More than 30 years ago, before I even had an interest in motorcycling, I remember hearing talk among co-workers about what they would do if they were riding their bikes and saw an impending crash coming. They all agreed that the best thing to do was to deliberately lay their motorcycles down on the ground and avoid the crash. Some had even practiced doing this.

I didn't know anything about bikes except that I had always wanted to ride since I was a kid but never did. I thought that this seemed like a strange way to avoid a crash by becoming a crash yourself.

Perhaps this was in the days when tires weren't so sticky and brakes were drum only. I do know that the helmets weren't all that great and that many states didn't have helmet laws. So, it seems even more dangerous now as I think about it than it seemed then when I knew nothing about riding.

Today, the bikes stop faster, some even have ABS brakes to stop in a straight line on any surface.

The helmets are better, the apparel is better. The training is better and people aren't afraid to use their front brakes to stop faster.

So, be prepared with MSF training. Practice good braking techniques. Learn to avoid or swerve around problems and anticipate situations that may force you to react to save your life. Stay on your bike in an upright position. Don't lay your bike down and hope that it will slow you down. It may just flip you into traffic and make things much worse.

Beginning riders are taught in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) courses that effective braking is accomplished by using both front and rear brakes together. There is nothing to fear in using the front brake.

Most modern motorcycles have rear disc brakes. These brakes stop faster, wear longer, and won't fade as much. The rear disc brakes are controlled by the brake pedal.

Beginners often rely only on the rear brake since they can easily activate it using their right foot. Many have been erroneously taught that the front brake, activated by the right hand brake lever (shown here), is to be avoided. However, remember that more than 70 percent of the stopping power of a bike is in the front brake. Get used to using the front brake and the rear brake together. As you progress in your training, you will learn how to use both the front and rear brakes to make fast controlled stops. There are also special situations where different uses of the front and rear brakes are required.

Since many beginners use the rear brake too much, they often lock them up during panic situations and skid the rear tire. Remember that if you find yourself in a rear wheel skid, DO NOT release the brake pedal. Ride it out. Releasing the pedal will often cause a high side incident. This is the opposite of the advice given for a front-wheel skid with the front brake locked up (release the front brake).

When the motorcycle bug bites, it can cause you to be less logical in your thinking. You become obsessed with learning to ride, getting a bike, and finding correct riding apparel.

You start looking at all the new bikes out there and you quickly fall in love with your dream bike. Usually, the bike is way more than you can handle as a beginner.

We get a steady stream of newbies into our Motorcycling for Beginners forum. It seems that the biggest riders are the ones who claim that they will have no trouble with a big bike. They are strong enough to hold it up -- whatever that means.

The point is that a beginner needs to keep their eye on the goal: Learn how to ride by taking an MSF course and then get a small used learner bike for six months to a year to practice riding skills. During this time a new rider will probably drop the bike several times, most in low speed or parking lot situations. These drops won't do much damage to the rider but could cause significant damage to plastic panels on the bike. A new bike will suffer the most damage cost.

Dream bikes may also have too much power for a newbie. A simple momentary twist of the wrist going over a bump could cause a new bike to speed out of control or cross into an opposing lane of traffic too quickly for a newbie to respond.

So, as painful as it is, forego the dream bike for awhile until you become proficient in as many street skills as you can. You'll be happy you did.

Common Myths

MYTH - Helmets cause neck or spinal cord injuries.

Fact - Research has proven this untrue.  Five studies reviewed by the GAO all reported a higher incidence of severe neck injuries for unhelmeted riders.  An Illinois study found that helmets decrease the number of significant spinal injuries.

MYTH - Helmets impair hearing and sight.

Fact - "The helmet affects my peripheral vision" and "I can't hear as well" are two common myths neither of which is supported with scientific data.  Normal peripheral vision is between 200 and 220.  Federal safety standards require that helmets provide 210 of vision.  Over 90 percent of crashes happen within a range of 160 (with the majority of the remainder occurring in rear-end collisions), so it's clear that helmets do not affect peripheral vision or contribute to crashes.  Hearing is not affected either.  Helmets reduce the loudness of noises, but do not affect the rider's ability to distinguish between sounds.  The University of Southern California conducted 900 on-scene, in-depth investigations of motorcycle crash scenes, and could not uncover a single case in which a rider could not detect a critical traffic sound.  Some studies indicate that helmets are useful in reducing wind noise and protecting hearing.

MYTH - Motorcycle helmet laws violate individual rights.

Fact - All highway safety laws require individuals to act in specific ways: stop at stop signs, yield to pedestrians, etc.  However, courts have consistently recognized that helmet laws do not violate the right to privacy and other due process provisions.  Nevertheless, the legitimacy of other traffic laws, like driving on the right side of the highway, buckling a safety belt, using a child safety seat, not driving while impaired, and obeying traffic signals is readily accepted, because all motorists recognize that failure to obey these laws results in serious risk to themselves and others.  Motorcycle helmet laws are no different.