Preparation: Training

If you're learning to drive a car, you usually get a learner's permit and practice with one of your parents riding around in the passenger seat and giving you instructions. Carrying an instructor around on a motorcycle obviously isn't practical. In most US states, you could just get a learner's permit and practice riding a bike on your own, with certain restrictions such as no riding at night, no carrying a passenger, and no interstates. But the problems with that are obvious - you're starting riding a bike without any experience, and out on public roads unless you have a big empty parking lot next to your house or can trailer your bike to one.

So the option I'd recommend is motorcycle school. These are usually run by the state or by private companies (some Harley-Davidson dealers, for example, put on a class called Rider's Edge). Both state-run and private classes often follow a curiculum developed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, althouth sometimes you'll see other programs from state governments or ABATE as well. Usually these classes take a Friday night and a complete weekend (There are exceptions: Rider's Edge is a four day class - thanks, Philip!), and the school will provide the bike. In some states, the class is nearly free from the state instructors. In Georgia, they aren't subsidized and cost $250. Private lessons can cost a little more, but not by much.

These classes start with instruction in a classroom. Usually it's not quite as disreputable looking as this classroom, which was in a wing of a high school slated for demolition. (They'd given the students free reign with cans of Krylon after the school let out for the summer since it was geing torn down anyway.) They cover the basics of how a motorcycle works on the first night. Then on Saturday morning the instructors lead you though exercises in the parking lot. It starts off with how to work the clutch and moves up through weaving, hard braking, and some courses even have you hopping the bike over 2 x 4's by the end of the class.

Along the way, you'll also learn a lot of defensive driving skills, and much of the generic "Stuff every rider should know." You generally won't be ready for commuting through rush hour traffic by the end of the class, but you should leave the class knowing enough about how to get on a bike on a lightly traveled road without hurting yourself. Then you'll be ready to start practicing on the road and building up your skills. As Philip noted, you'll want more experience before you take on riding in heavy traffic and all weather. More about that next...