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Getting Started
Why Ride?
 Motorcyclists ride for many reasons. You will most likely value the pure enjoyment of the experience. You may also enjoy organised activity with motorcycle clubs, competitive sport riding, or collecting or restoring fine machinery that can also be ridden. Finally, you may find motorcycles an efficient form of transportation, with financial and environmental benefits.
Who Can Ride?
There are, of course, specific laws regarding what
kind of motorcycles need to be licensed and who can obtain a
license. Basically, any motorcycle that can legally be ridden
on the street must be licensed, and anyone who can get a car
license can get a motorcycle license.
A motorcycle license, however, is separate from a car license,
with separate testing procedures. Ontario now uses a graduated
licensing system that limits new riders' privileges until
they have gained experience.
In addition to the legal requirements, there are physical demands
placed upon a motorcyclist. Riding is a more physical activity
than driving a car, and you must be able to handle the machine.
A small and light person should consider a smaller, lighter motorcycle.
Legally, a motorcycle could be your first vehicle - you are not required to be a licensed car driver. However, some safety authorities recommend your first vehicle be a car. You should learn to handle traffic, distractions, following directions, and dealing with emergencies without the additional complication of a vehicle that can tip over. Accidents that are minor in a car are more serious on a motorcycle - gain your initial driving experience in the safer vehicle.
Your First Bike
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One of the most exciting aspects of beginning motorcycling is choosing your first bike. We will not make specific recommendations, but do offer some guidance and general principles on selecting your vehicle. Spend some time deciding what style of motorcycle interests you before searching for a particular brand and model; prefer moderation in styling, size, and power for your first bike; and consider buying a smaller, perhaps used, vehicle for learning, with a plan to upgrade later when you've learned more about your specific interests.
Note that you can take our beginning rider's course before you make this buying decision, as we provide the motorcycles for this course.
Riding Gear
Your other critical decision when equipping yourself is what kind of safety gear you will use. In one sense, this is a more urgent purchase than your motorcycle: we supply the motorcycle for our beginner's course, but you must supply proper riding gear.
 You are legally required to wear an approved helmet at all times when riding in Ontario. Many styles of helmet are approved (and, in fact, there are several different approval agencies). We recommend, however, you wear a good quality, full-face helmet even though lesser styles are still legally acceptable. Regardless of your helmet choice, don't neglect eye protection. Be prepared to ride with your face visor down or to wear goggles, eye shields, or sunglasses, at all times. At highway speeds, a stone chip or a June bug can cause serious harm, and will likely lead to a crash.
If you should happen to fall, many motorcycle injuries come from abrasion as you slide along the ground. To protect yourself from this, you should wear gloves, long-legged sturdy pants, a jacket, and boots, at all times. Leather or specially made synthetics are the preferred material, with heavy denim being a barely acceptable compromise. (Proper leather gear comes from motorcycle supply houses. "Fashion" leather from fashion stores is no better protection than everyday clothes.) We realise that being fully dressed as recommended above may not match the image you have in mind for certain styles of motorcycling. We'll welcome you as a fellow rider with other clothing choices. Nevertheless, our professional advice, followed by all our instructors, is to ride with full protection all the time.
Some final points on clothing. A good rain suit that can be worn over your riding gear is a good investment that will allow you to ride in comfort in more situations. (Even a large trash bag with arm and head cutouts, stored under your seat, is a good emergency rain suit.) Finally, be prepared to dress warmly, especially on a long trip. You will seldom be too hot on a motorcycle, but travelling in the open air can make you cold, even on a warm summer day.
Learning to Ride
You are not required to take formal training before taking your license test, but most riding organisations recommend that you do, for many reasons:
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 Professional rider training will substantially reduce your risk of being in a motorcycle accident by improving your riding skills, traffic awareness, and collision-avoidance skills. (In a recent study,
92% of accidents involved untrained riders.)
You are more likely to pass your license test with formal training.
You will enjoy your motorcycling hobby more if you are a trained
rider, as you will ride with more confidence, better speed, and
better control.
Most insurance companies will give a discount to trained riders.
For younger riders this discount is often more than the price
of the training program.
The length of the intermediate periods in Ontario's
graduated licensing
system are shortened if you take an approved safety course during the
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If you think you may be interested in motorcycling but are not sure and are not yet ready to make the investment in a full training course, our Gearing Up Introduction course may be for you - it offers a basic introduction to the skills of operating a motorcycle, without the intensive training provided by our full Gearing Up course.
 After your initial training and license, the key to motorcycling enjoyment is continued practice and continued training. We will teach you how to practice basic skills during your everyday riding, and we offer courses to allow you to refresh and polish your
skills as you become experienced. The more you know about motorcycling,
and the higher your skill level, the more you will enjoy this
great hobby.
Helmet photo courtesy of
Shoei Safety Helmets,
used with permission.
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