Best place to practice?

[timalan]

In your opinions... I finally got my 17 YO enrolled in MSF training class. After class where is the Best place to help him with getting used to not having his Volvo Between him and Idiots on the road with him. He has actually had a motorcycle learners permit for three years and never been on the street. I am wanting to take some trips with him this summer before he runs off to college and I want him to have as much local road experience before that happens.

Thanks for your opinions again.

Tim

 

[kenporider]

Somewhere that doesn't have too much traffic would be best. Unfortunately, in most cases you just have to jump into the fire. My first experience (after MSF class) was on a new bike in the city during rush hour. It took me almost a half hour to work up the nerve to get on the road. Good times.

 

[rickcorwn]

In your opinions... I finally got my 17 YO enrolled in MSF training class. After class where is the Best place to help him with getting used to not having his Volvo Between him and Idiots on the road with him. He has actually had a motorcycle learners permit for three years and never been on the street. I am wanting to take some trips with him this summer before he runs off to college and I want him to have as much local road experience before that happens.Thanks for your opinions again.

Tim

Find an office park or an industrial park on a weekned. It will have real roads and intersections and maybe a few curves. He'll be able to get up to a modeate speed 30 mph or so and get a good feel for the bike with out all the traffic. There should be a few big empty parking lots for some figure 8s an such too.

 

[Rondo777]

WOW, nice dad! I was off to college before I had a bike. My folks would have killed me if I brought a bike home. My mom would call you an :asshat2: for supporting anything that might get your kid hurt. As far as a practice place, look for the closest retirement community. If he can run the gauntlet there he can ride anywhere.

 

[timalan]

WOW, nice dad! I was off to college before I had a bike. My folks would have killed me if I brought a bike home. My mom would call you an :asshat2: for supporting anything that might get your kid hurt. As far as a practice place, look for the closest retirement community. If he can run the gauntlet there he can ride anywhere.

Yes well I have different views. I (genetically) "gave" my son type I diabetes. He could die any day of his life by miscalulating his diet or insulin to give for that diet choice. There is absolutely no reason.... no matter who you are.... to wait for life...

I Got a motorcycle when I was 14... Dad said yes, mom was emergency room nurse... She didn't like the Idea.

I rode it around the local hiway, little traffic. then two weeks later went and took riding test. I failed and the lady said "ride straight home and continue to practice in the country, And I will give you that license." She did and I rode home. Practiced that night and straight back into traffic The next day!

I want him better trained before I let him loose.

 

[Fred W]

I can appreciate what you're doing for your boy. It's a really tough choice that we Dads have to make (and usually their Mom's "don't get it").

The prior advice about riding in low traffic areas is good. When my boy got his license the first dozen or more time he went out it was riding behind me, so he could shadow me, and see what I do on the road. Not that I am an especially gifted, world class rider, but I tend to ride pretty safely.

I also never let him take the bike out with friends on other bikes. Bad. Very Bad. Uncontrolled testosterone kills. Oh, did I mention that it's my bike so I get to set the rules? That helps.

Not so much for your benefit, Tim, as this advice is probably too late for your son, but the one thing that made the street motorcycle riding transition MUCH easier was the fact that I got my boy onto a dirt bike at ~10-11 years old. Learning to ride in the dirt teaches you a lot of the mechanical bike skills you will later need to ride on the road.

That way when you introduce the hazard of moving two-ton blocks of destruction, they can concentrate on those new hazard and not which hand is the clutch, what the brakes do, and what happens when you twist the bars to the right. So any of you Dads out there with young teen age boys, seriously consider that.

Oh, and riding dirt bikes is a blast.

 

[BeeLine]

Find an office park or an industrial park on a weekned. It will have real roads and intersections and maybe a few curves. He'll be able to get up to a modeate speed 30 mph or so and get a good feel for the bike with out all the traffic. There should be a few big empty parking lots for some figure 8s an such too.

This is what I did with my son after the MSF class. We would go after hours and on weekends and just took our time. From there he started going out of the parking lot and into the street and back to the lot again. I think it's best just to take your time and make it enjoyable.

 

[timalan]

That is what I did with Cars and my kids... business park parking lots. they learned to back... park, and negotiate empty Stop sign intersections.... Only there was no real traffic to watch for... So it seemed stupid... till you add traffic. Thanks for the advise. there is also a lake park pretty close by that has a twolane road 25mph all the way through with curves and cross walks etc. Boy has ridden just only Yard and no traffic road in front of house. Scary **** to put your kids on the road.

 

[vandy]

Another thing that you can try is hwy 169 in Tulsa but not near rush hour traffic... Go south of 44 and take every exit that you can getting on and off of the highway... get him used to merging ..

But shcool and church parking lots ar for practicing befor that time arives... you can use some boxes instead of cones and run obstical corses.. Figure eights and tight slow speed circles are good starting points.

 

[mikerbiker]

All good advice. I'll add that what's a good next step after the lots is to go out early Saturday mornings - say 7:00am-ish for a nice ride around town without many cars.. Get the feel of real streets without the traffic - lighting's good and shouldn't be too many drunks...

On Sunday mornings he'll have to watch for the little old ladies going to church though...

 

[cougar8000]

Not familiar with your area training program, but if it is anything like ours, program parking lot which is marked is empty lots of time before and after the class.

once he feels comfy, wake up call at 5am and be on the road at 6am on Sat and Sun. No one on the road. have fun.

Let him follow you for a bit learn and observe. Then Let him lead. but assure him that he does not need to worry that he is going to slow for you. Please make sure that you are riding slow enough for him as well. And while you are behind him give him LOTS of room. He sees you on his tail he would start worry and think that he is going too slow.

 

[jekirby]

My first experience was at 16. I borrowed or bought, I still can not figure it out, a Honda Elite scooter (Outragous!!!!!!) and rode it all over the country side. Used it to get my license. I lived in a small rural town so traffic was not an issue, but lots of time got me used to bing around cars. Those scooters were automatics, so when I bouht my first real bike(19 or so), I had never ridden a bike with a manual tranny. All I have ever driven were manual cars so I thought why not, the principal is the same. I remember telling the dealer "yeah, yeah I know what I'm doing....just whats the shift pattern on this thing?" and dove right in and took off. Detemination was what got me home in one piece. From that point on it was easy to get used to being in in different traffic situations. The small town thing was the key for me and fortunatly not having taken a MSF did not hurt me, only made the learning curve steeper. I had an opportunity to take one with my dad, now passed on, many years ago, but sadly did not. You're a great dad to help you son with this in a responsible manner.

 

[HotRodZilla]

I'm gonna have to agree with most of the posts here, especially the ones that recommend you guys ride together for a while. Let him get his bearings and follow your lines at his speed and as his skill and confidence increases, your stress will decrease. Those mega-church parking lots make great places to practice all kinds of stuff on most every day 'cept Sunday. PM sent.

 

[timalan]

Thanks for the input again, and thanks HotRodZilla for the PM... I sent it on to the BOY!

 

[timalan]

Ok one more question. In the time it took me to type one email this morning.... the classes filled up. Now the first is a full month away. He has motorcycle learners permit. He is allowed to operate with in my line of site.... Should I go ahead and get him going.... Or will he have to unlearn any bad habits I may teach.

 

[kenporider]

Ok one more question. In the time it took me to type one email this morning.... the classes filled up. Now the first is a full month away. He has motorcycle learners permit. He is allowed to operate with in my line of site.... Should I go ahead and get him going.... Or will he have to unlearn any bad habits I may teach.

I vote for waiting for the class, that way you'll know he's getting professional instruction without the bad habits. Sometimes it's easier to take instruction from a stranger as well, no expectations that he'll feel he needs to live up to besides his own.

In the interim, I found the Complete Idiots Guide to Motorcycles a great read before the class. Most of the riding info comes right from the MSF.

Good luck.

 

[RiderCoach Lar]

Ok one more question. In the time it took me to type one email this morning.... the classes filled up. Now the first is a full month away. He has motorcycle learners permit. He is allowed to operate with in my line of site.... Should I go ahead and get him going.... Or will he have to unlearn any bad habits I may teach.

I vote for waiting for the class, that way you'll know he's getting professional instruction without the bad habits. Sometimes it's easier to take instruction from a stranger as well, no expectations that he'll feel he needs to live up to besides his own.

In the interim, I found the Complete Idiots Guide to Motorcycles a great read before the class. Most of the riding info comes right from the MSF.

Good luck.

I second that idea. A month, especially compared to how long it may take him to unlearn any bad habits, is not a long time. As far as where to practice, I agree with cougar80000. Start in some local neighborhoods and parking lots and as he feels comfortable, move out onto busier roads DURING SLOW TIMES.....early Saturday and Sunday morning's are perfect. He can get a feel for higher speeds, traffic signals, lane positions, etc., without having to deal with too much traffic. I also agree that you should shadow him and give him space.....and lots of positive feedback.

 

[SPORT]

In your opinions... I finally got my 17 YO enrolled in MSF training class. After class where is the Best place to help him with getting used to not having his Volvo Between him and Idiots on the road with him. He has actually had a motorcycle learners permit for three years and never been on the street. I am wanting to take some trips with him this summer before he runs off to college and I want him to have as much local road experience before that happens.Thanks for your opinions again.

Tim

Although MSF coaches can no longer recommend it anymore (liability issues), I would suggest going back to the parking lot that he took the MSF classes and let him practice what he remembers from the training. I would also encourage him to ride the neighborhood; then at your discretion, expand the boundaries to surrounding areas.

just a thought.

 

[FJR1300A]

Ok one more question. In the time it took me to type one email this morning.... the classes filled up. Now the first is a full month away. He has motorcycle learners permit. He is allowed to operate with in my line of site.... Should I go ahead and get him going.... Or will he have to unlearn any bad habits I may teach.

When I took the MSF course they were all filled up in my area. I called every week for three months straight. I wasn't able to get registered for any of the classes, but they had a walkon policy. If you show up and sign in then someone doesn't show you get that spot. It happens more than you would think because you have to register so far in advance. Anyway, if your area offers this sort of thing, I would suggest showing up at least two hours early (I was there 3 hours early and was second on the list, the guy that showed up after me didn't make it in) and sign in. It's worth the chance if you really want to take the course sooner rather than later.