Teaching the wife to ride.

[ChickOn2]

Youre gonna let her ride? By herself?

Whats next? Voting?

J/K.

Don't make me come over there! Refer to my avatar!

[kawi kid]

Don't make me come over there! Refer to my avatar!

you prob know exactly what drawer in the kitchen the can opener is too dont you

im kidding

[12oclocker]

Well, tonight I spent some time teaching the wife how to ride the bike. It all started when we stopped by the Iron Pony so that I could pick up a new front tire, and she HAD to try on a few helmets (actually, I told her to quit just looking at them, that if they didn't fit right, it doesn't matter how it looks.) We bought an inexpensive one for now, until we're sure she takes to riding. She can always use it riding 4 wheelers (if we ever get one, or more) or anything else that might require a helmet.

Anyway, we went over the controls, getting on and off the bike, started the engine, and feeel of the clutch. She does not do a manual transmission in a car even. We progressed to moving a little under power, and stopping. She's a bit hard on the brake, which I keep telling her she needs to work on in the car even, but she has managed to keep the shiny side up, and off the pavement!

Anyway, does anyone have any tips to help her keep balanced while moving slow? I'm not sure how to tell her to do it! I think I would be more prepared for this if I had been through the BRC, but that's not until the end of July, unless I get in on a walk-in spot.

We'll be back to it tomorrow night!

if she wants to learn start her on a 4 wheeler, after she learns the clutch and brake, then move her to 2 wheels, otherwise she will probably wreck.

[mattm]

I got in on the class at the main DMV on E. Broad as a walk-in my first try. Lucky me, right? Well, if you do sign up for a class you can still try to get in as a walk-in earlier as long as you show proof that you've payed for a later class. No need to show up early for the walk-in, they don't do the first-come-first-serve thing. It's a lottery.

I have checked and cannot find the info on this class on the motrcycle ohio website. They only list the west broad dept of public safety location. Is there some site I am missing?

Thanks

[kawi kid]

I have checked and cannot find the info on this class on the motrcycle ohio website. They only list the west broad dept of public safety location. Is there some site I am missing?

Thanks

https://www.dps.state.oh.us/MOScheduling/MO_Ohio.aspx

here is a start i dont know your location but you can do any county, just see whats open.

[Sara_Rides]

Anyway, does anyone have any tips to help her keep balanced while moving slow?

My fiance....Zerocrash on the board, is teaching me to ride, and he is a FANASTIC instructor...he has been fabulous...first he demonstates how to do a certain manuever then has me follow him. He explains why a certain part does what it does and then shows me why it does it, how it does it and then has me try it...he has so much patience, and I think that's the key. He is also very good about boosting my self confidence which helps just as much as anything else he does

[jporter12]

Anyway, does anyone have any tips to help her keep balanced while moving slow?

My fiance....Zerocrash on the board, is teaching me to ride, and he is a FANASTIC instructor...he has been fabulous...first he demonstates how to do a certain manuever then has me follow him. He explains why a certain part does what it does and then shows me why it does it, how it does it and then has me try it...he has so much patience, and I think that's the key. He is also very good about boosting my self confidence which helps just as much as anything else he does

The bad thing in our situation is that we only have 1 bike (looking at another tomorrow!) and I'm a new rider myself! I've put about 1300 miles on the bike in the past 2 months, and have learned a lot, but I don't have things down to the point where I'm much of a teacher!

Thanks again for all the tips, and the humorous posts!

[socaln8tv]

i am a gal who has been learning to ride street bikes in the last six weeks. i've grown up riding dirtbikes. bc streetbikes to me have a larger presence when you are sitting on them vs a dirtbike -- the walking technique at first was crucial. additionally, i agree with a previous poster that first gear is a little too jerky but if she can inherantly get the clutching/manual driving feel down, she'd progress faster. thats my two cents from a gal who is still learning safe riding on the streets. im scheduled for my class up at honda in late august, but ive snooped in and observed some classes over at delaware to see how the instructors facilitate their classes.

[buildit]

I guess I should post it up here that June 20th I will be having a get together for a new and experienced DS riders at my place North of London. If you'd be interested in coming out I have a thread on ADV about it. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=471913

It will be a good chance to meet other offroad riders and get pointers on riding form some really good people. I hate to guide people away from here but with the posting limit I can't respond to individuals in a timely fashion.

I know, 12hrs, it's in the rules. LOL

[demitrix]

Im not sure how natural she is on the bike but i taught my girlfriend how to ride in a empty parking lot. Like you said lesson 1 was basic controls and getting the bike moving (luckily shes driven a manual car forever).As far as teaching first gear i try two approaches with people (taught a few people to drive manual cars), A. let the bike idle and have them slowly release the clutch until it just starts to engage, and then go even slower and walk the bike up to speed. B. Have her give it a little gas and slip the clutch, itll wear a lil more this way but it gets the feeling of a smooth start down and she can cut back the throttle on her own accord. Once she was getting it moving in 1st i told her just to pick her feet up but keep it slow. She picked right up, by her 5th time on the bike she was counter-steering, leaning, shifting, and downshifting like she was born on a bike.

I made sure to tell her if she got scared to just stop the bike and put her feet down, and i made sure to tell her to roll her wrist forward while braking to stop her from gassing it whilst braking. As long as your wife isnt the person to get scared and become irrational in a parking lot in 1st gear it'd be a lil difficult to lay a bike down if she can hold the weight up.

Good luck!

Edited June 9, 2009 by demitrix

[jporter12]

Looks like we're going to be headed to a parking lot soon. She took her temps test today and passed it.

Now, just to find a bike for her, and the money to buy it! LOL

[PrincessPratt]

I've been riding for 6 years BUT I'm a very very very slow learner. I started out on a buell blast which was very forgiving but very boring. I "outgrew" it in a matter of months (it didn't help that my exhusband that had an R1 that used to let me ride it...that ruined it right there). Anyhoo, I have always had issues with turning at slow speeds. I'm fine with the clutch/brake action in first gear but I found that I was having issues dumping the GSXR I got 3 years ago b/c I wasn't LOOKING into my turns. When I keep my eyes up I don't get as scared and my bike goes where my eyes go. I found that when I was at mid ohio the instructors had to continually remind me to look into the turn. It's a BAD habit if you get into it. I renewed my temps for 2 years b/f I took the course so I had TONS of bad habits that are still getting broken. Anyhoo, I hope some of that helps.

[jporter12]

Very helpful PrincessPratt! Anything I can use to teach her the RIGHT way of doing everything! Actually, some of the tips here will help ME with better riding techniques!

[phop5]

Not exactly what I was thinking that this thread was going to be about.......but hats off to you!!! Get ready to spend.

[buildit]

I've been riding for 6 years BUT I'm a very very very slow learner. I started out on a buell blast which was very forgiving but very boring. I "outgrew" it in a matter of months (it didn't help that my exhusband that had an R1 that used to let me ride it...that ruined it right there). Anyhoo, I have always had issues with turning at slow speeds. I'm fine with the clutch/brake action in first gear but I found that I was having issues dumping the GSXR I got 3 years ago b/c I wasn't LOOKING into my turns. When I keep my eyes up I don't get as scared and my bike goes where my eyes go. I found that when I was at mid ohio the instructors had to continually remind me to look into the turn. It's a BAD habit if you get into it. I renewed my temps for 2 years b/f I took the course so I had TONS of bad habits that are still getting broken. Anyhoo, I hope some of that helps.

This reminds me of a friend I was helping learn to ride. She took the HD riders edge class and got talked straight into a HD Sportster 1200. We met up and she told me she was doing much better but still had issues making slow left hand turns. Well, we rode out to the high school in London and I started helping her do some slow figure eights. The reason for her Left hand turn issues became apparent immediately! Being all of 5'2" she was leaning over the tank to reach the handle bars to begin with. As she turned left the throttle moved away and out of her reach!

You'll just have to forgive me if I have learned to hate almost everything the HD culture has brought to motorcycling.

Whatever bike you choose for her make sure it is the right size and power for a learner bike. Build a strong foundation of good riding skills and the rest of the riding experience will become a lot easier.

Practice accelerating and braking, swerve techniques, and proper control techniques. Take an MSF course but keep in mind, they will not teach you how to drive on the road. They teach you the skills needed to control the bike on the road.

[jporter12]

Thanks Buildit! Some more excellent tips there! I think one of the things we'll do is put my bike on the center stand and verify her being able to turn the bars all the way. I'm pretty sure she can, being that she turns the bike around now (not continuous moving yet).

[Quicksilver_k6]

I taught my wife to ride. I started out teaching her how to drive a manual shift car to get the feel for a clutch. We then purchased a Kawasaki 250. I took her to a big parkinglot and showed her the controls and how to turn. We spent most of the time in second gear cause of the engine brake from first gear. We did this every oppourtunity we had (A lot of patience is needed) and she eventually started riding the side streets around our house. after riding for awhile she signed up for the MSF. She pased that and got her liscense. She then got a job at a local motorcycle shop and did her first track day on a Ducati monster 620. She loved it. We then traded in her 250 and bought a 2006 Kawasaki ZX6R. She did another track day on her new bike and was draging her knee by the end of the day. I am so proud (wipes tear away from eyes). She accomplished all this after saying " I will never get on one of those bikes" talking about my ZX7 at the time. Now she is pregnant and hasnt ridden in like 9 months and misses it terribly. Every time I go on a ride I have to tell her it sucked so she wont be to upset. Anyways just remember. PATIENCE is the key. and take a riders school.

[buildit]

Biggest biginner problem is learning where the friction zone is on the clutch and how to "ride the clutch" a bit to get the bike rolling without popping a wheelie or stalling. I like the MSF technique of learning where that point is and becomming comfortable with it. Don't fully enage the clutch just use enough to ease the bike forword and then disengage and push back with your legs.