anyone never knew how to ride a bicycle before riding?

[nitrouz]

Hey all,

I'm currently taking the MSF course cuz they don't recognize my license from BC...but anyways, i told one of my coworkers, and she wants to learn. I suggested that the MSF course would be a great start. This is when she mentioned that she's a little scared because she doesn't even know how to ride a bicycle...

So my question is, has anyone here learned how to ride a motorcycle before knowing how to ride a bicycle? If so, was it hard to learn? I've been riding bicycles (BMX and mountain bikes) for as long as I can remember, so I can't relate.

Thanks in advance.

Alex

[Traq]

Is she hot?

[ADG]

I had custom built tricycle at 2 years of age. A bicycle and B&S mini bike with training wheels at 2 1/2. Training wheels taken off both at 3. B&S 'MX' sidecar at 3 1/2. Yamaha TY80 at 5...............I'm 38 now with 35 years of riding experience.

I grew up riding/racing bicycles/motorcycles, and I will say that all of my BMX and mountain bike riding and racing DEFINITELY has helped my motorcycle riding skills.

Sorry, my post didn't really answer your question.

[daventura]

Technically...my motorcycle IS a bicycle.

:teeth

[ADG]

Don't you mean a unicycle?

[rsrider]

My wife never rode a bicycle. She grew up in Topanga Canyon and she rode a horse around those hills. She's been riding motorcycles for about 15 years. (-1 since she sold her bike back in July 2005 and hasn't ridden one of mine, except as a pillion)

[ThomD]

That's a tough one. At my MSF class the instrutor actually said, "I can teach to ride a motorcycle if you can ride a bicycle. If you don't have the balance part down, I can't help there." I think his point was that the class covers a lot and there isn't really time to add "how not to fall over". A couple of people were asked to leave after a few hours because they couldn't master clutch control enough to roll out without stalling a couple of times. The class needs to keep moving and they can't spend a ton of extra time on one person's needs.

I recommend that she learn to ride a bicycle first.

[SaVaGe J]

I think they make aftermarket training wheel kits for the nighthawk 250.....heh....j/k. :laughing I remember the thing that threw me off balance when i was learning to ride my bicycle was the peddling. I think someone could learn how to ride a motorcycle w/o ever riding a bicycle, BUT it'd probably be a good idea to learn on the bicycle first.

[bertocci]

Originally posted by rsrider
My wife never rode a bicycle. She grew up in Topanga Canyon...

Null point. I'm pretty sure she learned from osmosis, just watching all the folks on 2 wheels fly by her on one of the nicest roads down here. ;)

[donoman]

I would think not knowing how to ride a bicycle would be a deathwish on a motorcycle at low speeds.

[Mangoat]

I have been riding a bike since I was about 6 years old and have done the MTB thing for a good 11 years now. Even did the famed North Shore in BC (Nitrouz)

As far as having no experience on either, I believe it would be a good eyeopener for a noobie. A lot of people buy their motorcycle first and think they can ride. They get their license via the DMV way (ride some cones, do a circle, ride a straight line) and never learn how to properly ride their motorcycle. Take the bike for a spin, get in a situation that can easily be avoided (if they took MSF) and bin their bike.

An accident had proved this at Sturgis. Fatal accident with a noob rider. Police took a look at the brand new Harley, it had 75 miles on the odometer.

MSF will make you realize if you are suitable to ride a motorcyle or not all in a closed course, away from the dangerous elements of a city or freeway

[pinkslip]

I've only ever met one person who wanted to learn to ride a motorcycle without mastering a bicycle first. She was this little asian chick with a Sportster in my MSF class years back. I was concerned she was going to bail....

Sure enough, she went down. I asked her why she would have bought a bike before knowing how to ride it.. Turns out it was a "hand-me-down" from her hubby. I suggested she sell it and start on a 250 like the bikes offered in our class. She said her husband wouldn't allow her to get a Japanese bike!!! Wow. Way to put your brand preference before your wife's safety!

She didn't get her certificate, but said she would just go home and try to practice the stuff she (didn't) learn on her private street.

Tell your coworker to start on a Huffy.

[hkwan]

Well, I took MSF in Austin Texas when I was much younger. Before that class I have never ridden anything with less than 3 wheels. I failed miserably.

Fastforward years later in CA after I have ridden mountain bikes in the mountains for several years - I passed MSF.

[2legs2wheels]

Riding bicycle definately helps...ask your coworker to invest some time in learning that first (its easier than it sounds...and if she is hot, there are a ton of guys here who will help her learn :twofinger)

[V4]

problem solved for those who can't ride a bicycle....:laughing

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/images/threads/000/161/876/2430787-38_12.jpg

[Enchanter]

I've been teaching the MSF curriculum for over 15years now. I've had people in the class that have NEVER ridden a bicycle before. I do not recall any of them passing. Most of them fell multiple times in the class before quitting or being asked to leave.

Get a bicycle and ride it for a few months before going to the class.

[darkie]

Or how about this:

"I'd like to learn how to scuba dive, though I don't know how to swim either."

[QuaiChangKane]

I've honestly never asked a student if they had ever ridden a bicycle before, so I wouldn't know.


But I have had septuagenarians come through the class having never been on a motorcycle with a 50+ year break since the last time they had ridden a bicycle and pass the course with ease.

IMO - why learn to ride a bicycle when what you really want to do is ride a motorcycle? There's much less sweating involved when you don't have to pedal... ;)


In all seriousness - tell her to sign up for the MSF and give it a try. Balance is an instinctive thing - if she can pick up clutch and throttle control, the balance will come with momentum.


The BRC is an entry-level course - there are no prerequisite skills necessary.




-Q!

[Enchanter]

Originally posted by QuaiChangKane
Balance is an instinctive thing - if she can pick up clutch and throttle control, the balance will come with momentum.



I think that the rider/student will need to have a fairly high level of self confidence to get through the steep(er) learning curve needed for a motorcycle than the one needed on a bicycle.

Just an opinion here. Not trying to step on anyones toes.

[QuaiChangKane]

No offence taken, Enchanter - and none intended.


YMMV - every student is different, and any chance to get a leg up before the class would benefit a student in the long run, to be true.



-Q!

[damnpanpan]

This is way embarassing but, I didn't know how to ride a bicycle - although I've tried it and sucked haha. I did pass MSF three years ago with pretty much blind faith that the bike would do exactly what the instructors said it would as long as I followed their instructions carefully.

I did drop it on the weave the first day riding but I think I tied for the best overall score for the final riding test and my instructor was so sure that she had already previously taught me and thought I was someone else, coming back for a refresher, I guess.

Anyway, I tried bicycle again later and it was much easier but I still found it a bit more confusing compared to the motorcycle (not surprising).

Bottom line: In the movie Faster, Rossi's dad said Rossi tested motorcycle before bicycle hahaha... but seriously, practicing on bicycle is something I still plan to do more and your friend probably could only benefit from it. Good luck!

[damnpanpan]

Originally posted by darkie
Or how about this:

"I'd like to learn how to scuba dive, though I don't know how to swim either."

I'm not sure if you know how to scuba dive but for PADI open water 12 meter license, it is a requirement and part of the testing to be able to swim like two laps and tread water for like 40 minutes or so.

Not sure how that affects what you said, if at all, but I just thought I'd throw it out there. Maybe MSF doesn't test it so it's not a "dealbreaker" absolute must, or maybe it's so obviously prerequisite that they don't even bother to test it separately. :)

[PhaTeLeSS]

i know this is gonna sound harsh, but. i think you would have to be an IDIOT to try to ride a motorcycle without knowing how to ride a bicycle!!! you can get yourself into a lot of trouble with a motor. you should at least know how to ride it without the motor before you start. too much to learn at once. i tell most people they should learn to drive stick before they ride a motorcycle. i think riding a motorcycle is like riding a bicycle and driving stick at the same time. i took that attitude the first time i rode a motorcycle and i was able to hop on and do it. i was scared shitless and afraid i was gonna crash the whole time, but i was able to control the bike. if you don't know how to balance, you're tempting darwinism.

[damnpanpan]

Yeah, that's a good point. I did know how to drive stick and it wasn't like I absolutely could not ride a bicycle. I just hardly did it and I wasn't very good at it. I forgot about the manual transmission thing - although I'm sure many people encounter a manual for the first time at MSF. And yeah, I'm definitely not a genius but I wouldn't say I'm an idiot either and I now recall that they do have you "ride it" without the motor on for the first bit, don't they?

[PhaTeLeSS]

i never took it. i should have. but without my 12 years of mtn biking and 9 years of bike shop experience i would be a lot worse off on the morocycle. i used to FLY down snake road on my tommasini 12 speed. i used to scare the shit out of my friends i'd dip so low. man that was fun.

[Vane]

I'll probably ride my bicycle to my msf :nerd