How many people actively learn how to ride?

**cowboyz** · 8th December 2009, 11:25

I am wondering how many people actively learn how to ride and how many just wing it as they go?

**bogan** · 8th December 2009, 11:29

does learning on a farm count?

**cowboyz** · 8th December 2009, 11:34

it makes no difference to the question.

I learnt how to ride off road but didnt have anyone teach me how to ride. it was more of a, heres a bike start by hoping on it... if at any time you find yourself not on it you done something wrong.

**Juzz976** · 8th December 2009, 11:34

Does riding a motorbike count as active learning?
I'm not sure I understand the question, I learn while sleeping because I dream about riding.

**Juzz976** · 8th December 2009, 11:37

Originally Posted by cowboyz

I learnt how to ride off road but didnt have anyone teach me how to ride. it was more of a, heres a bike start by hoping on it... if at any time you find yourself not on it you done something wrong.

Yep thats how I did it

**oldrider** · 8th December 2009, 11:38

If there were such things as motorcycle schools when I started to learn to ride, I never knew of them!

Besides if there were, I could never have afforded to go anyway!

So I guess I fit into your "wing it" category, seems to have worked for me!

I make no claim to having any great expertise, probably a case of good luck, rather than good management!

**cowboyz** · 8th December 2009, 11:40

no. riding just lets you perfect how to make the same mistakes over and over again.

i suspect his is how most people learn how to ride. some very compedant riders come out of it this way. But the question remains... maybe rephrased... how many people actively look for guidance to learn how to ride?

**bogan** · 8th December 2009, 11:43

Originally Posted by cowboyz

it makes no difference to the question.

I learnt how to ride off road but didnt have anyone teach me how to ride. it was more of a, heres a bike start by hoping on it... if at any time you find yourself not on it you done something wrong.

ah yip, the old man taught me, though theres not too much to teach, how to use the clutch, where the brakes are etc, then learnt cornering techniques etc from mates, got a street riding techniques book which covers vision, position, line selection, pillioning ... in good detail so I practiced most of that, so I spose that counts as active learning, but never really been in a formal training situation.

**Toaster** · 8th December 2009, 11:44

Good point regarding perfecting the same mistakes. Its just habit forming to continue doing what was always done. Its damn hard to improve without input from others more experienced.

**StoneY** · 8th December 2009, 11:48

I was taught to ride at age 10 on a farm, and I say TAUGHT not just shown the controls and let loose

When I sat my provisional (as it was back then) I passed my restricted before going to a rider course, back then only course around in Welly was MOT hosted at Trentham, and upon passing you graduated immediately to a full license (at age 15, and 1 month woohoooo!)

They didnt even 'teach' as such, more refined, advised and followed you through several rides of varying lengths and difficulty, including pillioning a copper through some cones on Trentham Army base

Now, in all honesty I have learned more about 'riding' on the roads since becoming a member of KB and going out with other riders, many a bad habit was exposed, and to some extent rectified due to the advice of the likes of Hawkeye, AJTurbo, Stain and a few other decent types who know the 'gentle' way to tell you...you suck at cornering

**Scotty595** · 8th December 2009, 13:27

I mainly just "wing it". Although in saying that, I do practice emergency braking, and object avoidance when there are no other cars on the road (ie late at night coming home from work)

But I don't actively go out and try to learn, I think there is only so much you can learn from others, most you have to figure out yourself. Just because it works for someone else doesn't mean it works for you.

**slofox** · 8th December 2009, 13:31

Perhaps you need to define what you mean by "actively learn"...

Like do you mean at a riding school? Or something else?

**Juzz976** · 8th December 2009, 13:41

Sometimes you get some crap advice from some so called 'experienced rider' and because you don't agree with them your a 'F'ing dickhead, blah blah'.
And then he high sides his bike doin exactly what he told you to do.

So don't always take in someone else's advice because they may just be full of shit. Save the crazy shit 4 the track.

**YellowDog** · 8th December 2009, 13:42

Originally Posted by slofox

Perhaps you need to define what you mean by "actively learn"...

Like do you mean at a riding school? Or something else?

Well I think what he means is:

How many got a bike, did a BHT and then trialled and errored on the road and learnt to ride by making mistakes and being lucky enough not to survive this idiotic process.

After you have come off a few times and been lucky enough to avoid death you soon learn the essentials of survival.

In my day, motorcycle safety was taken more seriously. My local authority ran training courses and you had to be upto stage 2 (full test stage) before doing your BHT and being allowed to ride on the road unsuperviser. It was not mandatory however a pretty damn good idea. The BHT was the last thing you did at the end of the six week course.

IMO - The money saved in scraping riders off the tar seal and trying to fix them would pay for such schemes 100 times over.