What NOT to Do on a Motorcycle — Painful Lessons Caught on Video

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Motorcycle Wisdom

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This week on MCrider, I thought we’d do something a little different.

Most of the time, we focus on what riders should do on a motorcycle. But this week, we’re flipping that around and taking a look at riders who are either doing the totally wrong thing—or caught in some very unfortunate situations.

There are lessons here for all of us.

Grouped by Common Motorcycle Mistakes

To help you spot patterns and improve your own motorcycle safety, I’ve grouped these video clips into the following categories:

Distraction
Speed
Lack of Training
Loading
Control
No Road Strategy
Maintenance

The first clip you’ll see isn’t of a motorcycle rider, but it clearly shows that distracted riding is dangerous—no matter what you ride.

Want to Avoid These Situations?

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to check out the MCrider Field Guide and Road Strategy book. These resources are designed to help you develop the skills and awareness to stay out of situations just like the ones we cover in this video.

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this video. Please leave a comment below and share if you’ve ever found yourself in any of these situations.

I’ll admit—I’ve made a few mistakes myself over the years. But the goal here isn’t to beat ourselves up. It’s to learn from our mistakes and reduce the number of them in the future… and hopefully learn from the mistakes of these other riders, too.

Till next week—ride safe!

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Category: Motorcycle WisdomBy MCrider June 6, 2025 21 Comments

“I am a 60-year-old returning rider, and at Kevin’s recommendation, I took the MSF course, although already licensed to ride. The knowledge that I gained from that course with other like-minded people has transcended over to my supporting MC Rider, and being a part of a unique opportunity to learn from riders around the world!”

David, Buchanan Dam, Texas

Thanks for the great tips. I’ve only been riding a few months, and could have avoided the one spill I had if I’d watched more of your videos beforehand!

Steven Godfrey

Great place for riders from beginners to advanced. Can’t say enough about the way the field guide has helped me and I really enjoy the forum. It has shown me to continue to practice and you never stop learning.
Don
Williamstown, NJ

Don

Knowledge is power. If you know what to do and what not to do, and understand the reasons why you are far ahead of most riders.

This MCrider platform is knowledge, in-depth knowledge that you can use out on the road on a daily basis. What a great place for all motorcyclists to gather at their own pace, at their own skill level, plug into a riding community, and study, which helps them understand safer riding. Kevin has hundreds of in-depth videos for every rider’s level.

The forums have thousands of riders sharing experiences worldwide that we can all learn from. It also features many rider coaches and instructors sharing even more knowledge! How to increase your riding skills, but how to use safe road strategy so you are not having to use those superior riding skills! I follow several YouTube motorcycle channels but this one is by far the most comprehensive, and the best of the best! Thank You, Kevin!

RMD1960

Thank you Kevin for all that you do on your channel. Your videos are an inspiration and have helped me become a better rider. God Bless!

B A

Love your videos. Learn something new all the time. From up here in Virginia keep up the great work. Helping many people

Sam Lawson

Thank you so much from Germany Kevin. You made my rides much safer!

Silvan Taschan

Fantastic and really helpful video. Thanks for taking the time to film and share.

Carl Butel

Hey Kevin. Just letting you know I’ve been watching and practicing your videos for 2 years. You saved my butt last night man. Typical story. Big deer just standing in road, 45 mph, emergency braking, started skidding, balance of front and rear brakes and allow bike to do what it does to come to controlled slow. Keep it up sir. You’ll never know how many lives you saved because the wreck never happened.

Adam

…your channel is a “School” I can attend and learn many riding skills and information that it would take years to gather. I have always been taught to seek out the experts if you want to learn. For me, when I ride I remember the videos and information that I have learned. You really have an impact on my riding and that has helped me tremendously.

JoeS0124