OK, so my wife has shown some interest in riding. First she mentioned the idea of getting a mint green Vespa... after looking at prices she says well, I might as well get a real bike.

Then she asks the question: How do I learn to ride without a motorcycle license? How do I get a bike without a license?
I wasn't about to let her try to learn on the Blackbird. Do I get her a ninja 250 and roll form there?

<edit>I just found this, looks like a good start: http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/ci...s/m_course.asp

 

She needs to go get a motorcycle permit like 10 bux and a 15 minute quiz things a joke, only like 3 or 4 questions that relate to motorcycles the rest are all on regular driving.

U dont need anything else but MONEY to buy a bike.

Ide say go with a Kawi 250 or 500...good learner bikes u usually wont feel bad when u drop them either.

Also the MSF course is a good idea...they provide almost everything including the bike! all you have to bring is your own gear (boots, jeans and long sleeve) and this course gets you your license...heres what pretty much happens...they set up a full course, they have u run through it once or twice then say "ok this is your road test now" and you go through the cake course again and BAM you got your license and a 10% insurance decrease.

 

After she takes the MSF course let her determine her confidence level. If her confidence is high enough check out the new Ninja 650 or Suzuki SV650. My wife wants to ride too and I would lean toward the SV650 because I like it better. Since we already have the 600RR and I am getting a new 1000RR this year my wife will be getting the 05 600RR. My wife has a lot of experience riding dirt bikes and four wheelers as a kid so she knows how to balance and shift a bike but she has never ridden on the street so she will be taking the MSF course first then ride an old Katana 600 for a short time if I can get the damn thing running.

 

unsquare... where are you in Virginia??? I thought I was here all alone.

I plan on teaching my wife when I move back to Ohio this year. I'll take her to open fields and let her play around on a XR 250... I think that's right. My brother has a late 90's, in great condition Honda Enduro 250. It's mine if I want it to play with. I can let her crash that around and then move up to one of his junk bikes... he has a couple of night hawks she can crash. After she learns how to ride in the dirt, we will put the lights back on the night hawk and let her ride on the streets with using us as blockers. Ride in front and behind of her so she doesn't feel like she's out in the open as much. I hope that works. But the main thing.... keep her off the street until she has the confidence to ride. Lack of confidence is just as bad cockiness.

 

Thanks for the advice! I'm in Richmond. Don't get down to the beach much. Last time was over a year ago for the 04 Rock-n-Roll half marathon.

 

For me MSF was tues, weds, thurs, on friday afternoon was on my buddies 05 1000rr. Learned enough not to die in those three days. The Vespa idea was bad, those tiny wheels scare me.

 

On a freakn 750lbs 1980 kz1300 with only 1"rise bars that hit the freakn 8 Gal tank. I love that bike. The things I learned on it quickly, don't park it down a hill, no u turns, don't hit the brake when going slow and turning the bars, don't let father who's only rode cbr350s and BSAs ride it, don't haul it in back of rusty pickup truck, don't haul it in any bed of pick up truck, don't ride with blown headlight fuse and no license from flordia through NC, and finialy don't try to take you're riding test on it. But hey, when I finialy jumped on another bike after learning how to force that thing through the twistys, it was cake.

 

hehe, now that is funny. I learned on an old (no idea what year) 750 nighthawk with a gigantic Windjammer fairing. Granted I had been on dirt bikes since I was 3 years old, but that bike made each subsequent ride seem like a Ducati

 

What part of Richmond? VCU student for a few years, local rocker for a few more. Now in prime riding country of Charlottsville.

 

I actually live in Midlothian and work in southside as well. Graduated from VCU ten years ago. I hardly get across the river anymore.