MSF is your best option for her to learn. If she's very intimidated by shifting, you might want to see if there is a Ridley Motorcycles dealer in your area. They make several "automatic" bikes, including some models designed for the vertically challenged.
Helping my wife get started.
I am not a woman rider so I hope this is okay to post.
My wife has told me she is "interested" in learning to ride but she is.
1. Very short. I mean 4'11" short.
2. A little scared to learn how to shift.
3. A little scared by the nuts on the road. "She is right to be scared about them".
She also is a little angry that when we looked at bikes she might right several shops suggested that I just get a bike she would like to a passenger on. While I have no problem with her riding on my bike with me I found it a little.. Well rude.
An MSF course would be a good start but how will I know they will do more than throw her on a bike? Some are better than others. So what would you all suggest?
My wife has told me she is "interested" in learning to ride but she is.
1. Very short. I mean 4'11" short.
2. A little scared to learn how to shift.
3. A little scared by the nuts on the road. "She is right to be scared about them".
She also is a little angry that when we looked at bikes she might right several shops suggested that I just get a bike she would like to a passenger on. While I have no problem with her riding on my bike with me I found it a little.. Well rude.
An MSF course would be a good start but how will I know they will do more than throw her on a bike? Some are better than others. So what would you all suggest?
1 - 20 of 35 Posts
A good start would be a Yamaha Virago250 or the Kawasaki EX250 (depending on taste/desired riding). Both should fit her height.I am not a woman rider so I hope this is okay to post.
My wife has told me she is "interested" in learning to ride but she is.
1. Very short. I mean 4'11" short.
2. A little scared to learn how to shift.
3. A little scared by the nuts on the road. "She is right to be scared about them".
She also is a little angry that when we looked at bikes she might right several shops suggested that I just get a bike she would like to a passenger on. While I have no problem with her riding on my bike with me I found it a little.. Well rude.
An MSF course would be a good start but how will I know they will do more than throw her on a bike? Some are better than others. So what would you all suggest?
The Virago can get up to 70-80mph and a the EX250 can do, I think, a max speed of around 110mph. Both are light and small, so the intimidation factor is low.
Both bikes are cheap and I would definitely buy used. You can find both bikes for under 3 grand while still looking new.
The MSF class is a great start, but even than I would stick to parking lots and neighborhood roads for several days/weeks as the MSF class does not prepare you for traffic situations.
When I taught my wife to ride (5'4" 109lbs) I took here to a wide open and empty parking lot and went through a lot of the beginning drills that I learned at the AZ MSF class.
As far as dealing with saleholes, it is hit or miss. Especially when it comes to gear. It is a pain in the @ss to find good female gear that is in stock. Otherwise you get threatened with a restocking fee or an "it fits good enough" remark.
She didn't get much in the way of demeaning remarks, at least. I did have a kid (20-22yrs old) try to tell her the 600rr is the way to go as "it will take you longer to grow out of it"...which was followed by my wife giving the kid the "you're a retard stare".
-The shifting thing is easy to over come if you don't try to throw too much at her. The first day of learning I spent having her just getting familiar with the bike and taking away the intimidation factor.MSF is your best option for her to learn. If she's very intimidated by shifting, you might want to see if there is a Ridley Motorcycles dealer in your area. They make several "automatic" bikes, including some models designed for the vertically challenged.
If you brake it down into small chunks of info it comes together better.
We stayed in large parking lots for four straight weekends for about two to four hours at a time. I made sure to stay in her comfort zone until I saw she was ready for the next challenge.
Agreed, she might even prefer learning to shift in the long run. Just tossing out options there. Those Ridleys are weird, the engine winds up to full RPM quickly and then the bike accelerates to catch up. Very strange feeling...
She was looking at the Honda Rebel and the Little Buell 500 since they both have very low seats. She also used to work for Honda so she has a soft spot for them. Yea the sales rep made both of us made to be honest. I have been mostly depressed by the current batch of sales weenies I have seen. The EX250 might be fun also since I really want to try one also 
I hear they are a lot of fun. I was thinking of getting one as a track bike but EX500s and GSE500s are even cheaper!
I hear they are a lot of fun. I was thinking of getting one as a track bike but EX500s and GSE500s are even cheaper!Oh God, PLEASE go with the MSF!An MSF course would be a good start but how will I know they will do more than throw her on a bike? Some are better than others. So what would you all suggest?
I've been riding since I was five so I felt quite sure in teaching my wife how to handle a Honda VLX many years ago. (The VLX is a great starter bike BTW) We went to a secluded parking lot and I set about teaching her everything I know about riding a motorcycle. I walked her through clutch, brake and throttle. I instructed her on the fine points of turning a bike at low speeds. We spent about thirty minutes going through everything I remembered being shown and had learned about "learning" to ride. I then went about getting on her bike and performing a large oval in first gear and turning it over to her to do the same thing.
It was a beautiful site to see my helmeted and leathered babe launch herself on her VLX into that large oval pattern. Smooth clutch and throttle control followed by gorgeous slow speed turns. Nice and smooth braking coming up beside me to a stop. The grin she had was ear-to-ear. Right up to the point where she forgot to put her right foot down and promptly dropped her bike onto all the shiny bits.
Now yes, she did pick herself up and go on to learn much more that day but the worst thing she learned was that about eight hours later the little pain she had in her elbow had turned into a right arm she couldn't bend. Yes, she had fractured her elbow.
Her sports injury specialist (also a rider) kept her off her bike for the next three months. During that time she registered for the Beginner MSF course.
She went through the course and came out ready to practice the skills she'd learned. Within four months she'd been on a number of dinner rides with our club and had taken many three hundred plus mile trips with me. After one of those trips we got home and she said, "I need more power and better brakes."
The MSF Beginner course is the only way to go, lwatcdr. I would advise letting her go alone. I did. She doesn't need you there as a distraction or an excuse. They are trained at how to teach beginners who don't bounce as well as we did as kids. I crashed so many times as a kid I thought it was part of learning. The problem with teaching like that is that my wife wasn't a preteen when she bounced! Grown-ups break.
Trust the course and your wife. If she's got a rider trapped inside her then the MSF instructors will introduce her.
:lol: I test rode a used EX250 while Betty and I were shopping for her first bike and after I came back with an enormous smile on my face she started laughing. Once I got stopped she came up to me and said, "You look like an elephant humping a peanut!" NO I'm not that big of a guy and YES that was the last time I've ever ridden an EX250!The EX250 might be fun also since I really want to try one also
The EX250 is a blast. I bought one a month ago and have ridden the hell out of it. Literally, 3K miles.
If you live where there are any twisty roads, you'll love this bike. Incredibly light weight, handles fantastic, not much power but that's part of the game.
It's a good starter bike too because of the weight, power and fairly neutral seating position.
If you live where there are any twisty roads, you'll love this bike. Incredibly light weight, handles fantastic, not much power but that's part of the game.
It's a good starter bike too because of the weight, power and fairly neutral seating position.
Simply put, have her take an MSF course and she'll discover if concerns 1-3 are warranted, and discover if she wants a motorcycle, a scooter, or nothing at all. Just depends.
My wife rides a Volusia 800 after learning on a Virago 250 (great little bike). I'm still amazed how many men AND women are shocked she rides and doesn't just sit on the back of my V-Strom. I though we were past all that bull... it's '07 afterall.
My wife rides a Volusia 800 after learning on a Virago 250 (great little bike). I'm still amazed how many men AND women are shocked she rides and doesn't just sit on the back of my V-Strom. I though we were past all that bull... it's '07 afterall.
It depends on the type of person she is and how she learns. If she gets flustered or embarrassed easily when she is learning than take her to an empty parking lot so she can gather some sort of confidence on a bike before the MSF. She doesn't have to ride it. She can sit on the bike with it running, push it in a straight line, put it on full choke so the bike will move under idle. It will allow her to understand the weight of the bike and how everything works.Simply put, have her take an MSF course and she'll discover if concerns 1-3 are warranted, and discover if she wants a motorcycle, a scooter, or nothing at all. Just depends.
My wife rides a Volusia 800 after learning on a Virago 250 (great little bike). I'm still amazed how many men AND women are shocked she rides and doesn't just sit on the back of my V-Strom. I though we were past all that bull... it's '07 afterall.
Some people are timid. Some people hate learning in groups. Some people don't want to feel embarrassed. If you give the person an opportunity to feel a little more comfortable they will get more out of the class.
"the EX250 can do, I think, a max speed of around 110mph"
'I think' huh? How is it that everybody knows exactly how fast an EX250 will go...
'I think' huh? How is it that everybody knows exactly how fast an EX250 will go...
I was basing my info off of reviews and reports as I have never ridden one. If I recall correctly, 110 is top speed out of the box with no mods as per the reports."the EX250 can do, I think, a max speed of around 110mph"
'I think' huh? How is it that everybody knows exactly how fast an EX250 will go...
And if I had ridden one I'd tell you straight away if I got the little bugger that fast.
Okay then. Your reviews and reports are right. Although not my first bike I spent my first two years on the street on that bike. Two of my buddies each had one and I would just steal theirs. Great bike to learn on, EXCEPT when your best friend is next to you on the identical bike, as this tends to invite, um, competition.
Excellent Idea BrowningBAR..Great advice...and so true Some woman need a little head start cause they might feel a little intimidated by class full of mostly guys... I don't think it would hurt just to show her how things work and like you said she doesn't have to ride the bike before MSF. Even though I had some very limited dirt bike experience a long time ago before I took the MSF class, I think if just someone would have shown me the controls it would have made me more comfortable.It depends on the type of person she is and how she learns. If she gets flustered or embarrassed easily when she is learning than take her to an empty parking lot so she can gather some sort of confidence on a bike before the MSF. She doesn't have to ride it. She can sit on the bike with it running, push it in a straight line, put it on full choke so the bike will move under idle. It will allow her to understand the weight of the bike and how everything works.
Some people are timid. Some people hate learning in groups. Some people don't want to feel embarrassed. If you give the person an opportunity to feel a little more comfortable they will get more out of the class.
My first wife and most of my girl friends were a little timid. They were a little intimated by situations like a male dominated MSF class or ski class.. My current wife wouldn't listen to any thing I would say so I would send her to MSF without a head start..I can't teach her anything... I am sure she would be correcting the instructors in 30 minutes.
.i.e. she questions everything.. I tried to teach her to ski.. I gave up after 20 minutes. Paid someone else to.. Best money I ever spent..How tall are you? I've sat on an EX a few times while at MC shops. It seemed like it might be a bit of a tight fit.Okay then. Your reviews and reports are right. Although not my first bike I spent my first two years on the street on that bike. Two of my buddies each had one and I would just steal theirs. Great bike to learn on, EXCEPT when your best friend is next to you on the identical bike, as this tends to invite, um, competition.
I'm 6'1", but I have no problems with my back or knees.
It also applies to guys, too. People learn differently. The point to the MSF is to get the most you can out of it. if you spend most of your time concentrating on whether you look goofy or worried about embarrassing yourself because you are self conscious, than you should find a way to get your hands on a small displacement machine and give it a good once over.
True enough, however before dropping serious cash on any bike she might want to find out if she even wants to ride. That's where an MSF course (or equivalent) is valuable. Besides, if a person can't handle learning in a group course then I pity the foo that drops their own bike the first time, or overruns their first stopsign, or runs wide on a public road. Now that IS embarrassing and potentially dangerous.It depends on the type of person she is and how she learns. If she gets flustered or embarrassed easily when she is learning than take her to an empty parking lot so she can gather some sort of confidence on a bike before the MSF. She doesn't have to ride it. She can sit on the bike with it running, push it in a straight line, put it on full choke so the bike will move under idle. It will allow her to understand the weight of the bike and how everything works.
Some people are timid. Some people hate learning in groups. Some people don't want to feel embarrassed. If you give the person an opportunity to feel a little more comfortable they will get more out of the class.
Learning on a trainer bike (ego aside) removes the trepidation of wrecking your own bike and you can learn by observing as well, with people in or around your own skill level.
Excellent thread. Thanks guys!
I agree with the MSF recommendation. Your wife might also want to check out women's motorcycle groups in her area - having the encouragement of other women riders can be a big boost for some women who are entering the sport.
I agree with the MSF recommendation. Your wife might also want to check out women's motorcycle groups in her area - having the encouragement of other women riders can be a big boost for some women who are entering the sport.
I'm 6' even. I don't remember having any real comfort problems on the EX except for my knees, which are bad and start screaming at me on anything other than a forward control bike.
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