Topic: Plans for the summer: Teaching my son to ride

[DavePhipps]

I'm taking my son out to a nice big parking lot where the local Harley shop has it's new riders course setup.
I've got his protection covered: helmet, gloves, armored jacket and pants.
Any suggestions on how to prepare the 500 for my sons many noobie falls?

[Gordon]

Have you considered having him take an MSF course?  I know this probably isn't the response you were looking for, but he'll be learning from accredited teachers and he'll be on their bikes, so no worries about damaging your own. 

This must be an exciting time for both of you!  My kids aren't even big enough to ride with me yet.  I can't wait until they're old enough to ride on their own, if they choose to.  It will be a very scary and happy time for me if they do.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Ride a friend's dirtbike? That's originally how I learned to ride a motorcycle.

[Stev-o]

+1 on letting him learn/spill someone else's bike.

[Johnie]

Hahahaha...I recall when my son got on the cm400 I worked on with him. It was his first ride. He got on and I was telling him how to work the clutch, etc. But you know young kids (College age), they know it all. So he proceeded to rev it up and drove straight across the street, into the water filled grass ditch and up onto the field where he dumped it. That was the best learning experience he could have had. He knew he was not as smart as he thought he was. And he was a bit embarrassed in front of his old man too. I told him that is just how fast things happen on the road, and next time he may not be so lucky. I then enrolled him in a cycle safety class which I insisted was a must before I would let him ride.

[DavePhipps]

I will be enrolling him in an MSF course when he's older. He'll be 15 next summer and I just want to give him a jump start and also a confidence boost.

I'm thinking of removing the turn signals, mirrors, and putting on the fugly crash bars.

[OldSchool_IsCool]

This is in NO WAY a substitute for the MSF class!!  This is merely prep for him so that he has the confidence to pass it!!

First lesson is checking the safety equipment on the bike.  He'll have to do it for the test, so may as well start out knowing how to inspect his bike.

Second, he needs to know what the controls do, engine off.  Brakes, clutch, throttle.  Shift into first then find neutral.  Have the key on so he can see the neutral light turn on and off.  Practice using clutch and both brakes at the same time.

Third, roll the bike around with engine off, walking along side the bike.  Forward, backward, 3-point turns.  Show him that when turning the bike, the angle of lean makes a big difference in the size of the circle.  Use the front brake to stop the bike.

Forth, Walk the bike while on the seat.  Grab a fist full of brake when mounting and dismounting.  Learn the brakes front and back, perhaps with you pushing him on the bike so he feels how much brake he needs to stop the machine.  Brake to a stop, support the bike with both feet on the ground. 

Fifth, run through the startup sequence.  Learn how to kill the engine with the kill switch too.

Sixth, now it gets scary.  Start the engine and pull in the clutch, fist full of front brake too.  Rev the engine to get used to the feel.  Step on the shifter into first gear.  Show him how to SLOWLY release the clutch until he feels the clutch starting to grab the friction point.  As soon as he feels the friction point, pull the clutch back in.  Let him get experience playing with the friction point as it pushes against the front brake.  Try a few friction points without the brake, letting the bike roll forward only a few inches before pulling the clutch back in.  Have him practice finding neutral from first gear.  Teach him to trust the neutral light only so much.  Have him verify neutral by letting the clutch out slowly while holding the front brake.  When done, bike in neutral, stop engine with kill switch.

Seventh, Use the friction point to assist with walking the bike while on the seat.  Should be one foot on the ground at all times.  Try some slow, wide turns while walking the bike with friction point assist.  Turn left & right, maybe some figure 8's.  Right thumb on the kill switch at all times in case he gets nervous.  Pull clutch in, brake to a stop, feet down, tranny to neutral, engine off with kill switch.

Eighth, use the friction point to assist with walking the bike from the seat as before.  this time, take bigger and bigger steps.  pull in the clutch if the machine starts rolling too fast or use the kill switch.  Bigger and bigger steps until he feels comfortable enough to lift up both feet.  Feet spread wide like outriggers.  Ride a straight path without turns.  At the end of the path, walk the bike from the seat to turn around using friction point assist.  Repeat.  When done, clutch in,  brake to a stop, feet down, find neutral, turn off engine with kill switch.

Ninth, Use the friction point to skip the bike along until he can pull his feet up again.  Have him now pull his feet in closer to the bike so that he has to use his torso to balance the bike more and more.  Resist the urge to put a foot down to balance or catch the bike.  Brake to a stop then walk the bike from the seat with friction point assist to turn around.  Repeat.  When done, clutch in, brake to a stop, feet down, find neutral, kill engine with kill switch.

Tenth, Same as 9, but this time, his goal is to get his feet pulled in close enough to get them on the foot pegs.   Once they are up on pegs, slow wide turns.  Teach him to lean into the turns rather than to try direct steering into the turns with the handlebars.  If he's experienced on a peddle bike, this should come naturally to him.  Really important to resist the urge to put a foot down now.  Work up to a few figure 8's.  When he stops this time, have him pull in the clutch, find neutral WHILE braking to a stop, feet down, kill engine with kill switch.

Eleventh, With the engine off, shift into first gear.  Now show him how to pull in the clutch and toe up the shifter into second then back down into first.  Have him also work on finding first AND neutral from second so he feels the difference.  Start the engine but leave it in neutral.  Show him how to read the tachometer and what the engine sounds like when reved to the shift point. 

Twelve, Now have him repeat step 10 with increasing speed.  When he is able to get get up to the shift point AND he has room to shift, have him go for second.  When he gets close to the end of the path, shift back to first.  Slow the bike for the turn with brake only at first.  As he gets more confidence, have him slow the bike with both brake and by releasing the clutch SLOWLY too.  Wide turn under power and repeat.

From here, it's a matter of gaining experience.  Add in some cone weaves and some more complex turns.  Decrease the radius of turns as he feels comfortable.  Work on shortening his braking distance too.  His bike should always be in neutral when he comes to a stop (at least my instructor insisted on it).  Have him get used to proving that he is in neutral by raising his left hand.

May his riding experiences be long, enjoyable and safe!!

[dave500]

i wouldnt do it with a road bike but when ever i bought a new dirt bike i would lay it on the ground,left and right side and pick it up and down a few times,and push it around,get a feel for it,my mates thought i was a wierdo.

[DavePhipps]

This is in NO WAY a substitute for the MSF class!!  This is merely prep for him so that he has the confidence to pass it!!

First lesson is checking the safety equipment on the bike.  He'll have to do it for the test, so may as well start out knowing how to inspect his bike.

Second, he needs to know what the controls do, engine off.  Brakes, clutch, throttle.  Shift into first then find neutral.  Have the key on so he can see the neutral light turn on and off.  Practice using clutch and both brakes at the same time.

Third, roll the bike around with engine off, walking along side the bike.  Forward, backward, 3-point turns.  Show him that when turning the bike, the angle of lean makes a big difference in the size of the circle.  Use the front brake to stop the bike.

Forth, Walk the bike while on the seat.  Grab a fist full of brake when mounting and dismounting.  Learn the brakes front and back, perhaps with you pushing him on the bike so he feels how much brake he needs to stop the machine.  Brake to a stop, support the bike with both feet on the ground. 

Fifth, run through the startup sequence.  Learn how to kill the engine with the kill switch too.

Sixth, now it gets scary.  Start the engine and pull in the clutch, fist full of front brake too.  Rev the engine to get used to the feel.  Step on the shifter into first gear.  Show him how to SLOWLY release the clutch until he feels the clutch starting to grab the friction point.  As soon as he feels the friction point, pull the clutch back in.  Let him get experience playing with the friction point as it pushes against the front brake.  Try a few friction points without the brake, letting the bike roll forward only a few inches before pulling the clutch back in.  Have him practice finding neutral from first gear.  Teach him to trust the neutral light only so much.  Have him verify neutral by letting the clutch out slowly while holding the front brake.  When done, bike in neutral, stop engine with kill switch.

Seventh, Use the friction point to assist with walking the bike while on the seat.  Should be one foot on the ground at all times.  Try some slow, wide turns while walking the bike with friction point assist.  Turn left & right, maybe some figure 8's.  Right thumb on the kill switch at all times in case he gets nervous.  Pull clutch in, brake to a stop, feet down, tranny to neutral, engine off with kill switch.

Eighth, use the friction point to assist with walking the bike from the seat as before.  this time, take bigger and bigger steps.  pull in the clutch if the machine starts rolling too fast or use the kill switch.  Bigger and bigger steps until he feels comfortable enough to lift up both feet.  Feet spread wide like outriggers.  Ride a straight path without turns.  At the end of the path, walk the bike from the seat to turn around using friction point assist.  Repeat.  When done, clutch in,  brake to a stop, feet down, find neutral, turn off engine with kill switch.

Ninth, Use the friction point to skip the bike along until he can pull his feet up again.  Have him now pull his feet in closer to the bike so that he has to use his torso to balance the bike more and more.  Resist the urge to put a foot down to balance or catch the bike.  Brake to a stop then walk the bike from the seat with friction point assist to turn around.  Repeat.  When done, clutch in, brake to a stop, feet down, find neutral, kill engine with kill switch.

Tenth, Same as 9, but this time, his goal is to get his feet pulled in close enough to get them on the foot pegs.   Once they are up on pegs, slow wide turns.  Teach him to lean into the turns rather than to try direct steering into the turns with the handlebars.  If he's experienced on a peddle bike, this should come naturally to him.  Really important to resist the urge to put a foot down now.  Work up to a few figure 8's.  When he stops this time, have him pull in the clutch, find neutral WHILE braking to a stop, feet down, kill engine with kill switch.

Eleventh, With the engine off, shift into first gear.  Now show him how to pull in the clutch and toe up the shifter into second then back down into first.  Have him also work on finding first AND neutral from second so he feels the difference.  Start the engine but leave it in neutral.  Show him how to read the tachometer and what the engine sounds like when reved to the shift point. 

Twelve, Now have him repeat step 10 with increasing speed.  When he is able to get get up to the shift point AND he has room to shift, have him go for second.  When he gets close to the end of the path, shift back to first.  Slow the bike for the turn with brake only at first.  As he gets more confidence, have him slow the bike with both brake and by releasing the clutch SLOWLY too.  Wide turn under power and repeat.

From here, it's a matter of gaining experience.  Add in some cone weaves and some more complex turns.  Decrease the radius of turns as he feels comfortable.  Work on shortening his braking distance too.  His bike should always be in neutral when he comes to a stop (at least my instructor insisted on it).  Have him get used to proving that he is in neutral by raising his left hand.

May his riding experiences be long, enjoyable and safe!!

Pretty close to what I was thinking, yet much more detailed.
I was going to be loosely following the MSF course plan. Yes, there will be many lessons involving the friction point and walking the bike.
I'm getting his project cb500 today. It's a barn bike complete with squirrel's nest in the airbox. I want him to be able to ride and work on his bike by the end of next year. He has very low self esteem and needs a big boost. I'm hoping this project will help with that.