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I'm a new rider — where do I start?

New to motorcycles or new to MotoScore? This is your starting point. What the scores mean, how to pick beginner-friendly routes, and what to ignore for now.

· 6 min read

Welcome. If you're new to motorcycles, new to MotoScore, or both, this guide is the shortest path to getting something useful out of the app without getting overwhelmed. We'll cover what the scores actually mean, the important thing they don't measure, how to read a score as a new rider, and a practical starting point for picking your first few routes.

The one thing to get clear first

MotoScore scores enjoyment. It does not score safety.

Every number in the app — the final score, the per-factor breakdown, the comparisons — is measuring how fun a road is for the profile you've selected. None of it is measuring how dangerous the road is, how much traffic you'll face, how technical the riding demand is for your experience level, or whether the weather will cooperate on the day you ride.

This is worth repeating because it's the single biggest source of confusion for new riders. A road that scores 91 is not a beginner road. It's usually the opposite — 91s are typically demanding mountain passes, technical canyons, or high-altitude alpine routes. They're unforgettable rides for experienced riders and dangerous rides for someone who got their licence last month.

Use the score as a planning tool, not a safety signal. Your own judgment, the weather, your recent practice, and the difficulty of the road itself are all separate inputs that you have to evaluate on top of whatever the number says.

What MotoScore actually measures

The six scoring factors are all "enjoyment" factors: curvature, elevation change, surface quality, vertical exposure, altitude ceiling, and scenic impact. These are the things that make experienced riders describe a road as "great." None of them are about whether the road is easy to ride.

Notable things MotoScore does not score:

All of those matter enormously, especially for a newer rider, and all of them need to be evaluated separately. The good news is that most of them are easy to check on Google Maps, Street View, or by reading a few trip reports before you go.

How to read a score as a new rider

Some rough heuristics that have held up well:

Under 50. These roads are rarely worth MotoScore's evaluation because they're straight, flat, or uninteresting in the factors the model measures. Not dangerous, just not engaging. Fine for commuting.

50–70. This is the sweet spot for new riders. Routes in this range have some engagement — modest curves, some elevation, reasonable surface — but aren't technically demanding. You can focus on skills without the road demanding more than you can give.

70–85. Intermediate roads. These are genuinely engaging rides with sustained demand. As a new rider, you can absolutely ride these, but you should approach them fresh, well-rested, and not in the rain. Read the per-factor breakdown before you go: if the 80 is driven mostly by scenic impact and altitude, the actual riding might be quite manageable. If it's driven by curvature and vertical exposure, it's more technical than the single number suggests.

85+. These are roads experienced riders chase. A new rider can ride them with the right preparation, but "the right preparation" usually means: ride a 70-range road first to feel it out, go on a day with no weather, keep your pace well below what the road invites, and know you're welcome to turn around.

90+. Save them for later. Not forever — in six months, with consistent riding, plenty of these will be the rides you've been working toward. But they're not week-one routes.

Which factors matter most for new riders

This is the practical question the single score doesn't directly answer. Look at the per-factor breakdown in the sidebar (or bottom sheet on mobile) and pay attention to:

Surface quality. Look for 80+ on surface. Paved, well-maintained, and consistent. New riders do not need to be dealing with gravel, frost heaves, or patched pavement while also learning to read corners. A great score driven by rough-but-scenic ADV riding is not a new-rider road — even if you're on a road-biased bike, the surface number tells you what you'll actually be riding on.

Curvature. As a new rider, you want curves — that's how you practice — but you want a moderate amount. A curvature score of 50–70 is usually a road with nice sweepers and a few tighter corners, rather than relentless switchbacks. A curvature score of 90+ is usually something with very tight, continuous turns that'll make a new rider tense.

Vertical exposure. Pay attention to this one. A high exposure score means big drops alongside the road. That's spectacular for experienced riders and intimidating for new ones. If exposure is above 70, look at the map and the photos of the road before you commit; cliff-edge riding is a lot of pressure while you're still learning to trust the bike.

Altitude ceiling. This mostly doesn't matter for safety, but it affects how the bike feels — less power at elevation — and your body at higher altitudes. If you're coming from sea level to ride something above 10,000 ft, plan a short day and eat and drink more than you think you need.

Beginner mode

If you've enabled beginner mode (or the app detected you're new and offered it), the UI simplifies in a few useful ways:

You can turn beginner mode off whenever you feel ready; it doesn't change scoring, only presentation.

A suggested starting plan

Here's a concrete week-one-to-month-three progression that has worked for plenty of new riders:

First two weeks. Stick to routes in the 50–65 range with surface quality above 80 and vertical exposure under 40. These are "enjoyable but forgiving" roads. Practice reading the road ahead, matching gear and speed to corners, and being smooth on the throttle.

Weeks three to six. Step up into the 65–75 range with similar surface and exposure requirements. Add a little more curvature; you should start feeling like you're riding the road rather than just riding down it.

Weeks six to twelve. You can try a 75–85 road in ideal conditions (dry, warm, not too much traffic). Ride it at a pace well below what the road invites. If it feels comfortable, great — ride it again later and push the pace. If it feels at the edge of your skill, back off and build more time in the 65–75 range.

After three months of regular riding. The upper scores open up, but now you're making the decision yourself based on how you feel about the specific road rather than a general heuristic. At this point MotoScore's score is a shortcut to finding great rides, not a filter on whether you're allowed to try them.

The last thing

The reason to ride is that you want to. MotoScore exists to help you find more of the roads that are worth riding and avoid the ones that aren't. It isn't a gatekeeper. If a route scores 60 and you love it, it's a great route. If a route scores 95 and you bail five miles in because the exposure is too much today, that was the right call — the road will still be there next month.

Ride within your ability, always have an out, and enjoy the process. The scores will make more and more sense to you the more you ride, because eventually you'll have strong opinions about a hundred roads and the model's numbers will line up with those opinions remarkably well.