advice for brand new female rider

My wife will admit that a MSC course without me there was the best thing that could have happened. Less pressure, everyone else was in her skill level. Very structured and in a safe environment.
Bike fit was something we worked on. She finally settled on a suzuki dr-200.
Eventually moved up to a BMW X-Country.
If she isnt comfortable or stressed out she may give up riding.
Have her take a few laps through
http://www.twowheelfemales.com/forum/index.php its my wifes favorite web site, she learned a lot there.

Taking beginners course is a.must, like few here stated, don't try to teach her solely your self, that's a good way to end a relationship, I taught my wife and daughter to drive, absolutely a nerve racking experience. Everything else has been pretty much said. One thing I'd do styledifferent is go even smaller on the bike, little 125 supermoto or the like, would be good and get her on a dirt road or a paddock. That's the way I started, on a 50cc bike, must have been around 10 years old. Good luck to her with it, whatever you do, stay out of the traffic until she's got enough miles to feel cconfident with the controls, especially the brakes, 'read the front one '!

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<o> I just learned to ride in September of last year and my wife in January. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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We both took the MSF course at the Honda Training Center up 400 and they are very good. <o></o>
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Let someone she doesn't know teach her and save you both some grief, you also get a waiver on the test. Just go to the DMV with your certificate and get the MC endorsement added to your license.<o></o>
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Along with the class she also got a 1999 Suzuki GZ250. She can flat foot it easy and it only weight 320 pounds.

Good gear inspires confidence but style counts so she picked out her own gear. <o></o>
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Here she is with her bike looking a bit apprehensive right before we left for the beach in Destin FL from Atlanta last week. <o></o>

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<o>It's totally worth the effort to get your GF riding. </o>

Been riding bikes for years. My boyfriend wants one and i don't know how to get him started safely with it either. I was thinking of getting him a 2012 250 CBR, since it has a lot of pep but not too much to be dangerous. Not sure if i should get him signed up for an MSF course or if i should let him ride on the road right away. He's a total n00b as well.

Here's what red-flagged me: My girlfriend has shown interest in riding and I want to..."

Hey look, cut me a little slack because all relationships are different. IMHO however, if she's showing an interest, be there to support and advise, and leave it at that. The guys before me have it right, incl LuciferMutt's reference to the Hurt Report is revealing. The professional trainers will size her to the right bike and, if that doesn't work out, they'll have other models to which she can switch. They'll also have different helmet types and styles with which she can experiment.

You'll probably also be happier if you're "just along for the ride" on this one. Don't even go watch the class. When she has questions about the classroom work in the evenings, refer her to the book.

:huh

Do you not like your BF anymore or something? Does he have a large...
...life insurance policy, with you named as beneficiary?

Why would somebody be AGAINST taking a BRC, especially if your locale offers them for free (like Illinois), or for fairly low cost? Even here in Florida, a $200-$250 BRC can save THOUSANDS in damage, injury, or death costs when compared to the common statistics of new riders that don't get qualified training/coaching. Even the crash statistics of trained riders could be better, so why not do at least that much to mitigate some risk? Proper training can also considerably reduce anxiety...for all parties involved, and many locales even offer a discount on insurance for completing a course.

Nobody is saying that a BRC is the end-all and be-all of learning to ride, but I think that most people would agree that it doesn't really have much downside, and it's a heck of a lot safer for noobs and the people around them than just turning them loose on the road or trying to teach a noob yourself. A 300lb+ moto is NOT a bicycle with a motor. Riding is something that gets people killed every year, and the crash statistics are heavily biased to people who have had no formal training, even if they have been riding for several years.

In addition to the MSF recommendation: The problem with plastic-covered streetbikes to start with is they're not so pretty after they've fallen down a few times. Naked bikes and dual sports handle such n00b events much more gracefully.

find some other girl riders to help her out. Even for things as small as to what do with their hair under the helmet. Its a different ballgame for girls on motorbikes.
Ive seen the whole riding thing become very intimidating for girls very fast because its very male dominated. Sometimes just having other girl riders around is enough to give new girl riders confidence. Besides the fact that girls like to talk and hang out with other girls.
She may even forget about you and just want to go riding with her new girlfriends

There's some good advice in here.

I am a MSF, FRTP, and JSMSP certified RiderCoach.

Do not try to teach her yourself. Even if you are a ridercoach, you have too much connection, it's too personal. Before you do anything else (except maybe buy properly fitting gloves and a helmet) get her through a MSF course.

Alone.

Don't take it with her, even if she asks, she'll be stressed trying to do well in front of you, (even if she doesn't know it) and it will negatively impact her enjoyment and learning. I've seen in hundreds of times over (been a coach since '07) husband knows how to ride, takes the course with his wife, and she is totally stressed out.

After that the standard stuff, ATGATT, newer bike is better, etc.

I do agree that you may want to look for a small bore DS for her, because it'll be much more forgiving of drops. If she's shorter, you might want to try to find a few year old CRF230M, it's a small air cooled ds-based supermoto. It's a little more street oriented, and the smaller tires give it a lower seat height. Stupid easy to ride. They didn't sell worth a crap when new (why buy that when you can get a KLX or WRX?) so they should be pretty cheap.

Good luck! I met my fiancee through a fellow ridercoach, and within a year of getting started she was doing trackdays and touring from FL to Maine with me.

There's good advice in this thread. Lots of it from a lot of smart people. We've got a couple centuries of combined riding experience and a few MSF RiderCoaches on staff. For sure, we know the three rules below are gospel.

1. Take your loved one to a qualified motorcycle trainer. There are dozens of good reasons why you shouldn't teach some one to ride unless you're formally trained and certified to do so. Even if you are, you might want to let someone else provide the training. We could tell you a story about that!

2. Don't let anyone ride on public roads until they are 100% confident in their braking (to include quick stops) and swerving skills. They must be able to do these things well. Obviously you'll learn this faster on a smaller, lighter bike.

3. Do not put anyone on a bike that doesn't fit their skill level and body size. It doesn't matter if you might outgrow a starter bike in a month or a year. If you start on a bike that's too _________, you are way more likely to get hurt and you might never learn to ride. Ride on a bike that fits and you'll learn faster, better, and be WAY safer. We know of a young woman who went from zero miles on a bike to highly skilled in about one year. She did it by getting good training, good gear, and then putting 12,000 miles (every kind of road and every kind of weather) on a 250 Supermotard. She was never intimidated by the size, weight, or power of the bike and now she rides like the wind. Makes perfect sense.

Be safe, learn lots, have fun. Enjoy the ride.

I am joking about my boyfriend. I just think it's funny the way some guys like to talk about their girlfriends or their wives when it comes to bikes. I guess nobody cares when the coin is flipped. At least it's consistent...

AFTER she comes out of the BRC with a big smile, buy her riding gear and a bike. If no smile, find a new activity for the two of you.

The TU250X is a great choice. The fuel injected engine is easy starting and holds its idle rpm as the clutch is eased out, unlike a carb bike. And great handling.

Buy her a copy of David L Hough's latest book--he has a recent update. And after the course, look at msgroup.org and do some of their parking lot practice maneuvers together.

I once taught an ex of mine to snowboard...never again. I could only imagine what it would be like teaching a significant other something much more complicated, like riding a mc

Enjoy your relationship & book her the class haha

Seriously? You've never dumped a bike offroad?

One thing i would add is that hopefully she's learning to ride because she really want's too, not because you ride. This can be an unforgiving hobby or a pastime, if you screw up. You'll have to have your heart and mind in it. Good luck with it, slow as she goes!

I haven't dumped mine offroad.



...this week.

No where in the original quote or his response did anyone say offroad. I've only been riding for three years but I've never dropped any of the bikes I've ridden either. But, they've all been onroad

I was gonna say, if I was said boyfriend, and you offered me a bike, first stop would be the courthouse for that marriage license. Any woman willing to by you a bike, you should marry, immediately.

My mistake, I somehow conjured up in my head that we were talking about dualsports.

ha, actually, i am already married. people have told him how jealous they are that he married someone who is so into biking. maybe I should milk this more...

Great news! She passed the MSF course I bought her for her birthday and she was so excited entering and exciting the class. It was my hope that she would have the same enthusiasm for 2 wheels as I did, as I hope it's a passion/hobby we can share together, and not just something I like and want her to do. She did terrific and will be getting her license this Friday.
Now is the time to look at the budget for the Suzuki TUX (or compatible moto) and proper gear. Thanks so much for everyone's encouragement and help! ADV rocks!