The first portion of this page is information put out by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Most people ride motorcycles because they enjoy close contact with the machine and the riding environment. Use of alcohol and other drugs before riding a motorcycle can only inhibit the intimate relationship between the motorcyclist, the machine, and the road. There is less research on alcohol's affects on riding skills. But most motorcyclists agree that it takes more coordination and alertness to ride a motorcycle that to drive a car.
Good judgement is the most critical skill in motorcycle riding.
Judgement is an essential element in the process of preventing accidents. Unfortunately, judgement is also the first skill to be affected by alcohol. Using other drugs before riding can also be hazardous. Although many people feel stimulation when drinking, this is indirect. Even a small amount of alcohol causes depression of those parts of the brain that control judgement, self-control and inhibition.