I would recommend another MSF course over the Riders Edge program. While the Riders Edge program will teach her to ride, a lot of it is full of Harley propoganda and merchendise pushing. You already have a Harley and probably spend money there. I say go with a weekend MSF course and save your wife from sitting through all of the promotional filler that comes with the Riders Edge program.

BTW, I had never ridden before I took my MSF course and I think that it was a great way to learn. Good luck to her.

 

Me also but my wife is perfectly content sitting back and relaxing on back.

 

You are on the right track! My wife and I just returned from a 200 mile ride. She took the MSF course last fall and did great. Like was stated in the post above, tell her not to worry about looking like a dope. The only folks that look dumb in the class are the ones who think they already know it all, hummmm like me!

We bought her an 883L as soon as she passed the class. She does great on it, but the best option might be to buy a cheap metric bike for her to get used to first. My wife is already wanting to trade up to a Deluxe. WTF

Anyway, she only has about 700 miles on the bike now. I'm starting her out slow, no group riding yet, no heavy city traffic.

I say go for it, but take it slow.

FD

 

I've been kicking that thought back and forth. But at the end of the day I keep telling myself if the intent is to eventually get her on a Harley, may as well dive right into it rather than having to dick around with trying to unload the metric a year down the road. Since Harleys hold their value so well, worst case scenario I figure isshe decides she doesn't like it and we have to sell it for only a slight loss a year or two down the road.
Then again if your wife is already talking about moving up maybe you can give us a good deal on her 883 .

 

If you want you can have her email my wife. My wife is 38 years old and learning to ride...she recently completed her MSF course.

She has never driven a standard...AND get this....only learned to ride a bicycle last year.

The course is designed with people who have ZERO riding experience or ability...they start as though you know nothing...so honestly your wife might be in better shape because she doesn't have bad habits to unlearn.

 

And tell her to not worry about "looking like a dork". Evrybody has to begin somewhere.

 

I bought my very first bike in 1986 when I was one of Uncle Sam's finest.I bought a brand new 883 and had my roommate ride it back to the base for me since I had NEVER driven one before.We took it to the local high school parking lot where he showed how to ride one.BUT,I had to take a rider training course to be able to get my sticker to enter the base.It was VERY beneficial and was very similar to the MSF course.A rider course is a MUST for any new rider and is not a bad idea as a refresher every so often.

 

I finally decided to take the MSF course at the end of last summer. My husband has been riding since he was sixteen and after years of riding crotch rockets decided it was time to get a harley. (this was two years ago) He had always wanted me to ride my own but I was petrified. Finally last summer a girl at work wanted to learn to ride so we took the MSF course together. My husband immediately bought me a Sportster 883C. I rode it for a bit in the parking lot cause I didn't want to go to the course knowing NOTHING! I too didn't want to look like a dork. I was terrified. Of what I am not sure. Well the girlfriend and I took the course and had an absolutely miserable time. It was a huge class that they split into two groups... I personally felt like as soon as I was grasping something we were moving on to something else. Don't get me wrong the instructors were great and they tried to give you one on one attention if they felt you were struggling, but I was just so miserable. (it rained all weekend which didn't help). Well I failed. I did fine in everything except my timed exercises.. I was too slow. I came home and cried on my husband's shoulder for about 2 hours as he kept trying to console me and tell me I was not the only person to ever fail a motorcycle test. I felt like I had let him down. Any way, I didn't give up. I took the "refresher" course which was amazing and I finally had found the "fun" they kept talking about. There were only about nine of us there and it was great. I passed the second time around with a perfect score.
I was a little worried that I would feel like I was starting all over again this spring because I started so late last year....but that was not the case. I am amazed at how confident I was this year and how comfortable I already am. And you know for how miserable I was the first time around in my MSF course, everytime I ride I can hear the voices of my instructors in my head. It really did help me even though I felt so crappy about everything when it was happening.
This has been an amazing thing for me and my husband. I don't think he has ever been so proud of me for overcoming my fear and riding on my own. It is an incredible feeling when we are out on our bikes together. I will say too that his patients was never ending. He stayed so calm, patient and encouraging with me it was so reasuring. I know some people aren't meant to ride but he knew I could do this and that I just needed to believe I could. He still tells me after every ride how proud he is... and that I look hot on my bike.

Sorry for the long story but I thought it might encourage her. She can PM me if she wants. GOOD LUCK.

 

I lost my best friend due to a motorcycle crash after owning his first scoot for about 3 hours. At the time I had plenty of experience on dirt bikes and a little on street bikes. I wish I had thought to tell him this. Find her a used manual clutch, four stroke,dirt bike. It doesn't have to be very nice, but anything that has a comfortable engine size for her to get some seat time in an open lot or feild. Once she is comfortable with the dirt bike take her to sign up for theMSF course. It cost quite a bit but is well worth it. Good luck.

I realize that this a Harley Davidson forum but an 883 may be a bit more bike than you may think she needs to start off on. If my wife wanted to learn to ride I would not hesitate to find her a smaller cc honda or yamaha, with the promise of a Harley once she was comfortable with riding.

 

This is something I forgot to mention. Before my husband would let me near my bike..( I kept insisting I wanted to ride BEFORE my course) he bought me a used dirt bike.. this is what I started on in a parking lot. It was the best $500.00 dollars we ever spent. My kids are now learning on this dirt bike.