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-   -   Want to get confident about my riding skills before buying my first bike. How can I do that? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ride-safe/190134-want-get-confident-about-my-riding-skills-before-buying-my-first-bike-how-can-i-do.html)

Hey folks, I am turning 20 in a few days and I want to gift myself a bike. My budget is up to 120K INR and I reside in Delhi/NCR area. Preferred brand is Yamaha based on my lurking around on this forum and some internet research.

I haven't ridden motorbikes much. I've ridden pedal bikes a lot, and rode a Pulsar once which was on a whim in an emergency situation.

I can't find any motorbike driving schools nearby. The one guy I found is charging 6K INR for a class - that doesn't sound practical at all. Don't really have any friends in this area either who can help me.

I'd like to practice for a while in Indian traffic conditions and get an FZ25 after that since I really like that bike and it seems to be around my budget.

I was just issued my learner's license btw. Any suggestions for me?

The only way to get confident at riding, is by actually riding it. There is no other way.

Maybe try to ride a few minutes everyday on open ground, just to get a hang of how riding actually works. Do this for a couple of weeks before actually hitting the road, so atleast you have a feel of how the bike responds (to acceleration, braking, turn etc).

PS: Golden, age old advice - Start slow in the beginning, do not get excited and get carried away.

Friends? Should you have friends with bikes, ask them to accompany you.

Well, yes, but I don't have a spare bike to practice with.

Edit: Are you suggesting I get the bike and practice slowly on the new one itself? I guess that's fair but I am still scared to do that.

What I would suggest is to get a used bike (basic one) and try practicing on it for a couple of months until you get the confidence. But in that case you may have to shell out some extra money to buy a used bike.

The other option is to go ahead with the motorbiking school, but again confidence will be built only after a few days of biking on your own.

Happy Birthday in advance:)

You can also practice in the new bike as well, just be extra careful so that you may not hurt yourself or your bike.
Get a good helmet before you start riding.

Not at this place, sadly, none.

Get yourself a dirt cheap used splendor or some such other bike for 25k or thereabouts. Use said bike for 3 months for every single errand you have to run. Get totally comfortable with it.

Then go around and test ride what you want to buy. Give this bike up as an exchange offer and get your new steed.

Ride safe!

Yeah, budget would be a little issue. I'd honestly just pay that 6k guy if it seemed legit. It seems like a scam to me.

Is Splendor meant to be a no brainer to ride? Sorry if I am being ignorant but I guess I don't see how this solves the problem - I'd have the same problem with Splendor as well since I don't know how to ride bikes and I don't have anyone to teach me. So what am I missing?

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From what you have stated, balance won't be an issue. You just need to get used to the Clutch for geared bikes. As suggested earlier, try getting a used bike or a bike from neighbors if possible. Practice on an open ground. As you have ridden a Pulsar earlier the theory should not be an issue for the gears, clutch and braking.

Rest is all practice which will help with the confidence. I myself was 20 when I started learning to ride a bike courtesy of my friends. Took all but 10-15 kms to get used to it.

All the best! :thumbs up

Firstly, a splendor is easy to fix if you fall. Get used to falling at low speeds. Secondly it should be easy to find used. Third, it will be very easy to fork over to the dealership in exchange for a yamaha. Anything else in the 100 cc category will also do.


You dont need anyone to teach you. Buy a bike, and get out to a playground and just start riding it. Take a friend along for help. Clutch, gear, shift, brake. You just need to train body brain reflexes. You will have to do the same thing 100,200,500 times to allow it to be reflex action. No driving school can help with this.

When i learnt to ride my yezdi 250, i just took her out for a spin around the park every day for 30 minutes. Alone. I was set in about 1 week. A month later i was out on a ride from bangalore to chennai. I was your age.

Give yourself more credit and go out there and just do it. Being a keyboard warrior will not help one bit.

Sorry if i am being pushy. In cases like this however, thats what you need. Your innate confidence will do the rest.

Now get out there and start riding!

The fact that you feel you need to learn the ropes before you are out on the public roads shows how mature your thinking is. Well done! Most kids would just want to get a bike as quickly as possible and just learn on the fly which might not always end well.

I am a riding rookie as well, and I did have to learn a lot of the basics - brake balance, cornering, low speed manoeuvrability, and much more before I felt confident enough to go for a long ride. If you don't have any friend's bikes to borrow, then I suggest you buy a really cheap used 100cc bike or something. Granted, you'll have to spend more money in the process, but learning the basics on a very light bike with not much power will be much easier, IMO. And if you do have a spill, it will be on the banger and not your shiny new bike. Making mistakes while learning to ride is OK, and you will learn valuable lessons in the process.

Most importantly, keep aside some cash to get good riding gear. No matter what you ride, your safety is of the utmost importance. Good luck, and welcome to the wonderful world of 2 wheels. :)

You should start practicing on a Honda Activa/Dio (pick up a used one or rent it). :thumbs up
Once you are comfortable with it, after a month or two of regular riding, you should graduate to small bikes (100-125cc), to learn gear switching, brakes, emergency stops etc.

Jumping straight into a 250cc bike, with just few hours of riding experience, puts both the riders and other road users at huge risk.

Yeah, I think that makes sense. Although my pulsar ride was entirely spontaneous and I am not really sure how I did it. Probably just luck.

Those are fair points, thank you!

Thank you, I'll keep that in mind.

Haha, I've ridden Activa before. I don't like it at all. But thanks. I agree that my wish to get an FZ25 as my first bike isn't a well grounded one.

Friends teaching you might get you into bad habits though unless you get the right friend.

I don't know who went and taught half the bikers in chennai but to make a right turn they'll drive onto the wrong side of the road, turn right again onto the wrong lane and then diagonally cut across to the correct lane. Whoever this instructor is, my dearest wish is to go back in time and educate his parents on the "a small family is a happy family" motto before he gets to be born.

That and counter steering on curves especially at speed is one thing that may sound intuitive but is better to learn.

In the US for a first time rider like the OP, he could go to a MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) course which is usually a two to three day class with both range training (on your own bike or one of theres) and theory which helps you on the test with the DMV.

In your case, get yourself a cheap cheap bike, not new. You will dump your bike no matter what. If its a new FZ25 your gonna kick yourself in the head and not be confident as you said. If they still exist get a Splendour or a old Pulsar and ride around until you can get clutch, engine braking, braking and road awareness dialed in.

If you can't borrow a small 100-150cc bike from friends/relatives, try renting one - your profile says Delhi, so it should be easy. Rent a Splendor or Discover , familiarize yourself on it for a week or two. If that doesn't work out, buy a used bike for 20K.

Simple exercise to begin with, when you have a bike.
(1) Keep the engine off. Pull the clutch lever in completely, then release the lever slowly while counting 1,2 so that you begin releasing as you say "1" , and the lever reaches end of travel only when you finish saying "2". Do this 50 times, 100 times till your muscle trains to release clutch slowly enough.

(2) Repeat the same as above, this time opening throttle from fully closed to half-way open in 2 seconds again. Repeat 50 or 100 times or as needed till your muscles 'remember' the motion.

(3) Now repeat (1) and (2) at the same time.

(4) Now it's time to try (3) with the engine on. Make sure you're in a clear, fairly open area such as a playground or deserted road.