This scares the shit out of me

[Viscount Montgomery]

Girlfriends riding motorcycles? That's crazy talk. Buy some new cutlery or lacy curtains or something before it's all too late, and just hope like hell this silliness passes. You don't want this nightmare to become reality

[scumdog]

Can't be naffed reading the whole thread but when CB (aka normajeane on KB) decided to 'steal' the Sporty off me and start riding again my mother-in-law wasn't too chuffed.

After about three+ years with no binning she is (just) starting to relax. (the mo-in-law)

Oh, and she ain't my 'girlfriend' no more..

[Danae]

Riding would definitely make her a better driver.

I have my car learners (still...jeez) and commuting on my scooter really made me aware of potential hazards and how other road users act. After months of being too scared to learn to drive (manual car) I got back in the cage and drove around no worries. No close calls or nuffink.

I say go do some courses with her, like ride right ride safe. I plan to do this course at some point and I've heard only good things about it.

Tell her you want her to be as safe as possible and that you worry about her, but don't remark on her driving skills.

[Oakie]

Mate, it's like watching your kids grow up. Sometimes you've just got to let them do scary shit and hope for the best.

Look on the bright side though, if she becomes a biker chick it'll probably make her a better car driver.

Also, there's nothing much nicer than hitting the road with your 'significant other'. Hard to explain but I find going through a set of curves with both bikes in close proximity is a bit like sex on wheels.

[DEATH_INC.]

Put her on a 'safe' bike (gn, fxr etc) with heaps of good gear and self preservation will take care of her. A bike is way scarier for some one to ride than sitting in the safety of a tin cage. I think you'll find she'll be fine. But as mentioned earlier, get her to the track, or off road for a bit, so the basics become more natural, then she can have more of her mind free to concentrate on looking out for things ( This is what Keith Code teaches ).

[Mystic13]

Heres hoping the other half doesnt read this.

She really wants to get into motorcycling. She’s ridden on the back of my bikes plenty of times. I have no problems with this, but now she really wants to get a bike of her own and to tell the truth it really scares me. No shit. Its the last thing I thought I would be thinkin. I thought I would be over the moon.

I cant help be worried about how I would face up to her parents if something happened to her.

I just know that if something happened to her I would feel guilty as hell for helping her into riding.

What am I to do? Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Been there done that. I have the added problem that my partner has one daughter and no other family here. So if my partner goes what would my step daughter think. If we both go then what?

You've been in your other halfs shoes, when you started out. You chose to ride and it was you. There were probably people around you who weren't so keen whether they said it or not.

To me it's pretty simple. This is her choice. She knows the risks. If at some point she is injured or worse then at least she did what she enjoyed.

Some people say "aren't you afraid of dying?.... and the answer is no!, "I'm afraid of not living life to the full!"

If my partner dies riding then I would be celebrating her life and the fact that she got to do what she wanted to. Just as I'd expect her to do the same.

I didn't get my partner into riding. She saw and experienced it through me and decided she wanted to do that. I couldn't make her do anything.

You can't beat yourself up because someone else chose to do something. You can do everything you can to help and support.

My 11 year old son rides and I do everything I can to teach him how to ride well. And he gets the same enjoyment out of riding that you and I do. I have 3 daughters that don't ride and 2 of them won't even go on the back of a bike. We all make our own choices and hope the people who truly love us support us.

If something happens and a family member has a problem with you. That's their problem, their issues and their hang ups.

That's what I think.

[vifferman]

My other half use to be similar... would miss things when she was driving... but now she is riding she is more aware of her surroundings and overall I think made her a better cage driver as well...

Eggs Zachary.
My wife commutes by bus, and when she went in the car with me on the weekend she would scare the crap out of me with a sudden exclamation or intake of breath, which always turned out to be some hazard I'd identified seconds before and was alert to, rather than some new hazard I'd missed that was now responsible for our imminent doom!

Spuds1234 - I know EXACTLY how you feel. My wife is a good driver, but I felt the same way as you. When she was pillioning on my bike I was worried sick about the thought we might have an accident and she'd get hurt. At one stage, she was toying with the idea of buying her own bike, and I'm glad she changed her mind. It would've been great to have gone riding together, but very stressful too, even if she was the world's greatest rider. I couldn't bear to see her injured.

[kunoichi]

I couldn't bear to see her injured.

Don't ever have kids then! LOL. Truth is u'r always gunna b worried sick about the safety of somebody u love, but it's even worse to see them unhappy with their life because u won't let them do what they want with their own life. My hubby wants to get into racing and my lil bro wants to get a bike. I hate the idea of seeing them injured but i remind myself that wen they are in their death bed, i don't want to be the cause of any regret they may have with their life. Taking on that responsibility of being the cause of regret is even worse than the thought of seeing them in a cast for a couple of months. Maybe give that a thought.

[Katman]

If she doesn't kill herself on a motorbike it will be in a car or on the point of a sharp kitchen knife

Do you ever stop and think before you open your mouth?

[CookMySock]

Do you ever stop and think before you open your mouth?

Not everyone works the same way as you do.

Steve

[vifferman]

Don't ever have kids then!

I have three, mostly All Growed Up. Would you like one? Only the youngest currently has a girlfriend...

[Mschvs]

She really wants to get into motorcycling.

I cant help be worried about how I would face up to her parents if something happened to her. Im going to be honest here (and hope she doesn’t read this) but when I go anywhere with her in the car (her driving) Im generally on edge. Her driving scares me. Not because she cant drive, but because of what she misses or what she doesn’t see until its uncomfortably to late for me. Many times I have pointed out something or actually told her to look out because someone has pulled out in front of her and she hasn’t seen it as quick as me. Maybe this is a hang up I have about either not being in control when she is driving or having to predict or see what cars are doing as early as possible to avoid any problems when riding a bike (which is all I know as I have never driven a car before).

What am I to do? Your thoughts would be appreciated.

I would get her a cheap 125 and stick her out to graze for a week or so in a paddock... let her go nuts on it, get a feel for it and come off without killing herself.

Teach her a few skills, tell her to watch out for fucking IDIOTS (i.e. every other driver on the road) then get her to do the learners licence course ... if she can pass then sweet ... there are plenty of people out there who can't!!

[Mschvs]

And once again I will say, EVERYTHING is dangerous, not just motorcycles.

Who got her into driving? If she has a car accident and hurts or kills herself, does that make it their fault?

[kunoichi]

I have three, mostly All Growed Up. Would you like one? Only the youngest currently has a girlfriend...

LOL, my parents have left me and my lil bro in aux alone to do business, so i'v taken on the mother role already, i might skip on adding another to my bunch. Already thinking of how on earth i'll break it to the parents that now he wants a motorbike!...i'm a gone-er for sure!

Who got her into driving? If she has a car accident and hurts or kills herself, does that make it their fault?

She has a point!

[dpex]

Total over reaction. The guy's got the balls to ask for help and you erupt into a tirade of insults and slander. I think he would have reservations if it were his little bother actually. In my experience, I find the people doing the criticising are generally the worst offenders, a bit like a reformed smoker.

Answer this Q. Which NZ currency note features Kate Shepherd?

And when you get past that basic q then ask why she's there.

You fake , so called men, piss me off. You presume the 'little' woman is just that.

Did any woman intercede when you were learning to ride, and asserting, 'Oh No! He might hurt himself!'?

Of course not, cos learning to ride a bike is guy stuff, Right?

But what will happen to you if 'she' goes out there and trashes herself and leaves you looking after the baby, and there's no other fuck in the frame?

But what happens when you go out there and do the same and leave her with the baby?

'Oh well, That's different. That was me doing man stuff.'

Get a grip, you lot. This is 2009. We have gotten past the concept of women being pregnant and bare-foot behind the stove.

Ergo. Women are now allowed to make as many mistakes as we boys do.....without the boys asserting they shouldn't on account of they're just girls.