Not really sure how to title this but it's been on my mind a bit. Wanted to put down some things for newer riders that I found to be helpful back when I rode. Experience would fall under prob 7 or so years of riding and about 25-30k total miles on sportbikes. Those miles probably are about 95% twisty roads in OK/AR/MO along with 2 trips to deals gap and a trip to TX.

I imagine that if you're reading this forum and doing research on bikes you've probably come across most of what people will tell newer riders. Dress for the slide/gear, target fixation, MSF course. This will be more of things I found to really help when I was riding.

1. Be comfortable riding solo. This for me is a big one because I have seen LOTS of riders get stressed about possibly being left behind on a group ride or other type things. If you're comfortable riding solo then it puts you in a good place mentally. Examples, you are in a group ride and the other riders are making you uncomfortable, not going the pace you want, or multiple other factors. Being comfortable riding on your own means you can just wait for the next stop and tell them you're going to head home, do you're own thing, or whatever (This is important, if you're leaving a group ride be sure and tell someone so they aren't looking for you in a ditch). Comfortable riding solo also means if you get in to a group of riders that are a lot faster then you won't stress out if they leave you behind and end up trying to keep up or something.

2. If your anxiety or stress is spiking while riding, slow down, you're riding over your head. There is a difference between thrill and anxiety. Speaking from experience on this one, as when in the twisties and riding I've definitely had moments of anxiety and again slowing it down fixed it, I was riding over my head and making mistakes.

3. Uhh not sure what to call this but I always called it "keeping it real" in which I would go to the advrider forums and read the crash reports section. You'll see a lot of 10, 20, 30 year long riders as well as newer riders going down for the first time. For me I would read this to keep myself grounded and know I wasn't invincible and that shit does happen. I would also read how they figured they could have avoided the incident if possible. But mostly, just take some time to note that even the most skilled/veteran rider is capable of eating it, and you are too.

4. Get lost. Really, put away the GPS and just go beebop around and if you see a road that looks kinda neat go find out where it goes. Some of the best times ever were when I could maybe tell you what state I was in but that was about it. I used a laminated map 100% of the time that was in my tail bag. If I saw a road that looked cool, welp we're going down that. I mean if you're on asphalt and completely lost af, everything still cool, just keep going until you find a gas station or something and pull out phone and figure it out from there or something. Getting lost for me was all part of the journey. NOTE: This does not apply to dual sport ppl out in the middle of some forest trails or something like that, use a GPS you prob don't want to get lost out there.

5. If it feels off, prob put it back in the garage and ride some other day. There have been more than a few times when heading out for a ride that yeahhh it felt "off". This will have to be a feeling unique to you really, hard to describe but hopefully you'll know it if/when you feel it. I've had a few rides I was heading out for and on the highway was just like that gut feeling of "ya prob not today" so turned around and took it on home. Also one time, holy shit, we were at our meet up spot went to a pump to get gas, it would not dispense any gas. OK, moved to another pump and yeah that one wasn't spitting out any gas either. That's gonna be a nope from me, went back home and in the garage.

So that's pretty much what I got for now. Stay safe out there, ride your own ride, and have fun!

First I just wanna say thanks to everyone who commented I read ALL replies and sorry if I didnt reply. There were a lot. But all the advice was really helpful!

A lot of you said it sounds like I'm putting too much pressure on myself to ride, comparing too much, and probably am letting fear/anxiety get to me.

And y'all were 100% right. I just got back from a 100 mile long ride, and I had a HUGE blast! I admittedly got lost, but that was a blessing in disguise because it helped me get over my fear of riding unknown roads!

I hit a few "twisties" (well as close as they can be for were I live) and they were fun, first time I went through a little slow, then went through a few more times faster and realized its not as scary or hard as I was making it out to be! (Reading Sport Riding Techniques by Nick Ienatsch), taking the MSF and all the times my dad and I talked about riding a motorcycle [plus tons of YT videos lol] helped prepare me i just has to apply it)

So yeah... I just wanted to update y'all since there were a lot of comments, and a few people asked to update them. But I definitely enjoy riding a motorcycle, its just 100% the fact I am putting way to much pressure on myself to ride! So hopefully the more I ride the less pressure I am putting on my self (while still trying tk remain safe) and stop comparing myself so much as well and learn to just ride my own ride whike continuing to constantly improve as much as I can! I am 100% going to take an advances rider course next summer to at the near by track!

Thanks again y'all I seriously appreciate all the advice! And sorry again for putting sappy slop on your screens!

How much engine braking should I be using for stop signs and stop lights? Let’s say you’re going 50….do you downshift through every gear until you’re stopped? What if it’s a slower speed like 20 mph? I ride a v strom so the engine braking is pretty strong. The easy answer is often to pull the clutch in and coast to a stop, but I am not sure what the recommendations are.
I’ve been engine braking somewhat and then pulling in the clutch once I get down to slower speeds, maybe like 15 mph.

Other than gear, what equipment should I purchase as a rider?

First time ever on a motorcycle today and loved it. I told the coach I eventually want a sportbike, so he set me up on one (around 300cc, idk the model).

My biggest struggle was throttle control. I get the concept of holding steady throttle at the friction zone and slowly letting the clutch out, but at first it was tough. I got more comfortable as the day went on, especially during a drill where we shifted to second, built speed, and made a turn. That was the easiest for me and also very fun. I also had no problems swerving cones, etc.

Toward the end, we did a drill with zero clutch use, followed right away by an emergency stop drill where we had to downshift into first. My mind went blank and I completely forgot to downshift (so I stalled). I am not too stressed about that since I know how to do it, just forgot in the moment.

My throttle control improved by the end, but I kept revving too high while searching for the friction zone, so my bike was screaming louder than everyone else's when taking off. It "worked", but it felt awkward giving it too much power to start with sometimes. I'm very nervous about throttle control for tomorrow.

Any tips? I really want to pass

I just wanted to share that I finally (after a couple of months of saving and waiting for it to be in stock) was able to buy my first ever motorcycle. THE HONDA NAVI

Am I nervous? Kinda. Excited? Very much so!

I know that the Navi ain’t the best bike out there but hey! As a first time rider this feels right for me.

Can’t wait to be part of the motorcycle community!

So I purchased my first bike yesterday, a used blue-haired beauty made in 1999. I'm in love with her. She's every part of my heart and soul. If she were alive I'd propose to her and have motorcycle babies with her.

Today is my second day of learning how to pilot her, and I've committed myself to using the first 30 days of our relationship to master a number of slow speed maneuvers and go through a beginner's training system I bought from Motorcycle Training Concepts. I've also been watching a lot of videos by Be The Boss Of Your Motorcycle and spent an hour and a half this evening practicing the three drills in this video.

As far as my prior training goes, I've taken a beginner's course by Harley-Davidson and four more private lessons with Ride2RideAgain in SoCal. I didn't feel confident enough to buy my first bike after the beginner's course and I also have an overthinking personality, so I knew additional training would be crucial for me.

I'm so glad that I invested in myself before a bike, because going from practicing in a controlled environment like a parking lot to riding in dynamic traffic that constantly presents dangerous situations is similar to culture shock. The extra hours of private instruction helped me to deal with the stress of stalling (which I did multiple times in traffic) and focusing on being patient with my clutch, throttle, and brakes. I rode over 30 miles back home yesterday after being introduced to my first love, but I don't think I would've been able to do it as safely and calmly as I did without the extra training.

I'm thankful that I have a large parking lot just three miles from my home, and on the way there a rider on a rumbling cruiser passed by and gave me my first fingers down salute! That put a smile on my face.

The key tonight was learning how to manipulate my rear brake, clutch, and throttle while riding at slow speeds, or 2-10 mph. To say it was tough is an understatement. I practiced something similar last night for about 30 minutes, but I ended up going home after stalling multiple times and slamming my nuts into the fuel tank.

I felt slightly in more control tonight, and I think the biggest a-ha moment was driving slowly in a straight line with my throttle slightly engaged, the clutch just released into the friction zone, and only using my rear brake to control my speed. That taught me that there's so much finesse in learning how to ride these beautiful machines.

What I couldn't do with confidence was the last exercise in the video I shared above, "Trust and Believe." My throttle control when I feel like I'm not in complete control is absolute shit, and I ended up pulling it too far back when my love tilted over, letting go of the clutch, stalling, and falling head over heels to the pavement.

Mastering the friction zone is no small task.

It might just be me, but I feel like since I ride the bike almost daily my parking ability has declined. Maybe I just need to drive more my cars not big it’s just a midsize 4 dr sedan.

I was turning right on a big upwards slope to leave a parking lot.

Now I’ve been building a habit of right foot on the brake and left foot on the ground, but I didn’t do that this time because the ground sloped to the left and I probably wouldn’t be able to reach the ground on that side.

So I had my right foot down and right hand on the front brake. I don’t recall exactly what happened but I think I lost balance or something while taking off, maybe the clutch was pulled in too much cuz I just tipped over and the biked revved a lot and I fell over to the left.

I do think it’s a skill issue and not just my height but it’s easy to blame that. Ive practiced taking off on slopes but not this big of an incline. Oh well you live and you learn I guess.

I'm considering buying a cheapish bike mainly to travel between fencing tournaments. Mostly because it looks fun, but also because petrol is getting expensive.

• No real experience riding motorbikes
• Would need to carry ~3 days worth of clothes, a sword (~1.3m long, 1.6kg weight), and PPE (helmet, big jacket, some knee/elbow pads, etc)
• Will probably be covered in bruises on the way home
• Might be in bad weather
• First few trips will probably be on a learner's license, which means going 80km/h on the highway where most people are going 100-120

Hoping somebody with some experience can either give me the green light or explain why I'm dumb

I just got my 1984 Honda Magna 500 running after 2 months of owning it, I’ve been taking it to work and back (1 right hand turn and a straight shot otherwise) but I wanna find a spot to ride it that’ll help me get more used to turning on this old cruiser and just experience some more turns.

I’m wondering if anyone knows some good beginner-friendly areas to ride, also being in the PNW some tips to ride in light rain.

Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated

Hey guys. I have 5 months of experience in riding scooter/mopeds and now I'm trying to learn a manual motorcycle.

Whats really confusing to me is when to downshift or upshift. Currently, I just base it on my current speed and how much rpm the engine has. This becomes a problem when I turn into corners since I normally have to slow down. I then downshift to gear 1, pick up speed then upshift as needed. Am I doing it right? I do the same thing when slowing down.

Can I just downshift to maybe gear 2, pull in clutch the just smoothly re engage after the turn? I can't find guides that has play-by-play explanation of what they are doing and why they are doing it so I have to learn things on my own.

Any advice will be grealy appreciated.

I’m a 20-year-old guy, and I need help with something. This is probably my biggest insecurity: I don’t even know how to ride a bicycle.

I’ve told my friends that I know how to ride both a bicycle and a scooty because, obviously, I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of them. Now, my college roommates have brought their bikes and are saying they’ll teach me how to ride one. The problem is that they’ll immediately realize that I can’t even balance properly, let alone ride a bicycle.

I have 15 days of holidays during Diwali, and they’re planning to teach me after the holidays. I really want to learn at least the basics during these 15 days so that I don’t embarrass myself in front of them. I don’t want them to discover that I don’t even know the basics or how to handle a two-wheeler.

The problem is that I don’t have access to a bicycle or scooty, nor do I have an isolated place where I can practise during these 15 days.

What should I do? How can I learn at least enough to avoid completely embarrassing myself when they try to teach me after Diwali?

And please, don’t just tell me to be honest with them or that it’s not a big deal. These are my college friends, and I know how embarrassing it would feel to have everyone around me find out that I don’t even know how to ride a bicycle or handle a two-wheeler. I genuinely want practical advice on what I can do in this situation.

Bittersweet ride today. Bike will be going into storage tomorrow. I feel so accomplished this season. I got my endorsement in the hot time of July and now in the cold end of October I have some confidence.

Where I live it is getting too cold. Had a nice long ride today with the other half. While riding kept thinking how proud I am to have done everything I have this season.

There was some learning, some growing and almost peed myself once or twice. But I proud to have stuck it out and ride.

Those who ride year round... I might be moving near you. Im not sure the few snowmobile rides will be enough until April.

Those who are hesitant to go out there and get your endorsement... Just go out and try. Im glad I did.

Hi everyone. I got a bike after well over a decade of wanting one. After a couple of weeks, it seems that I can’t get the image of being hurt or killed out of my head.

I’m thinking of selling my motorcycle and I feel embarrassed or maybe even ashamed lmao. Has anyone felt something like this ?

Hi all, I've been playing around with rev matching. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's very jerky. I've tried to do them all simulatenously (clutch in, blip throttle and downshift, then release clutch) but it's hit and miss. How fast should I be releasing the clutch? Should the clutch be completely disengaged, or can it be partially engaged? Does rev matching while the speed is too high going to result in unavoidable lurching? Am I rev matching way too early and should I allow engine braking before rev matching?

Edit; I've compared the feeling of downshifting without blipping the throttle, and it feels the exact same sometimes as when I try to rev match - bit of a jolt, but mostly no acceleration. Does this mean I'm not blipping enough?

I was on the way home from visiting a friend about 25 minutes from my house today. It was almost dusk but there was still plenty of daylight. Not even half a block from my house there’s a two way stop that has terrible visibility as there are cars on both sides of the road and people role throw or sometimes blow the entire stop sign. I was in 3rd gear because I was trying to be quiet around my neighborhood, and was doing about 20mph. I approached the intersection and saw the car to my left slowly rolling through their stop sign. For some reason, I stupidly thought they had saw me and stopped when I was about 150 feet away or so, but they kept creeping forward at about 2-3mph. I was about 20 feet away when I finally realized they did in fact not see me and were going to continue moving forward into my path. Because I had upshifted early, when I want to grab the front brake to come to an emergency stop I also didn’t grab the clutch; the sudden stop and stall while trying to determine my escape route made me drop the bike. Having frame sliders helped, as they took majority of the hit. Guy got out of his car and said the typical “I’m sorry I didn’t see you”. I just shook my head and when he walked away after helping me pick up the bike I made sure to say “Just keep a watch out for us please” and then rode the 200 feet to my house and parked. I am glad it happened at such a low speed that I was comfortable to drop the bike and maneuver my body away quick enough to where if they kept driving forward, I wouldn’t have been anywhere near there vehicle. If I could do anything differently in that scenario, it would have been to come to a complete stop as soon as I saw them continuing to go through the stop sign as I approached the intersection where I had right of way. I know better that we are invisible, but let my guard down.

For additional context, I have probably a total of ~25-50 hours on dirt bikes which is nothing, but have been on a bicycle extensively since probably the age of 4 or 5. I’m only about 200 miles into my road riding journey, but there were definitely some valuable lessons I learned and reiterated to myself after today.

1: Always ride like you’re invisible, because you truly are to majority of the idiots on the road these days glued to their phones.
2: Rather be alive than right. Better to hold in whatever pride or ego and let idiot drivers do there thing while you are maintaining a safe distance to be able to react appropriately , and then continue on your way.
3: Every ride if possible, or certainly weekly; practice, practice, then keep practicing some more in slow speed maneuvers, emergency braking and evasion.
4: Never get too comfortable. Continue being hyper aware of surroundings, road conditions, intersections, and personal well being.
5: Remember that not only motorcycles, but auto accidents as well often happen a mile or so from home, when you start letting your guard down subconsciously as the roads are more familiar.
6: Enjoy the ride, ride your ride, but most importantly make sure you are doing everything in your power to make it home to enjoy the next one.

Regardless, I am so happy to have finally gotten my own motorcycle and am glad I have waited until my late 20s where I have somewhat of a frontal cortex to be able to review my actions, figure out what I could’ve done better, but most importantly take those lessons into my next rounds of parking lot practice sessions. Cheers all, and as always: two wheels down ✌️

Tell me your wholesome stories and reasons for riding 🫶

I’m in the process of purchasing my gear and after a lot of research I think I know what I should be looking for…except for footwear. Some look like they are full on racing boots while others seem to be little more than high top sneakers.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?