Beginner Bikes
To beginner bike, or not to beginner bike. That is the question. The age old argument; you can learn to ride on a powerful motorcycle. A thought that will inevitably run through the new rider’s mind is, “What size engine should my first bike have?” This question creates an argument that is nearly as old as motorcycles themselves! There are large groups of riders planted firmly on both sides of the fence.
There are two distinct options: buying a beginner bike is the only way to go, or, it is possible to learn on a bike with high power output. Riders on the “beginner bike” side of the fence are generally there for the advocation of safety. Riders for the “skip the beginner bike” advocate self-discipline, financial saving, and the avoidance of boredom.
Both sides make good points, on the surface. If you look deeper, riders on one side of the fence have a stronger argument. Many riders will approach motorcycles with an ideal style and machine that they would like to achieve. Why not jump to that dream bike and cut out all the awkward middle phases? You’ll save money and turn heads instantly on your beautiful motorcycle. All it will take is some self-control and you can side-step all of the boring and expensive growing pains that the beginner bikes come with. Heck, you even have some dirt bike experience from when you were younger and handling a powerful motorcycle will come naturally. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Such a train of mind can be irresistible, but riders on the other side of the fence have a much better argument. Firstly, let’s dispel the “cons” associated with the beginner bike.
Cons
Financial Loss
Beginner bikes are significantly cheaper than your dream bike. If you are good at buying/selling, the amount lost on a beginner bike will be negligible in most cases. This also means that if you drop your first bike, which is very common, it will be less expensive to fix and you will be less agitated over it.
Beginner Bikes Are Easily Outgrown and Boring
This is something that will eventually happen with a beginner bike. However, if you select a bike properly, it will tickle your fancy for 1-2 seasons. Even if a bike has adequate power, you may grow bored of it after that amount of time anyway! As a new rider, you will not know your ideal bike until you try some out. A beginner bike does not mean the smallest machine you can find, but rather, a suitable power-to-weight ratio for the new rider. A petite woman could be happy with a 125cc for years, whereas, a 6 foot 250 pound man could be bored within a month.
Pros
Let’s talk pros. Beginner bikes are cheap, making them easy to save for and easy to fix. Beginner bikes are forgiving. Smaller engines and older technology have lower power outputs and less responsive controls. You could have the mental self-control of a life long monk, but, self-control does not equate to muscle memory even slightly. There will be times where your control inputs are incorrect or sloppy. On a beginner bike, aside from extremely poor inputs, there will be minimal effects to the machine. On a powerful motorcycle, even minor input inaccuracies could result in traction or stability loss, as well as Panic Reactions, all of which could result in a crash. Powerful motorcycles also tend to be larger than your average beginner bike. Manoeuvring heavy bikes and managing their momentum (more on momentum in Operational Hazards) can be extremely challenging with a beginner’s skill set. All of these points mixed with the powerful motorcycle’s ability to hit high speeds easily is what makes them unsafe for new riders.
Fast-Tracked Learning
There are some much less talked about arguments on the beginner bike side of the fence. You now know that riding motorcycles physically is only half of the Skill Bubble. The other half is all mental skills that have nothing to do with self control and everything to do with experience. This is why dirt bike experience has small benefits with regards to street riding. Having the ability to be riding outside of the mental aspects of your Skill Bubble by breathing on the throttle is not something a new motorcyclist should have access to.
In addition to being cheap and safer, there is a third significant attribute. Beginner bikes encourage faster muscle memory development and create confident riders faster. This is a passive effect that would likely never be noticed, but it is there all the same. Your growth as a motorcyclist is dependant on the progression of skills outlined in the Skill Bubble. One of the most important is the connection between rider and motorcycle that builds over time. Starting on smaller, less responsive machines allows for more leeway with regards to sloppy control inputs. On top of being safer, this allows you to push your muscle memory closer to its limits with lower consequence for control inaccuracy. Larger, responsive motorcycles bite back. They do not tolerate poor control manipulation and can intimidate the new rider. This creates a timid learning process that stunts muscle memory growth. In some cases, that the rider sells their bike because they are afraid to ride it.
Low consequence for control sloppiness instills confidence in the rider which fast-tracks muscle memory growth. Beginner bikes allow the rider to push boundaries and learn from mistakes on a bike that is not so volatile under such circumstances. If the new motorcyclist skips ahead, they figuratively have to tip-toe around the motorcycle controls to keep the machine settled. While it is true that your skills will eventually be limited by your bike causing boredom, the whole purpose of the learner bike is learning how to assertively control the bike with limited capabilities before throwing a leg over a more responsive machine. This will allow you to approach your new motorcycle with a diverse skill-set when you decide to move up. Every new motorcycle will be met with the muscle memory and confidence that was built from the last, while also providing a safer and faster learning environment.
The Verdict
Back to the question at hand; can you learn to ride on a powerful motorcycle? Yes, you can. Is it a good idea? No, it’s not. Note that by skipping the beginner bike, you are consciously choosing appearance and small financial gain over your well-being and fast-tracked development as a motorcyclist. If you want to learn as quickly and safely as possible, the beginner bike is for you. In general, appropriate beginner bikes fall in between 125cc and 500cc. Someone who is larger in stature may require more horsepower to be entertained, but should stay below 750cc and avoid race replica type machines.
