Teaching wife to ride my bike, any advise?

[azherdev]

My wife is interested in riding my FZ6. She has taken the riders course 3 years ago and has her drivers license but has never been on a bike. Any advise on how to teach her without having her hurt herself or trash my bike?

I live in Woodland Hills (Los Angeles). Any spots I can take her to learn turns, stops, etc?

I have 6 red cones and want to setup some sort of a "test course" for her to practice on. Any advise on distances between cones or patterns to setup?

 

[Doorag]

Seriously - get someone else to do it.

 

[Rocky529]

Have her take a refresher course or practice on a bike that you're not afraid of dropping.

 

[grumpy1luvs2eat]

Take her to the Mall, lots of space and you can go inside to wait for the paramedics, GRUMPY

 

[azherdev]

Yeah, I'm trying to find a riders course here. All booked until October. I DON'T want her to hurt herself. Thank you for the advise and I will definitely wait until after she takes the courses again.

I don't have a bike that I can let her trash, 2008 FZ6 and 2005 R6. She is going to ride the FZ6 and I made to sure to insure it up to that wazzoo. But she's a bit more important and wants to ride.

No canyons, just cruising on PCH.

 

[MarineMom]

From a female perspective, IMO, I would not have her 'relearn' on FZ. I would suggest retake MSF course then she can decide if the FZ is comfortable to learn since it leaves very little room for error especially with the touchy throttle. A small, recoverable, mistake on a 'starter' bike can be a disaster on the FZ. She needs to assess her comfort level with riding the FZ, and since it is a taller bike is she comfortable not flat foot at a stop(unless she happens to be lucky enough to be flat foot tall). Good luck to you both. :rockon:

 

[Epic Ed]

Seriously - get someone else to do it.

Worth repeating.


Especially if you want to stay married.



Ed

 

[stevesnj]

Even refreshing on a scooter helps...rent a scooter and get the rental insurance.

 

[codeblue]

Refresher course a must, especially it's been a few years and never rode a bike after the course. OR....... pay someone else to have her ride their bike and learn from it. Don't forget to pad her with lots of pillows, this way she's protected like your bike

 

[agutierrez]

Different bike. I started my wife on a light TTR 125. That way she can learn the mechanics and drop it all she wants.

 

[azherdev]

I'm scared for her riding but I would love it if we can both cruise down on our bikes. We are going to classes and I'm looking into maybe a suzuki GZ250 right now. I don't have any other bike and R6 would be even more of a death trap.

 

[Trouble]

I bought my wife a $800 beater cruiser to learn on. Did some minor repairs to make it street legal again and safe, and I've been helping her learn. I gave her some pointers in a school parking lot on the weekend. All prep work until she could take the MSF course. She has since taken the course, and is now getting comfortable on the roads. I tried to keep the instruction to the minimum, and we both decided it would be best if she waited until she had taken the course before hitting the roads. I didn't want to teach her any "bad" habits before the pros took over. The way I look at the investment in the beater bike is that I'll get most/all of my money back out of it when I sell it. It gives her a low powered (400cc) bike to learn on that she doesn't feel huge pressure not to drop. All and all it is working out very well.

 

[MarinaFazer]

Purchase a Honda Rebel 250cc...I wish I still had mine!! perfect...I taught my girlfriend on that! and it's suuuuper cheap on craigslist.

I learned on the street at my house, and then my dad would take me 2-up to the dmv parking lot after they closed to practice the course and circles and stuff...easy enough...once you have balance, just ride ride ride.

just cuz she's a wife/woman doesn't mean she can't do it!

 

[FZ1inNH]

How tall is she? Can she flat-foot the bike? Is she strong in the upper body?

I'd get her a Ninja 250 or something inexpensive to start with.

 

[azherdev]

She is 5' 7" and is about 150pounds. I don't want her to have a sports bike aggressive style riding position, so no ninja. Rebel seems good but is the one i see on craigslist here is a 1986 for $1650. Dunno if its a good price. I was hoping for a 800 - 1000 throw away bike.

P.S. I'm not saying she can't do it. But she's a mother of a 13 month old and my wife. I can't imagine what I would do if she hurts herself or someone else by cutting her off. Who's going to change the diapers??? j/k!

 

[Nelly]

Lets get some of the girls perspectives on this,

It would be interesting to have that view point. If it were my wife I would go for a small light bike first.
Either way you do it I wish you both the best luck in the world. It will be really cool when you can go riding together.

Nelly:thumbup:

 

[azherdev]

Oh, and in the end, I want her riding my FZ6. Half the reason I sold my 600R and got FZ6 was so that my wife has a good, upright motorcycle to ride alongside my R6. FZ6 is also now my commuter bike to/from work.

I only have 150 miles on that baby and LOVE IT.

 

[Steph]

From a girls point of view....let someone else do it...seriously. I know from experience my hubby tried to teach me first, I rode on his teaching for the first year, the second year I took the course. Its not so much that he was bad at teaching me, it was that he assumed I would know things that I didn't...push steering, left foot on ground at stop, not right (or both), gravel = marbles on pavement etc.

The course teaches the the "stupid" little things that people that have been riding for awhile just seem to know instinctively and would not even think of it as something that would need to be conveyed.


Also, you know when you are a beginner you always go out front and the more experienced person brings up the rear? INTIMIDATING. It feels like your hubby is judging every little thing you do, (leave you signal light on too long after a corner) etc. You feel like you are holding up the group and sometimes push yourself harder just so the other person doesn't get bored.


All this stuff will happen even after you take the course, but it affects you a lot less because you have the confidence in your riding ability and know to only do things that you feel comfy doing and not let some hooligan(even when they are driving sanely) in your mirror make you feel pushed.
IMHO let someone else do it...seriously (love that statement, well put.)

 

[azherdev]

We are going to get her the classes again (since it was 3 years). But, what happens on day one after the classes? Am I to give her the keys and pray or should I ride ahead, behind, alongside (difficult). Should we go to a parking lot or to a quiet street or pch or a freeway?

I am trying my hardest to tell her not to care what I might think of her driving abilities, just be safe. But I know what pressure can do, 3 friends have crashed due to pressure of either leading the pack or trying to keep up.

I've ridden for 8 years now, never crashed. Ride the canyons, never dragged my knees. I've layed the bike down 3 times on the same day of my first time riding it at stop signs (stalled on a turned wheel). Never dropped, just gently allowed the bike to lay on its side, then picked it up. This I won't mind if wife does. Crashing on a turn into a mountain or flying off a hill or locking her brakes and flying forward is what I worry about.

More stories from the ladies on how they learned and what not to do, as a husband, while the wifey is learning on your FZ6 (fully insured... )

 

[08fz6]

taught friends girlfriend how to ride this spring. she bought a 1995 FZR600 they put new tires, brakes, and chain and sprockets. She has a little under $1200 into it now all said and done street legal. basically we took the side fairings off and turn signals to teach her in the parking lot. she went down 2 times slow stuff so only minor scuffing on the case covers. just a thought i would try to find a cheap older bike after she is done with it pretty it back up and you can possibly make a lil money off of it.