Anyone here have a Grom?

[Lightcycle]

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Grom is by far the favourite for the students. Mostly the women snap them up first and the guys sneer and avoid them on day 1 like the plague. By midway of day 2 the women are complaining that the guys won’t swap back for the exam lol

If I could give one piece of advice to people taking the motorcycle course:

"Look at what the instructors are teaching with on the parking lot. Pick that bike to learn on!"

But you get these new students who have it in their head that, "I'm a cruiser guy, I'm gonna pick that wicked, raked-out Eliminator 125 to ride this weekend", or "I'm a sportbike chick, that sweet red CBR125 is calling my name" and yet these are the two worst-handling bikes in the fleet, compared to the other standard UJM, dirt-bike and dual-sport motorcycles.

Object of the course is to pass the test. Not to look cool while you're learning how to ride a bike.

The Grom is the perfect learner bike.

 

[Evoex]

If I could give one piece of advice to people taking the motorcycle course:

"Look at what the instructors are teaching with on the parking lot. Pick that bike to learn on!"

But you get these new students who have it in their head that, "I'm a cruiser guy, I'm gonna pick that wicked, raked-out Eliminator 125 to ride this weekend", or "I'm a sportbike chick, that sweet red CBR125 is calling my name" and yet these are the two worst-handling bikes in the fleet, compared to the other standard UJM, dirt-bike and dual-sport motorcycles.

Object of the course is to pass the test. Not to look cool while you're learning how to ride a bike.

The Grom is the perfect learner bike.

Amen.
Yes I had a middle aged student who was adamant she wasn’t going to be caught dead on a crotch rocket (CBR 125).

We convinced her to try the dirt bike. She messaged me a few months later, she bought a dirt bike to romp in the woods when she’s not on her 900lb Harley.

 

[GreyGhost]

If I could give one piece of advice to people taking the motorcycle course:

"Look at what the instructors are teaching with on the parking lot. Pick that bike to learn on!"

But you get these new students who have it in their head that, "I'm a cruiser guy, I'm gonna pick that wicked, raked-out Eliminator 125 to ride this weekend", or "I'm a sportbike chick, that sweet red CBR125 is calling my name" and yet these are the two worst-handling bikes in the fleet, compared to the other standard UJM, dirt-bike and dual-sport motorcycles.

Object of the course is to pass the test. Not to look cool while you're learning how to ride a bike.

The Grom is the perfect learner bike.

On the flip side, with an attitude like that, the chance they spend parking lot time on their personal bike is low. A class bike that more closely mirrors what they have on the street may be beneficial.

 

[Evoex]

On the flip side, with an attitude like that, the chance they spend parking lot time on their personal bike is low. A class bike that more closely mirrors what they have on the street may be beneficial.

well the goal is to learn to control a motorcycle safely, some are simply 'easier' to learn on then others.

it's not about getting comfortable with your dream bike.

Could you imagine teaching this with a class full of r1s? oh lawd.

 

[Lightcycle]

well the goal is to learn to control a motorcycle safely, some are simply 'easier' to do then others.

it's not about getting comfortable with your dream bike.

Could you imagine teaching this with a class full of r1s? oh lawd.

'Zackly.

The goal of the course is to pass a test. Students pay good money for the course, why put up intentional hurdles to passing the test?

If you want to learn how to ride a sportbike properly, go to track school.

If you want to learn how to ride a Harley Davidson properly, go to a Tim Hortons and watch how all the guys duck walk their bike around the parking lot.

 

[GreyGhost]

'Zackly.

The goal of the course is to pass a test. Students pay good money for the course, why put up intentional hurdles to passing the test?

If you want to learn how to ride a sportbike properly, go to track school.

If you want to learn how to ride a Harley Davidson properly, go to a Tim Hortons and watch how all the guys duck walk their bike around the parking lot.

In the M2 exit course, a lady kept dumping her HD. The instructors were trying to persuade her to grab a school bike and work on her skills but she kept refusing. The third time she dumped it, it became less of a request and more of an ultimatum. The poor bike. It was a few weeks old and both sides took a beating.

 

[Evoex]

In the M2 exit course, a lady kept dumping her HD. The instructors were trying to persuade her to grab a school bike and work on her skills but she kept refusing. The third time she dumped it, it became less of a request and more of an ultimatum. The poor bike. It was a few weeks old and both sides took a beating.

M2 exit??? sheesh.

 

[Lightcycle]

In the M2 exit course, a lady kept dumping her HD. The instructors were trying to persuade her to grab a school bike and work on her skills but she kept refusing. The third time she dumped it, it became less of a request and more of an ultimatum. The poor bike. It was a few weeks old and both sides took a beating.

Second piece of advice I'd give, specifically to female riders taking the course:

Tell your husband/boyfriend, "F*ck off, I'm not getting a full-dresser or R1 just because you want a second bike in the garage to ride. I'm getting a motorcycle that *I* feel comfortable on, too f*cking bad if it's a Sportster or Ninja 250."

It's one of the top reasons why women give up on motorcycling...

"But honey, I'm just afraid that we'll have to buy you a bigger bike next season when you outgrow it..."

*SMH*

 

[Evoex]

Second piece of advice I'd give to female riders taking the course:

Tell your husband/boyfriend, "F*ck off, I'm not getting a full-dresser or R1 just because you want a second bike in the garage to ride. I'm getting a motorcycle that *I* feel comfortable on, too f*cking bad if it's a Sportster or Ninja 250."

It's one of the top reasons why women give up on motorcycling...

"But honey, I'm just afraid that we'll have to buy you a bigger bike next season when you outgrow it..."

*SMH*

lol

 

[mimico_polak]

Whoa whoa there @Lightcycle are you saying that the sportster is a girls bike?

 

[Lightcycle]

Whoa whoa there @Lightcycle are you saying that the sportster is a girls bike?

Not at all. I'm saying that there's absolutely nothing wrong with starting small and light and then working your way up *if* you feel you need or want to.

And I'm also telling the guys that push their SOs into a much larger bike: You need to respect the fact that different people learn at different speeds. It's great that your first bike was a turbo Busa. It doesn't mean everyone can or should start off on a liter bike.

Also... pick up your feet when you're riding in the parking lot, Mr Turbo Busa.

 

[Lightcycle]

I'm sure some of the instructors on here could help fill an entire thread titled:

"Sh!t your motorcycle instructor wants to tell you but is way too f*cking polite to".

 

[GreyGhost]

Second piece of advice I'd give, specifically to female riders taking the course:

Tell your husband/boyfriend, "F*ck off, I'm not getting a full-dresser or R1 just because you want a second bike in the garage to ride. I'm getting a motorcycle that *I* feel comfortable on, too f*cking bad if it's a Sportster or Ninja 250."

It's one of the top reasons why women give up on motorcycling...

"But honey, I'm just afraid that we'll have to buy you a bigger bike next season when you outgrow it..."

*SMH*

In this case, the husband did have a bigger harley but she picked the one that represented her image not her skill or emotional level. Tbh, she would be pretty dangerous on any bike as she had the wrong attitude (little desire to improve, just wanted to be seen and tell people she had a harley). I will give her kudos for slowly killing that poor bike and not losing her mind about the damage, she'd just get help picking it up and ride on (until she crashed it again). Her husband was in the course too chirping about the size of the obstacles and how they were designed for little bikes not real bikes. Instructors had enough of that and ripped a wing through the course (obviously no duck walking required). Husband was quieter after that (although he needed his feet an awful lot).

 

[Lightcycle]

Her husband was in the course too chirping about the size of the obstacles and how they were designed for little bikes not real bikes. Instructors had enough of that and ripped a wing through the course (obviously no duck walking required). Husband was quieter after that (although he needed his feet an awful lot).

F-n classic!

"I think there's something wrong with the clutch/brake/shifter/etc."

Hop on the bike and there's absolutely nothing wrong with the clutch/brake/shifter/etc.

"I think the real problem lies somewhere between the seat and the handlebars"

Sh!t your motorcycle instructor wants to tell you but is way too f*cking polite to.

 

[FullMotoJacket]

Are people who ride Groms called Grommits? Asking for a friend.

The faired one posted above does look kinda cool. Don't know about the N²O, though. Doesn't suit the build, or the reason for it.

 

[Lightcycle]

Are people who ride Groms called Grommits? Asking for a friend.

 

[GreyGhost]

That's basically millyard with a dog. Or I guess more accurately millyard as a dog with his physical representation along for the journey. Many years ago An ex-gf got me a uk w&g DVD and then we needed to find a dodgy player to watch the out of region video.

 

[Mad Mike]

Second piece of advice I'd give, specifically to female riders taking the course:

Tell your husband/boyfriend, "F*ck off, I'm not getting a full-dresser or R1 just because you want a second bike in the garage to ride. I'm getting a motorcycle that *I* feel comfortable on, too f*cking bad if it's a Sportster or Ninja 250."

It's one of the top reasons why women give up on motorcycling...

"But honey, I'm just afraid that we'll have to buy you a bigger bike next season when you outgrow it..."

*SMH*

My wife road for a while while, she could never overcome the fear. She regularly does 100km rides on bicycles with no fear (personally riding a pedal bike with cars wizzing by spooks me, not her-it’s her thing). She learned on a cb125r, graduated to a LS650, then went back to the ninja 250.

The fear factor just loomed too large, so she gave me the 250 and bought herself a plastic Trek. I still can’t figure out how a bicycle can cost more than a Vstrom.

 

[GreyGhost]

My wife road for a while while, she could never overcome the fear. She regularly does 100km rides on bicycles with no fear (personally riding a pedal bike with cars wizzing by spooks me, not her-it’s her thing). She learned on a cb125r, graduated to a LS650, then went back to the ninja 250.

The fear factor just loomed too large, so she gave me the 250 and bought herself a plastic Trek. I still can’t figure out how a bicycle can cost more than a Vstrom.

My mtb cost the original owner almost bmw gs money. Absolutely crazy. It is a beautiful thing that brings me joy everytime I ride it though. Thankfully for me, the used mtb market is brutal and the original owner took ~10K depreciation in two years.

 

[bigpoppa]

My mtb cost the original owner almost bmw gs money. Absolutely crazy. It is a beautiful thing that brings me joy everytime I ride it though. Thankfully for me, the used mtb market is brutal and the original owner took ~10K depreciation in two years.

at least with a GS you get starbucks cred

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