Riding Safer on the Roads: Eight Easy Steps

A lot of people in the know think that riding a motorcycle safely is more of an intellectual than a physical challenge.

Although mental toughness and the ability to make sound decisions are crucial, physical talent is still required; nonetheless, one need not be technically proficient to ride a motorcycle safely and effectively. An important consideration is riding responsibly, which reduces the risk of injury. Riding a motorbike at 120 miles per hour through a school zone is definitely not the mark of a “good motorcyclist.”

Because there is no single cause for safe and responsible motorcycling, the best way to improve your street riding abilities is to employ a multipronged strategy. To enhance your riding abilities, you can and should follow these eight stages.

All Seven Steps

There is a clear order to these procedures. While there’s no hard and fast rule about the specific sequence in which you should do things, the following steps should be helpful for a novice rider starting from square one. As an example, “practice” is ranked third, behind “intro” and “self-study,” which are ranked first and second, respectively. Why? The reason being: great mastery requires perfect practice, which, in turn, makes perfect permanent. Practice makes perfect—or worse—if it promotes bad habits—if you haven’t mastered the “what” and the “how” via class or self-study.

This is the seven-step process:

1. Enroll in a beginner’s course that focuses on skill development.
2. Take part in self-directed learning.
3. Get some practice in.
4. Enroll in a session to hone your intermediate-level abilities.
5. Get on different types of motorcycles.
6. Take it off-road. 
7. Enrol in a track program.

Enroll in an introductory course to strengthen your skills

Do yourself a favor and enroll in a class if you haven’t before. Even seasoned riders who have been on the road for a while still find that formal beginning skills-development courses teach them new and valuable things. Numerous motorcyclists, both novice and experienced, have benefited from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic Rider Courses, which teach the fundamentals and provide knowledge they would not have had otherwise.

Study on your own time

No one ever watches a video or reads a book about safe and skilled motorcycling; most people learn the ropes from a friend or on their own. That was a significant error. There is a multitude of material available in books and videos that can save lives, even more so than in a formal skills-development course.

An additional resource available under the “MSF Products” heading is the second edition of The Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Guide to Motorcycling Excellence: Skills, Knowledge and Strategies for Riding Right. At www.smarter-usa.org, you’ll find the Skilled Motorcyclist Association—Responsible, Trained and Educated Riders (SMARTER) website, which features a list of excellent publications. To find an incredibly extensive mail-order bookstore that specializes in motorcycles, visit www.whitehorsepress.com. Books on riding technique are also available in a superb selection at RiderWearHouse/Aerostich (www.aerostich.com). Plus, it’s a great place to find stuff, and their catalog is fun to peruse.

If you want to stay up-to-date on the latest riding safety tips, subscribe to a magazine that does just that. Although there are many such publications in Europe, the most reliable American source is Motorcycle Consumer News (www.mcnews.com). There are three consistent features designed to improve your riding skills. Ads aren’t something you’ll see in Motorcycle Consumer News. Subscribing to this publication would be a smart move.

Having a few “how-to-ride-well” books in your own library is a must for every rider.
Keep them from gathering dust on the shelf. Go over them again and again. Page after page of underlined notes and dog-eared pages should be present.

Get some practice

As mentioned before, practice makes perfect, but proper practice is even more crucial. Because of this, the listing of practice follows the course and independent study requirements. If you’ve done both, you’re well-versed in the right ways to practice. The majority of motorcyclists hone their skills in controlling the clutch, navigating tight spaces, braking, turning, and swerving. Gather a few markers (half-filled green or yellow tennis balls work great and are inexpensive), locate a vacant parking lot, and devote some time to concentrated practice. Take it easy at first and work your way up to a high level of proficiency in any area you decide to concentrate on. Set up a “circuit” and strive toward specific targets to make your practice enjoyable. Accompany yourself on your ride with a riding companion who may watch you, give you comments, and aid in the “processing” of what you are learning. Watch out that you don’t end up competing with another cyclist. There is no one else to compete with but yourself.

Aim for a course that will help you improve your skills to an intermediate level

There are several skill-improvement courses offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, categorized under different labels such as “experienced,” “advanced,” “for skilled riders,” etc. These courses might not be accessible through public providers in your state. One should be easily accessible to you nearby.

Not many options exist outside of the MSF classes, and even fewer are available all the time.

Staying Safe, Street Masters, and Total Control are three of the most popular. The renowned American motorcycle safety expert Lawrence Brodsky created the groundbreaking “Staying Safe” curriculum (www.stayinsafe.com), widely regarded as the best on-street training program in the country. Lee Parks’s Total Control Advanced Riding Clinics (www.totalcontroltraining.net) are a great alternative to track schools and MSF advanced courses; they take place in a parking lot and are tailored to meet your needs. Other courses are also available, such as civilian versions of police motorcycle training. There is likely a skills-improvement class in your area if you look around. 5. Get on different types of motorcycles.

If you’ve ridden the same bike for a long time or never ridden anything other than your bike, you may be lacking experience. Some of the joys of riding a motorcycle are definitely going to pass you by. It is natural for students to prefer riding bikes that are comparable to their current one, especially when they are learning how to ride with the guidance of an experienced RiderCoach like myself, who teaches the MSF courses. However, on innumerable occasions, I have also witnessed the joy and energy of pupils who ventured out of their comfort zones and attempted to ride a motorcycle with an unconventional design. Not only does the “fun factor” take people by surprise, but so does the reality that different bike designs handle differently. Distinct designs have distinct handling characteristics, even though the principles are the same.

Experience riding different types of bikes

Trying out different bikes is a great way to gain experience and knowledge. Try out different bikes whenever you can. I usually respond with an enthusiastic “Yes!” whenever someone asks me, “Would you like to take it for a spin?”

Taking part in the manufacturer demonstration rides offered at nearly every major motorcycle event is one of the greatest, safest, and free (after you get there) ways to ride several bikes. Once upon a time, I went on a three-day “demo ride” and did nothing else. Having fun while learning is the best way to learn, in my opinion.

Go off-road

If you’re more of a street rider and have never ventured off-road, you’re in for a real treat. When I say “off-road,” what I mean is not cruising along a gravel road on a street bike or a large adventure touring bike like a BMW GS. When I say “off-road bike,” I mean a bike that is actually used for off-road cycling.

Getting your hands on a little off-road bike and tearing up your garden is a great way to ease into off-road riding. Buy nothing new, don’t go crazy with your spending, and definitely not a dual-sport. For a simpler ride, look for a four-stroke; however, if you’re up for an adventure, a little two-stroke will provide all the fun you can manage. Traction control and management will be covered extensively.

You can find more than twenty off-road training programs for serious off-road learning at www.amadirectlink.com, under “Riding,” “Learn to ride!” and then “Advanced degrees.” Another option is to visit the Dirt Bike School at the Motorcycle Safety Foundation or American Supercamp Riding School.

Get a couple of riding friends who have never been off-road before and ride with you on an old, cheap bike. Or, to save money, buy a single bike that you can split between the three of you. All you need is a few acres of private land, or you may look for riding locations and off-road paths online.

Enrol in a track program

Many street riders seeking advanced training are hesitant to enroll in a track school, even though they often pitch themselves as a “track school for street riders.” This is because they are afraid that riding on a track isn’t what they need, or that they need a sport bike and racing aspirations to participate.

However, this is not the case at most institutions… All riders, riding any motorbike, are welcome at many of these events, whose primary objective is to improve their street-riding abilities. Road Racing World (www.roadracingworld.com) publishes a partial list of track schools in each issue, and a large number of track schools place ads in this magazine. Road Racing World also publishes an independent, all-inclusive Track Day (and school) Directory.

The American Track and Field Association (AMA) website also has a helpful directory of track schools. You won’t find a better place to hone specific abilities than on specially designed tracks that are both safe and devoid of traffic, all while being guided by knowledgeable instructors.