Never learned to ride a bicycle, wants a motorcycle. | GTAMotorcycle.com

Never learned to ride a bicycle, wants a motorcycle.

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Well, it happened. I figured it was inevitable, but I was still surprised and caught off guard.

Late this afternoon at one of my customers there was a 17YO (working a general labor type job) who saw my phone screensaver of my motorcycle and struck up a conversation with me. He's signed up for a spring MSC at a College somewhere in the Belleville area in April and is buying a bike.

However, he said "I've never even ridden a bicycle, but I'll do OK on a motorcycle, right?".

I didn't know what to say. It seemed like sooner or later given the realities of some kids today (xbox in the basement vs riding bicycles with friends) that they never learned to ride. Having Googled it this evening, it appears adults never learning how to ride a bicycle isn't maybe as rare as I'd expect...after all, every kid learned how to ride a bicycle, right?

Perhaps not.

I suggested he find a bicycle right away and get learning, but I'm left wondering if he can become proficient in bicycle riding inside only a handful of weeks (it seems adults learn way slower than children, to further complicate things) to be successful in a MSC?

Anyone here teach MSC's and had a student show up who didn't even possess basic balance skills? Do they think that this is going to be part of the course?
 
If I recall, on my course when I took one (but this is BC so I don't know how they fully work here; we did two days in a parking lot before two road rides) there was one person who had never been on a bicycle and they seemed to get on ok.... they had to take a while to learn to trust their balance but most of us seemed to have that trust issue for the first few minutes on the bikes.

I guess while it wouldn't hurt, it might be more up to the personality of the person doing the course, rather than what they've done on two wheels already.
 
well that's a strange story, but I lived in Bellevile for 10 years so nothing there would surprise me
 
seen it once, we had to send the rider home at lesson 1, couldn't balance on the push exercise, could stop, kinda with feet dragging, but could not balance with feet on the pegs, would fold at the hips to the left and right and swerve all over, spent maybe 15-20 mins with a number of instructors...told the rider to go and ride a bike and then come back and try again....
I guess it depends on how readily someone can get the balance thing down...but yeah, I gotta figure riding a bicycle would be precursory to riding a motorcycle....
 
Excersing my right to free speech and bad spelling I'll tack a new direction. I taught my youngest brother to ride my Yamaha TX750 ( he was either 12 or 13) by rolling the bike engine off down a big hill one street over. Must have done it a dozen times. I'd ride it up the hill, he'd roll it down the hill. Then we went to the university back 40 parking lot. I fashioned a throttle stop. That was 30+ years ago. He started riding again last year. We're going to trip this year. Bicycle? LOL
 
Wow, if you've never ridden a bicycle you gotta be living under a rock. With a Canadian standard of living I find it hard that they can't afford a bicycle. Please tell me they immigrated here
 
RockerGuy said:
Wow, if you've never ridden a bicycle you gotta be living under a rock. With a Canadian standard of living I find it hard that they can't afford a bicycle. Please tell me they immigrated here
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it's highly unlikely they are an immigrant family

knowing Belleville, he'd be the spawn of generations of whiskey tango and likely had a playstation from birth to occupy him
Mom and Dad, that's if he knew his Dad, would not have had time to teach him to ride a bicycle, tough bingo schedule and the like
 
I never drove a soap box car before driving a motorized car either.

More shocked that he's missed a childhood experience than wanting to riding a motorbike without being able to ride a bicycle.
 
Yeah that sucks in 2 ways.

1. He never rode on two wheels as a kid(My childhood was rough but atleast i always had my bicycle)
and probably missed out on a lot of fun
2. Hes gonna have a tough time balancing a much heavier vehicle.


Sometimes i forget and am grateful that i grew up in the pre internet, pre cell phone era in a 3rd world country, where fun meant playing soccer(with or without shoes and not having to paying ridiculous amounts for joining a club) or riding bicycles.
 
These guys grew up in a bubble. Doesn't even understand how certain things can hurt you. Doesn't understand how the physics of the world works. He probably doesn't understand how he can get hurt if he falls off a motorcycle because he never fell off a bicycle
 
not sure on this ....a bicycle is inherently more unstable than a motorcycle..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_and_motorcycle_geometry

It's possible that there might be a faster learning curve on the motorcycle BUT of course dumping a bicycle is less traumatic to bike and perhaps rider.
In addition ....the motorcycle learner does not need to master pedalling.

I've taught a number of motorcycle riders by pushing them but never thought to ask if they had bicycled or not.

I might guess a light beater motorcycle might be a bit easier to learn.....hard to know - suspect as long as both feet are down ....a motorcycle might be easier.

[video=youtube;kQ5hV-ESBd0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ5hV-ESBd0[/video]

versus

http://www.cornell.edu/video/andy-ruina-explains-how-bicycles-balance-themselves

The motorcycle recovers even when pushed hard from the side ...the bicycle I suspect would not as it is not as self correcting as the motorcycle.

If the noob can be taught throttle control and to be relaxed on the mcycle...the bike will likely putter along.

Scooter might even be easier tho again not as stable as a mcycle due to geometry but lighter and easier throttle learning as don't have to clutch.

real world

Mouparna Pal
Written Sep 27
I had read so many blogs on the same question before I could decide if I am gonna give it a try without having touched a bicycle before. My husband bought me TVS wego 110 cc as my birthday gift. On the very 1st day we brought the scooter at home, I started my hands on.I practiced for 2 hrs and was unable to balance it more than 30 seconds. It was obvious that I was doing the same mistakes again and again. i had to rule out 3 major tendencies, 1. Should not put all your weight on handles.Hold it lightly. 2. Do not break all of a sudden,but gradually, it may turn down.3. Do not accelarate out of panic. Use biking gloves for better grip and control. One thing that need to understand is, when its moving, it will balance itself, so you have to let the accelarator go and then reduce it. Believe me when I realized all these things while practing, I could took my legs off the ground.But do not try to put it on the foot board at once. Do it after doing 2–3 rounds keeping your legs hanging. It took me 2 days of practice and yeah I could do it. Then I practiced for 1 full week and yes now I can ride it smoothly on small lanes.
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there are a few other interesting posts including one from a mcycle rider who has yet to learn to ride a bicycle.

https://www.quora.com/How-difficult...cooter-without-even-knowing-how-to-ride-cycle

I wonder if the toughest part in all cases is to convince the noob not to try and steer like a car.
 
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I've taught people to ride for 15 years....You can LEARN how to balance but I can't TEACH you to balance.

Learning balance is less consequential on a pedal bike before you add the motor
 
JavaFan said:
it's highly unlikely they are an immigrant family

knowing Belleville, he'd be the spawn of generations of whiskey tango and likely had a playstation from birth to occupy him
Mom and Dad, that's if he knew his Dad, would not have had time to teach him to ride a bicycle, tough bingo schedule and the like
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The savagery is epic lol
 
meme said:
I've taught people to ride for 15 years....You can LEARN how to balance but I can't TEACH you to balance.

Learning balance is less consequential on a pedal bike before you add the motor
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Teach them that if they steer in the direction they're falling the bike rights itself. They have to learn the over / under control of said steering. Avoid the topic of push steering until they're wearing big boy pants.

An instructor at Humber MSC mentioned a non bicyclist taking the course but I don't recall the result.
 
I have taught people at my course that have never ridden a bicycle also many older 30's, 40's and 50 year olds come into the program and have not ridden a bicycle since they were kids. Yes of course it can be done but getting a bicycle and learning to ride it before can't hurt. Learning to ride on 2 wheels prior to the course is in no way going to be detrimental.
 
JavaFan said:
it's highly unlikely they are an immigrant family

knowing Belleville, he'd be the spawn of generations of whiskey tango and likely had a playstation from birth to occupy him
Mom and Dad, that's if he knew his Dad, would not have had time to teach him to ride a bicycle, tough bingo schedule and the like
Click to expand...

"whiskey tango", priceless.
 
nobbie48 said:
Teach them that if they steer in the direction they're falling the bike rights itself. They have to learn the over / under control of said steering. Avoid the topic of push steering until they're wearing big boy pants.

An instructor at Humber MSC mentioned a non bicyclist taking the course but I don't recall the result.
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The problem comes when they can't balance. Every time they slowly start to move off they "dab" their foot down, which further knocks them off balance.

Higher speeds, not an issue. Bike will stay upright. Slow speeds you must balance.
 
meme said:
The problem comes when they can't balance. Every time they slowly start to move off they "dab" their foot down, which further knocks them off balance.

Higher speeds, not an issue. Bike will stay upright. Slow speeds you must balance.
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sounds like a harley dude duck walking all the way through an intersection after the light turns green
 
JavaFan said:
sounds like a harley dude duck walking all the way through an intersection after the light turns green
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Maybe that's the missing foxtrot everybody's wondering about?
 
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