So, this might actually happen.

[Gone in 60]

Last night, after making a bit of a presentation to Mrs. G of the bicycle I finished restoring for her (as mentioned in the "other bikes" thread), we went for a ride around the neighborhood, then headed in to make dinner.

As we were slicing and dicing stuff for tacos, she said "You know, I think I'm ready."
"Ready for what?"
"The bike is a nice birthday present, but there's the other present you said was always available."

She has always had a sort of, maybe, someday, who knows, that looks fun attitude about riding motorcycles. I've always offered to get her a basic riding course whenever she though she was ready. But, it has always been me who's offered. She's always said "yeah, maybe", but life has always been in the way... taking care of her folks, dealing with challenging work changes, etc.

This is the first time she's come to me with the idea of learning to ride. My Mom's doing well, her work has stabilized and she's happy, and we've got a garage full of motorcycles. She says she's ready.

Let's see where the journey takes us.

 

[Gone in 60]

Thanks, M. Most likely, we'd be looking at a scooter or something like an older Super Cub-type bike. Her job is settling down to a commute not far from home that doesn't require freeways. So, she could start out on something that's small and gain some confidence and street skills, and graduate to riding to work if she wanted to. Whatever it is, it will be cheap and small.

She knows my bikes are my babies, and I doubt she'd even hint about wanting to learn on them My "garage full of motorcycles" comment sorta meant that she looks at them all the time, has to move them out of the way when I fall asleep half-way through a project and block her gardening area or the car, and I've caught her sitting on them a few times.

Hey! The beige scooter that Linda Hamilton supposedly rode in Terminator recently came up on FB Marketplace near here...

 

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

My Grandson and I have decided it might be best to start him on an electric bicycle since he's only 12 yrs old. If we lived out in the boonies, I'd get him on a Super Cub or something he could ride around, but we live in the suburbs, so no underage riding around here. I happened to see a Youtube video of an electric bike with the drive works on the front wheel, so I may get one of those, put it on my bicycle, and when he graduated to internal combustion, I would have an electric bike.

 

[Gone in 60]

Good points.

Last time this subject came up at the end of 2021, we were at a Honda dealer where I was picking up some parts. She was looking at a CB300R and sneezed. Honestly I thought she said "I want this", and in a flurry of excitement, within a few days, I had a used CB300R in the garage. Of course, she didn't learn to ride at the time, but I thought the little 300 was cool and kept it a while till it morphed into my current Interceptor 650.

Point is, cart is way before the horse so far. If she's excited to visit the local gear shop to try on a few helmets, we'll be a step in the right direction, then let's see how the MSF course goes.

 

[dave]

taught Angie on a gladius I absolutely hated and had almost no money in.

Why did you hate the Gladius?

 

[Gone in 60]

The Gladius didn't get much love when it was a current bike, did it? Like "Hey, why did you take the perfectly good SV650 and do this?"
I never had a problem with the updated styling of the Gladius.

I coached a coworker when he wanted to start riding. He bought a well-used SV650 at my suggestion after:
"I want a 600cc Ninja sport bike!"
"Ok, hotrod, let's get you an SV650... bigger has to be better, right?"

He did OK till his wife found out. Seems he never told her that he had started riding, and had been hiding the bike at a friend's house. It ended quick. Ever since, a few friends have asked me to help coach them and I've been careful to make sure there's mutual support before I get involved.

 

[Frulk_imp]

Vespa. Hordes of European women have ridden them for decades. If you get something in the 300cc range they’re capable of an honest 85mph. Not saying she would need or do that. They do have a euro cool factor going for them.

 

[Gone in 60]

taught Angie on a gladius I absolutely hated and had almost no money in.

Why did you hate the Gladius?

because i owned a 1st gen sv and it was better in every single way, im being dead serious. fwiw that gladius was given to me, and i gave it back after fixing it up. it was that much of a turd to me. Id take a 1st gen sv in a minute again though. was it a BAD bike? no, but it was ugly as sin and just a pig to ride.

because i owned a 1st gen sv and it was better in every single way, im being dead serious. fwiw that gladius was given to me, and i gave it back after fixing it up. it was that much of a turd to me. Id take a 1st gen sv in a minute again though. was it a BAD bike? no, but it was ugly as sin and just a pig to ride.
I went bike shopping with the coworker I coached, and we looked at a few SV650s before he ended up with the one he bought. I ended up doing the test riding, and for a while there, I reaaaally wanted an SV650. I was in the market for one when I ended up with an R1200R instead. In hindsight, probaly shoulda bought the Suzi.

Yeah, I know... why didn't I just buy the bike my coworker had to sell to make his wife happy? Thought about it for a sec, but it would have been salt in the wound.

Vespa. Hordes of European women have ridden them for decades. If you get something in the 300cc range they’re capable of an honest 85mph. Not saying she would need or do that. They do have a euro cool factor going for them.

That has already come up. Mrs. G loves everything european. One of my museum coworkers commutes on a Vespa and when the time comes, I'll put the them together to talk.

 

[TXBikerGuy]

advice: train her on a 'disposable' bike. I'm serious, I've been down this road a number of times. 1: not one you like and she knows it. If she drops it, she will feel guilty. 2: if you like it and she drops it, it will suck. 3: if it doesn't stick, no regret selling it.

taught Angie on a gladius I absolutely hated and had almost no money in. she dropped it 2x. no real damage but no one cared. when she was done and passed the msf, she bought herself a super cub. she could have kept the 650 for all i cared but not what she wanted.
I gave the gladius all fixed up back the buddy i got it from. 0.02

+1000. You already know this, but for others who may benefit from a real-world story to be more persuasive than I was.

My wife got the riding bug years ago. I had a Honda 919 at the time. Obviously not new rider friendly. She got her heart set on the 599. I knew a Honda 150 dirt bike would be a much better way for her to learn the fundamentals of a bike. I also knew from past experience what losing half of everything you own is like so...brand new Honda 599 it was. First day riding it in a nearby parking lot and she target-fixated herself right into the curb. Gentle drop, she was fine, bike was scratched just enough to be worth much less when we ultimately sold it because the curb crash freaked her out of wanting to ride.

On a positive note, when she tells the story she usually references that it would have been better for her to learn on the dirt bike, so at least there was learning and acknowledgement

 

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

The Gladius didn't get much love when it was a current bike, did it? Like "Hey, why did you take the perfectly good SV650 and do this?"
I never had a problem with the updated styling of the Gladius.

I coached a coworker when he wanted to start riding. He bought a well-used SV650 at my suggestion after:
"I want a 600cc Ninja sport bike!"
"Ok, hotrod, let's get you an SV650... bigger has to be better, right?"

He did OK till his wife found out. Seems he never told her that he had started riding, and had been hiding the bike at a friend's house. It ended quick. Ever since, a few friends have asked me to help coach them and I've been careful to make sure there's mutual support before I get involved.

My CA riding buddy had decided to go the Vespa route, and his wife liked to ride 2up with him on it, but he wanted a Bonneville. I'd let him ride the Honda 750 Nighthawk I had at the time while I rode the Suzuki V-Strom1000. He was starting to get a little greedy on it, assuming he would ride the Honda whenever we went for a ride. I told him, If you want a Bonneville, get one. Money wasn't the issue, the wife was. I told him to get the bike and he could keep it at my house. Perfect, right? It never came together, but he still has the Vespa.

 

[Gone in 60]

Speaking of disapproving wives and new first bikes, I’ve mentioned before that all three of my current bikes were acquired under those conditions.

The CB1100 was owned by a guy who apparently just kept it next to his workout area in his garage and admired it while he exercised. I agreed to buy it but when I came back with the money a few days later after a work trip, he had cold feet about selling and was hesitant. His wife, eager to get her half of the garage back jumped in and made sure he went through with the deal.

The Bonneville was bought new by a seasoned rider for his wife, who apparently hadn’t really expressed an interest in riding, but wanted her half of the garage back. She had been hanging laundry on it to dry.

Same story with the Interceptor. He rode, why wouldn’t she want to. Well, she didn’t and now they were moving across the country, so why haul an unwanted bike with them.

 

[Cormanus]

You have a gift, Gone in 60.

 

[emptysea]

Just caught this thread for the first time.
- may your new adventure together bring you the joy that Cheryl and I get from riding together.

 

[Nachodaddy]

As I was telling my daughter about selling my CB1100 awhile back, my wife said, "If you buy another motorcycle, I'll kill you." She loves me dearly and is so afraid I'll get hurt, actually. So, of course, there is a beautiful, low mileage Bandit 1250 set up exactly the way I would like, at a very, very good price, that caught my eye. I know how I'll die, just not when.
:biker:

 

[misterprofessionality]

A good condition bandit is SO hard to find these days

 

[Nachodaddy]

A good condition bandit is SO hard to find these days

:rofl:

 

[the Ferret]

Mrs Ferret loves her Yamaha X MAX 300. Plenty fast, good wind protection, lots of storage and it's twist and go. Here we are on the Ferry retuning to Ohio after riding the curves in northern Kentucky. I can tell you her X Max will run 85 mph..at least that's what the speedo read when she passed me going down a long straight away lol

 

[misterprofessionality]

New rally attendant perhaps? Hmmmm?

 

[Gone in 60]

You have a gift, Gone in 60.

Just a gift for being in the right place at the right time on all three occasions.

Just caught this thread for the first time.
- may your new adventure together bring you the joy that Cheryl and I get from riding together.

Thank you! For now, we’re riding bikes together. I guess that’s a start.

 

[SneakyFast]

New rally attendant perhaps? Hmmmm?

I want to ride with Mrs. Ferret! :biker: :banana: