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Twenty years ago, 79% of motorcycle riders were self-trained or learned to ride
a motorcycle from a friend or family member. Not so is the case today. We
recommend taking a formal course given by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation
(MSF) or by a school that uses the MSF's methods and whose instructors have
been trained by the MSF. These courses are usually given over 2 ½ days with
both classroom instruction and field exercises. The motorcycles are provided
as part of the class. You just show up with long sleeves, jeans, gloves, helmet,
and heavy boots. You don't even need a permit. They supply the rest. The
beginner bikes used for MSF training are small - 250cc usually. During the field
training, they take you step-by-step, introducing you to the motorcycle and
teaching you how to ride it. Some states even provide a motorcycle
endorsement on your license after you successfully complete the course.
However, the courses are not enough to give you the experience to ride safely,
just yet. You need to get more practice You need to get lots more practice with
an experienced motorcyclist before you venture out solo into high-speed traffic.
The classes teach you how to ride a motorcycle, but more importantly, they
teach you street survival skills. You need to know the proper way to ride a
motorcycle in traffic and avoid situations where you are most vulnerable. It takes
about a solid year of riding under all kinds of conditions before I felt comfortable
riding a motorcycle. Your time will be different but it will take time. And of course,
you never want to feel so comfortable that you let down your guard and expose
yourself to undue risk. You do need to always remain alert.