/ Tips & Advice

Should I take a motorcycle riding course, and what are the benefits?

Should you go with the free option, or have a trained professional teach you how to ride?

Earl Lee Earl Lee on Nov 11, 2021
Motorcycle Riding Course Benefits

If you want to get started on a motorcycle, do you rely on a family member or a friend to teach you the ins and outs of riding? Or, do you rely on a trained professional? Unless your family member is a trained professional, the latter option sounds better. While a lot of people can explain the fundamentals of how to ride like working the clutch, how to change gears, and how to modulate the throttle, there are a few other things that you have to know beyond the fundamentals. 

Safety and know-how are of the utmost importance when riding a motorcycle. You can be taught how to ride, but being taught how to ride safely is another chapter in and of itself. There’s a lot of minutiae about riding safely, like positioning, escape routes, and even post-accident response.  

What motorcycle riding course should I take?

BMW G310 R

There are multiple disciplines that you can tackle on two wheels. Whether you crave the feeling of mud being flung everywhere, or if you want to go fast and upgrade your skillset. There is probably a riding instructor in the industry that can teach you the ins and outs of riding a certain way. Of course, you also have safety schools that will give you the necessary skills to operate any two-wheeler, whether a commuter, a scooter, or a big-displacement sportbike safely on the road. 

Know yourself first and how you ride. If you are a total novice without any prior experience, it’ll be best if you take the safety course first. You don’t want to head into the track right away, though some have done so with a decent amount of success. If you know how to ride, we still recommend that you take a safety course in case you haven’t already. From there, work your way up to more advanced skills like dirt riding or track riding. Now, it seems a little counter-intuitive to develop skills associated with motorsports, but trust us, a little capability goes a long way especially when faced with certain situations where you need to react quickly in order to avoid an accident. 

What are the benefits of a course?

MV Agusta Brutale 800

On top of that, there is less trial and error involved when talking about a course. Sure, you can learn all of these things on YouTube, but a separate pair of eyes on the ground, and with you, will help you develop more as a rider and hopefully stamp out bad habits associated with riding. 

At the end of the course, there are certain schools that will give you certifications. Not only will these accolades be a good reflection on your motorcycle riding resume, but they may also help you along with applying for a license, say the school is accredited with the LTO. Also, there is a certain honor associated with finishing a particularly difficult course, which should help with your confidence on two wheels. 

Are there any downsides?

Motorcycle Accident

While this may sound all well and good, the biggest issue here is the price. These modules do not come cheap in most cases but can be pretty worthwhile nonetheless. Given how you can ask your relatives or friends to teach you, it seems like the more cost-effective solution. Typically, courses can range from about a few thousand Pesos to upwards of P10,000, depending on the scope of the course. 

High-end and advanced courses will definitely cost you an arm and a leg, and for a lot of riders, even a basic course will also set them back a few limbs. Regardless, safety cannot be taken for granted, and if you could spend that extra money to be safe, you won’t just save your actual arms and legs, you could potentially save your life. 

So should I?

Motorcyclist Accident

While you can learn a lot of riding skills on YouTube nowadays, it still doesn’t beat the face-to-face interaction between you and a riding instructor. Again, another set of eyes help pick out what you’re doing wrong, something that you might not be able to do on your own. Remember, riding a motorcycle is a very involved activity, and the wrong body position or bad habits can cause you to tip over, whether slow or fast. 

Just because you know how to balance on a motorcycle and accelerate, doesn’t mean that you’re already road-worthy. There are also other things that you need to learn like proper road etiquette and other rules and regulations associated with riding. Make sure that you are aware of these things before hopping on the saddle. Remember, while riding can be a very fun activity, it can take a turn of the worst. Equipping yourself with the skills and knowledge to avoid a crash is crucial. Have a good overhead of skills so that you may keep yourself and others safe. 

Related Articles

Latest Features