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Riding by Trial & Error

There was one disturbing response to an article, about learning to ride by trial and error, that I had written a few weeks ago. A well-respected motorcycle instructor, with decades of coaching experience, wrote how they had learned to ride a motorcycle by trial and error and that most bikers could learn in the same way. To me, they were simply lucky and the experience didn’t end tragically. There is a persistent myth in the motorcycling community that we can learn more about riding on our own, than from guidance from an experienced coach.  As a qualified teacher, my reasoning was based on clear educational research that a trial and error approach to motorcycle riding is dangerous and can even be fatal. It is surprising then, that the UK Government, via a policy of bi-annual Compulsory Basic Training, accepts the road safety risks to young people and novice riders. After 6 to 8 hours of training, 200,000 Learner motorcyclists are allowed to ride in all kinds of environments at speeds up to 60mph.  There is no monitoring of riding ability or maintenance of the riders knowledge and skills in the two-year interval between Compulsory Basic Training(CBT) certification.  There is no way of knowing that CBT riders even maintain the standard achieved at the time of certification. Many of whom may be working in the Gig economy as delivery and dispatch riders.


Trial and error learning has an essential place in learning, especially in controlled educational settings. Motorcycle riding is an unsuitable educational approach due to a number of inherent risks.

Lack of Structure and Guidance

Trial and error learning relies on individuals making repeated attempts to solve a problem until they find a solution. For motorcycling, this can be a dangerous way to learn. Without proper instruction, a rider may not realise the best ways to control the throttle, brake correctly, navigate turns, or cope with challenging riding environments. This unstructured learning approach often leads to poor riding habits that can be hard to correct later. According to Kolb’s experiential learning theory, while experience is important, learning should be structured, with guidance and reflection playing significant roles in mastering a skill.

Safety Concerns

One of the biggest drawbacks of trial and error when learning to ride a motorcycle is the increased risk of accidents. Unlike academic subjects, where errors might result in a bad grade or wasted time, mistakes while riding can have serious, life-threatening consequences. For instance, learning how to properly balance a motorcycle or react to a sudden obstacle requires more than just trial and error. It requires expert guidance to ensure that the rider knows how to avoid dangerous situations.

Thorndike’s law of effect explains that behaviours followed by positive outcomes are likely to be repeated, while those followed by negative outcomes are not. When applied to motorcycling, this suggests that riders could learn more effectively with positive reinforcement, like feedback from a qualified instructor, rather than through accidents or near-misses that occur when learning alone.

Inefficient Learning

Trial and error can also be a slow process. When learning to ride a motorcycle, you might repeatedly make mistakes before figuring out what works. This could involve improper use of the clutch, misjudging speeds, failing to shift gears, or brake in the right way and at the right time. Each error delays the learning process, making it unnecessarily long and frustrating. Structured learning, by contrast, allows riders to progress faster because they receive immediate feedback on what they are doing wrong and how to improve.

Research in education, such as Dewey’s theory of experience-based learning, emphasises the importance of guided practice over aimless experimentation. Having an instructor show the correct technique saves time, resources and reduces novice rider frustration.

Lack of Confidence and Increased Anxiety

Frequent mistakes, especially in a risky activity like motorcycling, can undermine a beginner’s confidence. Trial and error may lead to a sense of failure when things don’t go as planned, causing the learner to feel frustrated or overwhelmed. Sadly, shaming, finger-pointing, ridiculing and stigmatising learner riders is common amongst some motorcycling groups and in some sections of society there is a negative attitude to motorcyclists in general. In contrast, working with an instructor can build confidence by offering step-by-step guidance and positive reinforcement. This reduces the likelihood of discouragement and keeps the rider motivated to continue learning. The process of building knowledge and skills and restraining over-enthusiasm helps to build confidence and riding ability. 

Vygotsky’s concept of “zone of proximal development” highlights that learners achieve the most growth when they are supported just beyond their current capabilities. Having a coach or instructor pushes the rider to develop new skills while providing the support needed to feel confident in their progress.

Development of Bad Habits

Learning to ride by trial and error can lead to bad habits. If a rider continually repeats an incorrect technique without feedback, such as using too much front brake or improper body positioning, these errors can become ingrained, making it harder to relearn the correct way later. According to Thorndike’s work on learning theory, the reinforcement of incorrect behaviours can be a major obstacle to skill development. This can also lead the novice rider to misjudge their own ability and develop an unshakeable attitude toward improving their riding knowledge and skills. An instructor can immediately correct such mistakes, preventing bad habits from becoming permanent. This also prevents stubborn, overconfident attitudes, to riding ability becoming entrenched.This produces a safer road user who can model machine control and management to others.

 Conclusion

While trial and error may work for some subjects in educational settings, it is not well-suited for learning how to ride a motorcycle. The risks, inefficiency, and potential for developing bad habits make it a dangerous and slow method for mastering such a complex skill. Guided instruction, with a focus on safety, structure, and feedback, provide a far more effective and safer learning environment for new riders. 

Using educational theories like those of Kolb, Dewey, and Thorndike, we can see that structured learning with expert guidance significantly reduces the risk of accidents and promotes quicker, more effective riding knowledge and skill development. This makes for safer road users. The ‘experienced’ instructor and those who agree with the view that novice riders can learn via a trial and error model are simply wrong.

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). “Compulsory Basic Training (CBT)
    Certificate.” GOV.UK, 2023.
  2. Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and
    Development. Prentice-Hall.
  3. Thorndike, E. L. (1911). Animal Intelligence: Experimental Studies.
  4. Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. Macmillan.
    5 Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological
    Processes. Harvard University Press.

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