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There's no need to reinvent the wheel if you're new to motorcycles, there are plenty of tips and tricks out there from experienced riders.

Today we live in a world where the internet is filled with long lists of tips, tricks and hacks for just about anything under the sun. Motorcycles are no exception, and to be honest it is pretty hard to discern fact from fiction in some cases. It can be pretty overwhelming for new riders, with so many different takes on what makes a good first bike. It is also pretty easy to confuse good marketing with good advice, and it can lead to very expensive mistakes for people looking to take up motorcycle riding as a hobby or just need a cheap way to get from A to B.

For all those new motorcyclists out there, here are a few important things you actually need to know about riding and what kind of bike might be best for you.

Easily the most overlooked part of a motorcycle purchase is the riding gear. In some cases, riding gear can get a little expensive, and it is something you really do need to think about carefully.

Street/urban riding will require very different safety gear to trail riding, so it is important to get the right kind of gear the first time, rather than changing your mind post-purchase.

There are all kinds of riding courses you can take, from beginner to advanced, but for those looking for a good starting point this will be the best way to get a solid foundation in place.

It is the kind of thing that can open your mind, too, which might encourage some would-be riders and also remove the rose-tinted glasses from others.

Related: Earning An M1 License With The CHP California Motorcycle Safety Program

A matte-black helmet and a black leather jacket might look great, but they do nothing for your visibility. At the best of times, motorcycles are pretty hard for people to see, especially at intersections in failing light when most of us will be riding.

You don’t need to go out and buy a high-visibility jacket, but something with a bit of color to it or simple reflective strips will be far safer in the real world. If you like bright colors then why not get the luminescent green helmet, but equally, the white one will work just fine.

This might seem like stating the obvious, but the amount of YouTubers out there that seem to actively promote breaking the law is pretty astounding.

Experienced riders might well get away with it, but as a new rider, following those examples might get you a ticket, or worse, a hospital bill.

Related: 10 Motorcycle Safety Tips Every Rider Should Know

If you only plan on getting a bike to buzz around the city, an electric scooter is the obvious answer, but for others the answer might not be quite so obvious.

The best thing you can do if you are unsure is to try riding a friend’s bike, but if you are not in that fortunate position you will simply need to be patient and get your license first, then test ride bikes at every opportunity, so you can get a feel for different kinds of bikes. It is important not to rush into a purchase, especially if that purchase involves financing.

Once you have made the all important decision on what kind of riding you want to do, you need to decide on the right bike for you.

If you just want to go out riding trails with friends who have a pickup/trailer any decent dirt bike will do, but if you are after a street bike there are hundreds of different bikes out there, and you will need to try them out before you can make an informed decision.

Related: 10 Cheap Dirt Bikes, Dual Sports, And Trailbikes We'd Love To Swing A Leg Over

If you are getting your first bike, it is advisable to get something used. Not necessarily a beater, but something you can tolerate the odd drop.

You will drop your bike at some point, it is a rite of passage, it is frustrating, sometimes painful, but rarely too expensive. You will also fall off your first bike at some point, that is just the reality of it, but fear not, it will most likely be at low speed while trying to do a U-turn and not a 90 mph high-side (unless you have a death wish and ride like a crazy person).

So many people want a sportbike, they look great, have a great spec sheet, but they truly suck in the real world. Sportbikes are optimized for closed course riding and put a lot of weight on your wrists and generate much heat.

Any bike that is overly powerful is inadvisable, but if you really know what you want, there are a lot of bikes that have low power maps available that you can change once you feel more confident and have some riding experience under your belt.

Related: 5 Modern Sportbikes That Are Painful To Ride (5 That Are Surprisingly Comfortable)

Truly nothing in this world is better to learn on than a small displacement dual sport, they also allow you to experience several different types of riding conditions with one bike.

Getting used to losing traction is also a great skill to have and is chronically underrated. Having a bike with traction control is wonderful, but even the best systems won’t help you if you hit black ice.

No matter what bike you end up with, or what kind of riding you want to do, the main thing you need to be doing is having fun, and if you are not then you must be doing it wrong.

Motorcycles are not for everyone and there is no shame in admitting that, there will always be somebody willing to take that bike and gear off your hands if it comes to that, but don’t give up too easily, it is a skill worth learning.

Luke Zietsman is an all out automotive enthusiast based in The Philippines. If it has two or four wheels he has either owned it, researched about it or dreamed about it.