Riding motorcycles and moped

About compulsory basic training	Information for moped riders
Clothing and weather protection	What motorcycles you can ride
Returning to motorcycling	Motorcycle practical test
Do It Online

Returning to motorcycling

If you are thinking about returning to motorcycling after a long break you should consider doing a training course to refresh your old skills and learn new ones.

Getting back on the road

Do you watch Superbikes on TV and remember the good times you had on bikes when you were younger?

Riding a motorbike can be exhilarating, but dont be blind to reality; the bikes you used to ride may have been slow, didnt corner too well and quite often didnt want to stop either.

Todays bikes are technological masterpieces. Theyre built using lighter materials, have very powerful engines, large radial tyres, disc brakes and are often fitted with traction control and anti-lock brakes.

Superbike riders vs. road riders

Even the expert Superbike riders get it wrong sometimes. They ride on the limit and are prepared for a fall. But remember, TV doesnt show the agony the rider will be in the next day. Road riders cant rely on the relative safety of a gravel trap, theyre more likely to hit a kerb, a wall, tree, lamppost, another vehicle!

Staying out of trouble

The best riders have developed a higher level of concentration than the average rider and are continually scanning around them for signs of possible danger. They dont wait for something to develop. Everything is planned; travelling at a safe speed with the bike in the right gear and in the safest position on the road.

Youll find most of these riders have taken defensive riding courses and are constantly developing these skills.

Its a sad fact, but riders returning to biking after a long period of time without training are more vulnerable and are likely to be involved in an accident in their first two weeks of riding.

Motorcyclists are 45 times more likely to be killed on the road than car drivers, and these figures are rising.

What can you do?

If you think training is boring, try to look at it as development. After all, if you were trying to improve your golf swing or your tennis game, you wouldnt think twice about taking lessons with a professional.

Dont learn the hard waythe school of hard knocks can be a very painful way to learn and in some cases you dont graduate.

Motorcyclists represent less than one per cent of all road traffic but suffer 18 per cent of deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

If its a long time since you rode a bike, consider taking a basic training course. Talk to a professional trainer about advanced riding courses. Theyre all enthusiastic motorcyclists who are happy to pass on their knowledge.

Advanced training is available from various organisations. You can get information on these from the road safety officer at your local council or from the Yellow Pages.

^TOP