I have a girl friend who, by coincidence, took the MSF with me this past spring. She struggled, but she didn't give up and made it through the class. She passed the test on her second try. Over the summer, she broke her foot during a spill. Now she is gathering her courage, and we meet early, once a weekend, to get together to practice our basic slow-speed manuevers. Male friends at work shake their head in disbelief at her "slow" progress, and are anticipating that she will give up.

She carries an entire lifetime of "You can't do anything" emotional baggage on every ride. This is a big deal, and we ain't quittin'.

I have another girl friend, to whom I had sold my Riva scooter. She has been scared to lean. I recently found out she had taken a nasty high-side the very first week she rode it. (Yea for ATGATT!! She was stiff and sore, but intact.) She's interested in joining us on those early mornings. She has not been able to get into the MSF course, it is booked for the season. She is riding some, though.

Together, we are the Putt-Putt Posse. I am conscious of the fact that friends make the worst instructors, and I want to avoid that as much as possible. I mean, seriously, I can't teach anybody anything--I'm a newbie myself! So, our focus is to keep it from being instructional, and to be offering emotional support instead. However, we will be lifting pages from the MSF book, David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling, and The Idiot's Guide to Motorcycling for exercises and hints to guide us.

To me, this seems like the only option. I cannot find local MC instructors either online or in the phonebook. I'm not sure that this would be financially viable for at least some of our group, either, but I can't even find one to know.

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Civility and democracy both require effort.

Check with your local MSF to see if any of the rider coaches do private instruction. Some do...it would be a ride at your ow risk kind of thing, with no liability assumption on their part, but getting some one on one or two on one instruction is worth the rider's assumption of risk, imo.

And good on ya for giving them support!

Emotional support is huge.....tell the guys at work to mind their own business....people like them are part of the problem.
I, too, have an entire lifetime of being told I can't do anything or that nothing I do is right......when I started riding, I met so many budinskys I almost gave up.....
then I went on my first toy run.... that experience renewed me...

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1st motorcycle 2004 Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic.

That's great that you are being helpful and supportive! Just a thought for your friend who can't get into the MSF course because they are booked, maybe she can try standby? Not sure how it is by you, but my husband was able to get in as a walk-in by just showing up before the first class and having his number drawn by lottery because a few people who had signed up didn't show. He has to try a couple different weekends in a row, but he got in. And I was on the standby list and got in that way for my class. Seems to happen more now since it is later in the season.

Thanks for the encouragement! I've mentioned the drop-in policy for the MSF course, but here, the number of drop-ins waiting may actually exceed the total number of people registered. Say, 20 people trying to get in to a class of 16, hoping 1 or 2 don't show. Ohio subsidizes the cost of MSF, so it's only $25. Makes it very popular.

As for private instruction, I was originally interested in it for me and my husband. I was kind of surprised that they weren't readily found. Since I hadn't even found anyone for us, I don't have any to suggest to my friends. I plan to take the ERC in the spring, and maybe I can hunt down additional instruction from there.

I'm thinking that what is mostly required for my friends is a judgement-free zone, a chance to get to know the feel of the bike, and then slowly progress . We can all practice slow-speed manuevers and not feel like the MC equivalent of nerds.

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Civility and democracy both require effort.

I think what you are doing is great! Just being supportive and doing it together is going to keep them going.

It sounds like fun and in the right spirit of things. Good on you for taking time out for your friend - and f your coworkers for saying any different. Everyone learns and does things at their own pace, and that's how it should be.

It sounds like you all are doing great.
Is it possible for you to look on line and find a local motorcycle club or an on line forum, where you might be able to hook up with more experienced riders who can offer you all some constructive critisms so your riding gets much better - at least until she can get into a class??? Also is it possible for her to travel a little ways? Maybe find a different and hopefully less crowded class so she can get instruction sooner??

Hey Mz,
Google Women On Wheels they have a chapter in Columbus Ohio, click on it and you can email them and they should be able to hook you up with a mentor....good luck.
Also did you try the local Harley shop they may have a Riders Edge class, it is comparable to other classes out there. Also thier chapter may have a mentors program for woman, HD has been encouraging this in thier magazines. (but not all chapters)
I think your awesome in boosting your friends morale, don't let those others bring your girls down..it could be possible that those putt-putt poopers may be that way because they can't ride themselves or jealous.
By the way did the pics work for you? And did you start on your board?
~JB~

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I follow a new highway I haven't traveled before.




IBA Member: SS1000, BB1500, BBGold

HD 07 Street Glide-mine
HD 02 Road King-ours
Honda 06 ST1300-ours
Honda 97 ST1100-mine

I don't think we are up to having someone else take their valuable time to critique us yet. One of the advantages of this is that a person can spend an hour or two doing slow stops over & over without feeling like someone is waiting to move them on to the next exercise. It's more about getting comfortable with the bike, and with getting comfortable with ourselves being slow to "catch on". I.e., riding our own rides. Once we all feel better about that, then we will be able to s-l-o-w-l-y move out to backstreet rides.

A lot of this is about being in an environment where it's okay to be scared, and then work through that. After that, then one is less likely to be intimidated/frustrated every time she does something wrong. At least, that's how I see it. I mean, can you imagine what it is like to have in your head the mental picture and the voice of someone who raised you, ridiculing you everytime you didn't do something perfectly? And if you did do something perfectly, they were just waiting for the next time, when surely you would meet their predicitons and "mess up." That's what one of our numbers grew up with.

I know about Rider's Edge, but the one who hasn't taken MSF yet doesn't have $300 to spare for it. The contingent counties are just as booked as this one is for BRC.

I'm planning to take the ERC next spring, and then see if I can hook up with the local WOW. The chapter president is also an MSF instructor. I am hoping that some of them are considering a tour to Colorado next August! I expect my two Posse-mates will take the BRC next spring.

Thanks for the suggestions, though!! I do appreciate it!

Yes, Follow, I did get your pix--they are great, thank you! And I sent you a reply that is about as wordy as this one. In fact, I sent you two, having accidently hit the send button prematurely. Those are some big, impressive bikes your posse has!! (My 650 Vstar looks like a moose compared to the Rebel and the scooter that my friends have. Next to yours, though, it would look like a fawn! )

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Civility and democracy both require effort.