do not need a kick to start as they can start electrically with a button. The motorcycle will not get the start if the KILL button is ON, hence, OFF it before you try the key.
The next thing is to move the key to the “start” position that is normal to the right side. Maximum motorcycles will do a self-check to get assured that the meters are working. If you know the speedometer, then pin it to make it return back to nil. As soon as the self-check is done, be assured that the bike is in neutral gear by checking the green letter N.
Now, utilize the right thumb to exert the force on the START key that is normally situated under the KILL key and marked by a symbol of a round arrow adjoining a lightning bar. Several motorcycles will need you to unlock the clutch when you start the bike’s engine. It is only a safety measure to evade the bike from rolling frontward by mistake, as it is in a gear.
When you grasp the START button, the engine will turn on and the bike is ready to run. The minute your motorcycle drives to live with the engine on, you are now ready to relish one of the best rides on your bike.
8. Essential Warming up of Engine
Every inner ignition engine will get its best performance as soon as it is warmed up, except in some new models of cars. But, in motorcycles, as soon as the engine has turned on, you must let it idle for around 45 seconds to more than a few minutes. In between, you should avoid accelerating its engine throughout this important time, as oil may not be appropriately dispersed through all moving bike’s parts.
The real time that is needed for engine preparation will differ on the basis of a number of causes, i.e. immediate surrounding temperature, engine transposition as well as engine lubricant capacity. So, always use the bike’s temperature meter as a common guide, and only continue once you are self-assured that your engine will not fail to owe to the improper warm up.
9. Flip off the Kickstand of the Motorcycle
Nowadays, the new motorcycles automatically shut down the kickstand when you put the bike into gear. Even if your bike does not possess this feature, try to get assure that you pull in the kickstand by accurately kicking it upwards through your left side foot. If you do not follow this instruction, then this increases the chances of the mishap on the journey.
10. The Last and the Final step-Riding a Motorcycle
After completing the above nine steps, you are ready to go for the ride on your motorcycle. This is the best time for you to remember all the utilities of throttle, handbrakes, gears, it’s shifting as well as creating an unsolidified connection amongst them.
Following are some essential steps that need to be followed while starting your ride:
First of all, pull the handle of the clutch, and then apply pressure on the gearbox down to the first gear. After this, free the clutch gradually and begin to feel the bike moving frontward.
The bending of the throttle may be marginally required to hold the bike from hedging. When the motorcycle increases accelerative momentum, place your both feet on the footpeg.
The maximum beginners get stumbled up with the bike’s turning method. It is the same as turning a bicycle. A bike is turned by a counter-steering of 10 mph without rotating the handgrip bars from the left side to the right side.
A Counter steering includes the pushing of hand control on the same side you wish to take the turn. In a situation where you need to go right, just lean your body weights more to the right side by pushing the handgrip far from you.
A turning process is really easier to perform than to explain theoretically. Therefore, when you ride on your bike always try to have faith in your instincts and do not overthink anything.
The gear shifting, using brakes, and throttle requires huge practice. It will not only make your ride safer but it will make you look additional elegant and relaxed.
Therefore, as a bike rider, you must not get dishearten after reading this guide. It will only make you are riding a motorcycle very easily. The one and most important thing are to follow all the rules and instructions while riding the motorcycle on the roads. The vital notion is to ride the bike as effortlessly as probable. It will not only ensure your safety but also make your ride more enjoyable and un-forgetful for your lifetime. Ride safely!
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