+1 I'm with kinderen.

If the fender is the only thing that needs repair, spend the money and get an exact color match from a dealer and do the install yourself. I wouldn't mess with fixing the crease and having a body shop repaint to match.

 

Left turn from stop was probably the most difficult skill for my wife to master. What worked for us was planning our routes before hand and avoiding any turns or situations she wasn't comfortable with. Pass it by and find another way.

This is where the more experienced rider/coach has to run interference and look at each situation with new rider eyes.

Starting on a new 700lb bike wasn't the smartest thing to do and I would rarely recommend that route to anyone else but it worked out okay for us. She dropped it in the parking lot first day she got it (left turn from stop) and did some damage. Had it to do over I would've had her do more saddle time before learning that skill.

Accident she had in Dec had nothing to do with the size of bike, just a momentary lapse of attention. She got a broken wrist and some chrome forks out of the deal. I got a new rear fender

I'm so proud of how far she's come in only a year. Not saying a whole lot but she's every bit the rider I am.

 

The way I see it, the bike is a low priority, your wife comes first. Not everyone who takes and passes the MSF BRC is ready for the road. In fact when I was an MSF Rider Coach I used to tell riders at the end of the class that all they were really qualified to do was ride a 200cc bike around tiny cones in an empty parking lot with no cars or pedestrians present and under the supervision of a Rider Coach. That's it.

I've always believed that a LARGE part of motorcyling is confidence, and right now your wife's confidence has taken a shot. Once a riders confidence somes into question, they no longer enjoy motorcycling and that is not a good thing.

Here is what I suggest. Don't fix the bike right away as it may only get damaged again. Don't put her back on the street right away as it might become a safety issue. Instead put her back in the parking lot and work on the slow stuff. She MUST become familiar with the clutch and friction zone. There is much more to riding than quickly letting the clutch out and going straight (which is what it sounds like she did at the intersection). Too many riders want to get that clutch out all the way. While that is okay for drag racing, it does NOT promote good slow speed control, especially with the bars turned. She must learn to ride with the bars turned and the clutch in the friction zone or riding will become unpleasant for both of you. She is a new rider and that is a good thing. You are lucky to have her before she begins developing too many bad unbreakable habits. So start now.

Start with the basics. Do that MSF "Rocking" exercise where she keeps the lever in the friction zone and rocks back on her heels. Do NOT let her pull the clutch in all the way to the grip, instead pull it in just enough to rock the bike back, and then let it out just enought to roll forward slightly. Make sure her head and eyes are UP and NOT looking down or at the controls.

From there begin a series of starts and stops. Do about 7-10 in a row where all she does is do a regular start and then a stop. The difference is that when she stops she drops her left foot to hold her upright and keeps her right foot up and on the board holding the bike with the rear brake. Remind her that if she wants to use the front brake the bars MUST be straight. Use the old saying "Brake Straight" as a reminder. In fact, it would be ideal if she would NOT use the front brake at all during these basic slow exercises as it will cause problems later on. I know the MSF says always use both brakes (a MAJOR point of difference between the MSF and Enforcement Riding and a reason I no longer teach the MSF) but the front brake will cause problems at slow speeds. Don't let her get into the bad habit of always dropping both feet when she stops. I know there are times when a rider HAS to have both feet down, but by and large for normal everyday riding work on "left foot down right foot up on the rear brake". What this will do is make her use the rear brake more, and less front brake. Too many inexperienced riders drop both feet giving up the rear brake. This leaves only the front brake to stop them which they over use. On a smaller lighter MSF 175cc bike it's not a problem, but it is on a heavier bike. Upon hard front braking all that weight shifts forward and if the bars are turned just slightly, or the road is slanted or uneven, the rider may topple over. However using only the rear brake a rider can come to a complete stop with the bars turned all the way to lock and with a slight lean.

After she is fully comfortable with the friction zone and starting and stopping, introduce turns from a stop. That's the one that she just had trouble with. From a stop, have her turn her head and LOOK. It's not a glance, but a focused effort to LOOK where she wants to go, almost to the exclusion of everything else around her. Too many riders start with a good head turn and look, but then let their eyes wander off to something else and their turns become poor. With her head and eyes turned, have her turn the bars in the direction of the turn. Then have her raise her engine speed up to twice idle and ease the clutch out so the bikes moves. As the bike moves have her right foot come quickly up onto the rear brake and give it a slight drag. Don't let her quickly pop the clutch out or that will straighten the bars up and she will again ride straight across the interesection again. Make sure she deliberatly eases the clutch out while keeping the bars and her head turned. As the bike picks up speed she will naturally countersteer through the curve and let the clutch out all the way and come off the rear brake........ as long as her head is turned and her eyes are still looking where she wants to go.

Home this helps.

Mark

 

Fantastic advice from Mark...Hopefully your wife's bike has engine guards...if so, you can easily protect her bike [which protects her]by slicing open a short section of garden hose and zip tying it to the lower corners of the 'crash guards'.

 

Glad the wifes Ok, treat her to an off road course where she can fall off lots without hurting herself. This type of course will give her confidence and teach her clutch and throttle control. As for the fender leave it for alone for a while. You could always get her a cheap hack to get used to the road

 

I dont think i would fix any cosmetic damage until she has become a better rider!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I've seen used Rebels in the $3k range.


...on a serious note, I am glad she's okay. The three of you got off easy. I'd seriously put her on something she can build her confidence on.

 

Mark's post above was spot on. I realize you did not ask for any advise beyond the repair but will throw out a story of some positive reinforcement. My wife is also a rider and I have been there for her slow speed incidents. Take it slow. Keep her confidence high and get her back on the bike slowly. We followed the start off with a Rebel method (after she took the MSF on her own) before I moved her up to the Sporty. That really helped her gain confidence as she could easily muscle the bike around. She never even dropped that bike. She spent a long time doing laps of our neighborhood without me pushing her along until one day she said she was ready for the road. We stayed on streets that were no faster than 35 mph and only took right turns. Four miles total. Then streched out from there. The shear weight and higher center of gravity did cause her to drop the new Sporty but in time she got comfortable and confident with it. It has been good. Stay positive.
Now back to your question, do not fix it right away as that will just add to the pressure for your wife. Laugh it off and let her feel that it is OK as it is only bent metal (better than a bent wife). Let her know that it is OK if something happens again. It can be repaired. Also, I cannot see from your photo, but make sure that the bike has crash bars. The bars will protect her legs if she (I'd hate if my wife's legs were injured) happens to drop it and will minimize any damage to the bike.

 

I agree with the two above post. I would just encourage her to get back on and start riding. I would wait to the end of summer to get it fixed in case something would happen again you don't have to pay twice. Be thankfull she is okay.

 

Paniolo,

Great advice. I feel that everyone should have to take the MSF course, should be mandated. I learned a lot from it, even my buddy who has been riding for over 10 years took it and loved the course.

With that being said, I completed the course, and was scared getting on any road going into 3rd gear, because you dont even touch that. Takes weeks of daily driving and practice in parking lots to get used to it.

Confidence and she will be fine. Glad she is ok.