yes i agree with hgsc90 take the classes and learn to ride right, the wife and i were on a ride recently and encountered a cat , ran across in front of us and ..well lets say the weight of our bike and the 2 riders took care of the cat hit right in the middle with both wheels,as a rider for 20 + years i was able to keep us up and go on,i know you are thinking that it was just a cat but even a cat can throw you if you are not ready for it.. take the time to get familiar with whatever bike you get so the reaction will be automatic, there are all kinds of hazards that you can run into that you dont even think about in a car.. so all that said,riding is awsome and great fun if you are careful just take your time to do it right and be safe