So I took a....umm....friend for a ride this weekend. It was her first time ever on a motorcycle. She really loved it (she *was* with me so....of course she did) and is considering getting a bike next year.

But she has never learned how to or driven a manual trans car. So my question is has anyone else gotten on a motorcycle for the first time having never driven a manual trans before in their life? It seems like a potentially bad idea and just adds one more element to steepen learning curve. I think it would be easier and better if you are already semi-comfortable with controlling a manual trans vehicle. But what do I know?

thoughts? Do I need to teach her to drive stick in a car first over the winter?

In my opinion and what I have heard from others, knowing how to drive stick did make a huge difference cause you understand the concept of clutch-shift-gas. Since the end of the season is unfortunately near I would have her learn to drive stick so she'll be more comfortable when the season starts next year.

I know a few riders that know how to ride but can't drive manual. I don't see how it relates that much other than the basic concept. Even though I'm used to driving manual cars I still had to learn the sweet spot for bikes and I don't think it really gave me much of a benefit.

Wouldn't hurt to teach her how to drive manual anyways though. Good thing to know how to do.

bike manual adn car manual are 2 seperate entities

car: clutch with left foot shift with right hand
bike: clutch with left hand shift with left foot

get a low powered bike IE: 250 and teach by starting moving using no gas


i drove stick prior to geting a bike but there was still a good learning curve getting smooth at the shifting and all

Maybe I just knew dumb people lol

I'm mostly thinking about how when a lot of people learn to drive stick in a car they spend a lot of time thinking about what hear, how this when that etc for the first maybe just even a couple days until it starts to come more natually. Just seems like that bit of extra stuff to get the hang could make it a bit scarier and tougher when first starting out.


Unfortunately, before I can teach her how to drive a stick I have to get a motor, trans and seats back into my mazda. (which i finally get to go pick up this friday (wooooo!)

make sure you teach her upright backing techniques too

I'd never driven a manual trans, when I took the MSF years ago. In fact, I still have yet to drive a manual trans, though I fully understand the concepts behind it now.

The MSF specifically presumes that you've never driven a manual, in their instruction method. I wouldn't say it's a requirement, though being familiar with it would definitely help the transition.

I'm not really thinking smoothness but the whole concept and relationship of how all the actions work together.


I guess whatever is going to happen is going to happen. Just wondering which way I should try to steer things. I think shes smart enough to take my advice. Some people aren't.

and now look what a baller you are!


Thats awesome, great to know.!

Michelle still has no clue how to drive a manual trans car but she has her M class.

I think it was harder to learn to drive manual cars than riding a bike tho. Most people have more control over their hands than they do their feet.

As with anything, you can only learn from first hand experience. She's better off just trying it out and seeing if she can figure it out. I truly believe that some people have the natural ability to ride and some don't. The in between riders are the ones that shouldn't be riding.

IMO, MSF courses rule all. She's better off just signing up and spending the $20 to learn from professionals who are trained on how to teach new riders. She can use their bikes (and fuck up their bikes), she is covered under their insurance and she can learn the correct way to do everything. Learning from a rider is much different because she will learn all the short cuts that you do and you might leave out some important things that can help her.

exactly.



Yea, she would deff be going to the abate/msf class in the spring. I may try to get her to go in the spring even if she doesn't get a bike. It would be nice to have someone else around I could trust to ride my bike if the need ever arose. I am not going to attempt to teach anyone....anything. I'm not the right person for that gig. I can give tips and pointers when asked directed questions but a teacher I am not. I'm not going to try to screw with that policy in accordance with something that could cost a lot of money and/or a life.

I agree with the MSF class thing, first and foremost. She should definitely take it, but having an understanding of manual trans helps a lot. There were three people in my class that had to be "coached out" because they didn't understand and were a danger to other riders on the course.

My dad taught me the concept of manual trans when I was about ten- we literally spent an afternoon going back and forth between an ugly '86 F150 and his Yamaha until I got it.

Aahh, memories... My point was actually that I think learning at the same time is good. It may prevent bad habits later on that she'll have to try and get rid of in the MSF course. For me, it was downshifting into first in a quick stop. Because I never ever do that in my car, I had a hell of a time doing it on a motorcycle and had to go home and practice!

When I learned to ride and I never drove a manual transmission before. In fact, I still can't drive a manual transmission well. I will still stall out every so often.

I never drove a manual car before I learned to ride a bike. I learned to ride on a shitty ass scooter in India when I was 16. I learned to ride an actual motorcycle when I was 18 in India. I didn't have any problems, hell my dad was sitting on the back of the motorcycle teaching me. Two days after I learned to ride a motorcycle with a manual trans, I was driving in an uber busy Indian street. You think traffic is bad in Chicago, you haven't seen anything. About a month after I learned to ride a motorcycle I got to drive this shitty Suzuki Maruti my dad bought to drive around while we were in India. I drove that shit perfectly, having never driven a manual car before. I don't think its required to be able to drive a manual car before you learn to ride a bike. Both myself and my brother never drove manual cars (I've only driven manual once) before but we both ride bikes. I think motorcycle transmissions are a bit more forgiving than car trannies since they are built a bit tougher. We don't even need to use the clutch to shift, that is extremely difficult in a car but quite easy in a motorcycle.

So, there is hope for me!?!?

If they stop producing automatic trans cars, people would actually concentrate on the task at hand - driving, not yapping about worthless crap on the cell phone, occupying 90% of their attention, while the road gets a measly 10% (or less in some cases).

Other than that, taking off on an incline is a lot more challenging in a manual car than bike.

+1! Rear Brake FTW!!

The experience in a manual car may help you understand a bike, they are fundamentally different. I learned on a manual trans car and still had to learn the bike.

MSF course FTW (but I may be biased being an instructor and all... )