OK, so I have been DYING to get a motorcycle (sick of riding on the back of my boyfriends haha) However, I have no experience. My boyfriend told me there‘s a beginner program to get you used to the motorcycle before taking the actual course to get your license. But after talking to a few others, they say its a waste of money because the course itself is easy.I‘m not sure if I should just spend the extra 100 to feel comfortable with the bike or go by what everyone else is saying. Any help is greatly appreciated along with any advice. I‘m nervous yet so excited. Thanks in advance for your help!
I'd been on ATVs and in pickups since I could reach the controls, and when I picked up riding on 2 wheels just a few short years ago, I went for the safety class. Yeah, it's $100, but they're way more intensive on the safety aspects. I can always spot a 'self taught' rider on the street (commonly called a squid) and sooner or later they'll wad it somewhere. The class will usually have bikes of their own you can drop with no worries. But more importantly, they'll teach you how to ride safely so you can enjoy it for the rest of your long life. The course (of which there is none for Colorado) that the DOT offers is nothing more than a simple agility test of a slalom and figure 8 followed by a quick stop test. I've also heard of insurance companies giving discounts for those who have completed a safety course for the bike
Most belts are designed for the bike they go on. You don't see many 200 horse bikes with belts on them. I suggest you go with a chain, gears, or shaft.
Large MC drive belts should handle 100 HP and higher.Go to manufacturors specs.
Take the course. You will learn a lot more than what is in the book, and you will get time in the saddle to get a feel for riding. The course itself will teach you starting with how to get on the bike, to where and what all the controls are, to how to run, and finally how to handle emergencies. Some of this will be lecture, and a lot of it will be on the bike actually riding. Having your bf show you how to ride is a good way for you two to get into a fight, and he might forget to show you some really basic stuff since he just takes it for granted. Nothing beats a formal course. It does not hurt that in most places the final test of the training is used by the DMV as your practical riding test so all you will have to do for your license is take the written, and almost every insurance agency gives you a discount on rates for taking the class. The second reason is that the instructors will all be long time riders. They have skills and knowledge you will never see written down. You classmates will come from different backgrounds as well, and some of them will have a lot of motorcycle knowledge as well. When discussing things or just shooting the breeze you will pick up a lot of information, and the instructors should be happy to answer any questions you might have. You will never get so much out of another $100 you ever spend. Then you and your bf can take the advanced rider course and learn even more after you get more comfortable on a bike. You should never stop learning or stop practicing basic and emergency skills.
