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+--- Thread: Wife is on a Scooter (/showthread.php?tid=13385)
RE: Wife is on a Scooter - misterprofessionality - 08-20-2018
Riggies, that idea actually did occur to me. there's an adventure park a few hours from me where you can get a dirt bike rental and tear a$$ all over the landscape for a few hours. that would be a good place for her to learn to shift without risking buying and destroying a bike.
RE: Wife is on a Scooter - Banned_imp - 08-20-2018
A scooter is how I started out riding, I bought a brand new '86 Honda Aero 50 as I could ride it on the road at 14. The reason I bought it instead of a dirt bike was because I didn't have anyone to teach me how to ride and thought learning everything all at once would be too much. I figured once I got the balance (I did know how to ride a bicycle) and throttle control I could tackle this thing called a "clutch". It worked and the next year I bought a '79 XL185 to learn the rest.
Seemed like a good way to learn to me.
RE: Wife is on a Scooter - tnelson99_imp - 08-21-2018
I always encourage new riders to start out on a scooter. It can be a little overwhelming to be a new rider and being comfortable in traffic trying to learn all the controls of a manual motorcycle. Imagine sitting on a motorcycle in traffic on a hill and stalling the bike trying to take off. I believe it's better to get them comfortable in traffic on a twist and go first then once they're used to being surrounded by traffic switch over to a motorcycle if they want. Just my .02
BTW: My daily driver is a scooter (2010 Honda SH150i). Sitting in stop and go traffic on a hot day isn't something I want to be doing on my CB. On a scooter with the engine behind you there's no engine heat making you miserable when sitting in traffic not to mention working the clutch non-stop crawling between stop lights.
RE: Wife is on a Scooter - misterprofessionality - 08-21-2018
(08-21-2018, 12:57 AM)tnelson99_imp Wrote: I always encourage new riders to start out on a scooter. It can be a little overwhelming to be a new rider and being comfortable in traffic trying to learn all the controls of a manual motorcycle. Imagine sitting on a motorcycle in traffic on a hill and stalling the bike trying to take off. I believe it's better to get them comfortable in traffic on a twist and go first then once they're used to being surrounded by traffic switch over to a motorcycle if they want. Just my .02
BTW: My daily driver is a scooter (2010 Honda SH150i). Sitting in stop and go traffic on a hot day isn't something I want to be doing on my CB. On a scooter with the engine behind you there's no engine heat making you miserable when sitting in traffic not to mention working the clutch non-stop crawling between stop lights.
That was my perspective too. I figured as well as being generally simpler to master, something without a transmission is also going to be slower, weaker, and less likley to get out from under her. Motorcycles are, by and large, outrageously powerful when you think about it.
funny you should mention not wanting to be in traffic on your CB, because I do that every single day. i've considered eventually getting a second bike so that I could learn how to do mechanical stuff (probably a 70's kicker air-cooled twin or something), but sometimes i think I might go in the complete opposite direction and just get a Zero so that I can commute with no transmission and no heat in the summer. The Zero wouldn't require as much maintenance, so I could leave it garaged until those hot traffic-jam days come around.
RE: Wife is on a Scooter - emptysea - 08-21-2018
My wife had a 2010 SH150i. That was a great scooter possibly one of the best scooters for novices...larger wheels for more comfort and stability, light enough to move around in the garage or parking area, quick enough to keep up with traffic. I wish we kept ours.
RE: Wife is on a Scooter - tnelson99_imp - 08-21-2018
(08-21-2018, 06:02 AM)EmptySea_imp Wrote: My wife had a 2010 SH150i. That was a great scooter possibly one of the best scooters for novices...larger wheels for more comfort and stability, light enough to move around in the garage or parking area, quick enough to keep up with traffic. I wish we kept ours.
I agree. Mine is a keeper. I found it last year parked in someone's barn with 55 miles on it. Covered in dust and pigeon poop. I ride it to work year round. It's Italy's #1 selling scooter.
RE: Wife is on a Scooter - use2b_imp - 08-21-2018
(08-19-2018, 10:06 PM)misterprofessionality_imp Wrote: I'm just so darn proud. I got her on a scooter rental finally, after spending about 6 months teaching her to ride a bicycle properly. she kept the bike up, learned to pull away and stop reliably, and learned some turns by looping around culdesacs and taking apex rights and lefts at intersections.
I also got stung by a wasp while following her on my own scooter. good times.
Point being, the lady can now pilot a two-wheeled vehicle in the most basic sense. We're debating getting her her own cheap chinese 50cc that she can ride into the ground before the new Super Cub hits dealerships, but i can see the spark is lit. she's already got "engine eyes" and keeps pulling up information on a Vespa GT250. She's not quite ready to learn transmissions yet, but that's why I want her to get a Super Cub, so she can shift without having to manage a clutch. Am I making a mistake keeping her away from transmissions for a while?
congratulations as it sounds like both of you are enjoying this.
I started my wife off with a Yamaha RD400 and she did great for never riding a motorcycle. she became efficient in no time while only riding on a large school grounds grass [ after school ] for safety plus she had no license. her only experience was long range bicycle riding as she even ride 22 miles one way to come visit me when we were dating = Keeper ..
unless she is going to stay with a scooter i would go ahead with the transmission teaching as i did my wife and four children . JMO
RE: Wife is on a Scooter - Cormanus - 08-21-2018
My first inclination was to take use2b's position on the basis that, if you can ride with manual transmission, you can ride anything and it's a pretty fundamental motorcycle riding skill. However, the fact that your wife has never ridden any two-wheeled creature until recently is a consideration. But—and perhaps this is the most important consideration—is what she's up for. If she feels up to the challenge of clutches and gears, I'd start there. If she'd rather snooze around on a twist-and-go while she gets the hang of it all and then try graduating, go with that. The more I think about it the more I'm of the view there's really no right answer to this question.
RE: Wife is on a Scooter - misterprofessionality - 08-21-2018
I'm on the fence too. that's why i put the question out there. I've come to the conclusion that it's a problem of availability. If i had 2 or 3 bikes laying around, i'd stick her on the smallest one and teach her clutches and gears. if it comes to shelling out cash to buy her a beater, i'm only going to spend money on the thing that she's most comfortable with. I think that's what it really comes down to. money is king, as usual. then there's her aesthetic attraction to a Super Cub, which is a step-through anyway.
Think the little C125 thumper can keep up with the Cb11 on the way to myrtle beach? :-p
RE: Wife is on a Scooter - use2b_imp - 08-21-2018
older honda rebel's are tough and cheap , yet a real motorcycle and her feet would touch the ground easy
they use them here to teach people to ride and will keep up at the speeds you need to be taking her
check this one out that could probably be had for less = 2300 miles , like new $1300
https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2001-Honda-REBEL-%28CMX250C%29-5003961201