Getting started on a motorcycle is tough, even if you don’t have a bike yet. The question of “what bike should I get,” is always tough to answer since there are so many variables.
Of course, there is a right way to get into motorcycling, and many veterans will tell you to go small and then work your way up to bigger and better bikes. The same rings true for Johannes Motorcycles Adventures on YouTube.
His story involves a bit of a misstep when he first started out. In his experience, starting out on a Yamaha Tenere 700 wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. Two hundred kilograms or 440 pounds got him stuck in the dirt more times than he’d like and it was a bit of a wall on the way toward his improvement as a rider.
So the solution there was to put the Tenere 700 aside and buy a dual sport. The logic there is sound, a lighter bike will be easier to learn compared to a big and heavy adventurer. Johannes even mentioned how he “[got] into trouble like being stuck in the mud, tipping over in the woods, or dropping the bike on the way out of the garage.” Beginner riders will be able to relate to all three of these experiences, no doubt.
Johannes then purchased a Suzuki DRZ400 in order to get a handle on off-road riding, then he moved on to a Husqvarna 701. It took about a year of riding dual sport motorcycles before Johannes decided that it was time to saddle up on an old friend.
Building up to a bigger bike is often key to getting a better grip on riding whether on the road or on the dirt. I wholly agree with Johannes’ stance about starting small and then working your way up. “Weight is king,” and I’d also say that it’s king whether on or off the road. Personally, I started out with a little 100-kilogram (220-pound) bike, then worked my way up until 200 kilograms (440 pounds) felt natural to pilot.
Of course, go at it at your own pace. If you feel that an over-400-pound motorcycle is calling out to you, then saddle up and get ready to face the wall of weight that you have to manage between your legs. I’m not saying that starting out small is the be-all-end-all way to get started riding, however, but it’s a way worth sharing! Regardless of how you begin, ride safe!
