[BrowningBAR]

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?

A good start would be a Yamaha Virago250 or the Kawasaki EX250 (depending on taste/desired riding). Both should fit her height.

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".

 

[BrowningBAR]

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.

-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.

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.

 

[BrowningBAR]

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.

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.

 

[BrowningBAR]

"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 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.

And if I had ridden one I'd tell you straight away if I got the little bugger that fast.

 

[BrowningBAR]

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.

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.

I'm 6'1", but I have no problems with my back or knees.

 

[BrowningBAR]

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.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Oh, Ripple, you are never too young to reach tripple digit speeds...or get a DUI, it seems.

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