Okay,

An occasional acquaintance asked if his wife could ride my S40 to see how if feels to ride a MC again.  She received her MC license about eighteen months to two years ago and has not been on a bike since the MC class. This means she has ridden all of three days max. They know I have a Harley. I am thinking they think I wouldn't mine if she rode the S40 as it is my second bike.  My first and quite frankly last thought is H*ll to the NO!  I just do not understand why people think it is alright to ask to ride someone else's bike. I would never asked to ride someone bike.  So, am  I mean, selfish, or right?  Be frank as I have a thick skin.  

Your first thought was the correct one.

Might be Mean but it's also Right.

You are not mean, just being careful.
If she wants to check out riding again then she should go back and take the class again.
That is the safe way for her and you.

ColoS40Girl wrote on 12/08/12 at 16:59:08:


You may or not be "mean" -- but in this case you are being nice.  I do not understand why people think they are just hop up on a big motorcycle.  The S40 is a bike bike.  A middleweight would be a 250 class cruiser.  A motorcycle to ride to see if you want to ride would be a 50cc scooter.   Really.   We are going to Hawaii in 2014 and the wife will be riding a rental 50cc scooter.

I assume, from your name, you are in Colorado.  I assume they also in CO.  It is *cold*.  Vacation where it is warm -- Florida or Hawaii.  Both have scooter rentals.  Or a bigger scooter, a 150cc Vespa -- Eagleriders in LAX have at least one available since I rented it myself.  Other Eagleriders locations will have Vespas also.  RENT a scooter, or even a 838 Sportster, and ride for a day.

Then she can see if she liked the scooter and would be willing to buy a big bike for herself.

If she was considering buying a car like yours and asked to drive your car, you probably wouldn't think about it in quite the same way.   In other words, you'd probably be a little more lenient.   However, the skill set for a motorcycle vs a car are entirely different, and just because someone has driven for years (a car) doesn't mean those same skills carry over to a bike.  I think one of the misconceptions that non-riders have is that they may think a motorcycle is just another vehicle, and so it's OK to ask.   As mentioned earlier, I have friends whom I would have no reservations about riding one of my bikes, but these are folks that I know personally to have riding expertise.

An extreme example...  I used to have an airplane, but there is no way I would allow anyone to take my plane for a "spin" without the skills and credentials to do so.

I think you made the correct decision, especially considering your friend's personal safety.  Think about how you'd feel if she darted out in traffic and was killed?

A fairly easy out is to just tell them your insurance will not cover anyone other than family members (or yourself) driving your motorcycle. Most people will accept that reason without taking offense.

Sharing a bike is like swinging...  It is OK to offer, but not to ask.

I agree that a 2 year lag with three days experience is scary.  But I have "hosted" beginners before and will again.  It really depends on the person.  (Both rider and owner)  I have a friend that I have known for 25 years, and we have been riding together most of that time.  He still would not let me barrow a bike.  Or his wife...  And I am fine with both of those choices.

For insurance reasons not a good idea. If she has no bike then most likely she has no insurance of her own and yours most likely only would cover you. And then if a accident happened she could sue you for everything you own.