Here's the story. My neighbor is a Deputy Sheriff, super nice kid, I call him kid because he's like 25. He has a beautiful family, great wife and two small kids. Anyway he's been talking about getting a bike since I guess he's tired of seeing me ride all the time. Well he pulled the trigger on a used Suzuki 600 Crotch rocket. I was home for lunch on Monday, and he walks over to tell me he got a bike. He Bought it in Oregon off of Craig'slist from a firefighter. I looked at it and sit on it, not for me, as I hate the lean forward sitting position, but to each his own. The rear seat looks no bigger than an envelope, not sure how that could be comfortable, but again I respect what everyone likes and tell him to be careful since he hasn't rode a bike since he was in his teens and that was small dirt bikes.

I asked if he had heard of the safety class, and he said yes and is signed up to take it in July. I was relieved to say the least. Here is where it got interesting. Later that day I come home from work around 4 and I see his wife sitting on the bike, in Capri pants and flip flops and the bike is running, with him standing next to her with this more than worried look on his face and he makes eye contact with me. I ask him what's happening here, and he says that his wife wants to learn to ride. My heart sank, and I instantly got a sick feeling in my gut. I looked 5 minutes into the future and it wasn't good. My facial expression must have given it all away, because he got even more worried, and he had to get ready for work in a few minutes. Then he asked her if she was at least going to put on a helmet....YIKES!

I told them and especially her as I looked her square in the face and said, no....you can't learn like this, not on this bike, not dressed like that and no way in front of your two small kids on a gravel driveway with cars and houses this close. She was disappointed, but the relieved look on his face was evidence that this was the right call. I told them both that we could use my wife's Yamaha XT 225 to learn and I could teach her like I did with some other riders including my wife, and we could do it up on the lawn at work where if you drop the bike its on grass, and not on pavement. He thought that was an excellent idea, and she reluctantly agreed.

All I could think about was if I didn't at least say something, I would be at least in some small way part of something that could really have gone South. So I guess I'll schedule a second "Deej's MSF class" and see if there are some more riders that want to get the basics before they hit the pavement......literally!!!

 

Nice call deej, thanks for stepping up to the plate. Thank your neighbors for listening as well.

 

Good man, Deej. I don't need to explain why.....you know you did the right thing.
Wink and nod to you, buddy.

 

Well as it turns out, the advice I gave, was short lived. I talked to him yesterday and he said they went to a parking lot and she rode the bike. He said she didn't tip the bike over but it was nerve racking to say the least. Not the way I have or would have done it, but to each his own I guess. (rolling eyes)

 

right on deej. You made the suggestion.

Maybe riding gear is on order now that she is going to be a rider.

 

Deejer you are my hero...............