Wife’s sudden interest in learning to ride
Discussion
Monday evening I was watching Bike World, Sophie McGinn was on learning to ride on the road.
My wife is 56, never ridden a bike, been on the back of mine a few times.
She announced ‘I wouldn’t mind learning to ride’, I said nothing, bit later I googled bike training in Liverpool, found one that will teach complete novices to ride, they supply bike and gear, mentioned it to her and she was genuinely interested and wanted the details.
To say I’m surprised would be an understatement, she does not enjoy driving her car, it is just transport.
Anyone else been through this, what was the outcome ?
My wife is 56, never ridden a bike, been on the back of mine a few times.
She announced ‘I wouldn’t mind learning to ride’, I said nothing, bit later I googled bike training in Liverpool, found one that will teach complete novices to ride, they supply bike and gear, mentioned it to her and she was genuinely interested and wanted the details.
To say I’m surprised would be an understatement, she does not enjoy driving her car, it is just transport.
Anyone else been through this, what was the outcome ?
Chap I know is currently around the stage you are.
He passed back in the summer and bought a Fireblade, Mrs goes out on the back with him regularly.
Last time we met up she wanted to sit on my Bandit 1200 to get a feel for the size for herself! She's only about 5'1!
Was much better suited on my friends Bandit 600 with a lowered seat and we left them both pondering, reckon she will have her license by spring.
He passed back in the summer and bought a Fireblade, Mrs goes out on the back with him regularly.
Last time we met up she wanted to sit on my Bandit 1200 to get a feel for the size for herself! She's only about 5'1!
Was much better suited on my friends Bandit 600 with a lowered seat and we left them both pondering, reckon she will have her license by spring.
CoreyDog said:
Chap I know is currently around the stage you are.
He passed back in the summer and bought a Fireblade, Mrs goes out on the back with him regularly.
Last time we met up she wanted to sit on my Bandit 1200 to get a feel for the size for herself! She's only about 5'1!
Was much better suited on my friends Bandit 600 with a lowered seat and we left them both pondering, reckon she will have her license by spring.
Ha, mine is 5’ 2”, could just sit in my recently sold cbf500, not a chance on my TDM 850, I shall offer to get her a ‘teach to ride’ course as part of her Christmas present.He passed back in the summer and bought a Fireblade, Mrs goes out on the back with him regularly.
Last time we met up she wanted to sit on my Bandit 1200 to get a feel for the size for herself! She's only about 5'1!
Was much better suited on my friends Bandit 600 with a lowered seat and we left them both pondering, reckon she will have her license by spring.
I had a bike when we met, but as she wasn't interested in it, I gave it up soon after we married. A few years later one of my mates came to visit on his beautiful 70's z900 and let me have a blast for old times sake. To my surprise, she hopped on the back for a ride. She absolutely loved it, told me to get a bike myself.
A few trips on my new gpZ900r later, she decided that she wanted to learn herself. I bought her a 1981 Honda h100 to practice on. She rode it once before discovering she was pregnant so the bike went into the back of the shed till all the baby stuff was done.
27 years later, the baby (and the next one) has grown up and left home and the little h100 is still in the back of the shed.
My next retirement project is to get first the bike, then next the wife back on the road.
A few trips on my new gpZ900r later, she decided that she wanted to learn herself. I bought her a 1981 Honda h100 to practice on. She rode it once before discovering she was pregnant so the bike went into the back of the shed till all the baby stuff was done.
27 years later, the baby (and the next one) has grown up and left home and the little h100 is still in the back of the shed.
My next retirement project is to get first the bike, then next the wife back on the road.
Desiderata said:
I had a bike when we met, but as she wasn't interested in it, I gave it up soon after we married. A few years later one of my mates came to visit on his beautiful 70's z900 and let me have a blast for old times sake. To my surprise, she hopped on the back for a ride. She absolutely loved it, told me to get a bike myself.
A few trips on my new gpZ900r later, she decided that she wanted to learn herself. I bought her a 1981 Honda h100 to practice on. She rode it once before discovering she was pregnant so the bike went into the back of the shed till all the baby stuff was done.
27 years later, the baby (and the next one) has grown up and left home and the little h100 is still in the back of the shed.
My next retirement project is to get first the bike, then next the wife back on the road.
I passed my test on an H100S, I thought it was a cracking bike at the time. Any chance you can do a picture thread when you drag it out and get it roadworthy again? A few trips on my new gpZ900r later, she decided that she wanted to learn herself. I bought her a 1981 Honda h100 to practice on. She rode it once before discovering she was pregnant so the bike went into the back of the shed till all the baby stuff was done.
27 years later, the baby (and the next one) has grown up and left home and the little h100 is still in the back of the shed.
My next retirement project is to get first the bike, then next the wife back on the road.
My mrs decided she wanted to ride but didnt tell me, she went off and did her CBT and then announced she was ready to learn, she had a YBR125 for just under a year, which she loved and really gave her confidence on.
She passed her test within the year and sold the YBR for about the same price as her CBR600, that was in 2016 , we’ve had a great rideouts together , good luck to your good lady with her future biking career.
She passed her test within the year and sold the YBR for about the same price as her CBR600, that was in 2016 , we’ve had a great rideouts together , good luck to your good lady with her future biking career.
If you're in Warrington I can highly recommend the school I learnt with in Queensferry - I was a total novice, and they were great.
https://www.probikemct.co.uk/
Not too far from you really, maybe 30-40 minutes from you depending what side of Warrington you're at.
They're in the leisure centre so a shedload of parking, massive practice area out the back to work on (more than enough space to get up to 30-40mph), and can do the full Mod1 setup with cones etc and space to practice inbetween.
https://www.probikemct.co.uk/
Not too far from you really, maybe 30-40 minutes from you depending what side of Warrington you're at.
They're in the leisure centre so a shedload of parking, massive practice area out the back to work on (more than enough space to get up to 30-40mph), and can do the full Mod1 setup with cones etc and space to practice inbetween.
Edited by Krikkit on Wednesday 3rd November 09:40
Krikkit said:
If you're in Warrington I can highly recommend the school I learnt with in Queensferry - I was a total novice, and they were great.
https://www.probikemct.co.uk/
Not too far from you really, maybe 30-40 minutes from you depending what side of Warrington you're at.
They're in the leisure centre so a shedload of parking, massive practice area out the back to work on (more than enough space to get up to 30-40mph), and can do the full Mod1 setup with cones etc and space to practice inbetween.
Herself likes the idea of a local Liverpool city place, she is waiting for a reply.https://www.probikemct.co.uk/
Not too far from you really, maybe 30-40 minutes from you depending what side of Warrington you're at.
They're in the leisure centre so a shedload of parking, massive practice area out the back to work on (more than enough space to get up to 30-40mph), and can do the full Mod1 setup with cones etc and space to practice inbetween.
Edited by Krikkit on Wednesday 3rd November 09:40
Our Maud passed her test with Aintree Motorcycle Training and would highly recommend them.
We bought a Suzuki RV125 Van Van for her to learn on, which was lovely to ride, with a low saddle and wide bars. It was a funky little thing, if rather slow. They seem to be very popular with female riders.
She was 41 when she took her test. Her only regret is not having done it sooner.
We bought a Suzuki RV125 Van Van for her to learn on, which was lovely to ride, with a low saddle and wide bars. It was a funky little thing, if rather slow. They seem to be very popular with female riders.
She was 41 when she took her test. Her only regret is not having done it sooner.
yep.........
I rode a bike when I met Mrs M. She used to go on the back a lot but never really mentioned riding herself, lots of years passed, kids etc and she stopped coming on the back as her kness were too bunched up !
some time later decided to do her test at age of 45 we got her a new Van Van as well which she adored and she passed about a year later she used the RV for about another year but it was noticebly slow as her confidance grew.
we then got a new KTM DUKE 390 which she hated
as she couldnt bond with the single cylinder vibes of it !
we have just sold it and are now looking at older monsters
|https://thumbsnap.com/G1pe11oQ[/url]
its nice going out together for breakie on a sunny sunday morn
highly recomended [url]
I rode a bike when I met Mrs M. She used to go on the back a lot but never really mentioned riding herself, lots of years passed, kids etc and she stopped coming on the back as her kness were too bunched up !
some time later decided to do her test at age of 45 we got her a new Van Van as well which she adored and she passed about a year later she used the RV for about another year but it was noticebly slow as her confidance grew.
we then got a new KTM DUKE 390 which she hated
as she couldnt bond with the single cylinder vibes of it !we have just sold it and are now looking at older monsters
|https://thumbsnap.com/G1pe11oQ[/url]its nice going out together for breakie on a sunny sunday morn
highly recomended [url]Edited by Mogsmex on Thursday 4th November 14:30
Edited by Mogsmex on Thursday 4th November 14:34
Mogsmex said:
...we got her a new Van Van as well which she adored and she passed about a year later she used the RV for about another year but it was noticebly slow as her confidance grew.
we have just sold it and are now looking at older monsters
Yep.we have just sold it and are now looking at older monsters
We looked at 600cc Monsters to replace the Van Van, but eventually settled on an XBR500, which was lovely but the riding position is a bit too "cafe racer". I think she would have been better with the Monster.
She also has a 1986 CB350, which she loves. Best £900 I've spent in a long time.
But she just couldn't get the Van Van out of her system, so I have finally managed to track down one of the rare 200cc Van Vans. It's being delivered next week, so it will be interesting to see how she gets on with it.
The first Mrs SS7 had been riding pillion with me and before that various exes since she was a teenager. One year we were in France two up and she announced she wanted to learn. She passed her test, bought a Ducati 400SS and the following year were were back touring in Western France on two bikes.
However, as soon as she had our first son anything dangerous (she used to ride and glide too) went out the window, presumably mothering hormones kicked in.
The eldest is about to take his DAS; she doesn't like the idea but can't really object!
However, as soon as she had our first son anything dangerous (she used to ride and glide too) went out the window, presumably mothering hormones kicked in.
The eldest is about to take his DAS; she doesn't like the idea but can't really object!
Pat H said:
Mogsmex said:
...we got her a new Van Van as well which she adored and she passed about a year later she used the RV for about another year but it was noticebly slow as her confidance grew.
we have just sold it and are now looking at older monsters
She also has a 1986 CB350, which she loves. Best £900 I've spent in a long time.we have just sold it and are now looking at older monsters
But she just couldn't get the Van Van out of her system, so I have finally managed to track down one of the rare 200cc Van Vans. It's being delivered next week, so it will be interesting to see how she gets on with it.
as it happens I considered trying to find a 200 RV, can you update on your findings ?
if its a bit better then a std one or a lot better
Cheers
Mrs K1 mk1 spent many years riding pillion before announcing she would like to pass her test. She used a hire bike for her CBT, did a few weekends riding that hire bike to get a bit of experience then did her test and passed. She had already decided on her first bike and the Yamaha FJ1200 was sitting at home waiting for her.
What was interesting was when she suggested I went pillion. I can vividly remember coming up the French autoroute, at a time when they weren't too interested in your speed, with 120mph on the speedo. She was only 5' 4" at best and with the stepped seat, as pillion, I was fighting with the wind. I was leaning forward to the point that my head was positioned beside her arm between her shoulder and her elbow.
What was interesting was when she suggested I went pillion. I can vividly remember coming up the French autoroute, at a time when they weren't too interested in your speed, with 120mph on the speedo. She was only 5' 4" at best and with the stepped seat, as pillion, I was fighting with the wind. I was leaning forward to the point that my head was positioned beside her arm between her shoulder and her elbow.
Mogsmex said:
That CB350 looks lovely , nice choice ! can it handle dual carrigaeways ? or is it pretty much out at 70/80 ?
as it happens I considered trying to find a 200 RV, can you update on your findings ?
if its a bit better then a std one or a lot better
Cheers
I'll let you know what the RV200 is like.as it happens I considered trying to find a 200 RV, can you update on your findings ?
if its a bit better then a std one or a lot better
Cheers
The CB350 steers, handles and stops really well. It's not too bad on the open road, but has really run out of puff at 80mph. We have Renthal bars on the CB350 and it's as easy to handle as a Van Van.
We also have a Suzuki GR650 at the back of the garage.
Wot's a GR650? I hear you ask.
Well, it's a 1986 parallel twin, much like a 1970s Triumph Bonneville or a Yam XS650, but with much lower seat height and far less weight.
50bhp and 180kg.
They were never sold in the UK. I imported this one from Germany. I've just got it registered and MOT'd, but it needs a bit of fettling before it can be used.
We need to encourage more women to take up motorcycling. We went to the Classic TT about three years ago. Apart from Caroline, there were only two other women riders on the ferry, which is a bit rubbish.
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