A thread for new riders
If this is your first motorcycle, this thread is for you. No question here is too basic, and anyone who responds to a beginner with "search first" will be moderated.
Before you collect it
Gear first, extras later. A helmet that fits properly matters more than anything you can bolt to the bike. Gloves, a jacket with armour, and boots that cover your ankles come next. Buy the helmet in person and have it fitted — online sizing is unreliable.
Take training even where it is not required. The riders who progress fastest and crash least are almost always the ones who had proper instruction beyond the legal minimum. This is the highest-value money in motorcycling.
Read the manual. Genuinely. It tells you the service intervals, the tyre pressures and the controls, and it is specific to your model.
The first month
- Check tyre pressures weekly. Use the figures in your manual. Underinflated tyres are the most common fault on a learner bike and they change how the bike handles.
- Learn to check and adjust chain tension, or have it done. A neglected chain is expensive and, at the extreme, dangerous.
- Practise slow-speed control in an empty car park. Every skill you need in traffic is built there.
- Practise emergency braking somewhere safe, deliberately and repeatedly, before you need it.
Things that catch new riders out
- Cold tyres in the first few minutes of a ride, especially on a cold morning
- Diesel and painted lines in wet weather
- Riding beyond your sightline on unfamiliar roads
- Being invisible at junctions — assume you have not been seen
Ask anything
Post your questions below. If you are not sure whether something is normal, ask. If something feels wrong with the bike, ask before you ride it. Experienced riders here have all been where you are.