new rider needs help

[Wizard765]

Hi folks:

 

My daughter wants to get a bike. I'm nervous and proud at the same time. A few problems I'm having. First one is that I'm in Ontario and she is attending Simon Fraser University in Vancouver B.C. For her to get a license she needs to get her beginners and then needs someone 25 or over to ride within eyesight of her. She knows nobody in the Vancouver area that rides a bike.

She is looking at a Yamaha 400 street bike which is small enough to handle in the city but big enough to take the hills and for short jaunts on a hwy.

She also wants to take the MC course but the last one for this year starts this week which dosn't give her enough time to get onboard with that so she intends to do that next spring.

She has never driven a bike but has ridden on my 84 VR and has also had some experience on a scooter.

I guess I'm looking for suggestions. Best case scenario would be a member from Vancouver sort of taking her under their wing to get her going and maybe even go with her to look at this 400 she is interested in.

 

Thanks for listening.

 

Wayne

[sarges46]

We have several members out that way. Most will be at work right now....hang in there someone will pipe up.

 

A word for her.....there is no need to rush this. Take your time and learn the right way before going out on your own. I have lived and biked in Vancouver. It can be nuts there as well as having great areas to ride in.

 

Winter there is rainy all the time and not much fun for a beginner rider either.

 

One member if he speaks up I've met is StuD. Nice fella. Former membe StevieMac pops in now and then and now owns a wing. He and his wife are great folks as well.

 

Thats who I've met from the greater Vancouver area. There are others.

[Marcarl]

I could go out there and help her learn. That would be a nice ride and a wonderful vacation. Don't know how Marca would feel about it though, come to think of it I don't think I'll even mention it. Would be an awesome vacation, by the way, how much is the pay?

Well I guess I'm no help huh.

[Wizard765]

I could go out there and help her learn. That would be a nice ride and a wonderful vacation. Don't know how Marca would feel about it though, come to think of it I don't think I'll even mention it. Would be an awesome vacation, by the way, how much is the pay?

Well I guess I'm no help huh.

 

Nope... not much help but a good thought anyways.

[StuD]

Wayne: I live near the foot of SFU and am always looking for a reason to go for a scoot. You can have your daughter phone me & we will see what we can arrange. Stewart@ 604 931 8288 :canada:

[kantornado]

Not sure I would want my daughter being tought by a guy with the name StuD.:rotf::rotf:............Ron

[Wizard765]

Wayne: I live near the foot of SFU and am always looking for a reason to go for a scoot. You can have your daughter phone me . :canada:

 

 

Thank you so much Stewart:

 

I've given her your phone number and she is going to call. I will feel so much better if someone is looking out for her. Maybe you can give her some defensive driving tips etc. This is sooooo AWSOME!!! I love this place.

 

Wayne

[BradT]

Not sure I would want my daughter being tought by a guy with the name StuD.:rotf::rotf:............Ron

 

Ron this is:rotf:

 

Wayne hope all works out for her.

 

brad

[dragerman]

I’ve always thought it was a great idea for young riders to learn to ride or spend some time on a dirt bike before hitting the streets. That way one gets use to maneuvering a bike on unsteady ground and develops their reflexes and confidence... not to mention it’s a lot of fun!

 

Good luck!

[cowpuc]

I’ve always thought it was a great idea for young riders to learn to ride or spend some time on a dirt bike before hitting the streets. That way one gets use to maneuvering a bike on unsteady ground and develops their reflexes and confidence... not to mention it’s a lot of fun!

 

Good luck!

 

Drager beat me to the draw.. I have had several of my personal friends and relatives ask me to train and I ALWAYS agree under that condition.. 1 year in the dirt required or I am not involved.. IMHO,, the street is just no place to learn the basics.. Best case scenario is clutch control, shifting, throttle control, braking techniques and balance should all be "habit" long before the highway is under the pegs...

Here is a little tidbit of fact that anyone reading this thread may find interesting.. Did you guys know that LOTS of the "Professional" riding schools use little XR100 hondas or TTR125 yamies to train high speed corning techinques on? They work awesome because the motors are easily controled, rider can "OWN" the bike because of its small size and they build great confidence..

I have also had several friends that decided to just stick with trailbikes and stay off the road after they found out how much fun dirtbiking is.. Keep in mind that I am not taking about motocross racing or Harescrambling but just good old small bike woods playing..

If she were my child and she is just starting out I would get a small trail bike and go play in a field with her...

GOOD POINT DRAGER!!

'Puc

[Wizard765]

Dragerman and cowpuc I agree with both of you. BUT here is my situation.

She is 22 and living across the country from me. She is determined to do this so if I can set her up with someone there to lookout for her it would be awsome. She has months of experience on a scooter in Australia. I am nervous but by and large this is out of my hands. If she was living in my area I agree and I could do the whole dirt bike thing with her. I road a dirt bike for lots of years as well.

I can try and talk her out of it but that usually backfires. Any suggestions?

 

Wayne

[cowpuc]

Wayne

When you say scooter are you refering to something along the line of a fully automatic moped??

[cowpuc]

and can she drive a stick shift car/truck adequately?

[Wizard765]

cowpuc:

 

Yes I beleve the scooter was automatic. Yes she can drive a standard. My cars have all been standard and that is what she learned to drive on.

 

Wayne

[cowpuc]

You have a pretty cool setup then really.. I was going to suggest that you encourage her to get one of the large scooters to ride.. I have friends that are older (started riding at 75 years old - married couple that both ride now).. They decided to buy small scooters, played for a year and now both ride all over the country on large ones..

However,, your daugher has aquired some skills that are certainly transferable to motorcycling.. Clutching, shifting, balance, braking, taking off from stop lights all learned already in one form or another..

Tell ya what Wayne,, she sounds like a good candidate for putting it all together and enjoying our sport.. You know her as her dad and you know whether or not she is mature enough to handle the pressures of the road on a bike.. Thats about where it sounds to me like it lays right now...

Sounds to me like if she is going to do it,you have a PERFECT opportunity to get someone involved that knows the business,, even if it does require putting your daugher into the hands of a Stud hahahaha

'Puc

[Wizard765]

thank you cowpuc:

 

I agree. Stud will be a blessing for her and me. I have total confidence in her as a driver. She is very responsible and safe. I just need to reinforce the fact that other people are NOT. Especially cagers. Too many times they just don't see the bike. Looking for something bigger and the bike dosn't register. I appreciate your input. She just joined the forum in the last few minutes. Her name here is biker2be

 

Wayne

[cowpuc]

You are welcome welcome Wayne.. Hope all works out well with your daughter..

'Puc

[Guest biker2be]

Man, it's like having 18 parents. (edit: this is not a bad thing)

 

Just so that everyone else is aware - my original plan was to get a scooter (49cc) but then I found out that insurance is still pretty cheap on a bit larger of a scooter which could be better on the hills around here etc.

 

and then...

 

my DAD suggested getting a small bike. Because it would be more use-able.

 

 

I'm not a crazy kid out to drive really fast and show off - I just want a cheap method of transportation that allows me more freedom (for work and play) than Vancouver's public transit system - which, if you live here, you'll know is not so hot.

 

I appreciate the thought with the dirt-bike, but for me it wouldn't make any sense. All I want is a way to get around and I can't afford a car. Dirt bikes, being illegal on the road and all, wouldn't be much (any) help to me.

 

In any case. Hope to see some of you some day - is the couple we met in Port Dover while I was visiting this summer part of this board? I think it was the day the guy (along with others) was getting his hair chopped off for cancer...

[bongobobny]

Welcome aboard biker2be! Hope to see you at the Kitchner International meet next summer if you are going to be back east then!

[WilCruise]

Learning to ride safely is the most important thing to do. In addition to the help you may receive from other riders, I'd recommend this video. It will give you lots of tips and training exercises to get comfortable with your bike and learn to manage it safely.

 

http://ridelikeapro.com/RLAP4.asp

 

Good Luck!

[Guest biker2be]

Thanks, I'll definitely take a look!

[Marcarl]

Don't know who it is you met, biker2be, but we are a couple, nuts maybe, but still a couple. All good news from what I read here, only thing I want to add at this point is that there is such thing as 'just' when it comes to motorcycles. When you climb on the seat you need to give it your all, all your attention, and all your being, let up for one instance and it may very well be the instant you needed to stay out of trouble. With that said have fun with the ride, learn well and then practice, practice and then practice some more, and when you're all done with the practice, practice again and again.

God Bless you

Carl

[Guest maddabber]

biker2be you don't have 18 parents, you have 3000 looking out for you. Big family

[Bummer]

Welcome biker2be! My younger sister bought a V-Star 650 when she decided to start riding two years ago (at age 50). Perhaps borderline as a first bike, but she's soloed it out and is having a great time with it.

 

I'd like to suggest you get a copy of [ame=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1889540536/bookstorenow57-20]Proficient Motorcycling[/ame] by David Hough. Read it and practice what's in it. Much of this book is about motorcycle safety and should be on every motorcyclist's book shelf. Ride Like A Pro (also highly recommended) will help teach important riding skills. David Hough will help keep you alive.

 

Best of luck, and ride safe.