***I mean she will know how to ride a motorcycle from taking the MSF course to get the licence, so its not like im teaching her HOW to ride a bike, it would just be getting used to it. ***
am I just screwed in the head becuase its been a long time since I learned how to ride...?
Geno, I know you're thinking out loud, but this scares the poop out of me.
It's all about her confidence riding the bike, not just knowing how a clutch and gears and brakes work. To suggest that passing the MSF course means she knows how to ride is unrealistic (to put it mildly).
I'll put my wife up against ANY rider who has passed only the MSF course and has a license, and she will perform better in low speed as well as emergency braking, direction changes, and just about everywhere else. My wife will not get her license until next Spring when she's scheduled for the course, but has put on over 500 miles with instruction, mostly below 25mph.
I'm speaking from experience, having worked with so many new riders who have passed the course and couldn't operate a motorcycle as well as someone who has been trained by someone for a longer duration and with more intense personal instruction, like my wife (and probably Dustin's as well).
Time and experience are what makes a rider a better rider, not the license that the MSF or State provide. Practice, practice, practice. Then in the Spring, practice some more to clean off the rust. I do the same myself, all the time. Even at track days, I find after a significant period of time off I'm practically re-learning every corner each year, even on tracks I've ridden frequently.
If she tries the bike and doesn't handle it, she may never ride again. Better to start too small than on anything that could in any way be too large, and I'm including the 500.
I'm also not preaching, but any rider who isn't having fun isn't going to ride, and anyone who thinks a license equals ability is destined to be proven wrong. Ask any teenager who's had an accident.
Conversely, look at racing at the junior levels across the world. These kids are 12-14 years old and could never acquire a license, but would easily out perform just about all of us in any riding situation. Never forget the difference.
I hope this was politically correct enough, and I just want to add that if the people here didn't care about you, your GF, developing a permanent new rider, and all things motorcycling in general we'd all tell you to get her the ZX6 so you could ride it, too. I don't think you'll find the people here willing to blatantly allow their personal preferences to overcome their rationality.
Keep us posted, and stay safe.
