Congratulations! You flunked the MSF Basic RiderCourse. No, really, this is great news. Why? Because you have some experience, a really good idea of what youre getting yourself into, and a clear assessment of your basic skills at this point.
Riding Right: You Flunked! Now What?
When I took my motorcycle rider safety course years ago, the instructor told us within the first 15 minutes that hed been riding for 20 years without any accidents. He attributed that to practicing the many safety rules we were about to learn, and to one other personal creed he lived by: “Im NEVER in a hurry when Im on my bike.” He added, “If you remember nothing else in this class, remember that.”
Buying a motorcycle is a lot like buying footwear. You have to consider the four Fs: fit, form, function, and finances. Check out our comprehensive guide on what to consider for your first bike.
Riding Right: What to Consider When Buying Your First Motorcycle
Riding motorcycles is a high-risk, high-reward sport. You have to overcome many factors to get the thrills and excitement while maintaining a safe environment. The goal is to maximize the payoff and minimize the risk to improve your safety and enjoyment.
Riding Right: Space Cushion Riding
Group riding increases the fun factor in motorcycling, but beware, it adds to the risk factor, too. If you’re going to ride in groups, read these 10 tips to make your group ride a safe and happy one.
Riding Right: Riding in a Group
Nothing beats riding with the sun shining on your back. A nice warm spring day seems to bring out motorcycles and bugs in equal numbers. Unfortunately, there will be times when the skies open up and riding in the rain becomes unavoidable. Here are some strategies for riding in wet conditions.
Riding Right: Riding in the Rain
Why do you want to learn to ride? How can you convince a friend to learn to ride? There are nearly as many individual answers to that question as there are individual people in the world.
Riding Right: Why People Ride a Motorcycle
Its never more important to see and be seen than it is when you ride at night. Here are several important considerations for safe riding after the sun goes down.
Why did the chicken cross the road? To see if you could swerve. Pot holes, road kill, an inattentive motorist who decides to make a left turn in that intersection right in front of you. If you ride a street motorcycle, the odds are extremely high that someday soon something will jump directly into your path of travel, and youll need to execute a swerve to avoid a collision.
Riding Right: Avoiding Hazards
Two women who recently passed the MSF class ask how to overcome their nervousness about venturing out on their own, and wonder what motorcycle to buy.
Riding Right: You Passed! Now What?