Learning to ride?
- Thread starter Savage
- Start date
Just got my license this year. Went through ProRide in Vancouver. There are a couple of other schools around here -- one run by the BC Safety Council and the other is in Surrey (name escapes me at the moment).
The license involves a skills test and then a road test a week or two afterwards. For the road test, a guy drives behind you in an ICBC vehicle radioing instructions to you.
It's not that hard. Most schools quote an 80% success rate.
The license involves a skills test and then a road test a week or two afterwards. For the road test, a guy drives behind you in an ICBC vehicle radioing instructions to you.
It's not that hard. Most schools quote an 80% success rate.
yum.........when you learn.....take me!!! let you know if the lessons paid off...........xoazen.purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
my ex learned at Action and is friends with instructors. Says its a good school. Action Motorcycle School
If you want to learn to ride, definitely take classes and do not try to do it on your own or through friends.
BC Safety Council has an excellent course and it isn't that expensive. The first part of the course used to be (think it still is) at Boundary Bay Airport, where you learn to ride in a large paved area that is a safe environment to help you learn and develop basic skills No cars to worry about, and the area is large enough that its not crowded and you can develop quite a bit of speed. They used to start you with small (125 cc or so) Honda motorcycles. When you master the basics and pass a simple test, you sign up for the street rider course. The street rider course uses larger motorcycles and is conducted in small groups of only 4 or 5 riders and 1 instructor. Overall, an excellent course both for value and for skills development. You can take the course as many times as needed to pass and get your licence.
I took it a number of years ago, even though I've had my motorcycle licence for years before. It was inexpensive and I thought it would be a couple of fun weekends (it was!). Even though I'd been riding for years, I admit I actually learned some things that have made me a better and safer rider. The course I took with BC Safety Council was at Boundary Bay and included everyone from 16 yr old boys dying (pun intended) to quickly get onto high-power crotch rockets, young ladies who were hesitant about participating, "re-entry" riders, to a 77 year old grandmother (who decided it was something she always wanted to do). Oh yes - the grandmother passed, but two of the 16 yr old guys failed
.
I should add for Mia and the other ladies on the board that all the ladies that took the course thoroughly enjoyed it and all of them had a blast - even those who signed up reluctantly and seemed to have been pushed into it by their friends.
The BC Safety Council and similar courses are a great way to spend a couple of weekends, especially with friends. Even if you don't ever want to ride on streets, the basic skills course (in a large parking lot or at Boundary Bay airport) is a blast! Lots of fun and a safe and cheap way to decide whether you actually want to ride. Another benefit is that by talking to other class participants and the instructors you also get a much better idea of what type of riding you might want to do and the type of motorcycle best-suited for that type of riding.
If you do get your licence and ride the streets, please get and wear good protective gear (regardless of the type of motorcycle you ride). If you can't afford the best, don't worry because there's lots of good, inexpensive gear available as well. There's also lots of good used gear available fairly cheaply (e.g. Buy & Sell or on the internet).
As to the type/size of motorcycle, a lot of that depends on your preferences, the type of riding you want to do, how often you'll have a passenger and what type of loads you want to carry. For example, if all you want is something for a short 10 minute to ride to Starbucks so you can park it and sit there for hours while everyone admires your bike, then probably only a Harley or an exotic European bike will do. If simply want to hop on a bike by yourself after breakfast and ride to Kelowna and back through Princeton before 5 in the afternoon stopping only for gas, then probably a high-speed touring bike (e.g. BMW R1150RT, Yamaha FJR1300 or Honda ST1300) better fits your needs. If all you want is something to ride to the nearest logging road so you can explore the rest of the day on the logging road, probably a dual-sport (e.g. Kawasaki KLR 650) better fits your needs.
However, if you've never ridden before and aren't certain as to the type of riding you really want to do, then try to swallow/curb your pride/ego and avoid the 150 hp, 1000 cc sportbike and stick to a mid-size entry level bike for the first season or two. There's lots of good bikes in the 650 to 800 cc range for a range of riding styles that a beginner won't outgrow for years, if ever. There's also a lot of good, used low-mileage bikes available that you won't be heart-broken (or "wallet-broken") over if you accidentally drop it. Good used bikes also hold their re-sale value quite well. I recommend you start with a non-faired bike (often referred to as a "naked bike" ) since plastic parts are easily damaged and are very, very expensive to replace. Also, look for a bike with a reputation for reliability unless you're mechanically inclined. After a season or two, you can always trade up to a newer, faired bike if that's what you really want.
Check out some of the numerous motorcycle-specific bulletin boards that are on the web. There's quite a few for local motorcycle clubs as well and most members are motorcycle enthusiasts who are more than happy to help newcomers.
PM me if you want further information.
BC Safety Council has an excellent course and it isn't that expensive. The first part of the course used to be (think it still is) at Boundary Bay Airport, where you learn to ride in a large paved area that is a safe environment to help you learn and develop basic skills No cars to worry about, and the area is large enough that its not crowded and you can develop quite a bit of speed. They used to start you with small (125 cc or so) Honda motorcycles. When you master the basics and pass a simple test, you sign up for the street rider course. The street rider course uses larger motorcycles and is conducted in small groups of only 4 or 5 riders and 1 instructor. Overall, an excellent course both for value and for skills development. You can take the course as many times as needed to pass and get your licence.
I took it a number of years ago, even though I've had my motorcycle licence for years before. It was inexpensive and I thought it would be a couple of fun weekends (it was!). Even though I'd been riding for years, I admit I actually learned some things that have made me a better and safer rider. The course I took with BC Safety Council was at Boundary Bay and included everyone from 16 yr old boys dying (pun intended) to quickly get onto high-power crotch rockets, young ladies who were hesitant about participating, "re-entry" riders, to a 77 year old grandmother (who decided it was something she always wanted to do). Oh yes - the grandmother passed, but two of the 16 yr old guys failed
. I should add for Mia and the other ladies on the board that all the ladies that took the course thoroughly enjoyed it and all of them had a blast - even those who signed up reluctantly and seemed to have been pushed into it by their friends.
The BC Safety Council and similar courses are a great way to spend a couple of weekends, especially with friends. Even if you don't ever want to ride on streets, the basic skills course (in a large parking lot or at Boundary Bay airport) is a blast! Lots of fun and a safe and cheap way to decide whether you actually want to ride. Another benefit is that by talking to other class participants and the instructors you also get a much better idea of what type of riding you might want to do and the type of motorcycle best-suited for that type of riding.
If you do get your licence and ride the streets, please get and wear good protective gear (regardless of the type of motorcycle you ride). If you can't afford the best, don't worry because there's lots of good, inexpensive gear available as well. There's also lots of good used gear available fairly cheaply (e.g. Buy & Sell or on the internet).
As to the type/size of motorcycle, a lot of that depends on your preferences, the type of riding you want to do, how often you'll have a passenger and what type of loads you want to carry. For example, if all you want is something for a short 10 minute to ride to Starbucks so you can park it and sit there for hours while everyone admires your bike, then probably only a Harley or an exotic European bike will do. If simply want to hop on a bike by yourself after breakfast and ride to Kelowna and back through Princeton before 5 in the afternoon stopping only for gas, then probably a high-speed touring bike (e.g. BMW R1150RT, Yamaha FJR1300 or Honda ST1300) better fits your needs. If all you want is something to ride to the nearest logging road so you can explore the rest of the day on the logging road, probably a dual-sport (e.g. Kawasaki KLR 650) better fits your needs.
However, if you've never ridden before and aren't certain as to the type of riding you really want to do, then try to swallow/curb your pride/ego and avoid the 150 hp, 1000 cc sportbike and stick to a mid-size entry level bike for the first season or two. There's lots of good bikes in the 650 to 800 cc range for a range of riding styles that a beginner won't outgrow for years, if ever. There's also a lot of good, used low-mileage bikes available that you won't be heart-broken (or "wallet-broken") over if you accidentally drop it. Good used bikes also hold their re-sale value quite well. I recommend you start with a non-faired bike (often referred to as a "naked bike"
) since plastic parts are easily damaged and are very, very expensive to replace. Also, look for a bike with a reputation for reliability unless you're mechanically inclined. After a season or two, you can always trade up to a newer, faired bike if that's what you really want.Check out some of the numerous motorcycle-specific bulletin boards that are on the web. There's quite a few for local motorcycle clubs as well and most members are motorcycle enthusiasts who are more than happy to help newcomers.
PM me if you want further information.
learning to ride
I concur with Penhold for a choice of motorcycles for the novice. A smaller, lighter bike is obviously easier to handle, therefore if possible it is prudent to get a good grip of the dynamics of riding before taking on some behemoth of a bike (ie Harley Electriglide or something of that sort) This bears particular pertinence for the exam as (if memory serves me correctly) there is an obstacle course involving tight turns between pylons and a teeter totter ramp which the rider must demonstrate his/her competence.
I concur with Penhold for a choice of motorcycles for the novice. A smaller, lighter bike is obviously easier to handle, therefore if possible it is prudent to get a good grip of the dynamics of riding before taking on some behemoth of a bike (ie Harley Electriglide or something of that sort) This bears particular pertinence for the exam as (if memory serves me correctly) there is an obstacle course involving tight turns between pylons and a teeter totter ramp which the rider must demonstrate his/her competence.
I took action about a year ago and it was the best money I ever spent. The instructers are hilarious, which helps make learning easy. They teach you the necessary skills to surivive riding in this city.I found take a course with a friend a great way to have some fun and get introduced to motocycling. Hope you follow through with this because IMHO, there no better way to spend a sunny day.
I've been riding for years , my advise is to start small. I think I saw a post a while back that one of the girls here had a bike for sale , can't remember who it was, might be worth a look.
for the skills portion, use theirs ... lots of clutch burning learning to do the slow ride componant of the skills test etc. (not to mention dumping the bike a few times!)Savage said:
for the road test, if this is the bike you are going to be riding, then use it for the road skills part of the course.
I suggest a good starter bike would be something around 400cc, light and nimble, easy to manuvre, yet has enough power to keep up with traffic and enough ump to pass someone.Savage said:
I have owned bikes most of my life, starting out with a honda mo-ped ( top speed of 50km/h ) and the last one i had was a honda nighthawk, which was a great bike.
I rode 2 years without a license, until one day i got stopped in a road block, had to push my bike home that day, made an appointment for the next day , did the road test thing and ride around some pylons, past with flying colours.
Through my years of riding experience, the #1 rule is always look out for the other guy, beaware of his blind spot, if you don't you will be sliding your ass on pavement.
The course in MB provides the bikes and if you pass the course they let you use one of them for the road test. I got my friend a TX 200 because that was one of the bikes they were using in the course.
Don't blow your money on a bike without budgeting for a helmet, gloves, boots and jacket. If you drag your feet boots won't last long.
Don't blow your money on a bike without budgeting for a helmet, gloves, boots and jacket. If you drag your feet boots won't last long.
Take the lessons and if you enjoy riding, then go buy the bike you always dreamed about. Forget owning something that you don't want to be seen on, as you will never ride it. The course will train you to ride properly and no matter what size you buy they all have throttles and brakes so you get to control your own destiny. Go big, ride hard, keep the rubber side down and be careful out there.
In the B.C. Safety Council beginners course they provide the bikes. The bikes are small and light and very easy to handle regardless of your size, height or physical conditioning. They also provide the bikes for the street rider course (when I took it a few years ago, I believe they ranged from 250cc Honda Rebels to 500 cc sportbikes to 883 Harley Sporters). Great opportunity to try out a few different styles and sizes of bikes (hell, you can even deliberately fail so you can take it over again and try out a different bike - one of the cheapest ways to rent a motorcycle!). I don't know if, for insurance reasons, they'll even let you take your own bike on the elementary street riding course.Savage said:
Oh yes - they also supplied the helmets, but you were required to supply your own gloves. You didn't need motorcycle-specific gear but had to wear jeans and at least a jean jacket to offer some minimum level of protection in case of a fall.
The practice at other motorcycle schools will vary, but most should provide the bikes for the introductory (non-street riding) course. Some schools also provide not only motorcycles but the helmets, gloves, jackets, etc.
Here's a listing of a few, taken from the Yellow Pages (I would recommend the BC Safety Council as I'm familiar with it and its a really good program):
BC Safety Council (604) 299-9000
Action Motorcycle School (604) 878-0860
Vancouver School of Motoring (604) 618-0008
See also the following: http://www.safetycouncil.bc.ca/
At the safetycouncil website, they not only provide information about the course but also show you the different motorcycles that they have available. The beginners course, which requires absolutely no prior experience, is 24 hours over 4 days and costs $495.00 + GST. They presently have a "Season-End Package Deal!" Best money you'll ever spend (with due respect to the ladies...)
If you're ultimately interested in Harley's, you might also want to check out Trev Deeley to see if they offer it. Harley Davidson has a training program and Trev Deeley has some information at:
www.trevdeeley.com/custom/Rider_Training.html
It sounds like you don't have a motorcycle at present so I would strongly recommend you not buy one until after you've completed the course and obtained your motorcycle endorsement.
There can be a several month waiting period for the courses. After you sign up, start by going to some of the motorcycle club meetings (you don't have to have a motorcycle to belong to many of the clubs, only an interest in motorcycling - the local BMW Club, Virago Club, Goldwing Club, etc... are fairly good at welcoming newcomers and to answer questions - most motorcyclists love to talk about motorcycles and riding).
Finally, check out the Vancouver Motorcycle Show (watch for it in the paper). It's held annually in January or February in Abbotsford and most of the Rider Training Courses have a presence there and can answer your questions. Lots of the motorcycle clubs also have booths and are more than happy to spend time chatting with you.
One last thing: Taking an accredited course has a couple of additional benefits. First, you can qualify for a discount on your motorcycle insurance when you get a motorcycle. Second, you can often get a 10% discount on purchases at certain motorcycle dealers.
Listen to the Nike ad: Just do it!
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