Why every motorcycle rider needs this one upgrade

Most riders upgrade their bike with the latest technology or safety features to enhance the riding experience. 

But one relatively inexpensive upgrade often gets overlooked, which can transform a rider’s experience: rider training. 

Why rider training matters

Upgrading your skills and refreshing your roadcraft could be a lifesaver, helping you avoid problems in the first place or allowing you to get out of trouble if it happens, which we all know on our roads is unavoidable.  

A glance at the latest road safety data highlights the risks faced by motorcyclists:

• 278 motorcyclist road deaths were recorded in Australia in 2024, an increase of 26 deaths compared to the previous year.
• Motorcyclists accounted for 21% of all road deaths in Australia in 2024, despite motorcycles representing a relatively small proportion of registered vehicles.
• Australia has approximately 970,000 registered motorcycles out of around 21.7 million registered motor vehicles.
• Between 2017 and 2024, annual motorcyclist fatalities increased by 32%, reinforcing the ongoing safety challenges faced by riders as a recognised vulnerable road user group.
• 94% of motorcyclist fatalities in 2024 involved male riders, while 38% occurred in major city areas.
• Most fatal motorcycle crashes occurred during the day, with 69% happening between 6am and 6pm, while 56% occurred on weekdays.

While statistics only tell part of the story, they highlight the importance of taking every opportunity to improve rider safety and reduce the risk of serious injury.

For many riders, ongoing training can be a practical way to build skills, confidence and awareness on the road.

Skills you don’t learn when getting your licence 

Passing your test and getting your licence is a great achievement. But it should be viewed as the beginning of your motorcycling training rather than the end.

Like any learned skill, experience may not always lead to better outcomes, particularly where you have developed bad habits or simply have forgotten the fundamental roadcraft skills because you don’t get out as much in the colder months. 

Getting a full licence in most states requires several steps, including a theory, road rules exam, a practical test, and a period on L-plates. 

During the riding test, motorcyclists will rarely encounter some of the many hazards that await once you get a few thousand kilometres under your belt, such as bad weather, poor road surface, and night riding.

Once you’ve passed, you’re on your own. It’s worth scheduling regular refresher training to ensure bad habits don’t creep in. There are many different social riding clubs across the country, and within those are a lot of experienced riders to learn from. But you can’t overlook the value of registered training providers.  

Road skills can fade over time 

Brushing up your skills can be especially important after prolonged periods off the bike. It doesn’t take long to get a bit rusty. For example, when winter rolls around, there are a lot of us who will park the bike in the garage, and it won’t see the light of day until spring and the warmer months settle in.

Time on the road helps keep skills sharp, develops an intuition for what other road users might do, and builds experience. 

Defensive driving skills enhance a rider’s instinct 

You don’t have to do many kilometres before you learn other road users aren’t always paying enough attention. Motorcyclists have a far narrower margin for error; be it your mistake, or often, another motorist.  

Rider training courses can hone and build on skills intended to minimise the impact of other motorists’ mistakes and avoidable road accidents.

That can be working on anything from road positioning to improve visibility, steering techniques to smooth weight transition during manoeuvres, and braking techniques to prevent lockups, unless of course you're lucky enough to have a bike with ABS.

Focusing on skills and having expert instruction can dramatically impact your riding, making it smoother, more precise and allowing more leeway for mistakes.

No matter how seasoned a rider you are, there’s always something new to learn. That’s the great thing about riding: we can always be better riders on and off the road. 

It’s a guaranteed way to improve your riding experience, enhance safety, and the enjoyment of hitting the open road.