First I gave my wife an overview of what to expect and what to do. Don't lean, just look in any direction I lean too. And hold on to me. Then she suited up in her riding gear too.
The first new thing is how best to get on and off the bike together. I need to work on this to find out the best way, so I don't have many tips to share yet. I did notice when letting her get off the bike, if I bend my knees, lean the bike to the left, that let her get off the bike much easier.
The bike handles different. I went around the school parking lot. That let her get used to it and me get used to the different handling. The first thing I notice is the rear brake has way more stopping power. And then I realized I hadn't been fully using the rear brake when riding solo, so I'll have to quit neglecting it.
I went to a smaller empty parking lot and went around in a big oval. I started in first a few times around and then went to second and went around. I made the turns at the ends within about a car's length. I worked into more leaning at the ends. Even though I'm just going around in circle's it is nice being out there on the bike with my wife, leaning into the curves.
Then I went around to another section and did a tight U-turn from one road to another. Practiced regular stopping and a few quick stops. I want to practice quick stopping at higher speeds more before we go out on the road. I know how to drive the thing, even at high speeds. And while it handles different with a passenger, it still goes forward with the throttle. But stopping distance is different and I want to have a really good feel for that. I've read the brake is the most powerful thing on the bike, more powerful the engine, but way more harder. I always thought it was about learning to go fast, but that's easy.
The school parking lot is more a mini-complex of a few roads - a few internal intersections, stop signs, and such. This parking lot has been wonderful to me for practicing. I can ride in loops and practice stops at the many stop signs. I can visit any empty parking lot area. But this vastness also means other traffic sometimes. We came around a curve coming up to a stop sign with a 3 way intersection. The speed limit is like 15 or something. From far back, you can't make out the right hand road very well due to a minor hill and some bushes they decided to put up. As you get closer, you can make out more and more. Straight ahead you can make out very well. No one coming, so I focused on the road to the right. Something moving, fast, close. I quick stopped with plenty of distance to the intersection. A car was making a left turn into the road we were on. But, they decided to use the whole road for their left turn. They turned into my lane before shifting lanes over to the other proper side of the road. I don't mean she took the turn slightly in my lane. She fully turned into the on-coming road lane and then got over. As if they whole road was hers. Her turn was way too tight, just bad or distracted driving. The intersections and turns at that spot are gentle enough for a driver's ed student. I know I was able to take it well very early on when I started driving a bike.
Beyond me and other motorcyclists, that woman is a danger. It is a school parking lot complex next to a park. And even though school was out, kids and adults often walk on the road or next to it. She's a danger to all of them. For me, I saw her coming and had plenty of buffer space in my stop. As she came around, I saw her moving over to the right. I was watching that too. Because, if she had kept coming straight I would have taken the escape to the right over into the park. As always when I stop, my bike is in first, hand on the clutch, ready to move if needed. I wouldn't describe it as a close call. Since I saw her coming well in advance, I had plenty of buffer distance. But that experience helps reinforce the point, you get used to the bike controls under different circumstances, but always be on the look out at what is happening around you.
Another lesson learned, the school has this one stop sign that is uphill. It is a bit tough to come to a stop, avoid rolling back a lot, and then go forward without the bike chocking out. I've gotten much better at that. But a passenger changes the dynamics and so the bike died out a few times as I tried to get a feel for how best to transition it off from stopped on a hill to going forward. I imagine that might be rough on the bike. I'm so glad I bought a used one :)
There's not a whole lot of riding season left this year, so it probably isn't until next year when I really start going on some trips with my wife. Still this was a good start.
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