Took the basic rider course as I recommend everyone else to do. Wasn't very difficult, for me it felt like riding a heavy bicycle just motorized. Didn't have the good fortune to drop the bike so I can't say much about emergency procedure but our instructor was very knowledgeable and kept everything running smoothly. If you're on the fence about shelling out the cash I say do it, you're better off being taught how to properly operate the vehicle than to go out there and learn through failure because you might just end up a grease stain on the road. Dress for the slide not the ride. Read Less