As a kid the coolest thing I could think of was getting on a motorcycle and zooming away into the distance. But I had to wait till I got my learners license to ride a non geared scooter. Then after that I could apply for a permanent license. This is how the process works, but where do I learn how to ride? Oops, there is no riding school unlike driving, that will teach me the ABC’S of riding.
The first time I rode a two wheeler was my mothers Luna. Well, I got a good pasting as I took it for a spin without permission. Nevertheless, I figured how to balance and accelerate on my own and I did just fine. Next I rode my father’s LML geared scooter. This time I took permission and he made sure he was around to teach me. I finally got my license and was thrilled, but I still had not learnt how to ride a motorcycle.
The first motorcycle that I rode was 1979 Royal Enfield. A friend of mine taught me how to ride. Forget ride I first learnt how to take it off and put it back on the stand, then how to kick start it and then finally ride. So basically I never had a professionally trained instructor to teach me. Like me everyone else has learned pretty much the same way.
Most of us learn how to ride before driving and own a bike or scooter rather than a car. This then in turn leads to a whole mass of people who learnt riding from friends, family or their own and ride with the same mistakes as everyone else.
Taking me as an example, when I joint Bike India, I realized that my riding posture was all wrong, I was using the rear brakes to stop instead of the front brakes, and much more. I literally almost learnt riding from scratch. Thanks to my experienced colleagues at work, I learnt a lot and improved, but what about the rest?
I think riding schools are a must in India, especially since every tom, dick and harry gets onto a bike and wants to be a Rossi. It will help provide a platform for beginners to learn the art of motorcycle riding. With newer, more powerful motorcycles on the market, the road is a dangerous place to be.
Let me know what is your take on the importance of dedicated Riding Schools in India.
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