Sorry for the post, but I desperately need advice...
 

Ladies of CBRForum, I have been with my girlfriend for 7 years and will be getting married soon. I have been riding for a couple of years now and she decided she wants to learn. I set her up to take the Riders Course throu training wheels. She went, and passed, but the instructor told her she is not ready to ride in traffic. I guess she had problems with the clutch, stalling etc. So, I dont want to stop her from riding, how could I? But she seems way to confident. I just want to make sure shes ready to ride so something doesnt happened and she ends up too scared to ride. Any advice? Thanks, and sorry again for posting in the Ladies Lounge.

RE: Sorry for the post, but I desperately need advice...
 

hey there :-) ..surely the simple thing is to just go out with her when its quiet or take her somewhere nice and quiet to practise some more riding skills and techniques etc.

Also when she is more ready you yourself take her into traffic to see how she looks for yourself ... the important thing is you take your time with her and she should not be in a rush ..theres all the time in the world afterall :-)

Good luck!!

Jules

RE: Sorry for the post, but I desperately need advice...
 

Thats what I tell her, take your time and why rush. But she tells me that I didnt, I was a dumbass when I first got my streetbike and rode into traffic the first time I got on it. But I also rode dirtbikes growing up. I just want to tell her in a nice way without offending her that if her instructor told her she is not ready then she needs more practice. Prior to the MSF course she never used a clutch before, not even in a car so I know it will take some time for her.

RE: Sorry for the post, but I desperately need advice...
 

She definitely needs more practise before going into any heavy traffic ..tell her you are worried about her and care for her and please just practice some more .. I cant see the rush here ..show this thread if need be ..let her see your concern and our replies :-)

Jules

RE: Sorry for the post, but I desperately need advice...
 

Ugh. Same problem for me. It's tough to get that equality of letting the clutch out and going on the throttle. I grew up riding four wheelers but it's still not the same... I personally live on a pretty quiet road. I went up and down the road just starting and stopping. Ask her if she'll do that for you. Just get her to start and stop and tell her if she can do it all the way up and down the road say x number of times without stalling it once that you'll take her on the street. It will give her a goal to work towards and ensure that she gets as much practice as she needs. Plus (no offense of course) I sometimes get the mindset of ok, if you don't think I can do this I'm going to prove you wrong, and practice at it that much more. (I'm a competitor though, her personality may be totally different). The main thing is that you don't want her to stall off a stop light or something and have her get rear ended or something crazy. Hope the suggestion helps give you another option for motivation for practice... :)

RE: Sorry for the post, but I desperately need advice...
 

I'm with Jules on this one. You can take her out to Walmarts parking lot to let her ride around. It's big enough and there are light poles to dodge and sometimes a car will drive by. Good place to practice.

RE: Sorry for the post, but I desperately need advice...
 

Thanks for all your help ladies. I think I'm going to take Jenifers approach and have here roll on and off the clutch on her street. I just dont want to be the over controlling boyfriend.

RE: Sorry for the post, but I desperately need advice...
 

You guys have such a different view of things to us over here in the UK .. how can worrying and caring about her safety and welfare be construed as controlling?? .. if I had a boyfriend I would love to think he is showing me concern and cares about me lik.e this ..I would be touched ..


Jules

RE: Sorry for the post, but I desperately need advice...
 

Ha ha, well I wish my girlfriend was from the UK. Showing concern and care is one thing to do that won't get me touched.....lol

RE: Sorry for the post, but I desperately need advice...
 

It is a bad choice to let ANYONE on a street that does not know how to u.s.e a clutch. BAD BAD CHOICE....u.s.i.n.g a closed area is much safer. A big parking lot, a dead end road, or maybe l.i.k.e we have here the old airport. You should go to her and say this. "Baby, I really care about you and I do not want you to get hurt. So I asked some other women for advise, they said for us to go somewhere wher.e th.ere is no chance of a car hitting you. Get a little practice behind us before we hit the wide open road together."

Then if that doesn't work show her this site, I've seen it so many times. People who just haven't had enough practice come into my ER everyday with bad injuries that just didn't have to happen.