Learning to ride 2.0

So this is the first concrete step for me to get into riding. The anxiety is killing me as I want to get thru this training course the fastest possible time.

The course is spread over 3 days with about ¾ of a day spent in the classroom for theory. The rest is all practical. Now I must say that I've tried to arm myself with as much knowledge as can prior to this thru research. I mean I practically know how to operate a motorbike (in my mind that is). However, the actual practice is totally different story.

The motorbike to begin with is a totally new machine to operate, it's sheer weight alone is a thousand times heavier than my pedaled bikes combined. The courses we went thru were very challenging. I mean the course will simulate almost all available situations you will experience out there, well almost – there was NO traffic in the course. We had to go thru several start and stop routines so that more or less gets you ready for the challenging traffic ahead.

My batch was a mix of various people, the school maintains a certain student to instructor ratio to ensure every student is supervised at every step. In fact, the instructors will pay extra attention to a student who finds a particular task challenging. And much like in school, you will not be endorsed and given a passing mark unless your instructor feels confident with your skill.

Everyone is geared up with the necessary gear (helmet, elbow and knee pads) and is required to wear a color coded vest for easy identification of your current stage. Honda Motorbikes were assigned to each individual.

Let the fun begin! The various stages we were made to go thru included the basic clutch control, braking, slalom, slopes and various types of curves. By the end of Day 1, I was already a “rider” (read as can drive a motorcycle in a controlled environment at a top speed of 20KPH).

The next 2 days will make you experience more of these challenges, this time combined. The final day will be an assessment of how you have grasped the various skills to make you a “safe rider”. Armed with all I've learned and a certificate to prove it, I'm now ready to take on the “Challenge of Manila.”