Will my wife fall?

[GoForARide]

My wife wants a ninja 250 in the spring.

I am afraid that she will dump it. She is a great driver, but doesn't have experience on a bike.

What do i do?

[TOE CUTTER]

Buy her a bike that falls over well.No insult just a matter of learning to deal with the awkwardness of a bike for the first time. We all drop them when learning but should not cost you more than brake or clutch lever when it falls over.After all the bustin shit up is over buy her a nice bike.

[GoForARide]

Ya, but what if she gets hurt?

I dont want her to get hurt. Ya, i sound corny... still...

[vfrhusband]

"Will my wife fall? " Eventually, yes. we all do.


"Ya, but what if she gets hurt?" ATGATT & get the hell away from the bike.

[NorcalBoy]

Originally Posted by GoForARide

Ya, but what if she gets hurt?

I dont want her to get hurt. Ya, i sound corny... still...

Then drop the cash and get her the best gear you can, and if you really are serious, you will buy the best.

[TOE CUTTER]

Bought my wife two bikes. Both took all the damage from stops and take off's
.

[NorcalBoy]

Originally Posted by TOE CUTTER

Bought my wife two bikes. Both took all the damage from stops and take off's
.

The gravitational pull is much stronger then, gyroscopically speaking. hehehehehe

[GoForARide]

Originally Posted by TOE CUTTER

Bought my wife two bikes. Both took all the damage from stops and take off's
.

Statements like that makes me scared

[jokerros]

its funny you mention this topic...i am planning and getting my woman that ninja 250 as well..she is 5'4" and 110lbs..so she will need that bike...what i have been doin is squeezing her in front of me on my bike..and testing her throttle clutch skills...keep is slow in parking lots..got a few bad impacts on my feet and hurting my knees..but better than her falling on a bike and scratching my baby....

[GoForARide]

Originally Posted by jokerros

its funny you mention this topic...i am planning and getting my woman that ninja 250 as well..she is 5'4" and 110lbs..so she will need that bike...what i have been doin is squeezing her in front of me on my bike..and testing her throttle clutch skills...keep is slow in parking lots..got a few bad impacts on my feet and hurting my knees..but better than her falling on a bike and scratching my baby....

maybe ill give that a try. last time i was too affraid of really going anywhere.
tho my new bike is easier to pull the clutch on. that was her biggest thing.

[ewryly]

I have two women friends who got ninja 250s as their first bikes, and they were a great choice. One did drop it a couple of times, but all slow maneuver stuff, so the damage was minimal and she was not hurt. In fact I would say her spills had a lot to do with being overly hesitant. If she is interested, then I think the ninja is a good choice and caution but not fear is what you want her to have. Both also took the MSF course as well, and they have good gear and ride within themselves. It is good you are worried, but I think you there are definitely things you can do to minimize the risks.

[GoForARide]

she will take the course. thing is that she needs to be able to actually ride the bike before taking it.

in fact ill be takign the course at the same time. just for fun.

did i mention when we got atv's for our honeymoon she fliped the bike on the 1st bank?

[TOE CUTTER]

Originally Posted by GoForARide

Statements like that makes me scared

It should not, she got in a bad spot and just let them hit the ground every time, it is the slow or just shy of a dead stop that caught her off guard and the wheight.They can be difficult for a first time bike owner, moving was not the issue for my wife.

[jay956]

Originally Posted by GoForARide

she will take the course. thing is that she needs to be able to actually ride the bike before taking it.

in fact ill be takign the course at the same time. just for fun.

did i mention when we got atv's for our honeymoon she fliped the bike on the 1st bank?

if she can ride a bycicle she will do fine in the course, no need for previous moto experience. i didnt have any.

[goinphaster]

As a MSF Rider Coach speaking from experience:

Your Wife does not need prior experience to attend the course. The only thing she needs is to stay focused and listen. and to make sure she leaves any "I can't attitude" at home.

It is best that she goes through the course first before she rides is so that during her first experiences on a bike are reinforced with good riding habits so that she can build up her experience on the street safely. and best of all this is done on a loaner bike- not hers/yours. and her crashing in the course isn't a big deal, so long as that she doesn't crash during the evaluation.

Don't sweat it. That protective instinct is a good thing and you just need to focus it in the right direction.

[GoForARide]

so if she falls in the course and scratches up the plastic they wont get mad, or want me to pay for it?

[GoForARide]

i can get her gear, but if she falls at 5 mph and gets her leg stuck under the bike itl still hurt.

[goinphaster]

Originally Posted by GoForARide

so if she falls in the course and scratches up the plastic they wont get mad, or want me to pay for it?

Nope. that's what those bikes are for. Besides, the loaner bikes typically don't have plastics and aren't "sport" bikes, they are usually a "standard" which give a little more confidence to new riders.

I would recommend sending her through the Experienced Rider Course (ERC) once she is riding comfortably on her own bike though. You too. more training is never a bad thing.

[Cundalini]

I am right there with you. I have thought about just giving up and not helping her get a bike, because if something was to happen then I would feel responsible.
I have friends with dirtbikes.... Gonna have to make it up there and let her try out stops and starts... ( I cant remember my first stops and starts but I do reember they are tricky )
the rainy season is coming and I am attached to the fact that my vfr is all pretty.
Gonna try to avoid the rain with my vfr, whatever we get for her is gonna be not so shiny and pretty anyways. price is a factor, and stress in general. My first big bike ( 1977 cb750 ) had dents and dings... the times when I dropped it ( and it did happen plenty ) I wasnt worried about the bike. just getting to safety and back on the road..... I would like her first bike to be a littlle more user freindly, but also not some show bike that when you drop it you are cursing yourself in the middle of the road rather then getting to safety.
Anyways I am right there with you brother. I am hoping to get her on a quad first... get used to braking shifting etc, without worrying about balance.
argh, I ramble on.
Good luck, and you sill see a post from us soon.

[vfourbear]

You could lock her in a closet and feed her only organic food and pure water and make sure she exercises the proper amount.

One of the toughest things anyone can do is watch a loved one do something risky in pursuit of their happiness. You just have to suck it up sometimes

[Cundalini]

Originally Posted by vfourbear

You could lock her in a closet and feed her only organic food and pure water and make sure she exercises the proper amount.

One of the toughest things anyone can do is watch a loved one do something risky in pursuit of their happiness. You just have to suck it up sometimes

I am windering if that what was happening in your avatar picture? LOL.

[xeipher]

Originally Posted by GoForARide

i can get her gear, but if she falls at 5 mph and gets her leg stuck under the bike itl still hurt.

Often when buying gear boots are last on the list. In this case get them first, and get the best you can for your budget. When I dumped my bike with me underneath, my Sidi's were the only things that saved my ankle and paint.

Love my Sidi's.. they are so cool.

[goinphaster]

Originally Posted by vfourbear

One of the toughest things anyone can do is watch a loved one do something risky in pursuit of their happiness. You just have to suck it up sometimes

Especially when she's does it for you........

[Bubba Zanetti]

Originally Posted by goinphaster

As a MSF Rider Coach speaking from experience:

Your Wife does not need prior experience to attend the course. The only thing she needs is to stay focused and listen. and to make sure she leaves any "I can't attitude" at home.

It is best that she goes through the course first before she rides is so that during her first experiences on a bike are reinforced with good riding habits so that she can build up her experience on the street safely. and best of all this is done on a loaner bike- not hers/yours. and her crashing in the course isn't a big deal, so long as that she doesn't crash during the evaluation.

Don't sweat it. That protective instinct is a good thing and you just need to focus it in the right direction.

I'll second that goinfaster! Thanks for shedding some light on a participant "DOES NOT NEED PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF RIDING".

The class is designed for people who have never ridden.

BZ

[motorhead1977]

AMEN! Give her all the room she needs to do what she wants. I had to learn that with my daughter as she grew up. I had to trust that she would make good decisions and let her go. That was my daughter. She is your wife and an adult. If she wants to sky dive she can. You may express concern but since she is "all growed up" you are not the protector. You may want to be but............... Her mom and dad gave that job up when she became an adult. Go for it and get her a used small bike with low center of gravity, no plastics and that way when she dumps it is it only a clutch or brake lever. After a full season with a lot of miles, get the new bike. Worked when I was dealing with a learner GF. Good luck.

[Badbilly]

Get rid of the current wife and find a new one that already knows how to ride. The fat ones that ride Harleys are great fun at parties and are as good if not better than down comforters and electric blankets.

[red0513]

Pay for her to take the course first. That way she can dump someone else's bike a couple of times and not your own. At least that way she can get the cluth and trottle control down and build some muscle memory.

[Scubalong]

Originally Posted by Bubba Zanetti

I'll second that goinfaster! Thanks for shedding some light on a participant "DOES NOT NEED PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF RIDING".

The class is designed for people who have never ridden.

BZ

Well............Here is the proof
My X never ridden a two wheels ever and she took the MSF course and guess what........She got her endorsment
I have to said MFS course is a must for beginer.

[rc24rc51]

Send her through a local MSF rider training course. She'll learn the proper techniques and THEY supply the bikes. You'll find out right away if she's cut out for riding her own without buying one. Another added bennefit is the discount on insurance.

[jcoplen]

teach her on a cheap little dirt bike so she gets used to shiftin brakeing and balance then send her to a rider training course and go with her just for the fuck of it plus you get an insurance discount for the course