Any advice, signing up wife for new riders course

[NA7A]

Finally talked my wife into getting her motorcycle endorsment so she has agreed to take the course soon but she has never rode before so I hope all goes well. I started out by getting her some riding gear, then some HD shirts, stickers for her car trying to get her into that frame of mind. She likes riding with me sometimes but I just think it would be better if we both rode seperate bikes togeather on day long trips. I think she would like riding her own bike but not sure how much more motavation I can give until she takes the course and gets the feel of riding. I want to get her into a Sportster 883 L and a co-worker of mine my sell hers.

Any other ideas you all can pass along would be much appreciated.

[Clint]

Oh, buddy, I wouldn't do that. Pressuring someone (and that's what it is) puts all the responsibility on you if something goes wrong. Considering that she's had plenty of experience in the motorcycling world and hasn't taken it upon herself to move forward, I question whether she's right for it. If she's doing it mostly to make you happy, she might find herself in a dangerous situation, beyond her comfort level. I'd back off.

Not really an HD topic. Moving.

[CaptCrashIdaho]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Oh, buddy, I wouldn't do that. Pressuring someone (and that's what it is) puts all the responsibility on you if something goes wrong. Considering that she's had plenty of experience in the motorcycling world and hasn't taken it upon herself to move forward, I question whether she's right for it. If she's doing it mostly to make you happy, she might find herself in a dangerous situation, beyond her comfort level. I'd back off.

Agreed. Getting into an MSF course is a good idea, she can ride, get some training and help make a decision. I wouldn't lean hard on her, riding tends to be a love or hate it deal...let her try the MSF, if she hates it...OK...if she loves it...GREAT! Whatever the decision is it needs to be hers.

[Tab B.]

Hmmm, how many of these can I add to the last 2 posts?

[NA7A]

Thanks guys for the good advice, it would be hard to live with myself if something happend and I felt like I forced it to happen. I will see how she does with the MSF and if I dont see the "love" of riding motavation I will back off.

[Clint]

Good plan. I found myself in that same situation years ago. She still enjoys riding behind me.

[POE-BOY SAMICH]

Originally Posted by Tab B.

Hmmm, how many of these can I add to the last 2 posts?

I was thinking the same thing.

NA7A, Rowdy put it best. Be careful.

I would love for my wife to ride her own motorcycle, too. But, she hasn't shown any GENUINE interest in riding her own. She's happier being the passenger or letting me ride on my own to give me some "Poe-boy time"

Seriously, make sure she's taking the MSF and learning to ride out of her OWN GENUINE desire and NOT just trying to please you.

I noticed you mentioned that YOU sometimes "think it would be better if we both rode seperate bikes together on day long trips".

• Does she feel the same?
• WHY do you think it would be better?

Answer those questions and maybe the fine folks of this form (and me) could help you with some alternatives just in case you find your wife is not really into learning to ride.

GOOD LUCK.

[NA7A]

Thanks again for the more advice PBS, I am going to keep an eye on this real close.

Just a short story; about 25 years ago (when and why I stopped riding) parents came over to visit on us on a nice sunny warm day. We live in the country then and had farm land all around us. My first bike then was a Honda 250 XLS which I rode everywhere, back then we didn’t have helmet laws and I just loved getting on that bike with shorts and only tennis shoes riding around in the warm weather (I know stupid). Anyways we were outside and I was showing my bike to my dad and he expressed interest in the bike and I asked him if he would like to putt around the yard on it. My dad has never rode anything in his life other then a bicycle. So he gets on it and I put it in first gear for him (bad mistake) and tell him to just stay in that gear so he will not go to fast. After a few minutes he turns the bike and get onto the street in front of our house and panics by full throttling it thinking he is stopping it. The bike tries to climb a tree and he ends of crashing and us calling 911. He has minor back injuries but recovers later with some longer term minor back issues. I sell the bike immediately (1983) to get rid of the guilt; later in 2005 I buy my second bike. It took me that long to get over it.

[Apertureguy]

I would have loved to have gotten mine to stick to it & then take the course.

However, she's just too damned lazy. But she sure loves the idea of me buying a wicked big bike with a side car...so I can bring her along too when I go for the really long rides.

I think I need to build an extra garage.


...and no, I wouldn't give up the M...but I have no problem getting something else.

It's kinda funny...but when they think it's their idea, money is never a problem.

[kay]

I think I would agree 100% with the others here too.
In my case, I wanted to ride so badly that I started to secretly go to riding schools. Only after my family started to notice me getting lots of bruises that they started to wonder what I was up to. By then, it was too late. I was almost done with my initial training.

On the other hand, my friend faced a similar situation and she started riding to please him. She never got really good at riding and one day had a fall and broke her leg. She quickly took that opportunity to declare that she was quitting.

[NA7A]

All good advice again...sounds like I just need to keep a close eye on the training and see if its a good fit, otherwise be happy with her occasionally going on rides with me as a passenger.

Funny Apertureguy..."It's kinda funny...but when they think it's their idea, money is never a problem"

This is soooooooooo true!!!

[HAMMERPETE]

Originally Posted by NA7A

Finally talked my wife into getting her motorcycle endorsment so she has agreed to take the course soon but she has never rode before so I hope all goes well. I started out by getting her some riding gear, then some HD shirts, stickers for her car trying to get her into that frame of mind. She likes riding with me sometimes but I just think it would be better if we both rode seperate bikes togeather on day long trips. I think she would like riding her own bike but not sure how much more motavation I can give until she takes the course and gets the feel of riding. I want to get her into a Sportster 883 L and a co-worker of mine my sell hers.

Any other ideas you all can pass along would be much appreciated.

The MSF course is a great idea.
Maybe even ask her to take the advanced course.
Bad portion of the idea...you want her to get a Sportster 883 L. You might want here to pick out her own bike.
For one a Sportster is a little top heavy. She needs to sit on a bike that she feel comfortable with. If the day comes that she ever dumps the bike..you are going to hear this " I hate this bike, i didn't want this bike , You made me get this bike!"

[NA7A]

Hammerpete man I should have saw that one coming, you are right on here. She has already told me certain "girly" things she wants on a bike so I better keep my ears open and my mouth shut.

[ORBrit]

My wife has been riding about 6 months - we both decided at the same time that we wanted to learn, and planned to do it together, but then we had our 2nd baby and her timeline got bumped by 6 months (no room to put a nursing baby in the textile jacket on the 8 hour days on BRC).
I shared nothing with her in the 6 months I was riding before she took her Basic course. I wanted her to learn from an expert not some noob fresh off a course!
She soaked it in like a sponge and I watched her on the assesment of the course and she was one of a very few riders who actually applied the lessons learned - turning the head, looking through the turn, braking before the turn, rolling on before the turn etc.
She has been progressing at her own pace - started with a Rebel 250 and recently upgraded to a Kawasaki Vulcan 500. She picked the bikes - I did a lot of the research and gave her the stats but the decision was hers.
I'd advise against setting a target like the 883. If she rides it and drops it she could hurt herself and her confidence and that mean the end of her riding experience.
The Rider skills practice course is something I'd recommend every year - not for new riders though - they recommend 3000 miles experience.
They recommend 10000-12000 miles for the Advanced course here in Oregon.

You may want to find some female riders that could recommend some other bikes other than the 883. If you're set on the HD image, you may be in trouble.

[brutus]

My wife took the course twice and quit both times. She just does not feel comfortable with the bars in hers hands. She does love to ride 2 up ( I can't get out of the driveway without her ) so I spent some $$$$ and bought Mustang seats with a 12" back rest for her. Even at 500 bucks - that is a lot cheaper than buying a second bike ( that she would not want to ride anyhow )

[KD57]

I hauled my wife around on the back of the Harley for 3-4 months, and never tried to talk her into a bike of her own. One day she sd. she wanted one, so we looked around for a bike that fits her, and settled on a V-star 650. She took the MSF course, and now really enjoys it. She has had previous experience, so this was not her first time on a bike. Actually that's how we met in 1974. I picked her up off the ground after a tip-over, while her moron boyfriend just kept going.

[HAMMERPETE]

Originally Posted by NA7A

Hammerpete man I should have saw that one coming, you are right on here. She has already told me certain "girly" things she wants on a bike so I better keep my ears open and my mouth shut.

Yep. It took me a while to understand. 90% of the time you just have to say..."Ok Honey what ever you want." It is the 20% of the time we have to step in.
This is not to be confused with a "yes dear" Whipped about the shoulders attitude.
Allow the ladies to use their mind. If they can't stand sitting b$tch (as Rae says) then let them tackle the riding course.
Rae killed the MSF course. I am sure your wife is going to do great. Despite what we think Chick's are smart and they do listen. Hell they have had us outsmarted since day one.

[rathr-b-cruisin]

I'm kinda going through the same thing. I want my wife to ride and get her own bike, she's warming up to the idea. I've been trying a little for the past two years. Here's some conclusions i've came to about getting her to ride.

1. She actually likes riding with me. I think it's part of the being together, just me and her.

2. You cant force her, like others have said. think about how uncomfortable you are when somebody pressures you into doing something you really dont want to. If she's going to be skittish of traffic she's not going to like it at all.

3. You have to let her choose her own ride. I've shown her a butt load of bikes i think she'd like and each one has gotten the thumbs down.

4. Maybe she just plain dont want to ride and she's happy being your sidekick.

5. couldnt agree more, "if they think it's their idea, money isnt an issue". Now we're talking about getting a bigger touring bike for our together time, which, works for me.

In my MSF class there were more women than men. About three of them said they were tired of riding behind their husbands and wanted their own bikes. They did pretty good in the class. I think there were two that said there husbands wanted them to take the class to get their own bikes, one dropped the bike and didnt come back. The other saw her drop the bike and didnt come back. The rest of them wanted to take it to see if they liked riding and they did OK. They passed anyway. So to the other posts here.

[Scoop47501]

If she really wants to ride and passes the course I recomend that she sits on several models. I think she will most likely go with a V-Star 650 or a similar model. Harley really does not have a good beginners bike in my mind. After a couple years when she is ready then Low Rider or Duece might be in order.
As for my wife she did start out on a 650 V-Star and rode it three years. Then she went to a Royal Star that I had lowered for year. Three years later again she now has a 1300 V-Star. She turned out to be a very good rider but went through a tough time by ripping her ACL in half on the 650. I never pushed her and she made it clear that I would not sell her 650 when she hurt herself.
Hope this helps
Scooper

[Rickster]

The excellent advice you've gotten already doesn't need to be added to, so I'll just say

I would suggest that if you want to stay with the Harley theme, you have her look at the Buell Blast rather than the Sportster.