Motorcycle Riding for Beginners

Are you the proud owner of a brand-new motorcycle? Congratulations! You’re in for a world of thrilling rides down the highway, cruises along the coast and more enjoyable commutes. But riding a motorcycle is something you have to learn and practice, just like learning to drive a car. And it won’t be much like riding a bicycle, either. You’ve also got to gear up correctly and make sure you’re taking good care of your bike so that it can serve you well.

North County Indian Motorcycle® is your California motorcycle dealer, located in San Marcos. To help you get started with your biking journey, we’ve assembled this list of tips for beginners.

Take a Class

Nothing beats a class taught by a professional when it comes to motorcycle riding. Classes will be taught by experts who can teach you the basics of riding a motorcycle, as well as where all the controls are located. Most classes will even have a bike for beginners to practice on that instructors can use to demonstrate with. You can find courses for beginning, intermediate and advanced riders, and it’s always good to brush up on those skills!

Put in Practice

Speaking of brushing up, you’re not going to be a very good motorcycle rider if you don’t put in the practice. Take your bike to an empty parking lot with lots of space where you can practice accelerating, braking, turning, reversing and parking your bike. Set up some cones that you can practice your turns by riding around them. Your first few practice sessions will definitely be a bit rough, but you’ll improve with time.

Once you feel more confident, you can take your bike out onto city streets and onto the highway. Remember that you’re more vulnerable to traffic while on a motorcycle than you are in a car, so you’re going to need to be vigilant and careful. Watch for distracted drivers who aren’t paying attention to the road ahead so you can anticipate the moves you’ll need to make to avoid them.

Perform Regular Maintenance

Your bike only serves you well if you keep it regularly maintained. You should perform a pre-ride inspection to make sure the tires are in good shape and aired up, that your gas tank has enough fuel and that your oil doesn’t need to be changed. There are plenty of minor tasks you can do at home with the right tools to keep your bike tuned up. However, if you don’t know how to fix something, you can always get in touch with the service department here at North County Indian Motorcycle® so that we can help you out!

Get the Right Gear

If you’ve ever seen a motorcyclist, then you know that they don’t just wear a T-shirt and sneakers and a baseball cap to ride. You’re exposed to the air when riding a motorcycle and, in the event of a collision or even just skidding on the road, you can hit the pavement pretty hard. That’s why you want to protect yourself as best you can. 

A riding jacket made of sturdy material like leather or denim is ideal, along with long pants in a sturdy material. Ankle boots with good tread and riding gloves are also needed. And, of course, the most important thing to wear while riding a motorcycle is a helmet that fits well and is comfortable. If your helmet lacks a full face mask, then wear a pair of goggles for eye protection.

Ride Solo at First

You may have a friend who’s champing at the bit for you to take them with you on a spin around town. However, when you’re just starting out with motorcycle riding, it’s best that you ride alone for the first several weeks. The dynamics of your motorcycle will shift dramatically with an extra passenger hanging off the back. 

Browse our website to check out the fine selection of new and used motorcycles for sale at our San Marcos dealership location. North County Indian Motorcycle® proudly serves greater San Diego as well as the city of Oceanside, CA.