10 tips for the beginner motorcyclist

Just beginning your life as a motorcyclist?

We've put together some tips new motorcycle riders to ensure your early weeks and months on two wheels are both fun and safe.

Read on to find out our top 10 motorcycle beginner tips:

Motorcyclist riding tip 1: Stay calm

The first of our tips for beginner motorcycle riders is to stay calm.

It's important to stay relaxed and calm when riding.

Getting on your bike when you're angry, or riding in fear can lead to poor decisions on the road.

If you get cut off, get stuck behind a slow vehicle, or are annoyed about something else in your life, try to stay calm. Take deep breaths or have a break.

Decisions made while angry are seldom wise ones.

Motorcyclist riding tip 2: Squeeze the petrol tank with your knees

Another tip for riding a motorcycle is to squeeze the petrol tank with your knees.

By pressing your knees against the petrol tank you're reducing weight on the handle bars, which in turn means you have to put less steering input to maneuver the bike.

Extra motorbike riding tip: imagine the tank contains next month's rent money, and you need to stop it from flying away.

Motorcyclist riding tip 3: Add tank grips

Add these to the sides of your tank in order to help you achieve the above motorcycle riding tip.

Motorcyclist riding tip 4: Drag your rear brake for slow manoeuvres

For very low speed manoeuvres, try dragging your rear brake for increased stability.

This tip helps control your motorcycle in tight areas - such as parking lots.

To master this one of our motorcycle riding tips, it’s a good idea to find an empty car park and practice some tight figure eights while dragging your rear brake.

Motorcyclist riding tip 5: Remember motorcycles are unforgiving

While the motorcycle is often regarded as an especially dangerous way to get from A to B, if you drive within your limits and make good choices on the road, you won't experience any unwanted events.

As a beginner motorcyclist, you would be well advised to choose a bike that suits your limited experience level - such as a Honda Rebel 300, or a Bonneville T120 Triumph.

Motorcyclist riding tip 6: Improve throttle control

When it comes to motorcycle riding tips for beginners, this is arguably the most important skill to master.

Good throttle control determines how smooth your ride is, how well your suspension works, and how well your motorcycle will take corners.

The book A Twist of the Wrist by Keith Code covers throttle control in great detail and is a great read to pick up some beginner motorcycle tips.

As all motorcyclists know, the procedure for changing lanes is: indicate, check mirrors and blind spot, then manoeuvre.

However, an additional safety tip for motorcycle riding is to accelerate slightly as you change lanes, because you don’t know how fast the vehicle(s) behind you are going.

This gives you a little more leeway.

Motorcyclist riding tip 8: When in doubt, slow down

The beginner motorcyclist can sometimes become enamoured with speed - but it's important to know when to slow down.

If you're unsure what the upcoming road looks like, a key motorbike riding tip is to reduce your speed and stay safe.

Motorcyclist riding tip 9: Lean into corners

Next in our tips for riding a motorcycle, is to lean into corners.

Leaning into corners lowers your centre of gravity, helps your machine stand more upright and gains you more traction. The lower centre of gravity also helps your suspension do its job.

Unless you're travelling very fast, leaning into corners is prudent in most situations.

Unlike a car, you are an integral part of a motorcycle, and how you sit can make a big difference to the quality of your ride.

How to do it:

• Keep your eyes on the route you plan to take through the corner - don't look at anything else, as you tend to move in the direction you're looking.
• Once you can see the route ahead, shift your weight from the outside footpeg to the inside one.
• Dip your shoulder and lean your upper body to the inside corner.
• Shift your weight back when you’re back on a straight section of road.

Motorcyclist riding tip 10: Learn to rev match smoothly

The last of our tips for riding a motorcycle is to learn to rev match smoothly.

This is simply using the throttle to achieve the ideal rev range when you change gears.

As simple as it sounds, it can be tricky to for beginner motorcyclists to master, but will pay dividends.

Mastering this motorcycle riding tip will help ensure your bike is less unsettled as you take corners and will help ensure you're in the right gear when you want to turn.