Updated 20th June 2025
Here are 22 Motorcycle Riding Tips & Tricks I’ve learned over the years. We all start somewhere. And no matter how long you’ve been riding, your journey into life on two wheels has more to teach you.
These aren’t lessons from a manual. They’re the quiet ones—earned through time, mistakes, detours, and days when nothing went to plan.
If you’re starting out, read this twice. If you’ve been riding for years, read it with fresh eyes!
Let’s begin.
1. You’re Not As Good As You Think You Are
None of us are. The moment you believe you’ve mastered it is the moment you stop growing.
Stay humble. Stay open. Ride like you’ve still got a lot to learn—because you probably do.
2. Ride Like Everything Is Your Fault
Not because it is—but because it’s the only mindset that gives you full control.
That car shouldn’t have pulled out. But you could’ve (probably should’ve) seen it coming.
Blame doesn’t keep you alive. Awareness does.
3. Improve. Always.
BikeSafe. RoSPA. Track days. Off-road schools. Any of them. Not to show off, but to sharpen your craft.
Oh, and ride with people that are better than you. Ask for critique. And learn how to take it with good intentions.
Related: How Advanced Motorcycle Training Can Enhance Your Touring
4. Master the Basics
Finesse slow-speed manoeuvring. Balance the throttle, clutch, and rear brake.
Practice u-turns. Ride figure 8s. Control your bike down then practice picking it up from the ground. Make a conscious effort to master observation.
Get these right and the rest will follow.
5. Your Back Brake Is a Superpower
It’s the key to control. Especially at slow speed.
Want to negotiate city traffic and mini roundabouts with poise and control? Learn how to use your rear brake properly.
Related: Practical Slow-Speed Riding For Motorcycle Touring
6. Learn to Stop
Practice emergency braking. On purpose. In safe places.
Muscle memory will save you when your brain freezes. And this is a good thing – because your reactions are way quicker than your thinking time. So make sure yours are positive ones.
7. You’ll Have Off Days
Some days the ride flows. Some days you feel like a beginner. It happens.
Don’t force it on days like these. Don’t get annoyed with yourself. Chalk it down as a bad day at the office. Ride slower, breathe more, and try again tomorrow.
8. Fitness Makes You a Better Rider
You don’t need to be an athlete. But alertness, strength, and stamina matter.
Strong body. Clear head. Steady hands. Less mental and physical fatigue. That’s how you avoid mistakes—and pick your bike up when it all goes wrong.
Related: Motorcycle Fitness: Get More From Your Tour
9. Earplugs Aren’t Optional
Wind noise drains you. It dulls your focus and damages your hearing. Plug in, ride further and stay sharper. Protect your future self.
10. You Are Invisible
Cars won’t see you. It’s not personal—they’re simply not looking for you.
Ride like nobody’s seen you. Then choose your road position like your life depends on it. Because one day, it very well might do.
11. It’s Okay to Ride Slow
You’re not racing.
Ride at a speed that gives you space to think and room to react. Smooth is fast. Fast is sometimes foolish. Let go of the ego and ride to your abilities.
12. Nobody Cares What You Ride
Seriously. The loud pipes, the lean angles, the brand loyalty—it’s all biker top-trump nonsense. Grown-up willy waving.
Ride what makes you want to get out and explore.
The real flex is still being in love with motorcycling 10 years from now, whatever bike you ride.
Related: Used Motorcycle vs New: Why I Bought a Used Bike in 2025
13. Take Breaks. Proper Ones.
Get off the bike. Walk. Breathe. Notice something.
Riding doesn’t always have to be about escape. Most people forget that it can also be about presence.
One thing I learned way too late is that the road is only half the experience.
Related: The Difference Between Riding & Escaping
14. Anger + Motorcycles = Bad Idea
Leave the temper at home. And as someone who has a short temper, I know this is easier said than done.
But riding mad leads to poor decisions. Pinning the throttle. Heavy on the brakes. Unnecessary risks.
Wait until your head clears. Or take the car.
15. Speaking of Which…
It’s okay to take the car.
Comfort, weather, logistics—sometimes it’s just easier. Owning a bike doesn’t mean proving a point.
Ride it when you can, and take the car when it makes sense. Nobody will think any less of you.
16. Small Bikes, Big Smiles
Don’t fall for the “bigger is better” myth. Lighter bikes are more playful, cheaper to run, and easier to live with.
To this day, I ride a 600cc round country lanes quicker than a 1000cc.
You’ll grow faster as a rider. And you’ll smile a hell of a lot more.
17. Don’t Scrimp on Tyres
They’re the only part of your bike touching the ground. If your tyres are questionable, so are you as a rider.
Buy the good ones. And then buy them again when you accidentally get a nail in one a week later (yes, that will happen). It seems like a lot of money to invest. And it is. But you’re worth it.
Related: What are the Best Motorcycle Touring Tyres?
18. Find a Mechanic You Trust
A good mechanic isn’t just about skills—it’s about peace of mind.
Ask around. Stick with the one who fixes your bike as though it were their own.
They’ll keep you safer than any gadget ever will.
19. Ride With Intention
Every few weeks, go out with one goal: to ride well.
Check your blind spots. Nail your positioning. Ride like you’re being assessed. Try commentating to yourself as if someone were listening.
It keeps the rust away and keeps you honest about your ability.
20. You Can Still Have Fun Alone
Your mates will flake. Plans will fall through.
Don’t wait. Go anyway. I can categorically guarantee that most of your best rides will be solo ones.
21. Stop Trying to Impress Anyone
Wheelies, revs, race lines through villages—they don’t make you look cool. They make you look like a nob. The chavs will clap and cheer. But the real bikers will feel ashamed.
Ride for the right reasons. Nobody worth impressing is watching anyway.
22. It’s Supposed to Be Fun
Don’t forget that!
The best rides are often the ones with no plan, no pressure, and no audience.
It’s just you, the bike, and the road. And that’s more than enough.
For touring-related tips, see The Motorcycle Touring Tips No One Tells You