The Blind leading the Blind
As a professional motorcycle riding coach I work with all types and styles of riders. There are those that are scared of the streets, those that aren’t quite sure if they should be riding a motorcycle at all and those that have more ego than ability. This article is about the latter and it is very serious to me.
I recently acquired a client that is just learning to ride and so is her husband. He passed the MSF course and she didn’t. He bought himself a high powered Sportbike and off he went thinking he knew everything about riding a motorcycle. “coming into a corner too fast…just lean it over more”. That is what he said to his wife who has never been out of first gear.
I took them to dealership to buy her a motorcycle. We found what I believed to a good choice for her but the husband wanted her to have something more like his. A motorcycle way out of her ability. So this what I have to work with. After a few sessions of private training in a parking lot (which I had to ride her bike to…) she started to develop some OK skills. Was she street ready, no.
On a day we had scheduled for a coaching session she told me that her husband and son (both beginner riders) told her she didn’t need any more help, she was ready to go, so off she went. Her son rode her motorcycle home from their shop where she kept the bike (and crashed in their parking lot) and then her husband took her out to ride around the neighborhood. I went out one time and rode with them. Honestly I had never been more scared for a rider than that day. But there was nothing I could do. I don’t want to get in between a husband with more ego than ability and his wife. Telling someone who has never been out of second gear that they are ready to get on the highway when you shouldn’t be yourself…??? I have video of the two of them and to be honest , she actually rides better than he does.
There is a lot more to this story but I’ll let it go here. I am concerned about the wife but more than that I am concerned about the husband…more ego than ability. Wise old saying “Never twist the throttle with your ego”
I just needed to get this off my chest because I care.
Ride Safe, Ride Far and I’ll see you on the road
That would be cringeworthy alright. Hope it all works out…
I don’t know how this will turn out. I too will hope for the best. and in truth, this particular person shouldn’t be on a motorcycle anyway and I told her that.
A great read! I’ve never heard that wise expression about not twisting the throttle with my ego, but I certainly have applied it to my riding. We’re naked and invisible out there. Caution always outweighs risk for me.
Stay safe!
Oh, I tried being safe once and that was the scariest 20 minutes of my life!! Ok, I’m kidding ? Really learning how to control does make your two wheeled life safer but it also increases the fun factor because you’re not always in panic mode. Glad you liked the story.