Have never drove any car nor bike before. Working with a clutch was hell. Been able to start only after 5th try, and stalled a lot. But overall was fun, eager to get license.
Have never drove any car nor bike before. Working with a clutch was hell. Been able to start only after 5th try, and stalled a lot. But overall was fun, eager to get license.
Congrats! I fondly recall getting my motorcycle license (M1; California) many years ago, back when I didn’t even have experience with a manual transmission automobile yet. But years of prior experience with bicycles meant only the clutch had to be tamed.
It’s quite fun! And the motorbike still brings me joy even after using an ebike around town.
That said, for all prospective riders anywhere, be aware that while there are money savings (fuel, parking, maintenance) compared to an automobile, there’s also new costs (safety gear) and new risks that require you to be at the top of your game.
For Americans in particular, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) works with all 50 States to offer a comprehensive intro course that can be taken in-lieu of a DMV practical exam. At least in California, this is typically a two-day classroom+riding endeavor that covers far more real-world info than what the DMV is testing for. Nobody is doing 32-ft (10 meter) U-turns regularly, but riding defensively is a daily activity. I strongly recommend this route: it’s makes for better riders, skips the DMV examiners, and they provide the bikes.
My mother and I took the MSF course some years ago via the local community college (they also have a CDL program at the same lot). It crams a lot into just a few days but there’s no reason anyone who approaches it with a little respect and determination won’t come away competent enough to at least ride the side streets to their nearest parking lot to continue building confidence. I took a similar approach to longboarding, riding around a large local parking lot after hours until I felt in control enough to kick around town.
After completing the course we booked appointments at the MVA and had the motorcycle endorsement added to our licenses. A bonus in its own right, bypassing the MVA testing and waiting there all day. Most insurance providers will also cut a small break for having completed a safety course. I’d definitely recommend that route for anyone looking to ride. Or just for the experience, honestly. It made for a great memory. It’s inexpensive, relatively, and you can still say you’ve rode a bike - even if you have no desire to ever do it out on the roads with all the crazies.
Thank you!
Also found bicycle experience very helpful. But I feel that motorcycle requires a lot more work with your legs in comparison with bicycle. Even my thigh muscles hurts now. So it also will be tamed like a clutch.
Yes, that’s one of the differing characteristics: a bicycle requires legs pushing straight down, but a motorcycle requires legs that squeeze together to secure yourself and to lean the motorbike properly.
Are there motorcycles that are more laid back? Yes, but I believe they do so by putting the rider closer to the ground (to reduce the high center of gravity, which reduces the effort to lean), which then often requires elongating the wheelbase to accommodate the rider and engine. American-style cruisers are one such example.