I was lucky. Got a course to learn how to ride a bike in the UK because I'm a cop.

Never had the urge to before that but at the age of 28, having never ridden a bike before, I passed my test in a week and then did 2 more weeks blatting round North Wales on a 500cc twin.

Was converted the very first time I opened it up.

Now 42 andhave a Triumph Sprint St. Don't have a car and do over 6,000 miles per year.

You will love it, if she really loves you, she will let you do it too!

Hello All - this is my first post - Don't ya Know!

I read this thread and it brought back a lot of memories. I have been riding for around 28 years. Rode many models of bikes over the years from 125 dirt bike to the very scary V65 magna - It was interesting being able to burn rubber in 3rd or 4th gear.

I had sold one of my bikes just before meeting my wife and did not have one when we got married. After we were married a while I had met this guy who had a CX-500 in a barn in Wisconsin and said he wanted $500 for it. I told my wife about it and she was very angry and had 2 reasons... They were dangerous and I just wanted it to pick up chicks - ok, she was very jealous!!!

Still I ended up getting the bike and it worked out ok, but it took a year to get her to go on rides with me. After a couple more years I had a lot of trouble getting her to dress appropriately for riding. She always wanted to ride wearing shorts and a scarf. I had to get serious about putting on the riding gear - every time.

I have spilled the CX twice in the last 10 years. both were low speed spills. The first time was when I tested it out. The front brake was sticky after sitting for too long and I hit pea gravel on the street. The second time was the worst ever - A 90 pound German Shepard ran into the side of the front wheel. Ended up with a broken collar bone. I have spilled at least 7 or 8 times in 28 years - usually doing something I should not have been doing.

My wife passed away 5 years ago now and I do a lot more traveling these days... I am probably going to be in NC in June and am thinking about going to the HUBB meet... Next stop Chichen Itza!!!

Most of All... Have Fun!
Bruce... kb0pgo

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Most of All... Have Fun!

Bruce... kb0pgo

yeah its a hard thing trying to convince someone that riding a bike is safe. its not. and things can go very wrong.

if you live life looking at what can go wrong then you've missed the point of it all together.

buy the bike. you've probably bought it already. this post if quite old...

r

And of course, even if the partner likes the bike idea and goes along with the idea of traveling, then you BOTH have to endure the comments from people you meet that it's unwise to travel no matter what the mode of transport! If it's not one thing people warn you about it's another.
You can't win, just follow that heart!
Lorraine

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Rallying for A Wild Life — THE FILM!
http://igg.me/at/AWildLife

www.LorraineChittock.com
www.facebook.com/lorraine.chittock

Is this one of those situations like [ No matter how good she looks you know she's making some guys life a living hell?]
I got my !st street bike at 18. I'd been riding scince 12.
When my car died I rode to get anywhere and everywhere. It got to the point when I was in my early 20's if I showed up with someone in a car people would say "You don't look right without your bike."
I married one who doesn't complain abput the riding, but she does call me selfish when I go off for days or weeks at a time. I can't argue with her about that, but I'm not likely to change my ways either.
Good luck, it sounds like you're going to need it.

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ride,smile,repeat as nessasary

Whenever I go for a ride of a few weeks or more (once or twice a year) I come back five or more kilos lighter - a point I mention regularly at home. When my wife gets tired of seeing my fat gut she'll suggest that perhaps its time for me to hit the road. I get sore stomach muscles pushing my gut out all the time....

Distance riding does some to have a wonderful slimming effect...

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"On that? You're nuts!" - My cousin's boyfriend

Current Bikes - Kawasaki KLE500 '05 (May 06)
Previous Bikes - Hyosung GF125 (Oct 05 to May 06)

Now, where's my bike????

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

Look Toby...don't take this the wrong way, but your girlfriend and potential bike choice are high maintenance.
Go Oriental...they're a lot less maintenance...

All kidding aside...safety is a relative thing as many on this board have pointed out. I think your girlfriend is right on this one but in an obtuse way. Both you and her need to work through this issue together. The issue isn't necessarily the motorcycle per se, BUT how you will make decisions.

If you think this is your decision alone to make, you have to communicate that to her. But if its an experience you wish to share with her, you must make her part of the decision making process. In doing so, both of you will learn a lot more about safety, motorcycling, etc. before picking up a bike.
Picking up a bike is a f*%ing blast, but a life changing experience; and in doing so, you must change the way you go about life, if you plan to ride more than a few miles/kms.

For me, this meant developing a process of assuring I made good decisions... I know this sounds obvious, but it isn't always. As I got more miles under me, I learned how important this was and is whats keeps me in the saddle. Nobody's perfect but if you make good decisions more often than not, karma/luck will hopefully bail your ass out of the bad ones...

Lastly, safety is an issue of comfort/risk management. Choosing to take risks doesn't make one more daring, courageous or inconsiderate than another person; it makes one a bit more alive! And if you want to keep enjoying this feeling, just be thoughtful and calculating when taking those risks. Again sounds obvious, but will keep your ass in the saddle.
Hope this helps...

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edde
93 BMW K75s
www.motoedde.com

I am 24, and have been riding since 17, and had a full licence from 18. I didnt do my car test until I was 22.

The bike (R1150GS) comes everywhere with me akin to a pet dog. Granted I am not in the situation that you are in where your in a relationship and your considering getting a bike. For me, the status of a bike in a relationship is non negotiable.

My 0.02c

Mike

I'm 26, from the uk, riding a triumph bonneville from canada to argentina.
Currently posted in Panama city while organising the jump to Columbia.
Throughout my travels through central america I learnt that according to the mayan calender the world will end in 2012.

This also seems to correspond with the peak of world oil supplies.

So theres no time like the present.

When I was 18 years old (I'm almost 50 now) and bought my first bike (the age limit in the Netherlands to ride a motorcycle is 18) my parents were very worried.
Three things happened that changed that a bit;
A shopowner that lived on the other side of the street told my mother not to worry. He had seen me driving and told here I was driving carefully and not like an idiot. Having someone else tell her that, made here feel better.

My father used to read loud every newspaper article about bikers getting killed in accidents. I started to reply with reading loud every car related fatalaty and after a few weeks he got the message.

Then he told me that statistics prove that riding a bike is six times more dangerous then riding a car and I replied that in that case he was much more in danger then I was, because he was doing almost a 70000 km a year in his car and I did only 9000 a year then. :-)

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Jan Krijtenburg

My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a BMW R1200GS

My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl

Toby

Its been a year since your original post, and you're still getting advice. Did you do your CBT and test? How did they go?

For what its worth, I had a wife who hated me having a bike - we negotiated and she ended up getting her own licence.

She hated me going off alone - we negotiated and she started travelling with me (a different experience).

She hated many other things I did/do - I asked what she had ever seen in me. I think she was one of those people who see a person as a blank canvas - "I could turn him into something I really like". As I was/am happy with what I am this grew tiring. Our marriage didn't last.

The present Mrs MarkE accepts me for what I am. I know there are things she doesn't like, but she is willing to accept them, and I am in the same position with her. I try to be diplomatic, but the only restrictions I accept or impose are (1) monogamy, (2) honesty and (3) no surprises. It works for us.

I'm with Dodger

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What ever, lets go...

Hey Toby,i'm very intrested,as i'm sure everyone who replied to you post from 1 year ago,how did it go?So if your still loging on let us know?Did you get the bike and keep the girl or vise versa????