Introducing new riders

Many of us have friends that they would like to introduce to motorcycling. Some of those friends may have "irrational fears" about the aspect of riding on one.

I have a very dear new friend that I would love to take for rides on my bike. This posting will describe my plan on introducing her to motorcycling and help over come her irrational fears.

Step 1: Even though the fears are entirely irrational, respect that they are real to your friend. No matter what they might be (and some I have heard are actually sorta funny), they do matter. Best start is to talk about motorcycling - the joys the sport has brought you.

Be sensative that your words may actually be making those irrational fears worse. For example, if your friend is concerned about the lack of a cage protection on a bike, DO NOT tell stories about carving canyons and knee dragging at extreme speeds. That will only excerbate the concerns.

Adjust your side of the conversation to describe the benefits.

Step 2: Introduce them to the bike. Sounds silly, but a lot of people have never really looked at one up close and personal. Point out the "do not touch parts", the "where to step, hold on, etc" parts and so on. Go slow - this is likely a little scary for them.

Step 3: Show them the gear. Talk about the gear. And whatever you do, make sure you have appropriate gear for them. If you don't, do not try to convince them to "go for a ride down the block". Yeah - I know - but remember, this is something they are likely only considering because of the trust they have in you. Do absolutely nothing to breach that.

Step 4: By now, they will have articulated why they have the irrational fear. It will likely be that someone in their sphere of influence has died as a result of a motorcycle accident. This one is a toughy to react to. Let them vent, ask questions, be attentive. Even if it is obvious the answer to why the person wrecked was user error - show concern. Take that data into consideration as you continue to converse on the topic of motorcycling.

Step 5: Similar to step 4, they will almost certainly say they are afraid of the other guy. We all know that the cagers are evil. But we also all know what we need to do to mitigate those risks. For the purposes of your friends first ride, do everything possible to mitigate this concern. A good example might be to offer the ride in a residential area that has little or no traffic. Anything to get them on the bike in a way that is comfortable to them.

Step 6: Assuming they agree to go for a ride, choose a day that the weather is most agreeable. We are all hard core riders - your friend is a pre-NOOB. Don't force them to also deal with cold air, rain, etc. Pick a warm enough day but still comfortable for them to wear ALL the gear.

Step 7: When that day comes, be very deliberate in your actions. Talk about what it means to be a passenger. If you will be taking a ride that involves turning, talk about their body position and what is expected of them. Do not forget - they are only doing this because they trust you. Discuss hand signals or other means of communication so the passenger knows they can let you know to stop, slow down, etc. They need some element of control to be comfortable. When you do finally get this all sorted out, go slow! I can't tell you how many people have told me stories about riding once before and the rider doing wheelies, stoppies, going insanely fast, etc. It really isn't funny to purposely scare the crap out of someone on a bike. Don't be a jerk - make them feel comfortable.

Step 8: Post ride. Chances are your passenger was too scared to even appreciate riding. They may have a problem expressing why they were so scared - be patient. Let it drop for a while if they don't want to talk about it. When the time is appropriate, talk about the ride, the things you like about motorcycling, etc. Hopefully, they will give you a second chance to "sell" them on riding. If not - don't press it.

Ok - that is about all I have for this. I will post back my success (or lack thereof) with my new dear friend over time.

Ride safe.