1. All states require motorcycle riders to be licensed.
2. Many states make it easier for riders to get a license if they take a safety course first.
3. Always wear a helmet and other protection.
4. Learning to shift smoothly takes practice.
5. Use both brakes when stopping or slowing.

</note>

• by Darcy Logan

• It doesn't matter how safe you drive, how careful you are, how many classes you take, accidents happen. In fact, 90 percent of urban motorcycles that involved another vehicle were not caused by the motorcycle rider.Rae Motorcycle Training: Safety Protection & Dealing with Accidents For that reason, you need to wear the proper equipment when riding your motorcycle. This includes a helmet, face protection and protective clothing.

1. Regardless if your state has a law requiring you to wear a helmet, you should wear one. Riders who wear helmets crash less frequently and suffer fewer injuries and deaths if they do crash.Motorcycle Cruiser: How to Buy a Motorcycle Helmet
2. Your helmet should fit snugly, meet U.S. Department of Transportation or SNELL standards, and have no obvious defects.Motorcycle Safety Foundation: Motorcycle Operator Handbook
3. For guides on how to purchase a motorcycle helmet, check out:
   1. Motorcycle Cruiser: How to Buy a Motorcycle Helmet
   2. Motorcycle Safety Foundation: Protective Gear
   3. Rae Motorcycle Training: Choosing a Crash Helmet
   4. YouTube: Helmets: Get Your Head into It (Time: 5:05)
   5. Expert Village: Choosing Motorcycle Protective Gear

• MonkeySee: Motorcycle Riding Equipment (Time: 4:54)

1. Choose clothing that is impact and abrasion resistant as well as highly visible.Rae Motorcycle Training: [Safety Protection & Dealing with Accidents]
2. Clothing can include gloves, long pants, long-sleeve shirt, motorcycle jacket and hard-soled boots.
3. Clothing should fit comfortably without binding, but not be so loose that it can become entangled in the motorcycle.Motorcycle Safety Foundation: Personal Protective Gear

• Expert Village: Motorcycle Safety Gear (Time: 1:50)

• Before you start riding, it is important that you do a quick inspection of the motorcycle. Remember, this machine is the only thing keeping you from hitting the pavement, so you want to make sure it is in good working order. The best way to remember what to inspect, is to use a checklist that the Motorcycle Safety Foundation calls T-CLOCS. Motorcycle Safety Foundation: T-CLOCS Inspection Checklist This stands for:
  • T - Tires and Wheels
  • C - Controls
  • L - Lights and Electrics
  • O - Oil
  • C - Chassis
  • S - Stands

• This is an important inspection and one that should not be skipped. For a detailed list on what to look for in each step, check out the PDF file that the Motorcycle Safety Foundation provides. Motorcycle Safety Foundation: T-CLOCS Inspection Checklist You can also find detailed explanations at any of the following links:
  1. Motorcycle Safety Foundation: RiderCourse Interactive Tour
  2. Naval Safety Center: T-CLOCS
  3. Gold Wing Road Riders Association: T-CLOCS
  4. STAR - Chicago Chapter 394: Pre-Ride Inspection

• MonkeySee: How to Perform a Routine Check of a Motorcycle (Time: 8:19)

• Turn the key and go, right? Not quite. There are several steps that you need to do before your motorcycle will start. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation refers to this as FINE-C.Motorcycle Safety Foundation: FINE-C

1. Turn on the fuel valve.
2. Turn the ignition to the on position.
3. Make sure your motorcycle is in neutral. When it is in neutral, you should be able to roll your motorcycle slightly forwards or backwards.Motorcycle Safety Foundation: FINE-C
4. Turn the engine cut-off switch to the run/on position.
5. Set the choke as necessary.
6. Squeeze the clutch lever. This will make sure you don't start your motorcycle in gear.Motorcycle Safety Foundation: FINE-C

• Expert Village: Turning a Motorcycle On & Off (Time: 1:58)

• Most motorcycles have a linear "1 down, 5 up" shifting pattern.About.com How to Ride a Motorcycle This means that neutral is located halfway between first and second gear. You press down to shift into first gear and up to shift into second through sixth gear. Learning to shift is not difficult. Learning to shift smoothly, well, that's another story. It will take practice.

1. Make sure the motorcycle is in neutral and start it.
2. While holding the clutch lever (usually on the left handle bar) down, use your left foot to press down on the gear shift until you reach first gear.About.com How to Ride a Motorcycle
3. Apply some throttle while slowly releasing your clutch.Sandlake Tsunami ATV Rental: How to Shift Gears on a Quad or Motorcycle Give it just enough throttle to keep your motorcycle from stalling but not too much to cause it to overrev.Motorcycle Safety Foundation: Riding Tips
4. Once your motorcycle begins to move forward, place your feet on the foot pegs.
5. Don't forget to make sure the kickstand is up!

• MonkeySee: How to Start and Shift a Motorcycle (Time: 4:09)

1. Place your left toe under the gear shift.
2. Pull in the clutch as you release the throttle.Sandlake Tsunami ATV Rental: How to Shift Gears on a Quad or Motorcycle
3. Move the gear shift up one notch by lifting up your left foot, which will put you into second gear.About.com How to Ride a Motorcycle
4. Let out the clutch smoothly while applying throttle.Sandlake Tsunami ATV Rental: How to Shift Gears on a Quad or Motorcycle

• Expert Village: Motorcycle Riding: Shifting Gears (Time: 1:10)

• When down shifting, you need to make certain that you are going slow enough before shifting. If you aren't, your motorcycle will lurch and the rear wheel may skid.New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Motorcycle Manual: Ride Within Your Abilities Then, in one swift and smooth movement:

1. Squeeze the clutch.
2. Apply the throttle slightly to let it catch the lower gear smoothly.Motorcycle Safety Foundation: Riding Tips
3. Press down on the shift lever.

• Expert Village: Motorcycle Riding: Down Shifting (Time: 1:10)

• Motorcycles have two brakes: front and rear.
  • The front brake is a lever located on the right hand side (it is the lever opposite the clutch). The front brake is more powerful and provides about three-fourths your total stopping power.
  • The rear brake is a peddle located on the right side of the right side (opposite the gear shift).

• Nothing can teach you braking except practice. However, here are a few tips:

1. You should always use both brakes when you want to slow or stop.
2. Apply both brakes at the same time.
3. Do not apply the brakes too hard because it can cause the wheels to lock up and the bike to skid.
4. Always squeeze the brake lever, don't grab it.

• MonkeySee: How to Brake on a Motorcycle (Time: 7:26)

• Braking quickly or in an emergency is an important skill and should be practiced. Here is how to do it:

1. Close the throttle or shut off the accelerator.Motorcycle Cruiser: Effective Braking Rae Motorcycle Training: Motorcycle Training Hints, Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
2. Apply the front brake.
3. Apply the rear brake.
4. Increase the pressure on the front brake by pressing firmly and progressively.New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Motorcycle Manual: Ride Within Your Abilities
5. Apply the clutch to avoid stalling.

• Turning can be difficult for new riders. They often take a corner too fast, or believe they are taking it too fast, and end up losing control.New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Motorcycle Manual: Ride Within Your Abilities In fact, this is one of the biggest causes of single-vehicle motorcycle accidents.Motorcycle Cruiser: Lines Through Corners Here is how the basic turn or corner should be approached:

1. As you approach the turn, reduce your speed by closing the throttle and/or applying the brakes.New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Motorcycle Manual: Ride Within Your Abilities
2. Look through the turn to where you want to go. Keep your shoulders straight, eyes level and turn only your head.New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Motorcycle Manual: Ride Within Your Abilities
3. Press the handlebar in the direction of the turn. This will cause your motorcycle to lean.Motorcycle Safety Foundation: Riding Tips
   1. Keep your feet on the pegs and grip the motorcycle with your knees.Motorcycle Safety Foundation: Riding Tips
   2. Do not try to sit perpendicular to the road. Let your body lean with the motorcycle.Motorcycle Safety Foundation: Riding Tips
   3. A good rule of thumb when cornering: when in doubt, lean more.Old Guy's Place: Improving Cornering Skills
4. Keep an even throttle through the turn or accelerate slightly to stabilize suspension.Motorcycle Safety Foundation: Riding Tips New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Motorcycle Manual: Ride Within Your Abilities
5. When you reach the end of the corner, roll on the throttle as you straighten up your motorcycle.Rae Motorcycle Training: Cornering

• Expert Village Videos: Motorcycle Turning & Leaning (Time: 1:31)

• Learning how to ride a motorcycle properly is essential if you want to ride safely. Nothing improves a rider's ability more than practice. Again, new and experienced riders are urged to take a rider's safety course and get their license before hitting the road.