Before I can tell you about my first passenger(s), I have to tell you about my first ride.
I got my first bike in July 2001. I had never thought about owning a motorcycle and no one in my immediate family ever had one. The only friend who had one was my old roommate Tina. She didn’t seem like to type to ride, but she came home one day out of the blue, with a Honda Shadow. It was a good looking bike, and I knew I needed a bigger and better bike. My first goal was to take a motorcycle safety class. I registered, but the class was months away. I ended up buying my motorcycle taking the class. I suppose that was my incentive to do well. I looked at a few bikes and settled on a Yamaha V-Star Classic 650, a medium-sized bike with a good “new rider” recommendation.
I got the highest score in the MSF class, but that means nothing on the street. The class only teaches you the basics of a motorcycle. My training bike was a Honda Nighthawk…one of the tiniest motorcycle out there and a great learner bike. But the class is not “real-world”, it’s in a controlled setting. There are more advanced classes that teach more advanced skills, but for the beginner rider, you gotta start somewhere.
I drove home after the class and looked at my behemoth. My Yamaha was at least twice the size (engine power and weight), but I was confident. The following day, I went to DMV and secured my M-class endorsement and headed home to take my first real ride.
I vaguely remember my first ride. It’s an excited blur of wind noise, car exhaust, cautious accelerating and braking. I only rode around my neighborhood, just to get a feel for her. The bike fit me perfect (I could flat-foot) with the controls all within comfortable reach. I eventually put that bike through the paces for 3 strong years.
My Yamaha was the first bike that I had passenger on. I declined all offers for rides during that first year. There is no way I wanted to risk anyone’s life until I knew I could handle the bike and knew my limitations. At the time, I’d heard enough stories of, in my mind, the reckless behavior of new riders with their own passengers.
During that first year of riding, I had become involved with an informal local motorcycle club*. We were volunteering out of town in June 2002, working a charity event. My friend, Jess, was also volunteering. The motorcycle folks were going to a pre-event dinner and I invited Jess. I knew she’d be the first passenger, but didn’t tell her. I figured she’d be nervous and I didn’t want that. I geared her up and off we went. No one on the moto team knew she was my first, as I didn’t want attention from them either.
Prior to that ride, I had read a lot about how the bike would handle different with a passenger and I felt fully prepared. And, I prepared Jess. I explained how the bike would operate and what she needed to do, and more importantly…what not to do. She followed the instructions well. The group ride to dinner was uneventful. We stayed together, as only the leader knew where we were going. We arrived at the restaurant in one piece.
At dinner, someone asked if she liked her first ride, and she replied that she did.
After dinner, we headed back to the hotel just as it was starting to rain. Jess hoots with excitement as we accelerate in hopes of beating the rain back to the hotel. We make it and as I’m stowing the gear I tell Jess she was my first passenger. One of the other moto questions that…and I tell him the same thing. He thought I had taken a passenger before. I tell him no, and why (that I wanted to be sure of myself before I took that risk). He acknowledged that I handled a passenger well… Jess said that she’s glad she didn’t know she was my first passenger.
I got my first bike in July 2001. I had never thought about owning a motorcycle and no one in my immediate family ever had one. The only friend who had one was my old roommate Tina. She didn’t seem like to type to ride, but she came home one day out of the blue, with a Honda Shadow. It was a good looking bike, and I knew I needed a bigger and better bike. My first goal was to take a motorcycle safety class. I registered, but the class was months away. I ended up buying my motorcycle taking the class. I suppose that was my incentive to do well. I looked at a few bikes and settled on a Yamaha V-Star Classic 650, a medium-sized bike with a good “new rider” recommendation.
I got the highest score in the MSF class, but that means nothing on the street. The class only teaches you the basics of a motorcycle. My training bike was a Honda Nighthawk…one of the tiniest motorcycle out there and a great learner bike. But the class is not “real-world”, it’s in a controlled setting. There are more advanced classes that teach more advanced skills, but for the beginner rider, you gotta start somewhere.
I drove home after the class and looked at my behemoth. My Yamaha was at least twice the size (engine power and weight), but I was confident. The following day, I went to DMV and secured my M-class endorsement and headed home to take my first real ride.
I vaguely remember my first ride. It’s an excited blur of wind noise, car exhaust, cautious accelerating and braking. I only rode around my neighborhood, just to get a feel for her. The bike fit me perfect (I could flat-foot) with the controls all within comfortable reach. I eventually put that bike through the paces for 3 strong years.
My Yamaha was the first bike that I had passenger on. I declined all offers for rides during that first year. There is no way I wanted to risk anyone’s life until I knew I could handle the bike and knew my limitations. At the time, I’d heard enough stories of, in my mind, the reckless behavior of new riders with their own passengers.
During that first year of riding, I had become involved with an informal local motorcycle club*. We were volunteering out of town in June 2002, working a charity event. My friend, Jess, was also volunteering. The motorcycle folks were going to a pre-event dinner and I invited Jess. I knew she’d be the first passenger, but didn’t tell her. I figured she’d be nervous and I didn’t want that. I geared her up and off we went. No one on the moto team knew she was my first, as I didn’t want attention from them either.
Prior to that ride, I had read a lot about how the bike would handle different with a passenger and I felt fully prepared. And, I prepared Jess. I explained how the bike would operate and what she needed to do, and more importantly…what not to do. She followed the instructions well. The group ride to dinner was uneventful. We stayed together, as only the leader knew where we were going. We arrived at the restaurant in one piece.
At dinner, someone asked if she liked her first ride, and she replied that she did.
After dinner, we headed back to the hotel just as it was starting to rain. Jess hoots with excitement as we accelerate in hopes of beating the rain back to the hotel. We make it and as I’m stowing the gear I tell Jess she was my first passenger. One of the other moto questions that…and I tell him the same thing. He thought I had taken a passenger before. I tell him no, and why (that I wanted to be sure of myself before I took that risk). He acknowledged that I handled a passenger well… Jess said that she’s glad she didn’t know she was my first passenger.
Fast forward a few years, few thousand miles and few other passengers, and I now have a beautiful BMW R1100RT. I also now have a niece and nephew asking for a ride.
Hannah had ridden once before, Liam had not. I was a little nervous when my sister asked me to taken them out. But, I checked myself…60k miles & 5 years. I think that alludes to a certain amount of competence.
I decide that I do trust myself and my sister obviously trusts me….so I take Hannah for a ride. She remembered most of the drill from her first ride; sit down, sit still and lean with me. Don’t fight the lean. Keep your feet on the pegs. (That actually wouldn’t be an issue, as she couldn’t even reach the ground if she tried.) I got us underway and we rode around Cheboygan, MI for a half hour or so. She was an excellent passenger. I kept asking if she was ok, and she was… I didn’t exceed any speed limits and didn’t do anything crazy. We didn’t have enough daylight for a longer ride and I wanted to be sure there was enough time to take her brother out.
Liam was next and it was his very first ride. I recapped the rules. Liam paid very good attention…and off we went. I followed almost the same route I took with Hannah. The great thing about the RT is…it’s a great passenger bike. Liam could sit back and enjoy himself. Sadly, he couldn’t see over my shoulders and had to look side-to-side for the view. I think his next ride with his aunt will be a little better, as he’s growing like a weed.
I have to give credit to the best sister in the whole wide world, Alice Virginia Weingartner, for the idea for this column. Loce!
