How Long Did It Take You To Learn How To Ride A Motorycle? | GTAMotorcycle.com

How Long Did It Take You To Learn How To Ride A Motorycle?

Pegassus

Pegassus

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I was 15 when I learnt and it took me only 30 minutes but I had one advantage: I already knew how to drive shift-stick vehicles all by myself in the backroads of Houston,Texas. My uncle taught me in a 1982 Kawasaki.

It amazed me that my brother-in-law, a kid of 13, learnt how to completely master a motorcycle without even knowing how to drive an automatic car and being clueless as to what a "clutch" or "gears" was. We started at 3:30pm and by 5:30pm he was already riding the motorcycle all by himself, making u-turns on the road, stopping, starting, slowing down, all of this without stalling the bike or crashing.

I also tried to teach my 9 and 11 year old nieces but their feet could not touch the brake/shift peg but I was riding behind them without interferring and they rode the motorcycle all over the place as long as I had placed the bike on 2nd gear for them, I know that they could have ridden it by themselves if they could only reach the pegs because I also taught them how to change gears and in theory they knew how to do it, this in just one afternoon.

This is why in Humber College I had not sympathy for full-grown adults who crashed the bikes several times during our M2 tests, c'mon are you kiding me, they have been practicing for days before they go to Humber haven't they?
 
I took my motorcycle training/license training 30 years ago at Centennial College and I have been learning to ride my motorcycle ever since. There is always something I can do better.
 
I took the Humber course, riding my beater GS450/400 up and down the street beforehand (I never dropped that bike once). I didn't learn how to drive a standard car until years later.

Moggs said:
I took my motorcycle training/license training 30 years ago at Centennial College and I have been learning to ride my motorcycle ever since. There is always something I can do better.
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A good mindset to have.
 
I used to drive all around the old neighborhood (Glen Agar) at night, on a 1972 Norton 850 Commando.
Shifting with the right foot; braking with the left. I think I was 15...
I could drive manual-transmission cars too.
Hey a motorhead's a motorhead, what can I say?
I just always knew. Never took a lesson.
Eventually aced the motorcycle license test on my SOHC Honda 750 four.
I put 40,000 miles on that thing - before they changed Canada to the metric system in 1978.
Lots of kilometres (and crashes) over the 35 years since those days...
But all limbs still attached.
 
SkyRider said:
you never stop learning.
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Well if it's not mechanical I don't know what else I can learn, I rode in a 3rd-world country for 3 years that have more dangerous scenarios than Canada and rode in 2 canadian winters IN THE SNOW, gave up riding in the winter when I slid on 5 cm of snow and fell with a tractor trailer skidding and jacknifing trying to stop just 40-ft behind me.
 
You don't know what else you can learn???
I've been riding for 42 years.
Still learning.

Pegassus said:
Well if it's not mechanical I don't know what else I can learn, I rode in a 3rd-world country for 3 years that have more dangerous scenarios than Canada and rode in 2 canadian winters IN THE SNOW, gave up riding in the winter when I slid on 5 cm of snow and fell with a tractor trailer skidding and jacknifing trying to stop just 40-ft behind me.
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Learn to ride, first day at centennial college parking lot, and still am. If you think you're done learning, you're lying to yourself, there is ALWAYS something.
 
Pegassus said:
gave up riding in the winter when I slid on 5 cm of snow and fell with a tractor trailer skidding and jacknifing trying to stop just 40-ft behind me.
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You learned not to ride in the snow. That's a good start. LOL

Methinks your overconfidence will be your undoing.
 
Low rider said:
You don't know what else you can learn???
I've been riding for 42 years.
Still learning.
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Old man with an old bike.
Don't worry, I respect both. :D
 
Unless you're the master and undisputed champion of every Motorsport out there that involves a motorcycle, I hardly think you're in a position to say you've learned it all, and that sort of attitude lends itself to be cocky and inattentive, which is a dangerous combination on a vehicle where one little mistake can cost you your life.
 
I pretend that I know what I am doing but the reallity is this is my 3rd season learning :)
 
Riding 3 years and still learning.

If you mean how long did it take to actually feel mostly comfortable, I'd say about 10 hours of street riding. But even now I still feel like I'm going to die every time I'm on the 401. Worse if it's raining. I really don't trust my tires in the wet.
 
Pegassus said:
...This is why in Humber College I had not sympathy for full-grown adults who crashed the bikes several times during our M2 tests, c'mon are you kiding me, they have been practicing for days before they go to Humber haven't they?
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Such arrogance, and as someone else has said, cockiness! Welcome to a world where everyone is not perfect. And where, thank God, we are all different! I certainly know how to ride my motorcycle. But, I am always learning and welcome constructive criticism/advice/suggestions,etc. from more experienced riders. I certainly haven't done or read research on this, but I have a feeling that there are some things that younger people simply learn or pick up faster/easier than older people. Younger people, I believe, don't worry or think about consequences. For example, I play indoor and outdoor soccer. I'm almost 50 and started playing about 4 years ago (having never played before). I'm sure if I had played as a child, I would not have been concerned about being hurt or breaking bones. But now, at my age, and with the responsibilities I have, I am more conscious of these things. Doesn't mean I don't enjoy playing, I'm just no 'Beckham', that's for sure :)

You need to humble yourself.
 
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mmmnaked said:
You need to learn to spot a troll.
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I think I just did. In what part of my post did you see I'm trolling? You don't believe that a 13-year-old learnt in 3 hours what you have not learnt in 5 years? Believe me, it did happen.
 
skitta said:
You need to humble yourself.
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People rarely humble themselves, but are rather humbled by an outside source. In my case it was having a 'washed up former pro racer' casually look back over his shoulder at me while riding one handed, mid corner, when I thought that I was going as fast as, and leaned over as far as, I possibly could be.
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