Daughter wants to ride, where to start? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Daughter wants to ride, where to start?

schnellschnell

Active member
My daughter has always loved to ride as a passenger on my bike. Now she is 16 and wants to look at a street bike for herself.

So my question is, if you could only take one course (not including an M1X course) to intro a new rider would you take a day of dirt bike lessons or a day of trials bike lessons or more of an enduro style?

I'm looking at GopherDunes, Motopark or TrailTours I guess. Any other recommendations near Toronto?
 
Trail tours for sure.




Thats pretty entry level. When she gets more experience, there is always S.M.A.R.T. rider training up at Horseshoe.
Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk
 
I'd say trail tours or SMART adventures. Either one is geared very well to beginner riders, has a great selection of bikes and a long history of training new riders.
Personally I feel that time on the trails will be more help than mx training for a future street rider.

Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk
 
Clinton Smout is the man.He gave my daughter a quick little intro to 2 wheel stuff a few years ago with one of his bikes after a trial she was spectating at.She rides as many events as she can with my TY175 now.
[video=youtube;QX_3mNnhePw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_3mNnhePw[/video]
 
The do trail riding courses in the Ganaraska Forest just north of Bowmanville.They supply the bike and all the gear.Absolutely the best way to get started on a bike.
 
Introduction to riding. Some of the riding schools should teach it. It's the first four or so lessons in the Gearing up course, covering the basics. It's best to have the basics, like accelerating, braking, turning down before taking a more extensive course.
 
When my wife first learned to ride she had already booked in for the weekend course at RTI.
The week before RTI, we went up to Horseshoe and Clinton taught her to ride one-on-one on the trails up there and she did so well.
He's such a great instructor!
 
Oops, I forgot to say that the first obstacle to riding is getting the hang of the friction zone.
 
When my wife first learned to ride she had already booked in for the weekend course at RTI.
The week before RTI, we went up to Horseshoe and Clinton taught her to ride one-on-one on the trails up there and she did so well.
He's such a great instructor!

I think Clinton used to teach at Humber way back in the day.
 
Introduction to riding. Some of the riding schools should teach it. It's the first four or so lessons in the Gearing up course, covering the basics. It's best to have the basics, like accelerating, braking, turning down before taking a more extensive course.

I was going to suggest this as well - OP, if your daughter wants to ride on the street, I'm just curious why you want to start her offroad?

Yes, I don't dispute that you can learn a lot offroad that will translate to on-road, but there are tailor made courses that are not the M1X designed strictly for people to "get their feet wet".

And do you plan to have her do the M1X course as training after this?
 
You say she wants a street bike, so I presume she needs to figure out how to operate the motorbike and then wants to ride it on the streets. Just do RTI like everyone else. I wouldn't be letting my 16 yr old ride on the street, but that's me. I'd want my kid with road experience in a car first.
 
I wouldn't be letting my 16 yr old ride on the street, but that's me. I'd want my kid with road experience in a car first.


100%. Cage experience at least gives new drivers an understanding of how clueless other drivers often are.

A healthy appreciation for the near insanity of other car drivers is an important part of staying alive on 2 wheels.
 
You say she wants a street bike, so I presume she needs to figure out how to operate the motorbike and then wants to ride it on the streets. Just do RTI like everyone else. I wouldn't be letting my 16 yr old ride on the street, but that's me. I'd want my kid with road experience in a car first.

Agreed!
 
I really like the idea of a dirt day and then the weekend course like WB and Shane suggested. If she likes it then skip the intro course and go right to licensing one.
 
It's a lot easier and safer to experience your first motorcycle oops on a grass covered field or in the bottom of a sandpit then to fall over on hardtop in front of a car or two, that is why dirt riding is your best first crack at riding, once you can actually operate the motorcycle it makes it a lot easier to learn to deal with traffic.
 
It's a lot easier and safer to experience your first motorcycle oops on a grass covered field or in the bottom of a sandpit then to fall over on hardtop in front of a car or two, that is why dirt riding is your best first crack at riding, once you can actually operate the motorcycle it makes it a lot easier to learn to deal with traffic.
100% agreed.

Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk
 
Trail tours is a perfect place to start. Gopher would be good as well and their beginner program is run in a grass field and trails. It is not a mx course. Really nice family that owns/runs that facility. But anyways based on your location Trail tours is the easy choice.

I'd go one step further with the whole dirt thing. I would have her get a small dual sport like a CRF250L and spent much of her first year trail riding with a little street sprinkled in just to get used to it. Would learn a ton about riding in a short amount of time. Depending what bike you ride now you might need to pick up a off road bike for yourself to go riding with her, you would likely have a blast as well.
 
Trail tours is a perfect place to start. Gopher would be good as well and their beginner program is run in a grass field and trails. It is not a mx course. Really nice family that owns/runs that facility. But anyways based on your location Trail tours is the easy choice.

I'd go one step further with the whole dirt thing. I would have her get a small dual sport like a CRF250L and spent much of her first year trail riding with a little street sprinkled in just to get used to it. Would learn a ton about riding in a short amount of time. Depending what bike you ride now you might need to pick up a off road bike for yourself to go riding with her, you would likely have a blast as well.

I'm with this guy. Aside the fact that the small dual sport is a great place to start, riding in the dirt at a variety of speeds on a variety of surfaces will teach her about the dynamics of riding and the effect of different surface conditions on how a motorcycle behaves.

Courses have their place, but the more experience she gains the better, and off road offers a lower risk environment.
 
I wanted an easier 'landing' should things go awry, and since some of those are private lessons I can do it with her. As I don't think I'd ever want to do an M1x again, this is a better option! I can bundle learning to ride and a dad / daughter get away into one. Gopher and motopark have gotten back to me, waiting on trail tours.

As for getting on the road on a bike at 16, yeah I'm not exactly hot on it either - but I can only put it off for so long. I'd rather that she have some positive experience (more than an M1x) and get some good time behind the bars for when she does get on the road. And I can also participate with her in this and make it something to bond over. Bikes, fixing bikes, upgrading bikes, staring at nice bikes etc. And when she does go for her M1 and takes the M1x she'll be better prepared. I see that as a positive. I mean, she'll have to save up for a bike with a part time job already, so not as if she'll be riding this year anyways.
 
I wanted an easier 'landing' should things go awry, and since some of those are private lessons I can do it with her. As I don't think I'd ever want to do an M1x again, this is a better option! I can bundle learning to ride and a dad / daughter get away into one. Gopher and motopark have gotten back to me, waiting on trail tours.

As for getting on the road on a bike at 16, yeah I'm not exactly hot on it either - but I can only put it off for so long. I'd rather that she have some positive experience (more than an M1x) and get some good time behind the bars for when she does get on the road. And I can also participate with her in this and make it something to bond over. Bikes, fixing bikes, upgrading bikes, staring at nice bikes etc. And when she does go for her M1 and takes the M1x she'll be better prepared. I see that as a positive. I mean, she'll have to save up for a bike with a part time job already, so not as if she'll be riding this year anyways.

Each kid is different in terms of ability and confidence. My daughter and I have talked about getting her license for the road. She is 20 now and in school and has a serious boyfriend with little time for much riding. She got her drivers license at 16 and now has her G2. She doesn’t enjoy driving but, does recognize that driving in traffic with different people wouldn’t make for a pleasant experience on two wheels.

We stick to pedal power on trails and that seems to keep our relationship healthy. We touch base on the whole M license thing and she is focused on getting her full G first and getting through school before taking on petro power two wheels.

I’m supportive if she wants to move ahead with getting her M2 as she has some road experience in the car and dealing with traffic etc. But, she isn’t so hot on doing it like she was back at aged 15.


Good luck!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:

Back
Top Bottom