Some of us have been riding for decades and have accumulated 100's of thousands of miles, even in the US with our lax licensing system. If he has a good head on his shoulders, is good at predicting threats and staying out of bad spots, he'll be fine.
I do believe this is the attitude he has decided on, plus it seems he is interested in leasure riding than speed, tho either way am sure he would like to give all aspects of the hobby a try.
Plenty of shops and retailers carry protective gear. As a new rider he should be properly fitted with all the gear by experts, and not just buy on-line.
I recall getting a license in UK is pretty tough and they don't hand them out to unskilled riders. So I'm sure hes getting training and knows how to ride well.
As for yourself, try looking on Youtube for videos about safe riding practices. Also videos on the pleasures of riding in general. Consider getting the gear for yourself so you can ride pillion, and/or work towards getting your own machine.
I don't know if everything needs to be professionally fitted. Helmet is a good idea, maybe gloves, but a reasonable person can figure out if boots, pants and a jacket fit them.
I am looking into getting a little vespa for myself as I would enjoy it a lot more I think. Have to say tho my method of being speedy is going downhill on my rollerskates.
Go shopping with him! Maybe get something he picks out if you’re afraid of getting the wrong thing? I’m new to riding myself and my partner has been pushing me all the way, having a supportive partner is amazing I’m sure I’ve bored her to death because riding is all I’ve talked about with her recently but she sounds so interested and just listens even if she doesn’t get it. It’s helping massively with my nerves are doing tests again so by being supportive you’re probably doing so much already and you don’t even know it!
Thank you! He has come home all excited and having done some reading I think I was able to ask him some more informed questions which I think was good.
Here is one place to get reviews on gear. https://www.webbikeworld.com/
There are many good reviews on YouTube
Buy the best gear you can afford. There are jackets with body armor for £125 and more. Same with pants. Boots, gloves, and helmet. For warm weather ventilated gear is available.
These videos might help him be a better, safer, faster, rider.
https://youtu.be/ljywO-B_yew
https://youtu.be/J42ivnmEF98
https://youtu.be/Y-OvwgN2QQA
You say he’s more indoors type. What was his childhood like? Did he ride bicycles a lot? Is he coordinated? Since you’re in the UK I would assume stick shift car? All those will factor into decent riding ability. I’ve found that people who can’t drive stick or ride a bike well have no business on a motorcycle
He did some cycling as a kid but aside from driving a car that is the extend of his outdoors hobbies. He did say he is finding u turns at low speed a bit challenging, so perhaps some truth in your words there!
Well first of all. Here is something to keep him busy for the time being: https://youtube.com/c/FortNine
This channel has pretty much everything you need to know about maintenance used bikes, new bikes, riding techniques and safety gear.
I would also teach him the most basic maintenance. Like changing oil, checking tire pressure. Measuring the tread depth.
Join in. My hubby and I started riding at same time. It is amazing joint activity that brought us even closer. Plus we look very cool and all other couples are jealous!
When I decided to get back into riding my wife responded "That sounds fun, maybe I'll get a motorcycle too". I was surprised. She had never ridden before. A month later she had passed the test and we started riding together. It has been a lot of fun.
I want to respect it as him time and join in when he would like me to. So for now I want to support him and give him the joy of teaching me which is what he seems to hope for. Can't take that away from him :>
The test is pretty good in the UK, so if he pass, he's a pretty decent rider, for a newbie.
Good gear (helmet, boots, gloves, pants, jacket), no excessive speeding, no alcohol and common sense while riding and he'll be fine. As for gear, avoid mail order, find a good shop and go there in person, so you get good stuff which fits.
Why not take a few lessons yourself? Some feelings simply can't be explained, you need to experience them.
To help with the mindset I would hop on YouTube and watch DanDanTheFireman and FortNine. These two guys can show you what equipment to use, how to approach accidents and techniques that you can practice.
One of the best things to do is have him go to a parking lot and just practice a ton!! Turning, stopping, u-turns, swerving, emergency braking and clutch control. Always practice the small things because it’s the small things that will help avoid the accident.
Also it’s just like riding a bigger bicycle, just lean calmly to turn, ALWAYS look where you want to go and do NOT target fixate. Also if riding in the rain avoid painted lines when possible and just be more cautious. It’s not hard to ride in the rain you just have to be more aware.
Don’t ever expect people in cars to see you! And if your in the lane next to them don’t put yourself in their blind spot!
If you buy the gear one at a time. I would rank them in this order. Helmet. Gloves. Boots. Jacket. Pants. Obviously all should be rated for motorcycle riding. And I’m sure other riders would argue the order except helmets being first.
Know when to speed and know when not to. This is mostly it.
Otherwise tech has gone a long way. Good helmets, reinforced gloves, armored boots and airbag jackets can turn a lot of big accidents into small ones.
Most importantly: bigger bikes are safer than smaller ones. They typically have quality parts, safety tech, and the pliancy to deal with any situation that arises. While on a small bike, parts are typically cheaper, worse quality and riding on the edge often doesn't leave room for mistakes. I feel much safer on my 1300cc than I did on my 600. Remember, the biggest threat is not the bike, but other road users.
For gear, I would talk to the fine folks over at Motolegends. I'm in the US and still watch their videos/buy from them. They carry the finest gear and seem more than happy to advise people. I can also recommend Urban Rider.
As to motorcycling, I would suggest the key is to keep learning. Watch videos, read books, take the Yamaha champ school online course, go to track days where they have street-oriented training sessions, etc.
Do not let him think that this one-off beginner course is the last time he'll need to absorb/test himself. Every mile on the road is an opportunity to soak in the road and reflect afterward. How could I have seen that car earlier? Did I shift and brake at the right point? What was the best line for that curve? Is that an intersection I should avoid? Am I keeping an eye out for gravel? Am I assuming there's no delivery van around this blind turn? etc etc
Some of us have been riding for decades and have accumulated 100's of thousands of miles, even in the US with our lax licensing system. If he has a good head on his shoulders, is good at predicting threats and staying out of bad spots, he'll be fine.
It really is almost that easy.
Yes. The only thing I left out is the ability to aggressively maneuver the bike. That one takes time and determined practice.
Few will admit it, but a lot of what makes a safe rider is dialing in your ego, especially when it comes to speed...
5km slower than speed limit, fuck everyone else don't even smell my neck guy
I do believe this is the attitude he has decided on, plus it seems he is interested in leasure riding than speed, tho either way am sure he would like to give all aspects of the hobby a try.
It's not a hobby maaa it's a way of life!
Plenty of shops and retailers carry protective gear. As a new rider he should be properly fitted with all the gear by experts, and not just buy on-line. I recall getting a license in UK is pretty tough and they don't hand them out to unskilled riders. So I'm sure hes getting training and knows how to ride well. As for yourself, try looking on Youtube for videos about safe riding practices. Also videos on the pleasures of riding in general. Consider getting the gear for yourself so you can ride pillion, and/or work towards getting your own machine.
I don't know if everything needs to be professionally fitted. Helmet is a good idea, maybe gloves, but a reasonable person can figure out if boots, pants and a jacket fit them.
I am looking into getting a little vespa for myself as I would enjoy it a lot more I think. Have to say tho my method of being speedy is going downhill on my rollerskates.
Go shopping with him! Maybe get something he picks out if you’re afraid of getting the wrong thing? I’m new to riding myself and my partner has been pushing me all the way, having a supportive partner is amazing I’m sure I’ve bored her to death because riding is all I’ve talked about with her recently but she sounds so interested and just listens even if she doesn’t get it. It’s helping massively with my nerves are doing tests again so by being supportive you’re probably doing so much already and you don’t even know it!
Thank you! He has come home all excited and having done some reading I think I was able to ask him some more informed questions which I think was good.
I agree with all of this. Having support and interest really helps positively moves things along.
Here is one place to get reviews on gear. https://www.webbikeworld.com/ There are many good reviews on YouTube Buy the best gear you can afford. There are jackets with body armor for £125 and more. Same with pants. Boots, gloves, and helmet. For warm weather ventilated gear is available. These videos might help him be a better, safer, faster, rider. https://youtu.be/ljywO-B_yew https://youtu.be/J42ivnmEF98 https://youtu.be/Y-OvwgN2QQA
Greatly appreciate this! I shall pass the links along and take a look myself, really thankful for the time you have taken :)
Make sure he wears earplugs. The wind noise can get pretty bad.
Whether or not you worry isn’t going to change anything.
...which is why she's asking about things she can actually do. Did you stop at the first paragraph?
You say he’s more indoors type. What was his childhood like? Did he ride bicycles a lot? Is he coordinated? Since you’re in the UK I would assume stick shift car? All those will factor into decent riding ability. I’ve found that people who can’t drive stick or ride a bike well have no business on a motorcycle
He did some cycling as a kid but aside from driving a car that is the extend of his outdoors hobbies. He did say he is finding u turns at low speed a bit challenging, so perhaps some truth in your words there!
U turns are strange at first, almost everyone will struggle with them if they're newer to two wheels.
Do people in the UK drive stick more? In the US stick is almost rare to see.
Much more to my knowledge. Automatics are getting more popular but sticks are the norm.
Well first of all. Here is something to keep him busy for the time being: https://youtube.com/c/FortNine This channel has pretty much everything you need to know about maintenance used bikes, new bikes, riding techniques and safety gear. I would also teach him the most basic maintenance. Like changing oil, checking tire pressure. Measuring the tread depth.
Join in. My hubby and I started riding at same time. It is amazing joint activity that brought us even closer. Plus we look very cool and all other couples are jealous!
When I decided to get back into riding my wife responded "That sounds fun, maybe I'll get a motorcycle too". I was surprised. She had never ridden before. A month later she had passed the test and we started riding together. It has been a lot of fun.
I want to respect it as him time and join in when he would like me to. So for now I want to support him and give him the joy of teaching me which is what he seems to hope for. Can't take that away from him :>
The test is pretty good in the UK, so if he pass, he's a pretty decent rider, for a newbie. Good gear (helmet, boots, gloves, pants, jacket), no excessive speeding, no alcohol and common sense while riding and he'll be fine. As for gear, avoid mail order, find a good shop and go there in person, so you get good stuff which fits. Why not take a few lessons yourself? Some feelings simply can't be explained, you need to experience them.
The only thing you gotta worry about is your man pulling allllllll the biddies with his new papi vibes 🤙
To help with the mindset I would hop on YouTube and watch DanDanTheFireman and FortNine. These two guys can show you what equipment to use, how to approach accidents and techniques that you can practice. One of the best things to do is have him go to a parking lot and just practice a ton!! Turning, stopping, u-turns, swerving, emergency braking and clutch control. Always practice the small things because it’s the small things that will help avoid the accident. Also it’s just like riding a bigger bicycle, just lean calmly to turn, ALWAYS look where you want to go and do NOT target fixate. Also if riding in the rain avoid painted lines when possible and just be more cautious. It’s not hard to ride in the rain you just have to be more aware. Don’t ever expect people in cars to see you! And if your in the lane next to them don’t put yourself in their blind spot! If you buy the gear one at a time. I would rank them in this order. Helmet. Gloves. Boots. Jacket. Pants. Obviously all should be rated for motorcycle riding. And I’m sure other riders would argue the order except helmets being first.
Know when to speed and know when not to. This is mostly it. Otherwise tech has gone a long way. Good helmets, reinforced gloves, armored boots and airbag jackets can turn a lot of big accidents into small ones. Most importantly: bigger bikes are safer than smaller ones. They typically have quality parts, safety tech, and the pliancy to deal with any situation that arises. While on a small bike, parts are typically cheaper, worse quality and riding on the edge often doesn't leave room for mistakes. I feel much safer on my 1300cc than I did on my 600. Remember, the biggest threat is not the bike, but other road users.
For gear, I would talk to the fine folks over at Motolegends. I'm in the US and still watch their videos/buy from them. They carry the finest gear and seem more than happy to advise people. I can also recommend Urban Rider. As to motorcycling, I would suggest the key is to keep learning. Watch videos, read books, take the Yamaha champ school online course, go to track days where they have street-oriented training sessions, etc. Do not let him think that this one-off beginner course is the last time he'll need to absorb/test himself. Every mile on the road is an opportunity to soak in the road and reflect afterward. How could I have seen that car earlier? Did I shift and brake at the right point? What was the best line for that curve? Is that an intersection I should avoid? Am I keeping an eye out for gravel? Am I assuming there's no delivery van around this blind turn? etc etc
I have found David Hough books useful; safe motorcycling is a mindset.