My youngest daughter saw me riding through a mud hole. Without hesitation she looked at me then the mud hole and headed straight for itwith no fear. I then wondered about all the fears people have about riding a motorcycle.
Scared to ride a motorcycle? Here are a few fears about riding motorcycles and how to get over them.
| Fear | How To Overcome Fear |
| Too much fear | Properly set expectations, ride slowly until your skills progress |
| Riding through a turn | Look through the turn for your path and debris |
| Riding in the rain | Stay loose on the bike, have good tires, & avoid the slick areas on the road (middle) |
| Riding in the dark | Properly adjust headlights and make sure they work, slow down |
| Braking hard | Practice the rider braking drill (see below) |
| Riding on the highway | Avoid the highway or ride in the right lane |
| Being in an accident | Regularly practice your riding skills |
| Riding on the back | Let the passenger get use to the bike and ride slowly at first |
Too Much Fear
Have you ever had a family member or friend tell you, “You will end up in the hospital as an organ donor riding a motorcycle”?
I hear it all the time and just blow it off. Riding is my choice and I know the risks associated with taking a bike down the road or trail. I have had a few friends who were new to riding sell bikes after getting this kind of feedback from family or friends who do not ride.
My friends let these non riders get into their heads and scare them to the point of completely giving up on riding and enjoying the journey.
Another question that I get is “What are you going to do when you cannot work and spend your life savings on medical bills. How will you take care of your family if you cannot work?”
All this negative talk takes its toll on people. Here are two examples of what I mean.
Two Examples Of Too Much Fear
I have had two good friends who wanted to ride. They went out and bought bikes, took a learners course (which severally under preparing riders.) They even rode some.
The first friend did not really ride much on his own. We took two rides around town and he would ride from his house to his parents. His wife would follow him. It was not long after he bought the bike that he sold it.
I know there was a lot of negativity around him about riding.
The second friend went even further and made sure he “was ready” by practicing many of the drills from his riding course. He rode for a longer time frame, but one of our rides he ended up dropping his bike down an embankment. He was ok, and we got the bike squared away but not long after that he sold the bike.
When I would ask him about going on another ride after this incident, the conversation was skirted or something would come up. It was clear that fear was the driver.
How do you overcome having too much fear riding a motorcycle?
To answer this question, you need to see which point from which you are starting.
If you have never ridden before, take time to learn the facts about riding motorcycles. Specifically, learn about how the right gear will significantly reduce the chance of serious bodily injury.
Motorcycles are still more dangerous than cars, but knowing which equipment to own and wear helps you manage the risk. To get you started here is an article I wrote about half helmets. I have since started wearing a 3/4 helmet for increased safety. This is just one example of how you can make small changes to manage risk.
When you have ridden and you still notice the large fear of motorcycles. Investigate why. Where you almost in an accident? Where you like my friend who had a small mishap?
The point is to identify the root of the fear. Once you have identified the fear, what can you do to address it? Know it will take time. We can rationally know something but processing the same information emotionally takes time. We know that emotions drive action more than rational thoughts.
Fear Of Riding A Motorcycle Through A Turn
There is nothing that can make my backside pucker up quicker than setting up for a corner and feel like I will not make it.
There are three types of scary corner situations you will probably come across.
Tight Corners
Have you ever had to turn your motorcycle while slowly riding and turning. A parking lot is a great example. You have other cars, pedestrians, shopping carts, and traffic.
I can remember a few times I feared dropping my bike or hitting another car while turning my first street bike around in parking lots.
I have two suggestions that I used to help navigate tight situations.
- Pause for a few seconds and map out the path of the bike. This will help you realize up front what obstacles you will deal with. It will let you know if you will pull the bike and back it up a few times to make the turn.
- When riding and not duck walking the bike, know you will need to stay above 5 mph. Going any slower will want to make the bike fall over.
Pro-Tip: Spend 30 minutes in a parking lot doing figure 8s and making tight turns. Use the lines as a guide to judge how tight you are turning.
Blind Corners
Sometimes you cannot see through the corner and there is no way to know until you are in the middle of it. This gets scary especially when it has a decrease radius. (This is when the corner gets tighter and tighter as you progress through the turn. These turns are more likely found in hilly or mountainous areas.)
Handle these corners using the two tips below.
- When riding in hilly and mountainous areas progress at a slower pace.
- Straighten out the corner more by entering the turn wide, you will have the benefit of seeing further through the turn.
Debris In Corners
Last year while riding home from work one day I ran into some loose gravel in a turn. I did not see it and the back end almost washed out on me. My underpants almost needed changing after that.
I could have avoided this if I did two things.
- I should have changed my back tire much earlier than it was. My tire was almost to the tread bars.
- Look through the turn to identify the best path to avoid hazards.
- Debris collects along the side of the road, avoid this area if possible. Sometimes you will need to balance avoiding the side of the road with looking through a turn.
Fear of Riding A Motorcycle In The Rain
I don’t know of any rider who has not feared riding in the rain at some point. Riding on wet pavement still makes me nervous.
Judging slicks spots on the road becomes impossible and riders stiffen up. A stiff body does not allow the bike to move freely as it would normally increasing the likelihood of an accident.
The first thing riders can do to address this fear is to make sure you have good tires on your bike. This can increase traction by moving water away from the contact patch and lessen the chance of hydroplaning. The rider will also increase confidence and allow the bike to around naturally.
Second, riders should know the areas were slick spots are commonly found. Riding in the car’s tracks will not be as slick as the middle of the road where grease and oil from cars and trucks drop off and accumulate.
Roundabouts are another areas were slick spots accumulate. The way we make them does not favor wet riding for motorcycles.
Fear Of Riding Your Motorcycle In The Dark
We have a lot of deer where I live and those buggers come out at the worst times. I hit one a long time ago in my truck and it was not pretty. Hitting one on a motorcycle would seem even worse. The thing is, I usually see the deer at night. Seems weird considering they are not nocturnal.
Anyway, I often reflect on that deer incident and wonder how riding at night scares the poop out of me. Admittedly, this fear slowly gets worse.
Before you think this fear is the masking of hitting animals, it is not. It is about not being able to see at night and you can during the day. Many people have a harder time seeing at night as they age.
Everything feels like it cuts down, the light, peripheral vision, the street lights “move” as the wind buffers your helmet. Put all of this together and it is no wonder people, including me, have a fear of riding at night.
How to deal with the fear of riding your motorcycle at night.
- Make sure all of your lights work properly on the bike. This includes adjusting the headlight. Here is an article I wrote on the topic so you can see properly.
- Slow the bike down. You gain a few advantages by doing this: a. you give yourself more time to react in case something goes wrong b. You will see more
- Scan the horizon more often than you normally do during the day to look for hazards.
- Know what nocturnal animals live in the area that you will ride and when they come out during the night.
Fear Of Hard Braking On A Motorcycle
The fear of braking hard on a motorcycle will accompany the fear of hitting something and quickly moves into the fear of crashing or dropping the bike.
The fear of hard braking itself relates to losing control.
A back tire may lock up making the bike less responsive to your input as you try slowing down. Maybe the front tire skids and you are just waiting for the front end to wash out from under you.
I can promise you at some point you will brake hard on the motorcycle, just like you will slam on your car brakes at some point.
Rider Braking Drill
As riders, we need to have an auto response to these situations which reduces the fear of hard braking. Here is a drill I suggest you use to help overcome the fear of hard braking.
- Find an open parking lot with no debris.
- Slowly ride your motorcycle at 5 to 8 mph and come to a controlled stop.
- Slowly start increasing the pressure on your brake each time you come to a controlled stop. As you continue this progression, your stops eventually become a controlled hard braking stop.
- On the road, your hard stops will not be at 8 mph, so increase your speed some.
- Keep increasing your speed and braking pressure. Before you know it, your braking comfort zone is expanding, and we have addressed the hard braking fear.
NOTE: By practicing this drill you accept the responsibility of any accident in the parking lot. Make sure you go at a slow pace appropriate for your skill level.
Fear of Riding A Motorcycle On The Highway
Big semis barrelling down the highway with tires humming only feet from you does not sound like fun. It sounds like a scene from a movie as written on a movie script.
Cars flying down the highway over 80 mph riding the bumper of anyone in front of them does not help the rider with this fear.
Any way you cut it, highway riding is the biggest fear I come across that no one wants to discuss. When riding with a few buddies, one will ask about another route for the “scenic view.” I am not poking fun but wish we could just admit when the fear of highway riding exists.
In fact, this is one fear I do not push anyone on, it may be healthy. It slows us down and makes us enjoy the riding time we have. Perhaps it is safer since your are moving at a slower speed.
If you need to ride on the highway, and are uncomfortable, stick to the right lane. You are less likely to have the mad dog drivers tailgating you.
Fear Of An Accident
We can talk about the many kinds of accidents motorcycle riders may have. It would make this post way too long.
The reality is every rider has this fear. No one wants to put a bike down at 5 or 85 mph.
The only way to address the fear is making sure your skills are crisp. This means taking the time to practice those skills. Otherwise we are just putting ourselves at higher risk.
Fear of Riding On The Back Of A Motorcycle
As an adult, do you remember the first time you rode in a car with a new teenage driver? It was scary. I know it was and still is scary riding with my oldest daughter who is now 18. In her eyes, her skill set is just fine.
People riding on the back of your bike may have the same fear especially if they are new to riding motorcycles.
To help them overcome this fear, let them sit on the bike without it moving or running.
I also like to take them for a short ride at 5 to 10 mph just to give them a little taste. As their comfort level increases go a little faster.
Time to get out there, reduce those fear with a few of the drills proposed here. Ride on!