Today we got 10 tips for all motorcycle newbies that you should pay special attention to in the beginning. The tips come from our own experience and many of them we have done ourselves. So if you're a new to 125cc bikes, be smart and don't repeat after us.
Take a relaxed look at the tips in the video or read them below at your leisure. Just as you like.
Tip 1: Be a little vain
POV: You have just passed your A1 driving license and are now riding your bike to school or work for the first time. All friends want to admire your bike, touch it and sit on it. Unless you just got an old used bike, be a little stricter here. Let only the closest friends on it and remind quietly to be careful. It is not meant badly by the people, but with their jackets and bags they quickly make scratches in the paint. With appropriate motorcycle clothing, this does not happen. The manufacturers take care here to avoid sharp edges.
Tips 2: Ride alone
As soon as you have your license and a bike, your friends will want to ride with you. Cruising together and going to a party together is also fun. But hey, riding a bike with two people is a different story than riding alone. First of all you should get used to the bike and feel really confident in handling it. A pillion rider changes the whole riding dynamics. Braking becomes more difficult and when accelerating it quickly comes to wheelie. It is easier if the passenger is already a biker himself. So he knows how to behave in the curves and you will feel better on the road.
Tip 3: The clutch is your friend
Think of your clutch as your friend and helper. If you ever get into a situation where you feel like you're losing control, pull the clutch! This way you immediately take the drive out and can stabilize your bike. Also at the traffic light applies: If you stall your motorcycle, no stress. Even if someone honks or something else. Stay relaxed, pull the clutch and start slowly.
Tip 4: Downshift with caution
Especially in the beginning, when you're approaching a traffic light at high speed, you tend to engage the clutch early and go directly into first gear. Make it more relaxed. Pull the clutch briefly and shift down the gears one after the other. Just like shifting up. Nice side effect: the chance of misfire increases ;)
Tip 5: Change lanes quickly
Changing lanes is a stressful matter, especially for beginners in road traffic (whether motorcycle or car). As a biker, you still have the disadvantage that you don't have any metal around in case someone hits you. Therefore, when changing lanes: properly observe the traffic. If needed several times to estimate the speed of the people behind. When changing lanes, drive and accelerate a bit more sportily. In this way, you can quickly pull ahead if the car behind was perhaps a little faster than expected. Also remember that many drivers are often distracted and do not pay particular attention to motorcyclists.
Tip 6: ABS drivers beware
Most modern 125cc motorcycles now have an ABS braking system. This ensures that the tires do not lock when braking and you keep control. Now, if you ever swap bikes with a buddy or friend and that bike doesn't have ABS, watch out like hell! Motorcycles without ABS can act completely diffeneren when using the brake. Be aware that if you brake hard, the tire can lock.
Tip 7: Protectors! Protectors! Protectors!
Yeah it´s more casual to ride without a safety jacket and yes in the summer it´s freaking hot underneath. Nevertheless! Wear your protective clothing and indeed the whole package. Thank us later...
Tip 8: Take your time
Especially in the beginning, but actually all your biker life, you should never ride in a rush. Especially when you are stressed and maybe late, something can happen. Rather risk to be nagged because you are late than that you do not arrive at all ;) This also applies to parking. Once you been too hectic your bike tips over. This is not only annoying, but also expensive.
Tip 9: Get used to your bike
Of course, once you've got your license and a bike, you want to get going right away and never get off the bike again. But you should still take care of it in between, understand the technology a bit and do simple maintenance work yourself. This also saves you workshop costs. You can find spare parts of all kinds in our shop and instructions for almost every part on Youtube. Of course, you can find many tutorials on our channel.
Tip 10: Hanging off
This tip is more for experienced drivers. It's about the so-called hangin off. If you've never seen this before, take a look at a Moto GP video. The riders there hang with their body next to the bike and get close to the ground. The bike is a bit more upright. This not only looks elegant, it also gives you good handling. But as a beginner you should not try this for now ;)
