I remember those awkward days, 10 years ago when I first got into riding motorcycles.

The awkward teenage version of myself had somehow convinced his parents to let them buy him a motorcycle. I quickly booked my motorcycle course, passed it and bought a brand new ninja 250 the day that I got my licence.

I still remember that ride home from the dealer, it was an hour ride, through peak hour traffic in the city, it was pouring down rain, I had waxed tires and I didn’t know how to ride if my life depended on it.. Through all the stalling in traffic, almost losing traction during turns and getting abused, I slowly got back home.

The next day I did my first ever uturn, and suddenly whilst turning, the bike just dropped to the ground, I was devastated, there was a lot of cosmetic damage to my precious ninja 250. This wasn’t even the worst part, I had many close calls and near misses that could have cost my life.

I then realised although I feel like a mad dog riding around on my ninja 250 with my loud slip on exhaust, no one actually cared about my little bike, nor did they care about my life.

Fast forward 10 years later, I’ve ridden about 30 different motorcycles, made a lot of mistakes, crashed a few motorcycles while off roading, ridden my motorcycle up some of the highest roads in the world, suffered from altitude sickness and now you could say that I am truly a mad dog. Not just pretending to be one.

So that’s why I’ve decided to make this video, for any newcomer into this world, to not only educate you but guide you through this scary yet extremely EPIC experience of riding a motorcycle.

If you want to go from being a completely newbie to becoming a legend like Pol Tarres then you need to watch this video until the end.
So sit back, relax and let me show you the 5 things that I wish I had known before I started riding motorcycles.

First things first – buy a motorcycle to fit your skill level
This one is important, you wanna be starting out on a motorcycle that you can master. A 400cc or even a 250cc will be much more forgiving when you make mistakes, than a 1000cc.
Also if you buy a smaller and cheaper bike, it won’t hurt so much when you drop it, because believe me you will drop the bike plenty of times.
There is also way more fun to be had on a smaller bike when you first start riding, trust me.

The second thing Leave your ego at home when you go riding
A lot of unexpected things will happen when you first start riding motorcycles. You’ll notice that you’re somewhat invisible on the road and will get cut off, people will pull out in front of you, you will have a lot of close calls. Defensive riding is the key. See what’s coming and adjust to it before it happens.
Always assume that other drivers are crazy and you need to protect yourself. Don’t trust them.
No one cares how fast you can go or how loud your exhaust is.
No, the girls don’t care about your motorcycle, to them it’s just a shiny knob with two wheels on it. They do care about the bulge in your pants though, meaning the wallet in your pocket. Thick wallets get thicc girls. Unless you want to write the price of your motorcycle on the fairings, they don’t care.

The third thing, ATGATT.
This stands for all the gear, all the time. Meaning wear all of your motorcycle gear, every time you ride. Even forgetting to chuck those gloves on can cause life changing injuries to your hands in a crash.
Lucky I’ve never made this mistake because I have crashed a few times, however been lucky that I’ve always had my gear on and therefore didn’t suffer any injuries.

The fourth thing, Don’t do group rides until you’re confident enough riding alone
We’ve all seen the guy who can wheelie for days and fly through corners at high speeds while scraping his elbow across the floor.
And then we’ve got that friend who thinks he can do that. And puts everyone else at risk. Stay away from this guy. Don’t try and keep up with him and if you find him in a ditch up ahead, keep riding.
In all seriousness, if you succumb to peer pressure and feel easily left behind then don’t tag along on group rides until you can ride better yourself. Group rides can be a lot of fun but can encourage dangerous riding and make you feel like you need to ride faster than you’re comfortable with doing.

And the final tip – STAY positive and don’t take anything personally when riding
A positive attitude while riding makes all the difference. If you can be unaffected every time you get cut off and continue to focus on your own riding not only will you have a safer ride but it will be more enjoyable.
If someone cuts you off and almost kills you instead of focusing on that and getting angry, remember the main reason you got into motorcycling in the first place. Shift your attention to the powerful engine reverberating between your legs, feel that vibration pounding away at your crotch and feel the good vibes.