“Learning to ride is a journey, not a destination,” and this rule goes with every type of vehicle, including motorcycles. If you’re crazy about riding motorbikes, but you do not own one, not all hope is lost yet.
How to learn to ride a motorcycle without owning one? The most common and effective ways involve joining a driving school, taking private lessons, or asking a friend to teach you. You can also take help from certified professionals from MSF. And, you can choose any one method depending on your situation.
However, apart from learning how to ride a motorcycle without owning one, you also have to be concerned about safety and license issues. And to get all the information about how you can ride a motorcycle without having one yourself, simply follow this article.
Do You Need to Buy a Motorcycle to Learn?
If you’re wondering if you need to buy a motorcycle to learn to ride the answer is NO. Personally, I do not think it’s necessary to invest in a motorcycle or any kind of vehicle before learning how to ride it.
Leaning how to ride bikes is a lifelong process. And you need to have some passion and drive to learn this skill. If you just purchase a bike before learning how to ride, chances are you’ll be very frustrated after a few failed attempts and become doubtful whether buying a motorcycle was the right decision. But still, the decision is up to you.
Although you may not need to purchase a motorcycle to learn the ride; you must ensure all the safety gear.
You’ll need all the safety gear, like a helmet, gloves, jacket, and most importantly, You must get a comfortable pair of boots as a lot of the learning process depends on how well you manage your feet. So, look for good motorcycle riding boots for wide feet and narrow feet as well. All the safety gear will keep you safe from minor to severe incidents and injuries as well.
How to Learn to Ride a Motorcycle without Owning One?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. There are a bunch of people who want to learn motorbike riding but don’t have a bike. And there are some other people who are capable to purchase a bike but don’t know how to ride one. This guide will help both.
Well, not having a bike doesn’t mean you cannot learn motorbike riding. Fortunately, there are a lot of reliable ways that you can follow to learn motorbike riding, and some of them are included below. Have a look.
1. Take a Private Lesson
One of the best solutions of how to learn to ride a motorcycle without owning one is taking private lessons. There are many individuals and services available that provide private trainers, and they will help to learn motorbike riding safely. You’ll find them locally, online, or through social media.
Moreover, you’ll find some services that offer personalized instructors who will train the consumers in their desired places. Private lessons are recommended for new riders who want to overcome their fear of riding motorbikes.
2. Join a Driving School
Another simple but effective solution you can follow is joining a professional training school. It’s the best way to learn motorbike riding from professionals without facing any injury or legal trouble.
At first, the driving school will provide you with indoor training. Once you’re comfortable indoor, they will give outdoor training. Moreover, most riding schools also help to get a driving license as well.
3. Join the MSF Courses
Joining the MSF courses can also be an effortless solution that you can apply to learn motorcycle riding without having one. All their programs are run by professionals, and you can learn to ride in a safe environment. The MSF course includes both classroom and practical components, which will help you gradually learn how to ride a motorbike.
However, the pricing is not always the same. It depends on where you live and what course you want to admit to. Still, some eCourses are free. To have a better idea, check out MSF’s official website.
4. Take Help from Your Friend or Family Member
I understand, it’s not always possible for everyone to toss around a few hundred bucks for fancy programs. In that case, you need to go old school, and find out someone who will teach you how to ride a bike.
You can easily take help from your friend or your loved ones to teach you motorbike riding. If anyone close to you knows motorbike riding and owns a motorcycle, you should take advantage of this opportunity. Since motorbike riding is a mental concentration and intense physical activity, it’s good to take help from someone you know or close to you.
5. Rent a Bike
Last but not least, another method you can follow to learn motorbike riding without having one is renting a bike. You can rent a bike from any motorbike rental service and then take help from an experienced motorcyclists to learn how to ride.
If you don’t have friends who have a bike and don’t want to go driving school, renting a bike would be the best option. With the help of YouTube and other learning platforms, it’s is possible to learn the basics of riding a motorcycle. However, this option is not as reliable as all the previous options. So try to consider the reliable options when it’s about learning motorbike riding without having one.
Can I Learn to Ride a Motorcycle if I’m Nervous?
One of the questions we get asked a lot is can I learn to ride a motorcycle if I’m nervous? The short answer is it depends on you. But the good news is that you can easily overcome the nervousness.
I remember the first time I rode a motorcycle with the help of my elder brothers. The best part of having a professional or someone you trust by your side is that it boost motivation. Learning how to ride a motorcycle depends on how well you can keep your balance. And after only a few hours of training, the nervousness will go off.
Apart from getting rid of nervousness, you can also make your motorbike riding learning process comfortable with some simple steps. Here we’ve included some of the practical steps to overcome motorbike riding fear while learning. Have a look.
Take Continued Training Classes
Learn to ride a motorcycle from an expert trainer to overcome the nervousness and fear as well. A pro or a qualified instructor will follow a systematic way, which will help you learn to ride a motorbike correctly and safely. Pretty much like what swim instructors do. When you know you are in safe hands, the fear will automatically go away and you’ll feel more confident overall.
Moreover, make sure you keep up the pace and practice every single day for a few hours straight. Generally, the basic learning process may take 3-5 days of regular training. I did my basics for 12 days straight even though I learned how to ride on the third day. Practice make perfect, no?
Ensure Safety Gear
Whether you’re a beginner learning how to ride a motorbike or an expert, not wearing safety gear is never recommended. It’s a threat to your physical well-being. Therefore, always ensure safety gear even during training sessions and short-distance riding.
Keep the Bike Maintained
Another reason that can make you nervous while learning is riding a faulty motorbike. In that case, try to use a good quality and well-maintained motorbike for your training sessions.
Relax Your Mind
Inner peace! The best way to overcome the nervousness while learning motorbike riding is to relax your mind. If you are confident and motivated enough that you can do it, you can easily do everything. So try to keep your mind relaxed and enjoy every training session to overcome all types of fear.
Can I Practice Riding a Motorcycle without a License?
If you’re wondering if you can practice riding a motorcycle without a license or not, the answer is YES, you can. Anyone can practice motorcycle riding without a license. And for that, you only have to ride a motorcycle in private areas.
On the other hand, you must get a motorcycle license if you want to practice riding a motorbike on road. That’s why, as a beginner, it’s always a good idea to perform your riding practice in a private place.
However, if you want some examples of private places and different areas where you can practice motorbike riding, check out the section below:
- Parking Lots: One of the best places to practice is parking lots of different business centers, shopping malls, or other corporations. They offer pretty big parking lots, and you can practice there during weekends or when it is closed.
- Public Parks: If you find a place or public park with less traffic, it’s a good place to practice motorbike riding without a license.
- Indoor Motorcycle Training Tracks: Indoor motorcycle training tracks are another reliable and effective palace practice for motorbike riding without a license.
- Your Neighborhood: If you have ample open space around you with less gathering, you can practice riding a motorbike without a license.
- Schools: Basically, most of the schools have a big open field and during off days or weekends, you can practice there.
- Rider Programs: The best way to practice your motorbike riding without a license is through rider programs. Several rider programs happen in different places and practicing there will also help get tips from pros.
Motorcycle Safety Tips for New Riders
As a new motorcycle rider, learning to ride is not enough; you also have to ensure all the safety protocols as well. And if you don’t have any idea about safety tips for a new rider, I’m here to help you out.
1. Get the Right Bike
Getting the right bike is one of the most essential things you can do to ensure safety. Here is how you can get the right motorbike for you:
- Select the bike that suits your needs
- Give attention to the speed or how much speed is best for beginners
- Consider the mileage
- Give the bike a test ride before purchasing
2. Ensure Safety Equipment
The second safety tip you have to ensure is safety gear. All types of safety gear will keep you safe from all types of incidents and injuries. Here are some of the safety gears:
- Helmet (a full-face helmet is recommended)
- Gloves
- Eye Protection
- Boots
- Jacket
- Pants
- Riding suit and many more.
3. Inspect the Bike before Riding
After ensuring safety gear, the next thing you have to do is, check or inspect your bike. So what to check on the motorbike before starting riding? Follow the section below to know it:
- Headlights
- Taillights
- Turn Signals
- Brakes
- Oil
- Tire Pressure
- Rear-view Mirrors
- Handlebars
- And Horn
4. Obey the Traffic Rules
When you ensure all the safety gear and inspect the bike properly but don’t obey the traffic rules, it means you’re putting yourself at high risk. And maintaining the traffic rules helps keep all motorbikes and vehicle riders safe.
5. Stay Sober
Don’t drink and drive, mate! It’s way too risky which may even lead to severe life-threatening incidents. Riding a motorbike while intoxicated is a major reason for a major part of road accidents here in US.
Final Words
As you can see, there is nothing to worry about if you want to learn how to ride a motorcycle without owning one. Take help from someone who knows motorbike riding or take a motorbike riding course. And the best solution would be taking an MSF course for learning motorbike riding from professional and experienced riders if money isn’t an issue.
The best part is, you can learn riding a bike and apply for license even under the age of 18. Surely you’ll need your parents consent in that case. Finally, I would say, try not to get too worked up. The learning process is a bit overwhelming in the beginning, but having someone you trust stand by your side will definitely help you a ton.
