How to Ride a Motorcycle - a Step by Step Tutorial on How to Ride a Motorcycle

How to Ride a Motorcycle

So you've always wanted to know how to ride a motorcycle? Welcome to our step-by-step tutorial!While motorcycling is a great deal of fun, it's important to approach learning how to ride with the respect and caution it deserves; taking that attitude not only will ensure that you're entering this high risk activity with thoughtfulness and self-preservation, but it will make the whole process even more enjoyable.Perhaps you know what kind of motorcycle type you're interested in, or maybe you've already read up on the first steps to start riding-- regardless of where you are in the process, think of this tutorial as an outline of the basics on how to operate a motorcycle, and remember that there's no substitute for a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. Whether you're learning to ride or you're a seasoned pro, remember to always wear your safety gear. Before trusting your life to your motorcycle, you'll want to make sure it's roadworthy and safe to ride. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has established a checklist they call T-CLOCS:

Throw a Leg Over and Get Acquainted.

Depending on your height and the motorcycle's height, throwing a leg over a bike can be an awkward maneuver.Starting at the left side of the motorcycle, stabilize your balance by leaning gently against the tank and/or the handlebars. With all your weight on your left leg, lift your right leg up and over the bike-- be careful to lift your leg high, or it might get caught before reaching the other side of the bike.Once you're straddling the bike, you can rest on the seat and get a sense of the motorcycle's ergonomics. This is a good time to make sure mirrors are adjusted. Acquaint yourself with footpeg position and the location of turn signals, horn, and lights. Every bike is different, and spending a moment to become familiar at this stage is far safer than moving fast and riding off too soon.The next few steps outline the basic controls of a motorcycle; familiarizing yourself with key controls like throttle, brakes, clutch, and shift pedal first will enable you to learn easily and focus more on your technique.

Know Your Controls: Throttle/Brakes

The right hand is responsible for two crucial functions in motorcycling: acceleration and braking. By twisting the grip towards you (so your wrist moves down), you apply throttle (or "gas" the engine.) A little twist goes a long way, so be delicate with this control, since sudden engine revs can lead to instability, or even accidental wheelies.The right hand also controls the front brakes (as seen in the top half of the photo.) Pulling the lever applies the front brakes, and smoothness is crucial here: yank the lever too hard, and the front brakes can lockup, causing the bike to skid, potentially tuck the front end, and crash. Though most bikes are able to stop using a two-fingered technique (as seen in the photo above), some require the entire hand to wrap around the lever. Use whatever technique works best with your bike.The right foot operates the rear brake (pictured in the lower half of the split-screen photo), but be aware that when the front brakes are in use, the rear becomes less effective (since weight transfers to the front during braking.) Rear brake application is more useful during reduced traction situations and low speed maneuvering, and though rear braking is sometimes more effective on cruisers (because they carry much of their weight over the rear wheel), front brakes are usually the most effective way to stop a motorcycle.

Know Your Controls: Clutch

The clutch is the lever just ahead of the left hand grip. Most sportbikes requires only two-fingered operation (pictured above), while touring, cruising, and other types of bikes often require the whole hand to grab the lever (pictured below) in order to fully engage.Think of the clutch as a way to connect and disconnect the engine from the transmission. When you squeeze the clutch lever, you're effectively putting the bike in neutral (even if the shifter is in a gear.) When you let go, your enabling the engine to turn the transmission and, if the bike is in gear, the rear wheel.Practice pulling the clutch with your left hand, and do so slowly and gradually; imagine it's a dimmer switch, rather than an "On-Off" switch, and you'll be able to engage gears much more smoothly.

Know Your Controls: Shifting

Motorcycles shift differently than cars. While they operate on the same principle, motorcycles shifts are executed by moving a lever up or down with the left foot.Motorcycle shift patterns are as follows:
6th gear (if applicable)
5th gear
4th gear
3rd gear
2nd gear
NEUTRAL
1st gearA vast majority of motorcycles incorporate this pattern, which is referred to as "1 down, 5 up." Finding neutral with your left foot will take some getting used to, and while clicking the shifter back and forth, you'll be looking for the green "N" to light up on the gauges. While some motorcycles can be shifted without using the clutch, make it a habit of engaging the clutch every time you shift.Shifting should be done in the following order:
Engage clutch (using left hand)
Shift (using left foot)
Disengage clutchFeathering the throttle while the clutch is engaged and disengaged will add smoothness to the shifting process. Be sure not to over-rev in each gear, and shift before the engine starts to work too hard; unless you're on a track, there's no reason to "race" your engine.If all this seems complicated, don't worry; it's easier than it sounds!For a more detailed explanation of shifting, check out our How to Shift a Motorcycle article.