sliding out during turn

I'm considering learning to ride a motorcycle, but I have concerns
about the motorcycle sliding out underneath me if I lose traction

Most likely *not* wearing any 'gear' -- ouch!

Bicycle tires have very little contact with the road to support 200
pounds of bike/rider. A motorcycle has *far* more tire-road contact
area with only 3X the mass. I've hit occasional patches of dirt/sand
and have felt the bike slip a bit before regaining traction.

during a tight turn. I've had several experiences on a bicycle, where
I wasn't going very fast (10-15mph), but tried to make too tight of a
turn, the tires couldn't grip the road, and next thing I knew I was on
the ground. The frightening thing about that I didn't sense the tires
starting to lose grip... one moment I was turning, the next moment I
was on the ground. It was very sudden, no time for recovery. But those
crashes weren't bad at all, and a bicycle only weighs about 40 lbs. A

You have a bicycle that weighs 40 lbs??

very different story with a motorcycle that weighs 400+ lbs, and going
25+ mph.

Anyways, so my question is, does that happen easily with a motorcycle
too, if you lose traction during a turn, will it suddenly slide out?

It can. Good motorcycle tires have amazing traction. they will stick
through most of what you'll ever throw at them, with plenty of
forewarning before they lose it. BUT, put ice, oil, or gravel in their
path and you can slide in an instant.

Turby is right, and that's one of the reasons it's important to
learn more than just the physical operation of a motorcycle when you
learn to ride, you also need to learn street riding strategies that
teach you to scan for such hazards, recognize them, and take
appropriate action, so that a fall doesn't occur.

You might find it valuable to find a local community college or the
like that offers motorcycle rider training.

Or are you usually able to sense that the tires are losing grip and
have a chance to recover?

Depends on the conditions and road surface.

I once dropped my VFR at approximately 2 MPH in a perfectly flat parking lot
in broad daylight by touching the brakes while passing over a patch of dried
pine needles.

The front wheel instantly locked and slid sideways, leaving me standing
there with a surprised expression and a horizontal bike between my legs.

This should answer your questions:

I suggest you learn on a small dirt bike.

*Strongly* suggest. Gloves, boots, denim or leather jacket/pants,
helmet. You *will* drop a dirt bike -- it's no big deal if you are
dressed for it. Same on the street for a low-side, but hopefully not
so often. Hardly worth mentioning. What you do not want to do is go
over the top, high-side, and crash into something.

Great video. Thanks for posting!

Just don't spray Teflon on your tires.

Or ACF 50. Great for keeping corrosion at bay, but it turns previously
sticky, grippy tyres into ice skates.

A 40 lb bike? Geeze, is it a Huffy? There isn't much to grip with on a
bicycle tire, if you mean a road bike (40lbs?) the tire contact patch is
very tiny, maybe 1/2 an inch. On a motorcycle you will have a bigger
patch and good grip on a good surface. But the surface isn't always good
and overconfidence can be costly.

Best to take it easy and build up speed later as you get the feel of it.
You really should take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation class. It will
put you light years ahead of where you will be going it alone learning
lessons the hard way.

Yes, and even with RiderCourse training, you need to be extra--extra-

No way... I'm finding this so very hard to believe... I've got a
cheapo mountain bike (Murray) that I thought was heavy but there's no way
that thing weighs 40 lbs...

EXTRA-aware of road conditions and weather.

The one time I dropped my bike, it was on a hairpin turn and there was
black ice on the inside of the bend.. Rear end went 'whoaaah' and I
slid across the road into the shoulder.. Not fun.

Thank goodness my boxer heads took most of the damage, better
replacing a head than healing an ankle or shin..