Getting mates to give riding a go

[footlong8]

This is a random
. I've been riding for 5 years now and fell in love with bikes on my own, it wasn't anything my friend group was interested in. Friends have made noises about giving it a go but never got around to it. I'd love to sort something to give them a push.

I'd love to book a weekend where they can get some tuition (from having never sat on a bike before), maybe do a cbt.... But I also don't want to be bored.

Is there a school perhaps attached to a track, so I can keep myself amused whilst they hopefully get bitten by the bug?

Any other suggestions welcome
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er6-f, triumph street triple R

[dodsi]

Get biker friends, keep non biker friends separate.

Be a social chameleon.

[thx1138]

I only have biker friends, pretty much.

[Commuter_Tim]

Keep no friends, Problemo Solvedo.
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The above post is most likely nonsensical.

I ride a Bandit 600... badly.

[Going]

[RhynoCZ]

When I got a motorcycle, all my mates said it was cool and that they're going to get the licence and motorcycles as well. Not a single one ever even got into trying to obtain the licence. That same would go with when I started to play guitar. One friend of mine actually bought a guitar and amplifier, tried it 4 maybe 5 times and sold it for about 20% of what he paid for it. My brother was the same, I gave him a guitar, he found out it's not that simple to start as he thought it'd be and given up after 2 days.

So, I am rather sceptical about you turning any of your friends into motorcyclists. People normally don't tend to do things, that require extra effort.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[Beehive Bedlam]

No friends is the best course of action.

[M.C]

Geton free ride perhaps?

I know lots of people who have been going on about getting their license and that R6 (or whatever) for years. The only one that did was the pal I did my DAS course with, and I had to lend him the money for it

[NJD]

Face the facts that if they wanted to learn to ride a motorbike they would have done so and if they ever will they'll only ever do it of their own back out of their own pocket because it's something that they'll want to have a go at and have an interest in. Don't waste your breath or money attempting to push people towards riding a motorbike. I've tried with fellow work "friends" and it's fallen on deaf ears beside the odd person of whom has ridden in the past when they where younger, we then talked about bikes but you respect the fact that not everyone wants to ride forever or a car becomes more convent as they got older or their family grew etc.

I'd also say that any attempt to mention trying to get someone else to ride a motorbike that doesn't want to will create on ever changing on the spot excuse. They get old really quickly and rather odd at times. The last excuse I got was along the lines of *"Sitting on a bike with both feet up the bike would fall over." No, just no. You're safer in a car if any vehicle at all. I will not in the interest of everyone else's safety attempt to go any further with this conversation. Brick wall, reveal yourself.

If someone doesn't even or cannot even be bothered to do a CBT of which for the most part (but not always) is a one day course I wouldn't even bother attempting again or talking any further.

I recently was asked why I ever wanted a motorbike and I responded with my opinion on the matter that "I just always knew." And that's that in my opinion, it's either inside of you or it isn't.

I'd hazard a guess that for most youngsters that want a cheap bike on the road at a young age have to wait until they start work and can afford it themselves if ever because their parents wont donate a penny as the motorbike is viewed the devils child of the personal transport choices, get a car however and everyone's your friend.

Also prefer riding solo. I've never liked the unpredictability of another riders actions.

* Was talking about while stationary. Face palm.

[mrbox]

when I moved into my current shared flat neither of my flatmates rode. now one has done his full test and the other a cbt gone from just my bike outside to five

most of my mates ride or have ridden bikes.


bike mates or no mates would be my choice


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Current bikes: RE Himalayan, Bandit 12, MZ250ES

[hellkat]

Lots of people talk about what they wanna do.
Lots of people regret on their death beds that they never got round to it.

I agree with NJD.
If your friends REALLY wanted to, they would be doing it.

When you bugger off and have fun on your bike, maybe some of them will get off their lardy arses and follow you.

But you would be better off finding people who are already motivated to ride. The friends who are only talking the talk will still be there, longing to be riding ... and jealously eyeing your new bike when they aren't busy listening to the Mrs nag them or watching their children* waddle over to a pile of dog shit in the boring park ... when you get back from a nice long relaxing/exhilarating ride.


*because spouse/children are the usual excuse that people use as to why they cannot take up riding - and yet, strangely - most of us with bikes manage to have ALL those things if and when it suits us.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Hahadumball]

disown current friends and get bike mates.

youll only end up hanging round with L platers going slow everywhere and being bored.
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Fin: no matter how much I look at It I can't understand what was going through my head, all I remember is going about 80 and redlining it to stop it seizing.
360 Deg... Five 1/4 turns. :- Teflon-Mike 18 Jan 2015

[ZX-7R]

[Chuffin Nora]

[1198]

You could always call round the motorcycle training schools and find one that does a free sample session for your friends to try?
Or accept they're most likely not interested and just move on...
Personally I'm not a fan of riding n groups anyhow..

[BigDan1190]

Mick Extance Off road school? He owns (or has permission from the owner of) a 1500 acre forest so you don't need a license to blat around on dirt bikes all day.

[Rogerborg]

I agree with most of the groupthink. They'll do it if they do it.

Thinking through colleagues and acquaintances who have shown an interest:

Two got licensed up.
One did his CBT, got a 125, but died before getting licensed (remberingmost)
One did a CBT, bought a 125, binned it half a mile from home and chucked it in.
Three did CBTs but never took it further. One of them is constantly reading bike travel books, and talking about taking it further, but it's all talk, his wife has nixxed it.
Three or four or more make some noises about doing a CBT but never get around to it. Maybe next year.

All you can do is encourage. Their lives, their regrets to own.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[stevo as b4]

It would be interested to know on BCF, who has bike riding mates and who doesn't, and do you care either way?

I used to have 3 good bike riding mates years ago, I also knew 5people at work with bikes, and would meet up and go on.rife out for rides with maybe 2 of them. I for a while was in a local area club with about 15-20members that had bikes, and we would go out every fortnight on a pub ride out.

I also had one or two family members with bikes.

Now I've got just one mate that I'm certain when his kids have grown up and he has the time/money will get another bike.

I do agree that trying to make your mates like bikes is wrong, two of mine saw me do my test and buy bikes, and within 18months both of them had thier own bike.

I'm happy to have mates that are not at all into bikes too, I'm not one of those that has to be able to talk bikes to get on with someone or has to know they like them.

It's quite nice having different hobbies and interests to friends I would say.

I'd maybe like to join some off road club this year though, and meet up with others that want to blast around muddy fields, forests and organised events like trials/enduro sections tho.

[andyscooter]

Used to have two mates with bikes who I would ride with

One died (he was older and had cancer)

The other still rides but only on warm sunny days

Used to ride with a club was a laugh til someone decided to try and make it all sons of anarchy with votes and couldn't ride without your t shirts type stuff
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[pepperami]

I know a few people and some of them are into bikes.
None of them have the same biking interests as me.
A couple of them are into trials big time
A good few of them are into Moto-ball (google it) and are my friends form the old days.
A few people I know are into super powered, 10,000 bhp plastic missiles with all the bolt on trinkets (tossers) .

All my other friends think that anybody with a motorbike is a nutter?
Frankly I cant be arsed to convert people, if they`re not interested, that`s their choice.
Funny how many non biking people I know that used to have a ninja/bird/xz/r/1000 years ago but had to give it up or they`d kill themselves because they were Soooo Fast!
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Rogerborg]

I occasionally go for a ride with some sedate Bandit boys.

The local MCC has gone a bit patch-mad. Nice folk, but a bit too honourmostful for my tastes now.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[NJD]

[oscar777]

Ive got a few mates with a2 licenses restricted to 47hp.

Still fun times going for a ride together. Cant think of many better things then a group ride in good weather. I do need more mates with full licenses and go to more meets etc.

However biking is something you have a inclination to do or you don't. You shouldn't push anyone into it.
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Push bike with a 80cc jerry rigged 2 stroke---> CBR125R ---> GSXR600 ---> Ducati 1098SF

[Lord Percy]

I guess everyone's different but I prefer keepings things as a personal interest. If a true mate happens to be into it too then that's a bonus. Lucky for me one of my best mates is into it. But he'd still be my mate whether he was a motorbikey person or not. We were mates long before we even had licences.

When you have chums purely through shared interests, often you'll find the level of conversation/interaction never branches away from that particular interest. e.g. I used to skateboard absolutely loads, all my mates were skaters on the Yorkshire scene. It's what kept us together. Soon as I began to do it a bit less, then drifted away completely, the friendships very quickly dried out too. Almost 10 years in total, and now I'm just another of those faded memories for them; a guy who 'used to skate'. There are a couple who I'm still good mates with but, as is the case with my motorbiker mate, these lads would have been friends regardless of the skateboarding pastime.

Plus I find the enjoyment of a hobby goes much further than the hobby itself. What I mean is, I find groups of enthusiasts all together tend to get hyped and wank each other off over new brands, new famous people, new big events, etc. But to me that's much of a muchness, it's water under the bridge so to speak. I don't enjoy things for the flashy new things and the celebrity gossip. If I like something, I like it for the fundamentals, if that makes sense. I don't need some sort of clique or club to share that with.

That's just my take on it. Having chums with a shared hobby is great, but they need to be real chums first.

Though I know some people love clubs and stuff. Each to their own I guess.

[Commuter_Tim]