Dear aspiring rider: Please read this if you're asking for advice on social media

Obviously, I think motorcycling is great and if someone is interested in getting into the fun, I'm all for that. But the stakes are also high, because if you do it wrong, motorcycling can go really badly. Life-changing badly. So people making decisions based on advice from random unknown individuals on social media? That makes me nervous.

To be fair, when I do click on those responses, the majority of them are not bad advice. But you'll also have someone tell you "Don't buy a small bike, you'll just outgrow it." Which leaves me wanting to respond, "Of course you'll outgrow it, that's the point and the goal!" Saying you shouldn't buy a beginner bike because you'll outgrow it is like arguing kids shouldn't bother with first grade because they're going to have to go to all those other grades anyway, so why not enroll your six-year-old as a sophomore in high school and get on with it?

But here's the problem: While the aspiring rider will get a lot of good advice and some terrible advice on social media, that person is not yet equipped to be able to tell which is which. Some of that bad advice can sound plausible, if you you're just starting to learn about motorcycles.

There's a better way

It seems a disproportionate number of the people I see turning to social media for advice are young women, probably because role models are few and many don't have a motorcycling support structure. I have some specific thoughts for aspiring women riders below, but first let's look at some resources that apply to everyone. There's a ton of good advice right here on Common Tread and the RevZilla YouTube channel's beginner motorcyclist playist. That's advice not just from me, but from the various experienced and thoughtful riders and writers who have contributed here over the years. Here's a list of helpful reading:

• Motorcycle training: A guide to learning to ride, starting with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic RiderCourse and beyond.
• How to ride a motorcycle: A (don't) crash course, with a video on the basics of motorcycle operation.
• How to get your motorcycle permit and license, what you need to know.
• How to choose your first motorcycle, including explanations of the different kinds of motorcycles for aspiring riders who are overwhelmed by the choices.
• Lemmy's three rules for buying your first motorcycle, one experienced rider's simple set of guidelines.
• How to choose your second motorcycle, for when you're ready to step up.
• What's the best beginner motorcycle? with a few options offered by our writers.
• CTXP video: Finding the best beginner motorcycle of 2023, our major video production that tests a range of beginner bikes.
• How I overcame my height (mostly), with tips for shorter riders.
• Don't get burned: Tips for buying a used motorcycle, which is just as advertised.
• What motorcycle gear do you really need to wear? with priorities.
• How much should you spend on motorcycle gear? so you know the costs.

That doesn't even get into the dozens of articles we've published about more advanced riding skills, how to stay safer on the streets, and all the rest of that vast sea of motorcycling knowledge you'll want to soak up if you get into this two-wheeled thing with the same enthusiasm those of us at Common Tread share. But first, you have to get started. And we want you to get started right and enjoy the journey.

A note specifically for women riders

Many of the people I see asking for advice on social media today are women. They think motorcycles look fun and exciting but they weren't born into a motorcycle support structure and don't have family and friends who ride. So for guidance they turn to the place we naturally go to these days. Social media. If you're that person, let me tell you, you're not the first.

The social media part is new, of course, but after more than 20 years in the motorcycle industry, it's a story I've heard over and over from women riders who had to start from zero and find their way. Some went on to become not just highly accomplished riders, but also influential leaders in the industry. I was reminded of that recently when I listened to a podcast interview with Sarah Schilke. She also was not born into a motorcycling support structure and bought a Honda Rebel 250 on a whim. From that humble beginning, she went on to become a Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor, an accomplished rider on- and off-road, and launched a 30-year career in the motorcycle industry, working for BMW, the AMA, and as vice president of SW-MOTECH USA, among others. Today, she's co-owner with Erin Sills — who happens to have set some motorcycle land speed records — of WomenRidersNow.com, a site established years ago by another leading woman in motorcycle media, Genevieve Schmitt.

If you happen to be that young woman starting from zero and seeking advice, do you want to take tips from random individuals on social media or do you want to take advice from knowledgeable, accomplished riders like Sarah, Erin, and WRN editor Tricia Szulewski, who understand your journey? WRN has an entire section of advice for beginning riders, such as how to get started, including stories of other women who overcame obstacles and conquered their worries to start riding, and advice on how to choose your first motorcycle.

You can listen to some squidly dude on social media who thinks you should buy nothing less than a Yamaha R6, bruh (a great motorcycle, but one specifically designed for the sole purpose of getting an expert rider around a race track as quickly as possible), but I hope instead you'll tap some of the resources above and get started with a motorcycle that will be comfortable, easy to ride, and help you develop your skills, launching you on a long and happy career as a motorcyclist.