The first few hundred miles any new rider puts down are laced with trepidation and anticipation as they discover another world of experiences and adventure. As with any pastime, there's a learning curve, so the staff of Clutch and Chrome have brought together the most common mistakes made by our newest members of the biker brotherhood.

There really are no other activities that compares with riding. Nothing captures that feeling of being in complete control of a two-wheeled monster as you race down a highway or back way with nothing between the rider, the road or the wind.

Unfortunately, any mistakes can be embarrassing at best and for the most part easily avoidable. Pulling from the experiences of the staff of Clutch and Chrome as well as some industry experts, here are the ten most common mistakes made by new riders.
 

Giving into peer pressure
Whether its as important as helmets and protective gear, or as trivial as what kind of clothes to wear, new bikers can quickly lose the freedom and individuality riding is supposed to be all about.

We know it's a simplistic approach to advise new bikers to simply do the right thing, or at the very least what seems comfortable for them. Riding is an uniquely individual pastime oddly enough, more enjoyable in large groups. Its also a hobby that grows confidence the more its enjoyed, giving riders the opportunity to find their own road eventually.

Riding beyond their limits
This new biker blunder is usually rooted in riding too fast to safely control their motorcycle. The thrill of speed can quickly outpace learning skill sets needed in unexpected situations or emergencies.

Whether done by choice or encouraged through peer pressure, this mistake can be avoided with a constant gut-check and honest assessment of current skill levels. Consistently doing both of these can help the new biker around long enough to become a seasoned one.

Not reading the road
No one has ever said riding is easy and there's certainly so much more to it than simply knowing how to operate a motorcycle. No other vehicle is more affected by its surrounding environment than our two-wheeled friend.

Between man-made debris and natures roadside traps, a rider can quickly get themselves into a lot of trouble in the blink of an eye. Gravel makes the bike lose much needed traction on corners and steel plates (commonly used in road repair) can feel like riding on ice.

Although each situation has its own specific handling answer, the general rules are;

• Avoid the hazards if at all possible.
• Steady, controlled throttle control while the bike is negotiating the problem surface.
• A firm but relaxed grip of the handlebars.
   

Not following maintenance schedules
In some ways motorcycles can be more robust than a car, but for the most part things wear out quicker requiring more attention and consequently have a shorter maintenance cycle. And yes you can ignore the pun.

For instance, tires and brakes need to be changed more frequently on a motorcycle than on a car. Since there are only two of each compared to the four found on a car care and consideration should be given ensuring they're serviced sooner than later.

Also it's easy to miss important oil changes needed more for the time the oil has been in the bike rather than the miles you've traveled.

Running out of gas
Maybe it's the newfound exhilaration of riding or simply not having the gas gauge in plain view. Either way being stuck on the side of the road with a dead motorcycle seems to be a embarrassing story shared among the newer riders.

It's understood motorcycles get great mileage, but an average tank only holds four to six gallons of gasoline. For some reason it seems that last quarter of a tank mysteriously goes much quicker, leaving the unaware biker riding on fumes.

Some experienced bikers refer to the gas gauge as an 'idiot gauge', "Because you'd have to be an idiot to rely on it!"

The perfect solution is to never let your tank fall below the quarter tank mark.