Can You Teach Yourself How to Ride a Motorcycle?

A frequent question that many beginners ask is whether they can learn to ride a motorcycle by themselves. This is a serious question that needs to be answered in a serious way.

After all, depending on where you live, you may not be required by law to pass any training courses, so does that mean you can actually learn to ride a motorcycle by yourself?

Can I teach myself to ride a motorcycle? You can teach yourself how to ride a motorcycle. In fact, a lot of motorcycle riders have learned to ride a motorcycle by themselves. However, even though people can learn to ride a motorcycle on their own, it is recommended to take motorcycle riding courses and get a teacher or mentor.

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That being said, teaching yourself to ride a motorcycle, although perfectly doable, has certain advantages and disadvantages. In this article, you will find more information about everything you need to know about properly learning to ride a motorcycle by yourself.

Are there people who have taught themselves how to ride a motorcycle?

There are a lot of motorcycle riders that have taught themselves how to ride a motorcycle.

In fact, in the past, that was what the majority of people did—they had to learn on their own how to ride a motorcycle because they did not have any other alternatives.

A lot of riders, even today, are still doing it all by themselves.

In other words, learning how to ride a motorcycle on your own is not something unheard of or a rare occurrence. A lot of people do it, and if done properly, it can be very effective.

This brings us nicely to the next topic, which is about the proper way to teach yourself how to ride a motorcycle.

How can I learn to ride a motorcycle by myself?

Get your insurance and a learner’s permit, license, or endorsement

The best way to start is to take your motorcycle home in a trailer.

Beginner riders should get their learner’s permit; then they can start riding on public roads. Depending on where the rider lives and their age, they may be eligible to apply for a motorcycle license or endorsement.

In any case, a permit, license, or endorsement is required by law to ride a motorcycle.

Get yourself a beginner-friendly motorcycle and proper gear

Do your due diligence and make sure you get a proper beginner-friendly motorcycle. Usually, smaller motorcycles with lower cc are more suitable and forgiving—and a forgiving motorcycle is the best way to learn how to ride for beginners.

Make sure to wear the right motorcycle gear all the time—especially in the beginning when there is a higher chance of you falling and hurting yourself.

Start practicing

In order to learn how to ride a motorcycle, you need to put in the work. Practice. Practice as much as you can as often as you can.

The best way to go about this is to go to empty parking lots, quiet neighbourhoods, and secluded and empty roads and just drive slowly to get used to how the motorcycle behaves. Find areas where you can practice riding your motorcycle in peace.

Slowly improve your skills

Eventually, as you get used to the motorcycle, you can start going around your neighbourhood or block. Avoid riding your motorcycle on main roads and during peak hours.

Start slowly, take your time, and carefully expand and build up your riding courses. As time passes and your confidence and abilities increase, expand your travelling distance and routes.

Some riders will ride their motorcycle late at night. Around 2 am to 5 am is arguably the best time to go out with a motorcycle. The roads and parking lots will be empty. 

This is an excellent opportunity for beginning riders because they will not feel pressured by traffic or pedestrians. Since there will be no people to see if the rider makes any mistakes, this allows them to calm down and overcome the fear of failure while learning to ride a motorcycle. (See article: How to get over the fear of riding a motorcycle?)

However, keep in mind that in certain areas, it may not be legal to ride during the nighttime hours with a learner’s permit. Make sure to check your local regulations.

Read and watch training videos

Find as many materials and training videos as you can and never stop reading and learning. 

There are plenty of excellent books that deal with the intricate details of riding a motorcycle, too. Some free resources that you can use are the MSF basic rider course handbook and the Learn to Ride Smart by ICBC. (See article: Best motorcycle books for beginners)

There are also plenty more videos and movies that can do an excellent job of teaching you how to ride better. (Twist of the wrist 1 and 2 leaps into mind.)

There is a lot of information online. Motorcycle websites like the one you are reading right now are also a neat way to learn more about how to ride a motorcycle and how motorcycles work.

Take motorcycle training classes

Even after you have successfully learned how to ride a motorcycle by yourself, the rider should consider taking the MSF course. 

Despite having already learned the basics of moving on two wheels, an MSF course can be more than helpful to expand and further develop good practices and riding habits.

No matter what I say, I cannot do the MSF courses justice. They are almost mandatory in my experience, and even experienced riders are taking them occasionally. There are also MSF courses that teach advanced riding techniques. 

An MSF course will give you the necessary skills and knowledge to ride a motorcycle. At the same time, you will be in a controlled and safe environment. You will learn safe riding techniques in addition to developing the right frame of mind and gaining confidence that you can do it. (See article: Is an MSF course worth it?)

A motorcycle training class is also recommended if your immediate surroundings require more technical riding than your current capabilities.

And even if the courses currently available to you are all filled, you can either wait for the next course to start or just show up. Sometimes there may be waiting lists, but that is often not the case, and quite frequently, there are no-shows, so in the majority of cases, they may be able to fit you in if you just call to check.

How long does it take to learn to ride a motorcycle by yourself?

How long it will take you to learn to ride a motorcycle by yourself will vary greatly depending on the rider, their skills, practice frequency, and approach.

Some people might need a few days, while others will need at least several months to learn how to ride a motorcycle on their own.

That being said, it is important not to rush it. You cannot expect to get good at riding a motorcycle in just a few weeks. Take your time and act accordingly. Many of the intricate controls and riding techniques take a lot of time to learn and master.

You have to learn a lot of different things, but not limited to:

• The basic controls.
• Safety handling and steering at various speeds.
• Clutch control.
• Push steering.
• Situational awareness.
• Proper acceleration.
• Front and rear braking.
• Emergency stopping and swerving.
• Proper turning techniques.
• Motorcycle inspection, maintenance, and care.

An MSF course will speed up your learning greatly.

It is important to note that with riding a motorcycle, you never stop learning. This is a process that will last for as long as you are riding your motorcycle.

Even riders who have more than 40 years of experience under their belt will tell you that they are still learning. (See article: How long does it take to get good at riding a motorcycle?)

Is it easy to learn how to ride a motorcycle on your own?

Learning to ride a motorcycle by yourself is not necessarily hard, but it is not easier compared to taking a motorcycle safety course.

While learning on your own, you will have to find and go through plenty of materials and information in order to find the best safety instructions. You will also have to watch multiple videos.

One of the problems with learning by yourself is that you may not always be able to tell the difference between good and bad instructions and lessons. You will also not have the ability to ask questions and receive feedback in real time. 

You will not be able to tell if you are using good form while riding and if you are riding in a proper and safe manner.

All of these setbacks are going to make learning on your own a little harder and more tricky.

You will have to be a lot more diligent and unbiased in your learning, which may be hard to do.

Are you more likely to get into an accident if you learn how to ride a motorcycle by yourself?

According to the statistics, riders who have taken motorcycle training and safety courses have a lower chance of getting into accidents. However, the difference is usually not significant in the statistical sense.

In other words, just because somebody is self-taught does not automatically mean they will get into a lot more accidents than somebody who’s gone through all the training courses they could find.

According to the data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, out of all the examined motorcycle crashes.

• 6% were done by self-taught riders
• 6% were taught by family and friends
• 5% had passed high-performance and competitive track courses.
• 8% had taken an experienced rider course
• 50% were riders that have taken a state-recognized entry-level course
• 24% had not passed any motorcycle training.

As you can see, being self-taught definitely does not put motorcycle riders at higher odds of crashing.

Should you teach yourself how to ride a motorcycle?

Just because somebody has taken and passed classes does not mean they will become a good rider. Likewise, just because somebody has learned how to ride a motorcycle by themselves does not mean they will become bad riders.

There are plenty of great riders that have learned everything by themselves. 

In fact, there are people who have learned how to ride a motorcycle even though they cannot ride a bicycle. So one should never underestimate their abilities. (See article: Can you ride a motorcycle if you can’t ride a bicycle?)

That being said, the disadvantage of learning how to ride a motorcycle by yourself is that you may not be able to discern between good and bad riding habits and form.

Thus you can easily learn to ride with bad form and further embed it over time. An old and established habit is hard to break, and in this case, it can also be extremely dangerous to one’s well-being.

Even though knowing how to drive a manual transmission car will help, there are a lot of subtle differences in riding a motorcycle. You may easily overlook these or not be aware of them, which could affect your ability to ride a motorcycle in a safe manner.

Overall, yes, you can learn how to ride a motorcycle on your own. However, it is recommended to get a teacher or a mentor. Take a motorcycle riding course where experienced people can help you ingrain the right motorcycle riding habits and techniques. You need that unbiased feedback from an experienced rider.

FAQ’s

• Can I teach myself to ride a motorcycle?
  • This question addresses the common query beginners have about whether they can learn to ride a motorcycle on their own. It explains that while it is possible to self-teach, taking motorcycle riding courses with a teacher or mentor is recommended.

• How long does it take to learn to ride a motorcycle by yourself?
  • This question explores the timeline for learning to ride a motorcycle independently. It emphasizes that the duration can vary depending on individual factors such as practice frequency and skill level. The answer underscores the importance of patience and continuous learning in motorcycle riding.

• Are you more likely to get into an accident if you learn how to ride a motorcycle by yourself?
  • This question addresses a common concern about the safety of self-taught motorcycle riders. It presents statistical data to show that being self-taught doesn’t inherently increase the likelihood of accidents. The response highlights that while self-teaching is possible, seeking proper training courses can provide valuable safety insights.