Posted on October 1, 2025 by Michael Le Pard
Total Motorcycle’s Beginner’s Guide to Motorcycling
26th Anniversary Edition
Be inspired. Make this year THE year to start riding and adventuring. Start off right by reading our Beginner’s Guide to Motorcycling. Millions of new riders each year are helped by our guide.
Main Sections
- Section One: The First Steps
- Section One 1/2: Insurance
- Section Two: Choosing Your Ride and not someone else’s
- Section Two 1/2: Motorcycle Seat Heights
- Section Three: The Basic Styles of Motorcycles
- Section Four: Motorcycle Gear, Gearing Up
- Section Five: Routes and Lessons – Learning to Ride
- Section Five 1/2: Counter Steering & Push Steering
- Section Five 3/4: Counterweighting – Tight Turns, Tight Skills
- Section Six: The Soul of a Bike – The Engine
- Section Six 1/2: The Engine Wars – Single vs. V-Twin vs. In-line Four
- Section Six 2/2: How Loud Do You Want It?
- Section Seven: Motorcycle Tests and Quizzes
- Section Eight: Motorcycle Maintenance – More Than Kicking Tires
- Section Nine: Survivability – Cars Versus Motorcycles
- Section Ten: Advanced Riding & Touring
Appendices
Advice
- Riders Write: Andrew Durling
New Bonus Content
- 200 Beginner’s Motorcycle Comparison
- Beginner Bike Confidence Quiz
- Beginner Bike Fit & Confidence Checklist
- Global Motorcycle Insurance Cost Comparison
- Top 10 Beginner Mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- How to Practice in a Parking Lot
- Weather Riding Guide
- Motorcycle Situational Awareness
- Basic Motorcycle Maintenance Schedules
- Top 10 Tools Every Rider Should Own
- How to Check a Used Bike Before You Buy
- Printable Maintenance Log Template
- Motorcycle Cost of Ownership
- Buying or Selling Motorcycle Market Timing
- Budgeting for of Motorcycle Riding
- Motorcycling Riding Culture Around the World
- The Evolution of Rider Training
- Motorcycle Gear Checklist
- Pre Ride Safety Checklist
- Used Bike Inspection Checklist
- Emergency Roadside Kit Checklist
- When to Upgrade Your Bike (signs you’ve outgrown your first ride)
- Group Riding Etiquette Intro
- Ultimate Motorcycle Track Day Guide
- Adventure & Touring Basics
Motorcycling isn’t about transportation alone, more than just a lifestyle, it is a life‑changing event; period.
Imagine this: You’re riding down a clear road, tank full of gas, no particular destination, the sun shining down, the wind at your back. You smell the countryside, the forest, the ocean, the rain. You can choose any road, hit the twisties, cruise the super‑slab, or explore that small town ahead. That feeling is freedom, and it is extremely addictive.
Motorcycling and the Senses
- Sight: The roads, the scenery, the horizon stretching in front of you.
- Smell: Countryside, mountains, fresh rain, forest, ocean, hay.
- Sound: The rumble of the engine, the wind whizzing by, nature.
- Touch: The control of the machine, the feel of being part of everything around you.
- Taste: The dust in the air, the sweetness of fresh rain.
The sense of belonging: The community, a brotherhood/club of bikers, good times and good friends.
The sense of accomplishment: Riding further, visiting new places, trying new roads, improving your skills.
