How to Drive a Motorcycle

Driving a motorcycle can be a very dangerous sport so it is extra important that you know as much as you can about motorcycle safety. The best option is to take a motorcycle training class that teaches you how to drive before you get on the road. A motorcycle safety class teaches you how to safely turn corners, take sharp curves, and anticipate other traffic.

Things You'll Need

• DOT certified helmet
• Gloves, preferably leather
• Boots
• Protective clothing, preferably leather
• Eye protection

Instructions

1. Learn balancing on a parked motorcycle first. This may feel a little awkward but you will soon get the hang of it. Start out with a light weight motorcycle and try pushing it around a parking lot so that you can get the feel of it. Then you can get on the motorcycle and feel the weight and what it takes to hold it up. It is best when you are learning how to drive a motorcycle you always have someone else with you. Get them to push you, without the motor running, and try to balance the motorcycle without putting your feet on the ground.

2. Learn how to lean next. Leaning is the way you choose the direction you want the motorcycle to go. Along with leaning, you will also need to know how to push on the handlebars to determine your direction. You will need to lean in the direction you want to go and push on the opposite hand rest to make the motorcycle go in that direction.

3. Once on the road, look ahead of you to scan the roadway for objects and to guide yourself in the direction you want to go. When approaching an intersection you should visually scan the intersection for any automobile traffic. It is important for you to always know your surroundings at all times.

4. If you see an object in the road ahead of you, you must take every precaution to not run over that object. Many times you will have plenty of time to move around it, but if you are traveling in a group you might not see the object until you are almost on top of it. When this happens you will need to swerve to miss the object. Swerving is done in much the same way as leaning and turning except it is much more exaggerated. When swerving you will want to lean quickly and then straighten up quickly after you miss the object.

5. Always anticipate what other traffic is going to do. If you are pulling up to a red light, always make sure no traffic is going to pull out in front of you when the light turns green. Watch for turn signals so that you can anticipate when a car is likely to turn. Keep up with what is going on behind you by frequently looking in your rear view mirror.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not get on the road until you are comfortable with riding in traffic

• Try to stay with the flow of the traffic. Going at speed that is slower than traffic around you can cause a hazard

• Do not ever ride without a helmet, even in the states which allow you to ride without them