First hand account of riding a motorcycle for the first time

Jul 24, 2023

STURGIS, S.D. - Riders at the Rally are by no means novices, but what about folks that have never ridden before and want to try it? Ride with Us is hosted by the Motorcycle Industry Council, they offer free rides with world-class instructors to first-time riders and those who need a refresher on the basics.

I went for a ride today and as a first-time motorcyclist, I have some thoughts to share. First, I admit I was nervous before going into the lesson. I had thoughts of "What if I crash? What if I fly off the handles? What if I embarrass myself in front of all the experts by falling?" Once I got to LifeSpring Wesleyan Church in Sturgis all the instructors were so patient and understood that riding for the first time could be a scary experience.

I was told before coming in to wear long pants (jeans or hiking pants) and a long sleeve shirt, which I happily compiled. I signed the waiver and from there one of the instructors taught me how to properly put on a helmet and gave me gloves. Luckily I was wearing boots that covered/protected my ankles, but they do have shoes for those who might be wearing the wrong ones.

Once I was all "geared up", a term I learned meaning "wearing the right equipment", I met my riding instructor. She gave me the rundown on how to mount the bike, where the clutch was and how to use it in adjunction with the gas, and how to brake. I made sure to fully understand what she was saying and asked any questions I had, she was more than happy to answer. Her instructions were easy to follow and I was starting to feel a little less tense.

Then came when she turned on the bike but kept me in the neutral position, I was thinking "Oh gosh, what did I get myself into?" She let me rev the engine a couple of times to feel how the gas was. From there she asked me "Do you feel comfortable enough to switch to first gear and start moving?" I almost said no, but I came all this way and thought I need to step outside of my comfort zone. Plus at this point, my anxiety was starting to change to excitement.

Once the gear shifted to first, the bike didn't jolt, didn't go racing, didn't move. We started with baby steps, she walked a couple of feet and held out her hand. The goal was to make me feel comfortable with the clutch with gas and how to brake. I successfully made it to her hand, then she moved a little bit further. We did that until we were halfway around the circle they created in the church parking lot. At that point, I wanted to go faster and try to put my feet up on the pedals. I told her what I was thinking and she encouraged the idea.

She told me in order to put my feet up I would have to use the gas even more, meaning going faster. The nerves started again, but only for less than 10 seconds. I slowly let the clutch up while increasing the gas, and I did it! I put my feet on the pedals, it felt amazing. In less than 15 minutes I learned how to feel comfortable on a bike and actually go a decent speed (in reality it was about 3-5 mph).

Now this is when I learned that I like to look down when I am on a bike, a big no-no. Just like a car, you should always look at where you want to go. I was too focused on making sure that I was feathering the clutch and accelerating that I forgot how to turn a bike for a second and scared myself thinking I was going to run into the barrier. Luckily, I remembered what my instructor told me: release the clutch slowly and grab the brake handle. I stopped myself from actually falling and embarrassing myself (my worst fear).

By the time I got the hang of turning properly, I stalled out the bike about 4-5 times. I admit I was starting to get frustrated with myself that I kept stalling, but all the instructors in the circle were encouraging and eventually, I was able to make it around the circle a few times without any faults.

Overall the experience was great and exhilarating. In truth, I finally understand why bikers love riding. It felt freeing with the wind on my face and feeling the sunshine on my back.

I definitely recommend this experience for those who might want to try but are nervous. All the folks there really just want people to understand the joys of riding. Ride with Us will be at the LifeSpring Wesleyan Church in Sturgis until Tuesday, August 8. The ride is free and they have the gear for you. You can visit their website here for more information.