Persuading the missus to go on a tour by bike....

[flamair]

Hi all


Ok, firstly apologies if I have put this in the wrong section - mods do change it if so.

My problem is that I would like to go touring with the other half. Unfortunately, she is in two minds as to whether she wants to go as at this stage as she has never been on the back of the bike yet!!!

I am slowly trying to convince her to get some clothing and give it a try but she is a little 'lukewarm'. I think she'd like to but is worried she won't like it and then I'll be disappointed!!

Now can anyone offer any thoughts/advice/comments on the best way to coax her into giving it a try? Any ladies out there any ideas on methods I could use?! I don't want her to go if she doesn't like it of course. But she saw the pics of our trip this year and thought (Spain/Picos/Pyrenees)looked lovely.

Just a matter of getting her to give it a go at this stage.

Thanks folks!:)

[dash]

Sell her car.



Sorry, I have nothing more useful. I took the precaution of introducing Mrs Dash to bikes by offering her lifts when we were both students and it was an hour by bus to get to and from campus, and sold her her first bike before we were even officially a couple

I think it is probably just a matter of getting her to try it under the right circumstances.

[Multirider]

I would love the answer to this. SWMBO uswed to come with me, until we went to Scotland and got soaked for 4 days - put her off completely and i really would like to get her with me into Europe.

[flamair]

Yes, the 'what happens if it rains' issue is another I am concerned about!! To be honest I plan on taking her to the Picos via the Santander ferry if she decides to give it a go properly..that way the chances of rain should be less than a UK trip. She likes the ferry too...

HELP!!!!! Anyone...?

[Foxy125]

My Husband scared me half to death 20 years ago when he had his GSX and I swore I would never go on the back again, 3 years or so ago he got his 1200GS and persuaded me to give it a go so started out on little trips to of about 20miles then just increased the distance and before long I was hooked had all my own kit then we started talking of going abroad as he had done a couple of euro trips with the lads, went to Italy and switzerland 18 months ago and loved it came back took my CBT and this year passed my test and now have a bike of my own and planning a trip to Italy, Sardinia and corsica next year. all I can say is that if she is interested start slowly but be warned this could get expensive!

[phil90]

Ok so had the same problem with my wife so here's what you do..

1) take her shopping for some very swish biker gear and tell her how well it fits and how good she looks in all the gear.
2) take her out on little trips, nothing major, don't frighten her by tonking down your fav twisty lane. Nice and steady all the way.
3) introduce her to other pillion riders and get them talking about their experiences. Pref the ones that have toured a little.
4) make your first trip a small one. Head to a little b&b or something that's not far from home.

The key is easing her in without her taking to much on and don't pressure her into anything. it will only back fire.

Good luck.

[slimbo]

plus get an intercom it does wonders for pillion confidence and if she needs to chat you can let her and turn her volume down.. no more punches in the kidneys..

[tiger800xc]

I managed to get the wife on the back of the sports bike:woohoo: and she hated it
but when i purchased the tiger she gave it one last go ans she now loves it,still hates the bends but she is getting better.

we have done a good few camping trips now and have spent hours in the rain on motorways etc and she still comes back for more :laugh:

Buy an intercom so she can talk to you that way her mind will not wonder
but i would say best let her make her own mind up ref getting on the bike

just booked 2.5 weeks off next year so wifey and i can go through germany and switzerland she is more excited that me

Good luck with it mate

[ChasF]

In my experience it's all about the bike. I took my wife out on my XT500 and Guzzi Le Mans and she hated both. I then bought a BMW and went touring round Europe (several times) and eventually on another BMW she spent a whole year on the back travelling through Africa - she's not keen on dirt roads now but other than that still enjoys our trips.

PS. We did have an intercom but never used it!

[Richard Simpson]

When the lady who became my wife saw my Aprilia Pegaso she said: "That looks lovely, can we make it work?"

Which I think was woman speak for can we go for a ride?

It was March, it was cold. I had a spare helmet that was too big, and some other spare kit.

So, we went out for a short gentle ride down some country lanes...and she loved it.

That afternoon we went in the car to a big motorcycle shop and I got her some better gear: told her it was 'an investment in our relationship'.

She seemed happy with that.

At the time we lived 120 miles apart from each other, and when she went home on Monday she insisted on taking her new gear with her. She wouldn't tell me why.

She called me on the Thursday with the immortal words "I've passed my test!"

(It was only her CBT, but never mind).

She went on to enjoy her motorcycling (on a Cagiva W16 and on the back of my bikes) for a few years...and then she bought a Bimota Supermono because it looked pretty.

Needles to say the bloody thing put her off bikes permanently.

How I hate Bimotas!

That bloody thing has nearly wrecked our marriage, and now she's given it to my step-son. It's like a hereditary disease!