Basic Handling Dissappointment

[F5 Dave]

Time to saddle up the hobby horse & RIDE! [insert John Wayne Emicon furiously galloping here]

I don't like to see people get ragged online.

In a previous life I’d spent quite a bit of time helping out riding instructing (though never was fully qualified). This used to be unpaid but we did it as a sense of responsibility & some satisfaction.

Our Chief dude was a chap who was heavily opinionated with some distorted sense of ego. He also had a particular ‘gift’ of rubbing people up the wrong way. Especially women.

He was also very good at researching & prescribing the material for these courses. He has been a valuable resource to Motorcycledom & still writes a bunch of stuff.

Let’s just say some people are not blessed with public relations skills.

Now not being from Auckers I’ve never heard of this chap & what you say may be both sides of the story, or perhaps not. What I know from my own experience is we used to have chaps (typically) turning up who thought because they road off road they were just the gun & didn’t really need to do this course, just they had to, to get their licence earlier (these were back in the days of advanced courses to reduce the provisional licence length).

Some of these guys could ride ok, some exceptionally. But there was more than one we told to F’off because out on the road they did some hugely aggressive & dangerous manoeuvres & basically we didn’t want to be around to pick them up & weren’t prepared to have them take out a student.

I‘m sure they thought we were total dickheads that didn’t know what we were doing & had ego problems & delusions of self worth. I later was recognised & given a hard time by one going into an external tech exam so had that to mull over when I should have been concentrating on the exam. But I passed & the tosser probably didn’t.

Where have I got to? Oh yeah, I’m in no way saying this woman was anything like these guys, but I can imagine that if I’d stayed teaching, like most teachers you start to classify people & spouting you opinions to anyone who will listen. An instructor or a course should be rated on what skills & attitudes you walk (ride) away with that are beneficial to you staying alive on the street.

If you happen to like the instructor then that is a bonus, but really not that important. Can’t remember liking many of my teachers.

[750Y]

JW did mine some time back. his people skills weren't all that flash but i went there to learn. i took onboard what he taught me cos i figured "hey, i'm just a newby to road riding, he rides a goldwing with a trailer on the back & wheelied a little 100cc course bike with both feet planted on the ground, so he knows his shit and can walk the talk too."

[jrandom]

I did mine with John Wright, too. I didn't have a problem with him. Sure he's a funny old bugger and he goes on about the road code and all that, but what the hell. He knows what he's talking about, and he's actually quite a good riding instructor.

At the Saturday morning session I did with him, there were a couple of very unsure-of-themselves girls, and by the end of the training, they were tootling around happily on their CB250s, weaving back and forth, having a blast. He did well at inspiring their confidence.

I think certain people need to lighten up, build some bridges and get over it.

Anyway, JW's a hell of a lot better than that crusty old dude from the Triumph club that used to work at Passrite.

[2_SL0]

I did mine with JW, found him a perfectly nice guy. I picked up some pointers from the guy. I treated him with respect, he treated me the same. As far as Im concerned someone with the amount of experience that he has is allowed to babble on. Until you have similar experience and are prepared to make statements like that to his face I would be quiet and sit back down in your learner/restricted seat. Sorry to be rude but....

Oh yeah and I come from a dirtbike background, he was well aware of this and had no problem with it.

[Motu]

Anyway, JW's a hell of a lot better than that crusty old dude from the Triumph club that used to work at Passrite.

Yeah,lighten up a bit there arsehole! :spudwave: I've known this guy as a close personal friend for over 30 yrs,he has been involved with rider training since it's inception,taught my wife to ride and has been the biggest single influence on my riding and really my approach to life.If you want experiance,this guys got it in laundry tubs full.

[outlawtorn]

This what life is all about. you meet some real pricks and some real nice people. Sometimes you see eye to eye and sometimes you don't. Imagine how boring life would be if everyone was very nice and agreeable all the time. It would suck!! We need anger, emotion and nasty people, it helps remind us of what not to be.

[outlawtorn]

Yeah,lighten up a bit there arsehole! :spudwave: I've known this guy as a close personal friend for over 30 yrs,he has been involved with rider training since it's inception,taught my wife to ride and has been the biggest single influence on my riding and really my approach to life.If you want experiance,this guys got it in laundry tubs full.

point in case

[Coldkiwi]

Its great that these guys have loads of experience, but some people lack the ability to dish out knowledge without making the recipient feel like a retard for not knowing. A good example of someone who CAN dish out lots of knowledge in a palatable form is Craig Wiffen at AMCC.

[Yarg]

I would have to agree with Motu. JW knows his stuff , taught my wife & son, have been on rides with him etc etc. I mite suggest that there was a bit of clash of ego's.
my $.02 worth

[Lucyloo]

I guess we will all have different opinions of people, and here is mine of John.....
I did my basic handling course with Passrite.....what a mistake that was. Crappy little 125's (mine had a plastic bag over the seat that made it very slippery), bicycle helmets and an asian instructor...it didn't bode well. I was not at all happy with the course, was very unsure and the inevitable happened and I fell off! Obviously they failed me!
Luckily we had booked in the following day for a 3 hour course with John as we didn't feel comfortable getting on the road with only 1 hours riding under our belt.
John was really great. I told him about the bin......was having trouble walking anyway as had stuffed my knee. I wasn't even able to walk the bike (a very nice Honda 250!) up to the course from the storage shed, so he did it for me. He was very reassuring and I felt very comfortable with him. He was encouraging and patient. My confidence grew as the hours went by and at the end of the course he took me for my basic handling again......this time I passed!!!!!
He even talked to me about suitable options for bikes as I hadn't yet bought one, and gave me suggestion for clubs to join.
I have recommended John to other women wanting to learn and will continue to do so.
Lucy.

[outlawtorn]

Nice choice of bike there Lucyloo!!

I also binned on my basic course, but the guy I was with (Lee Hurley - Really good BTW) told me to get back up and try again, and he said we weren't leaving the carpark until I had got it right, which was great, even though I popped a wheelie on his GN125 and that caused me to bin.

[Lucyloo]

Why thankyou Outlawtorn...I see that you have the same impeccable taste!

Lee is a great guy. I know him too. What a card he is riding that side car thingy that he has!

Are you looking at upgrading from your GZ when you get you full licence? (assuming that you haven't already!) If yes any ideas as to what yet? Are you going to keep with the cruiser style?

sorry, gone off topic a bit there!

[justsomeguy]

Did my basic skills with John too........ he loves himself


But once you get to know him he's alright....... started talking to him bout bikes and his riding experience, etc and we established a great rapport......

[Ms Piggy]

And have you got the balls to tell him to his face or do a letter of complaint instead of just having a go at him on here where chances are he'll never see it.

I can understand your annoyance as tossers like that are the last thing a learner needs,is it his own business or is there someone above him you can voice your concerns with regarding his attitude?

Yup I'm with Kickaha. Write & complain, in a constructive way though. Don't get personal but state what you think.

Of course you all know of the negative experiences a few of us Wgtn gals have had with Mr Shouty Man down here.

[Wolf]

Of course you all know of the negative experiences a few of us Wgtn gals have had with Mr Shouty Man down here.

Sounds like a name we should give one of the licence testers we had up here (I hope he's retired)

Miserable grumpy old bastard that I got when I went for my cage practical. I said, "where to next?" as we were heading up one street and he flew into a fit at me, swearing and infoming me that he had designated points where he told me when and where to turn and it was not my effing place to ask him. I was so rattled I nearly plowed up the arse of a car. Should have stopped, shut the car down and made the niggly old bastard walk back but I persevered, greatly thrown off my stride and failed.

Next attempt I took down in Otorohanga and the guy was much better, kept chatting to me and asking me irrelevant questions to see if he could distract me from driving enough to make a mistake.

He also asked why I took the exam down there and I said "Hamilton's booked for months".

He said "OK. So, is the old guy up there still a snarky old bastard?"

The bloody shit knew all along why I was taking my licence test down there.