[WarBirdBob]

OK. I love to ride. My soul mate loves it too.
She has for a long time wanted to have her own wheels.
Up north we tried once and she had no natural ability and we let it go after the second pair of shoes wore out from her dragging her feet on the corners. To her defense it was gravel roads.
Thinking of having her take lessons and getting her a Silver Wing.
Am I nuts??? Florida with all the silver hairs trying to take you out.
On the snowmobiles up north she had her own and I was always worried about her. She did OK most of the time.
Will riding turn into a stressful thing rather than the joy of my life.
Is the Silver Wing the way to go? Can I put a CB on it to chat with her?
She is her own person and who am I to stop her from enjoying the sport in the way she wants or is it my duty to protect the one I love from possible harm?
What do you all think?
Stressed in Daytona
TR :?:

 

[Mike L]

I hear ya

Bob I hear ya, my wife had one a long time ago, and I wasnt comfortable about it but I let her ride anyway. Two month's of riding and she dumped it. I said thats it ! The bike was sold after repairs. She enjoys riding now so thats a good thing, I just wouldn't be able to have any fun because my concern would always be thinking about her. If your wife is determined I would think about a trike. But having been there I wouldn't let mine do it again. We have to pay attention at ALL times, and if something ever happened because I wasnt ? I rest my case. JMHO

 

[Bulldog]

Bob,

If Meesh wanted to ride, I would get her a bike in a heart beat. I think, that I would have her take the MSF beginner course. I would buy her a medium sized rat, a Magna or some other mid size machine and let her practice for a time. If her desire became permanent, I would then go get her whatever she desired as long as we both felt that she was able to control it physically, and that her skill was one of competency.

Good Luck in your decision!

Bulldog

 

[Great Pumpkin]

Bob, get her those lessons and you stay away while she's taking them. If she has no ability, she will get discouraged.........or will be discouraged before to long. Yes a CB would be ok but let her get comfortable with the machine before you put distractions like talking or thinking about anything else, as that will get a newbie in trouble quickly. If a two wheeler isn't in her future, a trike would be ok too, if you take away the balanceing part, the shifting is easy.....good luck, however you decide........joy

 

[corbitt799]

My wife went from "you can get a bike over my dead body" to "OK, lets get one" to "Boy, riding with you is great" to "maybe I want to ride on my own". So she went to the MSF course (no, I didn't even drop by to say Hi...too much pressure). She did great and we got her a Rebel. She has pretty much mastered the Rebel and has been even been puttering around on my Valkyrie (it's just a little to heavy for her short legs!). Riding with her is a little more stressful, but only due to my overprotectiveness. However, her joy and satisfaction makes it all worth while. She was not a very good cage driver, but riding the bike has made her a better overall driver - which makes me feel better. Even though she can now ride herself, often she still choses to double up with me. So it works out great. I say, if your wife wants to do it, let her. Make sure she gets training..start off with a small bike..and see what happens!

 

[fireman howie]

my wife rode on the back with me for 21 years and decided it was time to get her own so i said ok..she took the MSF corse and it was off to the races.....well sort of..lol..i took pride in her learning and doing her own riding..after her corse there was still alot of teaching and learning for her to go thru so every time we went out i gave her something a little different to handle until i was positive she was safe to ride on her own and now this will be her third riding season and i have all the faith in her that she will do ok...even though it scared the heck out of me and her she even had her first wreck were this kid rear ended her while at a signal light so she can even say she has done that..as soon as we got her bike fixed she was right back out there riding..a little scared at first but
we all would be after that...when we go out riding i have her lead and i just sit back and smile thinking how much she has learned and showed even folks in her own family that said she couldnt do it....i am very proud of this wonderful lady i am married to but dont tell her that lol so let your soul mate do it...you will even have a reward going thru it..i know i did :wink:

 

[goliath]

My wife Jean has ridden for years. Started out on an SL70 Honda. Later a Honda 125 and 250 Elite scooters, then a Rebel 250, then a Shadow 600 VLX, now a Honda Shadow 1100. She took the MSF course, and we have been careful to make her comfortable riding whatever she has. We had the 1100 lowered, got her a different seat and thicker soles so she could be flat footed at stops. She loves either riding with me on my bike or riding her own. She is a member of the local Women on Wheels chapter, and has ridden 550 miles days several times, both with the ladies, or with me, or by herself. She is careful, and a pretty good rider. In order for me to feel good about her safety, I insisted on her having both a CB and cell phone with her, as well as GWRRA Towbusters coverage.
She is my best friend and companion, and I wouldn't trade her riding for anything.
She is only 5'2", and if I can convince her to ride my Wing and get comfortable with it, she'll inherit it when I pay it off next year. She has ridden one at the Honda Homecoming, which is one of the rides she does with Women on Wheels.

 

[GaryG]

Definently the MSF basic course. This should provide a "go" or "no go" from your wife, with you having to be in a position of "giving permission or not". Then, take it from there as previous posts have said. If nothing else, this will allow her to be a better co-rider and she will have the basics if she ever needed to become the rider in a special situation. I have already ask my wife, and she agrees, she will take the basic MSF course so that she has the basics if ever needed. Good Luck!

:yw1:

 

[loren]

i fell so lucky that my wife rides her own bike.

we have two regular bikes to ride seperately and of course the new goldwing for two up rideing and for solos long hauls.

its something we can really share

she has even gone off with her brothers on the harley rides, and the women on wheels rides

she has so much more fun than sitting on the back watching


i dont know if your wife can handle a bike, but i would sure give it a try

the fun gets even better when she has her own

loren

 

[uneasyrider]

People who learn to ride later in life do not ride as well in general (not specific) as people who learn young and there is a certain value to the "macho" man thing when it gets a little wild. That said if she goes for it have a ball.

 

[Orange Bandit]

Hey Warbird,
Great Pumkin really said it. Insist that she take the MSF Basic course and you stay away and keep your mouth shut. Trust that she will make all the right decisions as she goes through this process of learning how to ride correctly. The key is to keep your opinions to yourself unless she presses you to the max. Once she gets to the point that she wants to buy a bike, insist that she try several different models and makes and again let her decide. SHE (not YOU) is the one that has to be comfortable with this (believe me, you won't be for quite a while but you will be darn proud of her either way she goes in the end).

 

[IB Mike]

I'll add my 2¢ on to the others. Let her take the beginners course and make the call. If she doesn't catch on and it isn't for her, she'll figure that out all on her own, and you won't have to be the bad guy.

If she takes to it, you'll be the hero and she'll love you that much more!!

My gal gets bored staring at the back of my helmet. I have been trying to get her to ride her own. She says she is interested, but hasn't jumped on it, which leads me to believe she is just saying it to humor me.

I am sure she'll love riding her own, just gotta get her on one and let her feel it. She is tall, so she doesn't have the height limitiations some have in finding her a bike she can handle. So hopefully this spring we'll find her a starter bike, and get her in the beginners course.

I'd love to ride with her behind me or beside me, which ever makes her happy!

 

[Red]

I agree. I don't think they should have the right to vote either. I also think they should not be allowed to wear pants! OOPS! That wasn't the question was it? Sorry!

I went through this same thing a few years ago. Sharon wouldn't hush until I got her own bike. I found her a almost new 250 Rebel. She only dropped it a few times and hit a retention pond fence!

I then got her a 500 Vulcan. That was a neat little bike. She took out a 4x4 wooden mailbox post with it, she was trying to turn the fuel reserve on. The bike took a good hit, but she just lost some meat! That was a good thing as far as I'm concerned. It sounds cruel, but that small accident might have saved her life. After that I refused to ride with her. I told her if she had a death wish to go ahead and ride all she wanted, but I wasn't going to be with her when she killed herself. I know, I'm mean!

When riding with her I was afraid for her all the time. I could not take my eyes off of my mirrors wondering what she was up to. I couldn't relax the first minute. It was unsafe for both of us!

She'e been riding with me on the backseat for over 29 years. That is where she belongs. :roll:

 

[yellowwing1]

Ohhhhhh Red, you had to go and start something.......You must know how I feel on the subject. Joy

 

[gr8wing]

I taught my wife how to ride. She started with a Helix and graduated to a GL1200. After 4 years loving her 1200, we bought a pair of 1800's. She loved that bike. I then taught my 16yo daughter to ride and got her a Yamaha Maxim 700, and after 1 year of riding, she graduated to a 1200. Now our kid is gone, the dog has died and my wife are there without riding partners for the first time in 18 years. We got rid of the 2 1800's to get 1 '04 1800 to ride together again. The great thing is that on long rides, we can switch riding. I'll sleep on the back for a change.

 

[RodeHard]

Women don't belong on bikes unless...

My belief is that a woman has no business on a bike unless she can fully demonstrate that she knows how to ride that bike in a safe and controlling manner. Same goes for the guys too!

I have a good friend (woman) that has her own Gold Wing and rides with us on a regular basis. Truth be known, she can out ride most of the guys in our chapter. However, she has ridden for many years and for the most part has developed the "sixth sense" if you will.

When talking about the ladies (or the men) taking an MSF course to learn how to ride, I believe that's a bunch of bull! There is no way in hell you are going to be taught everything you need to know about riding a motorcycle in a weekend class. Apparently many "Wingers" think the MSF course, or a few "safety or mileage" patches is all they need to know to ride a heavy touring bike, which is evidenced by many of the people I see riding Gold Wings. Which is exactly why I don't ride with to many "Wingers". I see you wearing "patches and bars" and I ride either waaaaaaay ahead of you, or waaaaaay behind you!

Nothing can subsitute for experience, and the best way to get experience riding a motorcycle is to take your lumps and bumps by riding or racing dirt bikes. If you fall off or crash, chances are you're only going to suffer a bruised ego. I can always tell who's ridden or raced dirt bikes by the way they ride a street bike. For one thing they pay more attention!

 

[GaryG]

What you say has merit RodeHard, but to become familar with "a" bike and learning how to control it in the confines of a fairly safe setting, the MSF course is great. After the "course", a new rider can begin accumulating experience by riding at their indivuidual level...which may not be on the streets at first.

Then again...the same delimma exists for new drivers of "cages"....some of them should not be allowed on the road either.

So every one does the best they can....and I watch closely weather I am riding, driving or walking :shock:

:yw1:

 

[Blue Flame]

As a man who stood by and watched his wife as she took the Motorcycle Safety Course, I can honestly say that she learned a wealth of information
from it. But if she waited for a while before she rode her own,chances are she would have lost out. We bought her bike (98 Honda 750 Magna) a couple of days before she took the course. When she completed the course, I took her straight away to a huge parking lot and let her practice what she had just learned. Then came the road test. It's different than riding in the parking lot. I would come in from work every day and get her
on hers and me on mine, and we would ride and ride and ride and ride. It's called "SEAT TIME" folks. Nobody starts out as a professional rider. I lost a couple of guys to ride with while I was teaching her, because they didn't have the patience to ride with us. I say to Hell with them and all other "Narrow Minded" throttle jockeys who Started out as the best rider on the street. Boy, you"re fooling somebody,but it sure ain't me. My wife has become a very accomplished rider in her own right,and it's from practice,practice,practice. By the way, all of the practice paid off (from AUG 01,to JUNE 02) when we went to the HONDA HOOT in 2002 and she rode the DRAGON (Hwy 129) on the way home. Anybody can do it if they want, but they need someone to spend time with them and show them the ropes. We are going out west this summer, and yep, she'll be riding her own!!

 

[IB Mike]

I lost a couple of guys to ride with while I was teaching her, because they didn't have the patience to ride with us. I say to Hell with them

Amen Mike!
No one I'd rather ride with than my gal... and I'd do whatever it took to make that happen.

You're a lucky guy!!

 

[Orange Bandit]

:banghead: Don't say it Darryl, :banghead: :banghead: Don't say it Darryl,

One post up there really was close minded and seems to be talking from both sides of the face, but this is supposed to be the newer, nicer, politer board....so keep your face shut Darryl.

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Ahh, I feel better!!!