New Rider.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

I may have missed the rally, but I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Gave my son his first riding lesson today. He’s never used a clutch before. Big open parking lot. Started with run down of all controls and instruments. Then working the clutch to move/walk the bike forward, eventually clutch with a little throttle till he could get his feet up and let the clutch all the way out. Lots of starting, stalling, restarting, stopping, clutching, revving, braking, head /eyes up. All straight line stuff. He did well for the first outing. Didn’t drop the bike. Came close once. Made me sweat.

He’s taking the MSF in a week, but I just wanted to get him out on the bike and get a feel for it. Noah is patient and a quick learner. He’s going to do just fine. Don’t want to go too fast with him. Let the course cover the basics and build on that. May try to get out with him again this week between our work schedules. Maybe I’ll let him get out of 1st gear, maybe try turning. I did show him some tight figure eights and some tight circles, so he can see what he’ll be working toward.

When we were done, his clutch hand was beginning to cramp. Said it was all harder than he thought it would be. I remember the same about when my dad taught me to ride 40 years ago. Wish he was still around to see me and my son today. I know he was watching from where he is.

[Baatfam]

Neato....None of my kids had any interest....

[steve murdoch]

Quality time with the kids. Thanks Rich for the great post!
What bikes do they use in the course? Hopefully a bit smaller and lighter.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Not sure what they'll have at the MSF course. Yes, will definitely be smaller and lighter. The bikes the MSF use are typically 250CC and bare bones as far as instruments, which is perfect for a beginner. When I took the course here in PA 20 years ago, it was on a Buell Blast. I could have sworn it was a 250cc, but a search of the Blast model history shows only a @500CC bike. I can't find any info that Buell ever made a 250.

[Suzukian]

Awesome!! I know you feel very proud and happy to have this experience. My son is 23 right now. I'm waiting for this too, a medical condition with my son is preventing it, but soon I hope. He definitely wants too, and he will be owning my bikes when I part from this world. He rides with me, leans with me, he has the "feel" down, he just needs to do it on his own.

[rphillips]

Having an idea of what you're getting into, as he is doing, before you get to MSF is a huge PLUS... Looks like he's Headed in the right direction. Congrats

[dpep]

Sounds like you have the right drill(s). It is all about the clutch, especially true here in the U.S. where for the most part it is only the older folks who have ever even driven a car with a clutch.

I always have them start/stop, start/stop, start/stop. start/stop until they totally hate me. When the rider gets to the point they are thinking more about wringing my neck than they are about what they are doing with their hands, we have breakthrough and are ready to start moving into second gear.

In your follow up I would work on turns from a dead stop. If he can coordinate changing direction, applying the throttle, and releasing clutch simultaneously he is going to be ready for just about anything the MSF class will throw at him.

[Rob S.]

It's all about the clutch. I can tell from how a rider maneuvers in a parking lot how experienced he is.

When I was about 12 I came upon an instructor teaching a newbie on his Sportster. I stomped on my coaster brake and watched with rapt attention.

Newbie kept stalling. Instructor kept telling him, "more gas, less clutch." Wise words. The gas/clutch relationship is how I see if a person is riding the bike, or if the bike is riding the person.

[dorkburger]

Great start.. aside from the huge deal of learning the clutch, I've found that riding my bicycle helps maintain my skills during spells of not riding the cycle. I'll typically ride around fixed obstacles and practice looking thru turns, braking, balance, etc.

[Redman]

Good.

Also important to learn to use brakes right away.

I took a MSF class, with my son, after I was riding for 20some years. THe class started by us taking turns pushing each other without engines running so could learn to stop first before learning to go.

[steve murdoch]

Great start.. aside from the huge deal of learning the clutch, I've found that riding my bicycle helps maintain my skills during spells of not riding the cycle. I'll typically ride around fixed obstacles and practice looking thru turns, braking, balance, etc.

Totally agree, Glenn.
Done a lot of cycling the last four years since my local YMCA closed for Covid and am amazed at how many crossover skills there are.
Plus that the cars are out to kill you on a bicycle as well.

[Mat]

Good start for your son, definitely a good approach you have.

Nice of you to give him a safe start to build skills.


Hope my kids will be interested too when they're old enough.

[JMHJ]

Totally agree, Glenn.
Done a lot of cycling the last four years since my local YMCA closed for Covid and am amazed at how many crossover skills there are.
Plus that the cars are out to kill you on a bicycle as well.

I bought a cheap Huffy mountain bike when I got my first M/C, with sort of the same thing in mind. Hadn't ridden a bicycle in years to speak of. I don't remember it being too awful similar, but I did have a lot of fun on that too, and probably did my health some good in the process.

Awfully trusting to put a new rider on that nice old bike... : )

[Rich82GS750TZ]

I’ve dropped it before. I let him know that if he drops it it’s ok. Won’t be worse than anything I did. Anything he breaks I can show him how to fix.

[rphillips]

"show him how to fix it", love it... ... Way better than "it can be fixed"