cruppelt
Will always be FJR rider at heart
You my friend are one lucky SOB!!! :lol:
Well... that actually goes for all you guys with spouses interested in riding....
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My wife's contemplating becoming a rider!
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Well... that actually goes for all you guys with spouses interested in riding....
charismaticmegafauna
Well-known member
I doubt the limits are the 250 Ninja's...?
(there have been "Iron Butt" 250 Ninjas)
As my S.O. says (who's toured border-to-border & coast-to-coast on a 250 Ninja): "Once you get that one needle past nine, it'll do anything."
(Revs are just numbers... :blink:
)
TestPilot
Well-known member
That's really great!!
Zea (my wife) got her Unrestricted Bike licence (as it's called here in Aussie) last November, after spending a year riding her Honda CBF250 (250 Single).
The 250 was great for the year, as it enabled her to get her confidence, and when she did drop it (about 3 times - always either pulling off or stopping) there wasn't much to damage. Did replace the clutch lever once. (BTW - never tell a ladies age, but she is a year younger than me, and I was born in 1952. So she had a fair bit of learning to do, but she did start from the benefit of being an active and involved pillion for the last 7 years).
One of the very best things is that she went for lessons, and their focus was strongly on making her a safe rider, and the logical outcome was that she would get her licence (rather than the focus on getting her licence). Initially it was about 8 lessons of 3 hours ech, spread over 10 weeks.
I actively DID NOT TEACH her, but I did ask her what the instructor had taught her, and then we would go out a she would practice and implement what he had taught her. Sure, I would give her feedback, like she had been taught to move away from the centreline when cresting a blind crest, and if I felt she was too close to the centreline I would ask her about what she had been taught about road position, and how she thought she was applying what she had been taught, etc.
The 250 had it's limitations, though, and as soon as she was allowed (here she had to have her 250 licence, or Restricted Licence for a year) she tried my old Fazer 600. Again she dropped it a few times - again always when stopped, pulling off, or stopping. I had to replace both mirrors ($30 a pair on ebay from Hong Kong), and we decided to lower it for her. Adjustable dogbones were the go, and this just gave her the confidence she needed.
Three months on that and she was convinced this was for real, so we spent real money - got her own FZ6, and this has never been dropped - now has done 10,000k's in 7 months. This is stock height, and at the upper end of comfortable for her. But she has also ridden my FJR and FZ1, but she likes her baby.
Here's some more of here story: https://www.fjrowners.ws/phpbb2/viewtopic.p...312&start=0
So I say go for it, but watch for all the things you know are likely to be there: How will you (and she) react the firts time she drops the bike? How will you avoid the potential issues if play any role in 'teaching her to ride'? How will you cope with seeing her in such a vulnerable environment? (Oh, and when/if she does drop the bike, don't show any concern for the bike, only for her. Making the mistake of treating the bike as more important could be almost unforgiveable - I did that 30 years ago, and I think it took Zea 10 or more years to accpet that I was young and ??)
Zea (my wife) got her Unrestricted Bike licence (as it's called here in Aussie) last November, after spending a year riding her Honda CBF250 (250 Single).
The 250 was great for the year, as it enabled her to get her confidence, and when she did drop it (about 3 times - always either pulling off or stopping) there wasn't much to damage. Did replace the clutch lever once. (BTW - never tell a ladies age, but she is a year younger than me, and I was born in 1952. So she had a fair bit of learning to do, but she did start from the benefit of being an active and involved pillion for the last 7 years).
One of the very best things is that she went for lessons, and their focus was strongly on making her a safe rider, and the logical outcome was that she would get her licence (rather than the focus on getting her licence). Initially it was about 8 lessons of 3 hours ech, spread over 10 weeks.
I actively DID NOT TEACH her, but I did ask her what the instructor had taught her, and then we would go out a she would practice and implement what he had taught her. Sure, I would give her feedback, like she had been taught to move away from the centreline when cresting a blind crest, and if I felt she was too close to the centreline I would ask her about what she had been taught about road position, and how she thought she was applying what she had been taught, etc.
The 250 had it's limitations, though, and as soon as she was allowed (here she had to have her 250 licence, or Restricted Licence for a year) she tried my old Fazer 600. Again she dropped it a few times - again always when stopped, pulling off, or stopping. I had to replace both mirrors ($30 a pair on ebay from Hong Kong), and we decided to lower it for her. Adjustable dogbones were the go, and this just gave her the confidence she needed.
Three months on that and she was convinced this was for real, so we spent real money - got her own FZ6, and this has never been dropped - now has done 10,000k's in 7 months. This is stock height, and at the upper end of comfortable for her. But she has also ridden my FJR and FZ1, but she likes her baby.
Here's some more of here story: https://www.fjrowners.ws/phpbb2/viewtopic.p...312&start=0
So I say go for it, but watch for all the things you know are likely to be there: How will you (and she) react the firts time she drops the bike? How will you avoid the potential issues if play any role in 'teaching her to ride'? How will you cope with seeing her in such a vulnerable environment? (Oh, and when/if she does drop the bike, don't show any concern for the bike, only for her. Making the mistake of treating the bike as more important could be almost unforgiveable - I did that 30 years ago, and I think it took Zea 10 or more years to accpet that I was young and ??)
DELETE-PLEASE
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Great advice here. DEFINITELY great advice about worrying about the people first and everything else last. Thanks! We're just not sure right now if we're gonna go with a 250 to start with, or look towards a bike that might grow with her (we've looked at the Suzuki GS500F and the Ninja 650R). She's very careful and will be a quick learner I'm sure, so I'm mainly looking at bikes that she feels are not overly heavy and she can either almost flatfoot or can be lowered to that point.
First thing first, we're gonna set her up with the MSF Basic Course and see how she likes that, and then we'll start saving and deciding on what bike. And when we get it, we'll take probably about a month and I'll ride her bike to a parking lot while she drives behind me, and we'll have her practice some stuff. Then the backroads, and move up from there. Thanks for all the advice and thoughts.
Alexi
Wee Willy
It's bad, you know
Just one recommendation: don't settle on the first one that seems to work for her. Carefully consider what you want out of the bike (day trips, freeway commute...whatever) and then go do some careful shopping. This little fellow has some real limitations that others have alluded to above. I suspect there may really be a better solution out there.
Cheers,
W2
Cheers,
W2
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Silver Penguin
Silver Penguin
What a great story, both the part posted here, and the part on the other forum. I love to read things like that. My husband and I both ride, and he will never be allowed to forget that I've been riding longer than he has, despite being younger than him.
He did get his license before I did, although that was a long, long time ago.We have the best of times riding together, including day trips, an annual road trip and weekend desert trips. I'm delighted to say that although Andy is only an FJR rider by proxy, he has been welcomed at every forum event that we've been to.
Silver Penguin
Silver Penguin
Wise advice from WW. May I present another point of view? of course, only you and your good lady will be able to pick what is best for your situation.
The limitations that the smaller bike has, may indeed be some of it's better points for a newer rider. If there is the option to purchase an older, cheaper POS bike that is mechanically sound but is cosmetically beaten up, it might be a great start. The fear of dropping a bike is often a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the bike has already been down a few times, rather than looking showroom-shiny, some of that fear is eliminated.
A lack of power isn't a bad thing for a beginner. Sure, it's a liability later on, especially when riding on the freeway. There are times when my little 650 has me dreaming of the FJR's power.
If it's financially viable, I'd recommend going with a beater bike, for as long as it takes (and it may not be long at all) to build a strong confidence and skill base. Of course, that is a more expensive option than buying a mid-sized bike to begin with. It may be that her skill development is so quick, and she has long legs, that something a bit bigger works better to start with and stay with.
I'm eager to hear about her progress, and what decision you make about her bike.
PS Although I've got lots to say on the subject, I keep finding my 'perfect' bike. Then trading it a couple of years later for the next 'perfect' bike.
madmike2
Shtirrenuppenmeister
Yes...well....with an explanation:
1.) He's a motorcyclist.
2.) He's a classy gentleman.
3.) He gets enough grief in life from his wife.
[SIZE=8pt]Oh wait...did I type that out-loud or did I simply think it?[/SIZE]
Silver Penguin
Silver Penguin
LOL! Sometimes the truth just has to be told. And of course, I would struggle to attend these events without my personalized valet parking. To be fair though, I do allow him to borrow my FJR when he's really good. What more could a man ask for, than a wife who will loan a bike like that?
charismaticmegafauna
Well-known member
Silver Penguin
Silver Penguin
So very true. Much as I love my FJR, my last four bikes have been a couple of 650's, a 125 and a 230.And that next 'perfect' bike may not always be a bigger bike...! :blink:
