This Is Where Every Ride Begins

This guide isn’t about flash. It’s not about flex. It’s about giving you the fundamental skills you need to ride with control, awareness, and confidence.

We’ll break down throttle control, braking, low-speed handling, situational awareness, and safety prep. But before we teach any of that — we’re going to talk about something no one else puts at the top of their beginner guides.

• A lesson we’ve learned the hard way.
• A lesson riders ignore — until it’s too late.
• A lesson we refuse to bury.

Because without this one fundamental lesson? Nothing else matters.

We’ve Seen What We Can’t Unsee

At Route 101, this rule is personal.

We’ve had renters swear they’d never ride impaired during our safety orientation — only to learn they abandoned all of their rental gear and one of our Harleys in the middle of Hwy 101 after hitting a parked car drunk.

We had a rider just recently watch their best friend die right in front of them in a late-night/early-am crash — both of them drinking. One of them woke up in a San Diego jail to the sobering reality of what their decision led to. The other will never wake up again.

We’ve had bikes impounded. We’ve watched lives changed, forever in an instant.

This isn’t policy. This is real life pain.

If you don’t remember anything else from this rider training article, remember this:

You don't ever regret riding sober. You will regret the moment you didn't.

You want to be a skilled rider?
You want stories — not scars?

Start here. Please.

Glenn Cogan, Founder/CEO

The Right Ride Starts With the Right Mindset

We’ve trained brand new riders. We’ve retrained veterans returning after years away. We’ve watched renters go from nervous to confident in under an hour — just by locking in the basics.

Your foundation starts with:

• Understanding the bike’s controls
• Mastering smooth movement
• Staying calm under pressure
• Predicting, not just reacting

Motorcycling isn’t about mastering danger. It’s about minimizing it with skill, humility, and awareness.

Find Your Flow, Not a Fight

Let’s break it down:

• Throttle: Roll on smoothly. No jerks, no chops. Stability comes from control.
• Clutch: Learn the friction zone — it’s your lifeline in traffic, slow turns, and start-stop riding.
• Brakes: Use both. Front does the heavy work; rear adds control and stability.

🧠 Practicing these at slow speeds in a parking lot will give you more confidence than a hundred freeway runs.

Look Through the Turn. Always.

Cornering is a skill that reveals everything — your fear, your posture, your trust in the bike.

Here’s the sequence:

1. Slow before the curve
2. Look through the exit
3. Press the inside bar gently to initiate lean
4. Roll on light throttle to steady the suspension

🧠 From a racer’s perspective: If you fixate on the guardrail, that’s where you’ll go. If you lift your chin and look through the curve — that’s where the bike will follow.

Read Traffic Like It’s Trying to Kill You

It’s not paranoia. It’s preparation.

We teach SIPDE: Scan. Identify. Predict. Decide. Execute.

Or use S.E.E. if that’s easier: Search. Evaluate. Execute.

Both work. Both keep you alive.

💡 Things we coach renters on:

• Watch for left-turning cars
• You don't need to be first out of a stoplight (and you shouldn't be.)
• Scan mirrors at red lights. It's good to be aware of what's coming up on you
• Expect cars to merge without warning
• Expect cars to pull out in front of you
• Always have a Plan B escape lane

Want To Ride Like a Pro? Practice at 5mph

Low-speed handling is where most beginners struggle — and where most riders can become confident fast.

We teach:

• Keep your head up
• Eyes through the turn
• Clutch in friction zone
• Feather the rear brake for balance

🧠 This is the stuff you’ll use daily — parking lots, U-turns, tight traffic.

The Most Dangerous Ride Is The One You Don’t Respect

Common crash causes?

• Sand in a corner
• Rain-slick pavement
• Sudden braking while leaned
• Impaired visibility at dusk

🎯 Golden rule: Don’t combine lean, throttle, and brake at the same time — especially on sketchy surfaces.

Expect surprises,

Plan escapes.

Ride like you’ve got somewhere to be — and people who want you to make it back.

We Don’t Let Renters Leave Without This

It’s called TCLOCS:

• Tires
• Controls
• Lights
• Oil
• Chassis
• Stands

It takes 60 seconds to quickly double check these points on your motorcycle. That’s less time than one light cycle. And it’s the kind of habit that makes riders last.

From Helmet to Boots — Dress For The Slide, Not The Ride

Must have riding gear:

• Full-face helmets
• Armored jackets
• Padded gloves
• Reinforced pants
• Over-the-ankle boots

And yeah — we provide all of it with every rental. For free. No upsell. No hidden charge. Just safety done right.

📎 Related Route 101 Article: Protect Yourself: A Beginner’s Guide to Motorcycle Riding Gear

We Don’t Just Want You to Ride. We Want You to Ride Again.

We’ve watched renters leave nervous and return confident. We’ve also watched the aftermath when riders don’t make it home.

So this guide? It’s not for clicks. It’s for you.

Ride smart. Ride sober. Ride again.

When you’re ready to level up? We’ll be here.