Learn To Ride A Motorcycle

The ultimate beginners resource. Advice, videos, and guides designed to get you riding quickly and safely

Ride a Motorcycle - Advice & In Depth Guides

No online instruction will ever replace what you will learn from hands-on experience. However, you can’t always just hop on a bike and ride. We work with experienced riders and motorcycle riding instructors to create content for beginners and those new to motorcycling. Our goal is to help people make good decisions by being a source that you can trust. We strongly recommend that all new riders take motorcycle riding classes. The skills you will develop in said class will empower the rest of your riding, help you gain confidence, and teach you fundamental techniques that will keep you safe on the road.

Guide Contributors

Robert Gabbin, Motorcycle Riding Instructor

Robert Gabbin

  • I Ride: 2014 Honda Valkyrie

  • Years Riding: 13 Years

  • Experience: Former riding instructor at SAIT Motorcycle Operation & Safety classes and Calgary Safety Council

I am an avid rider and love being able to introduce others to my passion. I have worked as an instructor for the SAIT Motorcycle Operation & Safety classes for the past four years (I was an instructor with the Calgary Safety Council for five years prior to that). Through this course, I have helped dozens of new riders learn how to safely ride.

My hope is to help new riders from all over the world build the essential skills and competencies needed to safely ride a motorcycle. Enjoy the content we have created, and as always, make sure you’re riding safely!

Jim Pruner

Jim Pruner

  • I Ride: 2018 Kawasaki Ninja H2SX SE, 2019 KTM 790 Adventure

  • Years Riding: 20+ Years

  • Experience: Heavy Duty Mechanic and genuine motorcycle nut

By day, I’m a heavy-duty mechanic working on monster machines in Alberta’s oil patch. By night, I’m a budding motorcycle journalist.

I wasn’t actually born on a motorcycle, but you probably wouldn’t know that. I’ve spent most of my life riding and obsessing over these machines, and over the years I’ve had some really memorable experiences while riding a motorcycle.

I’ve ridden a motorcycle up the Dempster Highway to Tuktoyaktuk, reviewed Ducati’s in the French Riviera, and sampled everything from 200 horsepower land rockets to the most exciting entry-level bikes on the market.

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High Level Overview

A rough view of what you need to figure out before riding a motorcycle

Preliminary Reading: Start Here First

Learn The Fundamentals Before Sitting On The Bike Seat

Managing Expectations: Things to Know Before Getting on a Motorcycle

Watch the Video This is Why I Ride Motorcycling, the closest any one person can get to flying without actually being on a plane as a pilot. It comes with all the excitement, all the dangers, a lot of practice to be any good… and the better we get, the more fun we are capable of having. Being a motorcyclist is also about joining a community of like-minded individuals, that are more often friendly, helpful,...
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Pre-Ride Checks: Ensuring Your Motorcycle is Ready to Hit the Road Rubber Side Down

Video Why We Do the Pre-Ride Check Safe riding starts with a steadfast steed. We as motorcycle riders have way too much to think about when on the road and should never have to worry about something not working as intended, in the event we need it to. I cannot stress enough, how important regular maintenance and pre-ride checks are to any and all riders. Mechanical devices, especially motor vehicles, have wear and tear, meaning...
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The Basic Components & Parts of a Motorcycle

In this article, I will be creating a reference guide on the majority of basic/common components & parts of a motorcycle along with a brief description of what the device does and where it may be found on a motorcycle. I will also include varying technologies that can be associated with many of the parts and components in this guide. The information that I am putting together is based on content that has been or...
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Pick the right kit

Gear Guides

The right gear. It's the difference between life and death.

Expert Gear Guides

Essential Riding Skills

It's Time To Get Your Foot Pegs Wet!

Kick mounting a motorcycle

Mounting/Dismounting a Motorcycle: How to Get On & Off Your Bike Safely

Mounting and dismounting your motorcycle is an essential skill that becomes almost second nature over time. There are many ways to hop on and off the bike, but some are better than others (depending on your situation). In this article, I’m going over some of the more common and safe ways to mount/dismount your bike. By the end of this article, you will know how to get on and off your bike safely. Let’s get...
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Motorcycle brakes (clutch side)

How to Operate a Motorcycle Clutch & Brakes

Since the  first motorcycle design, many changes, evolutions, and innovations have taken form over the years of its development – but one thing that has stayed the same for motorcycles from the beginning to now is a need to control the delivery of power to the driving wheel (clutch) and a way to stop (brakes). It’s true, there are some automatic motorcycles available (and more appear to be coming), but for 99% of us, learning...
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Starting a Motorcycle & Assuming the Ready/Riding Positions

Starting your engine & assuming the ready/riding position… can anyone say “name of my sex tape”. All joking aside, knowing the general rule of thumb for starting a motorcycle and assuming PROPER ready/riding position will potentially save you some headache, embarrassment,  injury, and even fatigue while riding. In this article, I will give you a checklist of steps to go through for starting a motorcycle that can apply to the vast majority of the motorcycles...
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Motorcycle Basics

Picking Your Machine

Picking A Bike

The right bike is more complicated than you think.

motorcycle guides

Additional Beginner Learning Resources

More content and guided designed to make you a more confident rider.

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