Teaching wife to ride!

HELP!!!! She about dropped her brand new bike today! I need tips on teaching her to ride. I think I'm going to put her on a four wheeler for a while, then a dirt bike. Any other suggestions?

 

Four-wheeler is not a bad idea if the four-wheeler has a manual clutch.

If not, straight to the dirt bike with her.

 

MSF. Find the closest course and sign her up. End of story. Do not try and teach her yourself. You'll both end up very mad.

Oh, and the bike is going to hit the ground at some point. They all do. Mine has, my girlfriend's has, etc etc. Frame sliders and bar ends are good things.

 

Huey once posted a fool-proof 4 step method that I have used - and it works.

 

Hoo boy. I remember teaching my then-girlfriend (now wife) to drive a stick-shift car. In retrospect I'm amazed the relationship survived...although she can drive a stick just fine now. I won't teach her how to ride, though. If she expresses any interest, it's off to MSF post-haste.

The funniest part of teaching her to drive a stick was how she just couldn't get the hang of it in a car with a high-revving small engine. I tried my VW microbus, my Alfa Romeo Spyder, and my sister's MGB all without luck over the course of 6 months or so. Then one day I put her in my mom's Ford Galaxie 500 with the big ol' V8. When she couldn't get the gas and clutch synchronized, no problem. Just "whuh...whuh...whuh whuh whuh vroom" and off we went! So I guess if you have to do it yourself, put her on a Harley or a Ducati or something with some grunt.

 

Dude thanks! I didn't know you used it.
I just had the first four steps as an example of instruction... but I did go back and find it.. I have a much better version on my computer at home but this is the gist (is that a word) of it:

As far as teaching: I have a PROVEN technique now based upon military aircrew training. DO NOT ACCEPT VERBAL ORDERS. This is written on the top of all flight tests. It stops someone from pushing the aircraft to far or not enough. Lets say that the test is to roll inverted at a rate of 180 degrees a second. When you do the test you don’t want someone who may be uncomfortable with the maneuver screaming “SLOW DOWN” and having the aircraft leave it’s regime of flight (technical term for “holy crap”). Or someone suggesting "Hey you did that pretty good let's try this...!" Not knowing that's well outside of you or the aircrafts abilities.

This technique leaves out all associated learning. I learn that way but it turns out most people don’t. You can tell me how something works and I’ll be able to operate it. I explained to my wife how the clutch works and expected her to know to let it out slowly. Nope. She has to be told HOW to operate it and the understanding of its operation comes later.

It’s simple commands that string together.
It starts with a simple briefing: "The only thing I can say when you're moving is "stop". At that time pull in the clutch and apply the front brake and we'll talk. If for any reason you become confused, scared or don't understand what you're supposed to do: pull in the clutch and apply the front brake and we'll talk."

The reason for this is too many times someone misunderstands a command or panics and goes screaming across the parking lot into the woods. I personally know of 3 of these instances.

Lesson 1: Let me push you forward a few feet and then you use the front brake to stop yourself.
Lesson 2: Slowly release the clutch with the front brake on until the engine dies. Note at what position the bike attempted to move.
Lesson 3: Let off the brake and slowly release the clutch while attempting to keep RPMs up with the throttle. Roll about 20’ and then pull in the clutch. Then apply the front brakes.
Repeat lesson 3 until the student makes smooth starts…
Lesson 4: ....
Simply continue this basic instruction through turning, clutch control, panic braking, and so on. At some point the riding part will become intuitive and the student can concentrate on the instruction of the finer points.

But see what I mean? No more running beside the bike yelling “PULL IN THE CLUTCH, PULL IN THE CLUTCH!!!!! MORE GAS! MORE GAS!”

 

1. MSF 2. Dirt bike school 3. Frame sliders 4. cell phone





... not that I've had experience with dropping my bike or anything...

 

I think MSF is a relationship saver.

 

Oh yeah I in no way say that me or anyone else teaching someone to ride is a replacement for the MSF course. They teach you more than just how to operate the bike. I just think that more can be gained if the person knows how to at least get around a parking lot before takling the course.

I also recommend Profecient Motorcycling by Hough for ANY street rider. It's not a Twist of the Wrist it's more of a "what to do in situations" and daily motorcycling. I've actually re-read it a bunch of times. I've bought and given away at least 1/2 dozen copies to friends who were just starting.

 

Im going throught the same thing. We bought her a ninja 250 about 3 weeks ago. I took her to the highschool parking lot and had her start, stop, make turns etc for about 2 hours. She has been riding with me since. She went out on her own for about 10 miles yesterday. I also printed her some new rider tips off the internet.


She also dropped on her second day. She stopped where the parking lot come to a v and couldnt touch the ground and over she went. It was full of water too. She was so embarassed. Allt his happened in the state farm parking lot after paying the insurance with the agent watching.

 

Two words people........DIRT and BIKE.......

A couple of months to master an XR/CRF of the appropriate size and anything after that is easy to learn. With expect ion of a full blown sport bike.

It also give you an excuse to get one too..

Use your head and remember that no matter how much you want (or she wants) her to ride with you, you don't want to see her hurt.

 

1. What Chip said.

2. Get her to sign a prenuptual agreement.

3. Have someone else teach her.

 

My brother in FL sent his wife and her daughter to MSF. At the end of the course..one weekend...they got their license and was riding on the street with him. Prolly cheaper than buying a dirt bike and you pulling all your hair out!

 

Ride the thing and quit dropping it in your driveway maybe?

 

Thanks for the advice guys.(and gals) The four wheeler has a manual clutch, I think that was her biggest problem. She panics and grabs a fistful of front brake, and forgets to pull in the clutch! :wow: Yeah, I wanted her to start out on a 250 Ninja, but she would not have it! lol Hell, she wanted a 750! I think I am gona try and book an msf course like yesterday. I am gona try and find a cheap dirt bike too. (always wanted one anyway)

 

If I was going to have my wife learn how to ride, I'd do MSF. I don't really remeber how I taught myself to ride, so I surely wouldn't want to be giving her advice. I'd also be more prone to pass off some of the bad riding habits I've picked up on.

Saying that, I hope my wife never asks me to teach her how to ride. Not that she couldn't do it, just I don't see motorcycle riding as a "family" affair. I see allot of these half-assed "his and hers" cruiser riders out there bearly staying upright, and it makes me want to .

 

Haga, you would've cracked up at what I saw today. Attractive middle aged woman on huge Harley. I was behind her at a stoplight and she was revving the shit out of it. Way loud. At the next stoplight, she was too busy revving it to bother pulling in the clutch and it jerked forward and she juuuuuuuust about tipped over. Next stoplight-VROOOM! VROOOOOM! VROOOM!



Then she stalled it when the light turned green.

 

The main problem I had teaching my g/f how to ride a bike, was she could not drive a manual transmission car. She had an "idea" of how a clutch worked, but no real practical experience using a clutch. Once she could drive my 5-speed truck, it was much easier.

 

Been there done that!

1. Pit bike

2. Son's 400 Bandit

3. Husbands R6, make adjustment because I could not touch the ground (did not drop it to afraid to)!!!!!!!!!!!

4. Pratice every day on the dirt bike track about an hour per day (rain, sleet, snow, mud and on a good day SUN).

5. Full leathers, Helmet, and Gloves

6. Ed Bargy!!!

 

Never tell me I can't!