How To Ride A 125cc Dirt Bike
Step One
Firstly, it’s wise to familiarize yourself with the controls. A manual 125cc dirt bike is operated using handlebar mounted controls, with foot controls too. The handlebar features a throttle twist-grip, and two levers. The lever on the left is your front brake. The lever on the right hand side is the clutch. Your feet operate two levers or pedals: a gear shifter on the left hand side, and the rear brake on the right.

Step Two
With the bike between your legs, ensure that the motorcycle is in neutral before carrying on. If you can push the bike forward freely, then the motorcycle is in neutral. When you’re ready, start the bike either by using the electric start button found next to the throttle, or use the kick-starter.

Step Three
Even though the bike is in neutral, it’s a wise idea to cover the back brake by resting your foot on the lever. This isn’t an essential move, but it’s a safe one. Before moving on, it’s a good idea to understand how the motorcycle operates.

Step Four
To move the bike forward, you first engage a gear. You do this by pushing down on the gear lever with your left foot. Motorcycle gearing is almost always one down, three (or four) up, with neutral located between first and second gear. With the clutch pulled in, click the bike into first gear. Keep the clutch in though, we’re not ready to go yet.

Step Five
To propel the motorcycle forward, you need to release the clutch whilst applying the throttle. Do this very slowly until you feel the bike wanting to move forward. Slowly release the clutch whilst gently increasing the throttle until your feel the motorcycle’s biting point. When you are confident that you can match the throttle with the clutch, you can release the clutch and move forward.

Step Six
It’s essential to get out of first gear as soon as safely possible. First gear is very powerful and jumpy, which makes it quite dangerous for new riders. You’ll feel much more comfortable with the bike in second and then third. To change gear in motion, simply pull the clutch lever in, and move the gear lever next to your left foot up into the next gear. It’s a simple as that.

Step Seven
Theoretically, that’s all it takes to move a motorcycle forward. But we do not recommend that you learn to ride this way. It’s best to learn to ride a motorcycle (street bike or dirt bike) under the watchful supervision of a trained professional, in a safe and secure place. Consider this guide as a quick way to visualize the process, and NOT as a learning tool.