How Do You Know Your Level?
Beginner, novice, intermediate, advanced. What about the spaces in between like novice-intermediate or intermediate-advanced? The combinations of personal skill level are endless. The question is, “what level are you?” “Where are you in your life?” “Are you brand new to motorcycling?” “Are you getting back into it after many years away?” or “Are you trying a new riding discipline?” These are just a few questions to ask yourself. Before you read on, be honest with yourself and your current skill level. It is in our human nature to self-inflate, but it can cause more harm than good regarding your learning process as you work toward become a more skilled motorcycle rider. Also note, that going back to the basics can help you increase your skill overall, even at a more advanced riding level.
Knowing where you fall into the list of rider skill levels will aid you for a number of reasons. 1) You’ll have a better understanding of your limitations. 2) You’ll know where your boundary is so you can safely go past it and increase your skill level. 3) You’ll be more successful in picking a riding partner or group that doesn’t leave you behind or bore you to death. 4) So you can place yourself in the appropriate level class for motorcycle rider training.
Note: your skill level will change over time, so long as you put in the effort. If you don’t do much in the way of practicing, seeking training, and/or safely pushing past your boundaries, you’ll very likely plateau regarding your personal motorcycle riding skill level.
There are a lot of factors that play into knowing which level you should sign up for when it comes to taking motorcycle rider training. Not all the questions below will apply to you, but hopefully this list will help you pinpoint your personal skill level.
Do you feel like your skills have plateaued, or that you want more from your riding experience?
This is usually the first step toward increasing your personal skill level.
How long have you been riding?
Often measured in years. Subtract any years that you didn’t ride (a brake, if any).
How many years have you taken off from riding?
It is not uncommon for riders to have taken many years or decades off and are getting back into it.
How much time do you devote to training?
Either on your own and/or under the guidance of a coach.
What style of riding (riding discipline) have you done or are doing?
Touring, racing, riding around town, dirt biking, dual sport riding, adventure riding, etc.
Is the motorcycle you are riding new to you, or is the style/discipline new to you?
Especially if you are switching riding disciplines, skill sets can vary.
Do you feel confident about your foundational skills?
Clutch, throttle, and braking skills, vision, and balance.
What do you want to learn?
More importantly, what do you need to learn. Sometimes freshening up on older skills is beneficial.
How do you want to learn?
There are many different learning and coaching styles out there. Take the time to find a riding school or coach that matches your needs.
The last two questions are likely the most important. Answer these questions honestly and without ego. It is in our human nature to over or under estimate our own skill level, in anything. How good of a cook are you? Are you an effective communicator? Just to name a few examples. By asking yourself what you really need to learn and how you want to learn will help you get clear about the skill level you should sign up for when taking motorcycle rider training.
CLEAR Moto - Motorcycle Rider Training believes in adjusting, in real-time, to the rider’s needs. We do our best to make those adjustments in our group classes, however, it isn’t always that simple. By asking and answering the above questions for yourself will help you sign up for the correct level so major adjustments don’t need to be made. If your skill level is a lot different from that of the group’s, there is little the coach can do for you individually without taking away from the rest of the group’s learning experience.
Let’s take a closer look at what each of the the levels are:
Pre-Rider: Like pre-school for a child, a pre-rider is someone that is very new to motorcycles. This is not a commonly recognized skill level as it doesn’t have any skill applied to it yet. However it is an important stage in a rider’s overall learning and growth experience. At the pre-rider level, a person is gathering information, making new friends, and preparing themselves for the next steps, such as getting their motorcycle endorsement.
Beginner: This is the level that is in between being a pre-rider and a novice. It is often the skill level a person is when they test to get their motorcycle endorsement. Do not get tricked at this level into thinking that because you have a motorcycle endorsement means you can ride a motorcycle, it just means you can do so legally. There is much to be learned and you are encouraged to embark on the journey to becoming a better rider by taking the steps through novice, intermediate, and advanced.
Novice: At this level you have been around motorcycles enough that you are kind of keeping up with the lingo, and maybe using it. You may or may not have your own motorcycle at this point. If you don’t, you’re likely hungry for your own motorcycle. Your riding skill is shaky and you know you have a lot to learn yet, and you’re soaking it all in. This is a critical stage because all you want to do is learn, and if you learn bad habits, well, we all know how hard those are to shake. Riding a motorcycle, like any other skill, requires a strong foundation of skills to successfully build more advanced skills upon. Don’t rush through this level. Many riders want to because they want to call themselves intermediate. Resist that urge and spend the extra time building a strong foundation of motorcycle riding skills.
Intermediate: This is the broadest level. The reason it is so broad is because it ranges from novice-intermediate (the bridge out of novice and into intermediate), to intermediate (the middle), to advanced-intermediate (just before bridge into advanced riding skills). If you treat each of these as their own level, which they are, you’ll be an intermediate level rider for a while, and by a while, we mean years. It is advised to take a step or two back occasionally to maintain and freshen up your foundational skills (found commonly at the novice level). Continue to apply those older skills to newer skills being learned and practiced. Many riders will choose to stay in the intermediate level, with no desire to go to an advanced level. This is, of course, perfectly fine. It goes back to “what do you want to learn?” In many cases, intermediate level riding is enough for most riders.
Advanced: For those that want more, can have it. This level actually slows down. The effort a rider did or did not put into their foundational skills will show their true colors here. Most riders can get away with weaker foundations as an intermediate level riders, but the extra “weight” of reaching advanced level skills will put stress on what was learned as a novice. The reason this level slows down is because the rider is honing their skills to such a fine degree that it takes many hours to work on one part of a skill. Taking weeks, months, or years to master any given skill.
Expert: This is the level that is often associated with riders that are competitors or professionals. These are the riders that the rest of us watch, usually in awe. The degree of dedication to training is that of any other athlete. Spending hours a day practicing. There is also an element of talent that comes with this level, as we all know is the case for those that are the best in their sport. If you are at this level, thanks for spending time in my blog.
So where are you? Where do you want to be? Now, how do you get there?
CLEAR Moto is here for you. We want to help you reach your goals and set new ones. Our specialty is meeting you where you are, and getting you where you want to go. From learning the lingo & familiarizing yourself with motorcycles, to intentional practice that will help sharpen your riding skills.
You deserve options when it comes to your training. You are welcome to join a course, if you thrive in group settings, or have a private lesson for a more individualized experience. If you still don’t know what your skill level would be, please feel free to contact us and we’d be happy to help guide you to a level that best fits your wants and needs.
