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Do you want to get a licence so bad that it hurts? Are you just sitting around waiting for the day when you can finally start taking motorcycle lessons?
If that’s you – stop. There’s plenty of things you can do right now to prepare for your licence test, even if you can’t take lessons right now.
Tune in to learn:
- The 3 things you can do RIGHT NOW to prepare for your motorcycle exam – without even leaving the house
Transcript
Hello and welcome back to 30 Minute Motorcycling – a podcast for new, aspiring and returning riders, where you’ll learn something new about motorcycles and other two-wheelers in 30 minutes or less.
And this week’s episode goes out to a special kind of aspiring rider – the kind who’s dying to start taking riding lessons but can’t – either because they’re too young, they have a tight schedule or an equally tight budget.
Well, I’m here today to tell you about 3 things you can do right now to prepare for your motorcycle exam.
And when I say “right now,” I mean RIGHT NOW. You can do any of these things right after you’re done listening to this episode.
And you don’t have to spend a lot of money either – these resources are either available for free or for a very low price tag.
Of course, while none of these things will actually teach you how to ride, they are a great place to start your own dual-wheel journey.
So, with that out of the way, let’s get started.
The first thing you can do right now to prepare for your motorcycle exam is to invest in a good quality theory app and/or theory textbook.
Just because you can’t take lessons right now doesn’t mean that you can’t start preparing for your theory exam.
In fact, it’s surprisingly common for people to fail their theory – all because they didn’t study well ahead of time.
Therefore, by reading the textbook as early as possible [pause ] you could actually increase your likelihood of passing the exam
And who knows – maybe you’ll even pass your exam on the first attempt?
One particular textbook I recommend is the Basic Rider Course handbook from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
This is available to download for FREE from the MSF website and teaches you everything from basic controls to how to do a T-CLOCS inspection, and even risk management and awareness.
Also, the MSF has an online course called MSF Basic eCourse that you can take no matter where you are.
It’s a little bit pricy at 19 US dollars and 99 cents, but if you’re prepared to pay that and want a well-made online course to supplement your theory revision, this is a fine course to start with.
If you’re in the UK, I highly recommend the Theory 4 In 1 app from Driving Test Success –
an app that gives you
- theory exam revision questions
- a road sign encyclopedia, and
- a mock Hazard Perception exam.
And don’t let the fact that has “Driving” in the title fool you – you can select to only receive theory questions that are relevant to motorcyclists.
In other words – no more irrelevant questions about a-pillars or seat belts.
The second thing you can do right now to prepare for your motorcycle exam is to ride a bike.
Of course, when I say “bike,” I mean “bicycle.”
It might sound silly, but hear me out.
Not only do bicycles and motorcycles have two wheels, but many of the things that you’re going to learn riding a motorcycle also apply when riding a bicycle.
Such as :
- Looking where you want to do
- Keeping your balance
- Steering and countersteering
If you have a bicycle in your garage or in your attic that you haven’t ridden in a while, it’s time to dust it off, pump up the tires, and take it for a spin around the block.
And even if you don’t have a bicycle, odds are that you know someone who has one and would love to let you borrow it.
Just remember to wear a helmet – as I say at the end of every episode “keep your helmet on and your eyes on the road”
The third and final thing you can do right now is watching motorcycle-related channels on YouTube.
Of course, not just any channel will do – there’s a lot of motorcycle content on YouTube that involves reckless stunting and road rage go-pro footage videos which often end with a side mirror being smashed.
That’s not what you should be watching – instead, seek out channels that promote safe riding practices and which teach you how to be a responsible and capable rider.
A few examples of channels worth checking out are MCRider, DanDanTheFireman, and Revzilla.
MCRider is a channel hosted by a motorcycle coach from Texas named Kevin [pause] who makes videos about proper riding techniques and road strategies.
DanDanTheFireMan is a similar kind of channel, where the host Dan uses his previous background as a firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician to provide advice about how to be a safe and smart rider.
In addition to videos about how to be a safe rider, Dan is also well-known for his After Action Reviews (or “AARs”) – where he reviews motorcycle crash videos, showing you exactly how the accident could have been avoided or at the very least mitigated.
Finally, RevZilla is a channel that not only features a lot of great tutorial videos about how to do basic motorcycle mechanics and what to think about when you’re buying a used motorcycle –
they also feature product reviews of everything from helmets to tires.
Quite fitting, considering that RevZilla is mainly an online retailer of motorcycle gear.
So there you have it – as you’ve just found out, there’s plenty of things you can do to prepare for your exam, even long before you book your first lesson.
Who knows – maybe you’ll look back on this experience years later and realize that you were actually quite fortunate to have spent this extra time learning.
Again – maybe it will be what will make you pass your test the first time?
And on that deep thought, it’s time to end this special episode of 30 Minutes Motorcycling.
If you’d like to check out the resources I referenced, I’ve included links to them in the show notes.
And as always, if you enjoyed listening, don’t forget to leave a review for me.
Until next time, keep your helmet on and your eyes on the road. Bye!
