When Learning To Ride a Motorcycle Gets Real 

Yeah, Dan is a cool guy. He should hook up with Donut Operator and Brandon Herrera then we got a cop, firefighter, bikes and guns....What else is there? Oh yeah 😂😂

@@Beastgrows LOL! No kidding, that would be pretty cool! A dream team.

I've tried to teach my children that empathy is a great attribute to have and not something to reduce, and that being emotional is not a weakness, but can be a massive strength to deal with life. Having a self-control in certain situations can be good, especially with anger and frustration, but when feeling sad or overwhelmed it is usually much better to be open about it. (disclaimer: in this I sadly do not practice what I preach quite well enough, although I try to be open and communicate clearly) The "Empathy in Teaching and Mentoring" slide is wonderful. Really excellent. I will be making sure that I practice this!

Man, she cried more than my 5 year old stacking it on her pushy. 😮

@@AriKolbeinssonI feel that. Always give good advice yet can never seem to follow ones own advice.

he knew her abilities were limited and he set her up to fail

It is just a bike, it can be replaced. She however can not be. He acted as he should and gives hope to humanity.

@@jerryeinstandig7996 Because your abilities weren't limited when you started riding a motorcycle... SMH

@@jerryeinstandig7996 what are you on about

You din't give someone at that level or learning a heavy big CC sports bike like this! That was on him! He handled it beautifully though! @@HelmutGaming

I'm guessing you are an american, and sadly there are no proper driving schools there? I learned to ride as an adult(at my late 30s), but to get a license over here it is mandatory to get proper lessons. my only previous experience was a bicycle as a kid/teen. at the driving school, the first thing they put you on is a 50cc scooter, and you dont even change gears, you go around and around at low speed, the teacher tells you turn your head to the direction of where you want to go. apparently having that bicycle experience I had developed that skill without knowing. after you pass that first skill, (1~2 lessons) you upgrade to a 125 cc super cub style of bike, big wheels that make it easy to turn. and you start doing slow traveling in a straight line with just 1 gear on. then you go between the cones, and you learn how to shift, starting stopping, speeding and braking. for couple of lessons. Then you upgrade to the bigger bike, proper for your type of license (there are 4 different depending on age and cc of the bike) and you do the same drills for the rest of the lessons (if I remember correctly they are something like 12~15 lessons required) so what I would really suggest is getting a bicycle (rent, borrow etc) and practice those turns in low speeds, low risk. get the gist of them, give yourself some muscle memory of what you need to do with your head to turn. then go back to your bike. if you can borrow a low cc, light weight bike, to practice too, even better. I really hope you get the gist of it and your training pays off, because riding can be really nice once you have the confidence☺

@@harukaru84 There are riding schools in the United States, but they're not compulsory in many cases. In many places in the US in order to get on a bike, you just need to pass a knowledge test, and the road tests are extremely simple and don't test many basic skills. In my Canadian province of Alberta, the requirements are quite simple. You need to pass a 30-question knowledge test to be permitted to take your road test. Once you have your permit to take the road test, you undergo a 45-minute evaluation in which they check stability, road rules, awareness, lane positioning, hill starts, parking, etc. In the province of Quebec, the requirements are much more extreme. You're required to pass a knowledge test, undergo a 30-45 day motorcycle training course, and take two road tests. In all cases it is fully up to the discretion of the rider to take non-compulsory courses, but it sounds like the person you're responding to did just that. They took an extra step to becoming a safer & more knowledgeable rider, so rather than being condescending commend them on investing the time and money into that extra step.

@@ridafkih hold on, I wasn't being condescending at all. and I'm really sorry if that's how my words came through.

I'm the same way, only with right turns; I don't know why I'm less comfortable turning the other direction, but I'm glad I'm not alone. I started riding at 40, and I got a Honda CB500X. At first I thought at had made a huge mistake, even that size was intimidating and my anxiety was tough to conquer. Ten years later, I've taken it all kinds of places it isn't ideal for, dropped it a few times, and I'm super glad I stuck with it. Especially with fuel prices nowadays! I hope you have many years of fun and safety ahead of you!

@@harukaru84 I appreciate the encouragement! I have no problem on a bicycle, or 50 cc scooter, but my Iron 883 has me shook It gets easier the more I practice, but in America the basic rider test, or MSF course, did not prepare me to be comfortable on the road just yet, which is fine. I think it is easier for me to pass things in a test environment then it is in real life. I'm glad other countries have a more accountable process for new riders.

Yeah, but perhaps learning on a zx6r/10r isn't the wisest choice. No brand new person knows the power difference between any bike. It would be kind of nice if bikes had a trainer mode programmed in that only allowed 2000 rpm or 10% throttle, etc. An extra program in the ECU with a few lines of code doesn't seem like it would cost companies too much money and would probably entice more new customers. I'd feel a lot more comfortable buying a 600cc to start if that existed

I don’t get why she’s crying? I fell off while learning bike fell on my leg and scraped my knee had a bruise for a month and hurt for a couple of months. Plus scratched my visor and was new.

​@@withindistruction54 i think that not her bike and she know how much his boyfriend love that bike that why she crying.

@@kachasinglumpong9768Yea I agree, I think she was concerned for her boyfriends bike, both of them are good for each other. lol the love language speaks for itself

@@kachasinglumpong9768 Just not only this. I had an accident happen to me before and my reaction resembles this situation. It's kind of a fight or flight response. Something "bad" happened in a shot time span and your body "shoots" into a high adrenaline "startling" state. Her reaction basically tells me that she did not expect the situation to unfold the way it did. This ends up with your mind filling with a lot of negative emotions like "what will my driving partner think about me", "I disappointed someone" or "I should never have done that" rather than thinking about your own safety. Thus ending up with a lot of "confusion" in her head to the point where she couldn't control herself anymore and started crying. With a bit of practice, one can overcome certain situations whilst still keeping one's head cool. She's just inexperienced and it's very understandable to react the way she did in her situation.

Not all gixxer riders like that brah😅

@@TheBlauwitje I know, I was referring to the RU-vid creator Gixxer Brah who makes entertaining riding videos (but he's an absolute maniac)

Theres only one Gixxer Brah. Dude is an animal. And clearly hes got skills. Even still, hes a ticking clock.

Sadly he says he doesn’t like doing that stuff much it’s just because it gets him views

​@@Devin-fs1cgIf youtube didn't shadow-ban his stunting he probably wouldn't be going that fast. Apparently speeding is A-OK with youtube though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

that's the dark firefighter humor for you

That was exactly what I was thinking! XD

He should've at least worn a seatbelt. U can't fix stupid.

He should've at least worn a seatbelt.

Seatbelt.

It's such an easy mistake to make as a new rider - even if you've gotten over that habit when driving a car. I learned that the hard way when making a U-turn on a street one day. I looked directly at the curb on the other side and my front wheel went exactly where I was looking. Thankfully I knew it would happen, so it was low speed and I basically just stalled when the front tire grabbed the curb.

She probably cries like this a lot, she’s acting like a little child.

@@JohnPaul-jn1fo Shutup John

@@JohnPaul-jn1fo i'm sorry the people who raised you never let you be emotional.

@@JohnPaul-jn1fo so you are one of those guys, that find it cool not being able to cry, and not to have emotions.

@@michaelstimpfl9814 i doubt hes like that but she is locking up over something small what happens when something bad happens

Same here! You learn the extreme skills to conquer the easy obstacles. I rode dirt for a good two to three years before hitting the roads. Now I'm learning that I am invisible to all the cagers I share the road with and that's a skill the dirt never taught me 😊

Been riding a grom for 6 months and i think it was the right choice for my first bike. U cant exactly speed and you just focus on the basics of riding.

@@essebug1066 You aren't kidding. That's EXACTLY the reason I go 10-15mph faster than the flow of traffic. It's easier for me to monitor what's going on ahead of me than it is to worry about what's sneaking up behind me. I can't see crap with my mirrors. Those are totally useless. Manufactures should install cameras/screens instead of mirrors.

@@modularmemories1840 That's awesome. I think that's a great choice of bike for someone learning to ride if they don't have prior experience on dirt. Riding slower around town isn't without risks. Frankly, I feel like there are far more dangers riding in cities than I face riding on the freeway where everyone is going the same direction. If you look at every car as though it's going to try and hurt you and then stay as far away from cars as possible... you'll avoid a lot of the stuff Dan features here.

Here in south east Asia, people started their first bike with 110cc Honda cub. Then they moved to 150cc moped. Later they upgrade to 150 sportbike. After that they moved to bigger cc. I knew in West, moped always ignored although moped is the best for beginner to learn. Its cheap, low maintainance and easy to lean because its lighter. Majority of Men and woman here ride 110cc to 150cc moped in my country Just to go to works or go to wet market

You can't really lock the front brake with "a little too much" force. Try to think back to the moment. Did you GRAB at the brake all at once? This can be a lesson you learn from. Practice breaking with more gradual pressure. Watch out at low speeds! You may have not even needed front brake at that speed. Also, try to downshift before you need to use the break instead of at the same time. Glad your ok. Gear is important no doubt but continuing to practice good control skills is even more important. Sand is also a bikers worst enemy lol.

@@TP_Gillz I was downshifting and had applied both brakes. Again, I was following the path of the friend ahead of me. He said he got squirly over the sand. And I am not a new rider. Been riding for quite a while and it's the first time I've ever crashed. My point was not so much about rider skill, but to always wear protective gear because it may just save your life.

@@LongMileGamer It doesn't matter how long you have been riding, always continue to practice n learn and truthfully evaluate your riding. Especially whenever in a close call or accident. There is usually always a lesson to be learned from it, hense why Dan's videos here are immensely valueable to all us riders. That lesson can help other riders as well. I didn't mean any disrespect. Recover soon! Ride safe!

I am amazed at how many hundreds of videos there are are people sliding at 60-100 mph in gear and getting right up after. It just goes to show that as long as you're just sliding and not aimed an an obstacle, you'll probably be ok with good armored gear. It's also convinced me to get a steering damper just incase I get a speed wobble. I'm not going ludicrous speeds, but it's nice to have

I got really upset when I dropped my helmet once and thought I needed to replace it. I know if I got my girl a really nice helmet and she immediately bonked it hard she would feel like shit

You really do deserve far better, can't understand why you would choose to marry someone like that but I hope things get better. Don't give up on riding because someone ruined it for you. I'm autistic as well so I do at least understand what you mean in terms of scolding, it really ruins me as well. (there's a reason why I'm hiding my desire to ride from my father until I can navigate the roads seriously, even if I'm an adult now, his anxiety will bleed into me and ruin the experience) Hope you two can clear things up, perhaps open some communication about the matter. He likely regrets lashing out and if you two can work on communication and boundaries, maybe things can be saved.

It happen to me too, I'm new to motorcycles which I was introduced by my husband, but he is not the kind and empathic type, so when he thinks he is talking to me in a monotonous tone (an anxious and stressed woman learning manual engines and riding at the same time), he is actually making me more anxious. Now I'm training on my own and been doing way better than when I practice with him around.

Christ... THAT pisses me off. I LOVE riding. I've been doing it since before I could walk (my mom carrying me in a backpack on rides to get me to shut up and sleep...lolz)... I meditate at 90 mph on two wheels... It's JUST a bike, no matter that I name every one of them while I own them. I do that to remind me to take care of them like a pet or a person. You take care of the bike (or any machine) and she'll take care of you... BUT it's still JUST a friggin' machine. They manufactured THOUSANDS of them, and God invented paint and spare parts because scratches don't hurt anything and whatever gets bent, warped, or busted CAN BE REPLACED... It's not like I ever just DECIDED it was a good idea to try a new style of crashing... I was learning and the bike got away from my control... I screwed up. I've fallen or been yeeted off the saddle... I was younger than most at the time... BUT that doesn't change the mentality. You should NEVER EVER have to put up with someone ADDING trauma to what's already scary as hell and likely painful (at least a little bit) already. If I have a "bad habit" as a coach, it's laughing. I admit to the students I've coached, "No, it's not you. You just remind me of when I did that same thing when I was learning to do this shit." AND yes, whatever it was... I did that too... all of it... I got quizzed by nurses AND my pediatric doctor because they actually worried about my parents beating the hell out of me as a kid... I practiced hard... AND I rode HARD. I was an 80's kid, and we just accepted it. "You get dinged up from time to time." That was the definition of life. AND my riding coach laughed at me too... He'd tell me about reminding him of when he did that same thing when he was trying to do this shit... AND I imagine, he probably had a coach or two who laughed at him... and so on. OH OF COURSE, we'll see to it you're okay... help you out if you need it... and usually help you pick up the skills to wrench on your bike for most basic things if and as you need. It saves you time and money to be able to do SOME of the work, yourself... AND it demystifies the machine a little bit when you can SEE and TOUCH that it's really just nuts and bolts and parts... that you CAN re-paint or "touch up" when you ding up the paint job or scrape the finish all to hell... No big deal. The bad side of boyfriends and husbands (or lovers of any form/faction) trying to teach motorcycling is that they're TOO emotionally tied up to you. It's hard not to freak out when you really care about someone who might've just sent themselves to the hospital or created a new chronic condition or life-altering injury. It's scary... and for some guys, that only really articulates itself as unfiltered rage and lashing out... Anger Management can help, but it's really REALLY difficult to functionally eliminate it... You're really better off to share courses with them (if that much) or find a completely third-party and unattached coach to get in the practice... the explanations... the drills... and tackle it for yourself. Some of us (guys at least) just can't handle coaching at things that are remarkably dangerous, and let's face the reality. It's a relatively safe sport ONCE YOU DO know what the hell you're doing. Getting to the point of solid skills is a dangerous prospect, and you ARE sitting (essentially) on a 500 pound death-machine... up until you ARE proficient with it... Poor coaching and interference from boyfriends and husbands pisses me off because it's actually painful for me to think of someone who likes motorcycles being turned completely off of the sport. It's still one of the greatest pleasures in life, and I've been doing it for more than 30 years through more than a dozen countries... That it's scary is as much a feature as it could be a bug. It's all part of the POINT... but you can't possibly focus if you're too traumatized by a ranting, raving lunatic to get out of the mental imagery and settle into the moment, the awareness, and the flow of riding WITH your machine like slow-dancing with a partner that already knows the music and all the steps... ;o)

DTMFA

Only comment I am gonna make is that's not how you treat people you care about.

I had the same thing happen last month. I was pretty confident going in, but certainly had to learn an entirely new skill (only rode bicycles before). I just kept telling myself I'm here to learn, to concentrate and not be embarrassed by mistakes. I was literally the only person in the two day course that ever dropped the bike. Happened on a super tight turn and I screwed up the clutch. It was my only real screw up the whole time. But even with that I actually got perfect on the test and the teacher made a point of saying I was the best in the class.

@@TheFirstCausecan i ask what you did wrong with the clutch so i dont make the same mistake? thanks

@@terrFW it's all to easy to make those mistakes. I'm sure he's referencing the friction zone. You just need to know how to balance throttle and grip of the clutch. The "play zone" is the 1mm between slight grip and none. The common mistake is usually gripping to much clutch and trying to throttle thru

I dropped the bike twice in my msf lol. I had never been on a motorcycle before, and they threw me on a sports bike that was almost too tall for me, and im 6 feet haha. I'm definitely thankful for the course.

Failed mine because of the same uturn mistake :/ I'm also 5'3 and was the shortest in the class. The bike was way too tall for me. Couldn't even reverse beacause my feet didn't reach the ground. I rode very well and, had I not dropped the bike on the uturn, I would've had the second best score in my class. Going to try again in October and I'm praying I pass 🙏 I have a friend letting me practice on his Mt-03

I remember in riding class i did similar thing because i lose focus while u turn....

even as a returning rider, its always good to continue education as there could be a new situation to encounter. One quote that has helped me be open to continuous education is "I know, that I know nothing." I do not recall where it came from, probably some Greek philosopher. But it has helped in many situations. Not saying that you personally needed help with that.

13:30 she nearly put that sneakered foot into the rear wheel when the bike went over.

yeah that boyfriend is a total idiot @@SethJayson

Lol, fake 1%ers, headed to the clubhouse to watch Sons of Anarchy!

@@jackspade2576 Right, they so ready for Mongols release they couldn't hold it up.

A 15' wheelie on your first go? She sounds like a natural mate!

It's surprising how many people will just walk out in front of a motorbike as if being hit by 300kg+ going 30mph somehow isn't going to hurt because it's not a car...

Best way to navigate slow turns is to use the clutch for speed control. Clutch lever in, slower- clutch lever out increases speed. Much finer control than the throttle.

@@Zombiesnak what I meant was I do not use the front brake.

I suspect with the traffic blocking in that clip, that Harley Guy #1 was trying to stop and neglected straightening his front wheel in the last 2 feet or so. That (especially with front brake us) is one of the fastest and most consistent ways to end up dropping a bike that I know... and if aggressive enough it's pretty good at yeeting riders right over the handlebars (to the delight and guffaws of any experienced onlookers)... ;o)

​​@@gnarthdarkanen7464I think you hit the nail on the head. It's easy for less skilled riders to default to car driving habits, where you can just mash the brake at any point and come to a stop without issue. You gotta straighten those bars and smoothly stop, always.

I pretty much never use my front brake below around 10mph, IF I'm doing tight maneuvers. You're correct in saying that it helps with balance. My understanding is that the front brake makes you lean into the turn, and the rear brake makes you straighten up. But again, I'm talking about low speed. Out on the road, you pretty much always wanna use both brakes.

that's a good thing to do.

As a moto guzzi rider I feel it

vietnam, (and india & manila) the best place(es) to learn motorbikes ! you'd handle any insane traffic smoothly 😆

@@samchu5335 I'm ever vigilant! I watch Dandanthefireman videos and wonder why the American bikers are getting crazy angry just because someone changed lanes lol

@@ChrisinVietnam i'm sure you are (: and glad you are ! crossing roads there is a huge achievement for me, let alone riding lolol

@@samchu5335 dude crossing roads is way more nerve wracking than riding. As a scooter you go with the flow, bumps are surprisingly rare, it just somehow works most of the time. Crossing the road is like crossing that river!

Oooof I feel you man. I broke off the tibial plateau (luckily with MCL still attached), as well as the bone spur that holds the ACL (again, luckily with ACL still attched) about 11 months ago. Though mine was at a higher speed (around 40mph), came off on a corner and was thrown 20 feet. Hope you have/had a speedy recovery.

Learning that on a Superbike is just a plain bad idea.

Ride those dirt bikes, and learn to correct for lost traction. I've hit slippery stuff on the highway in a turn, and had a tire go out on a turn, as well. Some dirt experience honestly saved me, because I didn't panic brake or anything, I rode it out and and found safety.

@@PaulGuy The best advice. Had a chain snap, 2 rear wheel bearing collapses, lost the rear in snow and had to ride home on a tyre with 5 PSI in it...saved them all thanks to a bit of dirt experience.