Riding School
#11
#12
I think I have talked my wife into taking the class and getting her license. As a bonus, my 22 yo daughter also wants to learn. I've been looking at classes locally to send them to, but it's been 35 years since I got my license and I don't know much about the different offerings or companies. I know I want one that provides bikes to ride, but beyond that, what should I be looking for in a school? Anyone have recommendations for good ones?
Very loaded question, since will break it down this way.
Step one, rider needs to learn how to ride a motor cycle to start with,and will be dropping/crashing the bike a lot.
Since most of use have learned to ride on first bicycles, then mini bikes, then shifter bikes, would first suggest that you pick up a dirt bike to let them learn how to ride in the first place.
Now with that out of the way, including how to use the clutch for tight turn work to bring the bike back up in the corner/ how to balance for off terrains and such that your never going to learn in a parking lot around cones, then it now time to lean how to ride in traffic; where everyone one else on the road is out to kill you.
Hence taking the riding course in parking lot, getting your license to take a motorcycle on road, is the number one reason that novice riders with less than a year experience, are totaling motorcycles, and getting killed as well.
Simply put, with rampart range, or woodland park for trail riding (or even iIMI on the out back trails) so close for week end rides, start there with them to learn how to control a bike in different conditions with basic dirt bike and gear, while they are spending time on the back of your bike on the road learning how to deal with traffic at the same time. If you check on craiglist, can find klx's/TT's 4 strokes under $2K, only a couple of hundred to gear them up correctly so they can crash without getting hurt, and will be better off in the end, than anything that they will learn in a parking lot with cones.
Simply put, just because you can pass parking lot training, can get a M licenses, does not mean that your ready for actually riding on the street yet.
Hell, to really prove the point, look at all the guys goingg through mid life crises that have never owned a motorcycle to begin with, do just that, picking up a Harley, ride it a few times until they either crash out, or get really close such, to just park the bike, and sell if off a few year later (when the wife bitches out owning the dam thing, but never riding it); Of the high percentage of novice riders on the street that wreck as well.
As for if you do not have the talent (need to learn this yourself as well), or time to train them yourself, then here you go,
https://rawhyde-offroad.com/trainings/colorado/
Simply, learn how to really lean to ride a motorcycle, before you even think about getting your M license, and driving on the streets with all the loons out to kill you every chance you get. And, I not joking about that, since have not had even a short ride in years, that even with staying out of drivers blind spots around me, are still not trying to pull into my lane to run me off the road.
#13
Interesting viewpoint. My wife has spent hundreds of hours on the back of my bikes over the years. One of the main motivations for her to get a license is being able to actually ride the bike herself in an emergency should something happen to me while we are out on a ride or trip.
My daughter is a different story, she's been my passenger a hand full of times and just thinks it would be fun and potentially cheap transportation in the nicer weather.
I like the cheap dirt bike idea. I'll discuss it with them. Could probably resell it after they get done with it and come out close to even if I buy it well. Might even be fun for me. I haven't ridden off road since I was a teenager.
My daughter is a different story, she's been my passenger a hand full of times and just thinks it would be fun and potentially cheap transportation in the nicer weather.
I like the cheap dirt bike idea. I'll discuss it with them. Could probably resell it after they get done with it and come out close to even if I buy it well. Might even be fun for me. I haven't ridden off road since I was a teenager.
#14
Me, my wife, and one of my daughters have gone through the MSF course here. To my knowledge none of the HD dealerships I deal with have any classes around here. I took 2 days off, went through the course some years back, and my wife and daughter did it together. All of us believe that it's a good start. You get a 'license waiver' that you bring to the DMV and get the M class put on your newly issued license. My wife and I took an advanced class last summer, it was fun. All of us do plenty of slow speed practice in parking lots on a regular basis. I/we personally believe that this helps a lot along with getting out and riding as much as we can.
Ride safe!
Ride safe!
#15
The Harley class is excellent. Later, you can take the "Skilled Rider Course" on your own bike.
I would only go to a different class if someone is exceptionally short, as the Harley bikes aren't great for really short people. My dealership uses Street 500's and some little 350 thing that's for the non-US market. Neither is really "short".
I would only go to a different class if someone is exceptionally short, as the Harley bikes aren't great for really short people. My dealership uses Street 500's and some little 350 thing that's for the non-US market. Neither is really "short".
#16
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