Learning how to ride

[xsuperbikeracerx]

So I am going to take on the task of teaching the boyfriend how to ride! He's never been on a bike at all. I've taught a few how to ride years ago, but they atleast knew the basics! Any suggestions on making this as easy as possible or shoukld I just ship him off to a MSF course and let them deal with it? Lol

[El Matador]

msf, then you can expand from there.

At least that way when he drops a bike repeatedly it's not yours, or his.

[Kawboy]

MSF for sure.  They have their own bikes.  They are small, light, forgiving, and all ready beat up.  If he passes, he doesn't have to take the riding test at the DMV and he'll get a bunch of discount coupons for safety gear (helmet , jacket, gloves, boots, etc.).  Does he know how to ride a bicycle?  Does he have the balancing thing down?   

[xsuperbikeracerx]

MSF for sure.  They have their own bikes.  They are small, light, forgiving, and all ready beat up.  If he passes, he doesn't have to take the riding test at the DMV and he'll get a bunch of discount coupons for safety gear (helmet , jacket, gloves, boots, etc.).  Does he know how to ride a bicycle?  Does he have the balancing thing down?   

He can skateboard so he can balance, but I'm not sure if that really helps. Hell I can ride but I can go 2 feet on a board without falling on my arse!
He knows nothing of motorcycles at all! ugh, I think I'm gonna call MSF, then i can sit back and 

[ducducgooseme]

MSF and then let him borrow your new 996  [evil

[DucMouse the Mighty]

make the beast with two backs that!! send him to MSF course 

then will he buy a bike?!?!

what will he buy 

[xsuperbikeracerx]

MSF and then let him borrow your new 996  [evil

Oh HELL NOOOOOO Thats not happening! I told him that if he wants to ride with the Kool Kids he needs to buy his own Quacker!
 
There is no way a newbie is riding my baby NO NO NO

[bonfy]

MSF for sure.  They have their own bikes.  They are small, light, forgiving, and all ready beat up.  If he passes, he doesn't have to take the riding test at the DMV and he'll get a bunch of discount coupons for safety gear (helmet , jacket, gloves, boots, etc.).  Does he know how to ride a bicycle?  Does he have the balancing thing down?   

Yeah, but remember that poor guy in our class, Kawboy, that had never ridden, and it was hell on him trying to get the clutch and throttle coordination down.  He didn't pass either.  But your right about the bikes they use, they are like riding a trike (tricycle, I should say).  I think learning on an old beater, like a minibike you can step off of is good, but the MSF is a decent second best. 

Good luck, Girlfriend, with the training.   

[Punx Clever]

Find someone with a tame dirtbike that you can borrow for him.  Send him off on some trails and let him hurt himself for a while.  That should do the trick.

[bonfy]

Kawboy, how tame is  your dirtbike?  I learned on a little YZ80 Yamaha dirtbike.  Like Punx suggested, that was an excellent teacher.   Scottish may have an old dirtbike laying around somewhere.

[TheMav]

MSF is the only way to go, especially with a new rider.  Besides, teaching someone to ride a big twin is probably the worst way to introduce them to riding.  I keep having flashbacks of all the GSXR and CBR squirrels who came to the store and the number of times we had to teach them how to manipulate the clutch because they kept stalling in the parking lot   

And besides, like everyone else has mentioned...let them drop the bargain basement 250 they will ride in the course as many times as they like, not your slightly-more-expensive-to-fix red rocket.