Pulling away & stopping (CBT)

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Coordinating the motorcycle controls

The process of learning to pull away and stop for the first time is an exciting ‘chapter’ in learning to ride a motorcycle. It is at this point that the five main motorcycle controls are coordinated for the first time – throttle, clutch, front brake, rear brake and gears.

This aspect of learning to ride a motorcycle takes a significant amount of time and should not be rushed. Motorcycle instructors will nurture and skilfully guide their students step-by-step, until novice riders become sufficiently competent with this skill to move on to the next stage of training. Learner riders are advised to be patient, to take their time and to accept that repetition is the key.

Step-by-step approach

Progressing rider skills demands this step-by-step approach and in the case of learning to pull away and stop, the objective is to gain confidence in coordinating the five basic motorcycle controls.

Throttle – use a flat wrist and only a small amount of revs to get the motorcycle moving forwards. Clutch – use the finger tips only and use the clutch bite. Make sure the clutch control is smooth and get used to using a sustained biting point (this can at first feel unnatural). Front brake – there is no requirement to use the front brake whilst pulling away and stopping at slow speed. If the front brake is used in error, ensure the bike is steering straight. Rear brake – this is the recommended brake to use for this slow-control exercise. Gear lever – having previously mastered selecting first gear and neutral, pulling away and stopping builds on this competency by now introducing movement and the co-ordination of the other controls.