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can I ride your motorcycle?

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Question from our daughter's boyfriend as above. As a typical engineer I requested more data on his riding experience, risk awareness, last time riding, etc. Despite his strong appeals, I said no, but in a kind way. I dont even swap bikes with good friends that I know ride constantly and have great riding skills.

A buddy reminded me of this. So true.

"ask to borrow my lawnmower, date my daughter or dance with my wife, but never ask to ride my motorcycle."
 
I have borrowed my brothers, he has borrowed mine.
We learned to ride together on the same bikes.
While I probably have more experience overall than he does, I have no issues with him riding mine.
It is also understood that if we damage the bikes while borrowing it, we will pay for it.

My oldest brother (who does not own a bike but has a M endorsement) has borrowed my previous bike (1100 Shadow), but he does not want to ride my Goldwing, he does not feel confident enough.

I have offered other experience riders to ride my Wing, and have been reciprocated with theirs (Joe and I swapped a bit on our trip in August, he had never ridden a 1500, and I got to ride his K1600).
 
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I let most anyone I know ride my scooters. Usually they are way nicer to them than I am. After all, it is only a motorcycle. Putting a smile on a friend's face is worth way more than anything. Love me some scooters. I usually don't ride other folks bikes unless it is brand new and needs to have a first crash put on it, then I am your Huckleberry.
 
I would never ask, but have been offered.
One of my best friends has way more riding experience and skill than I and I would not hesitate to let him use my bike, but similarly he never asks but I have offered.
 
OldTLSDoug said:
I let most anyone I know ride my scooters. Usually they are way nicer to them than I am. After all, it is only a motorcycle. Putting a smile on a friend's face is worth way more than anything. Love me some scooters. I usually don't ride other folks bikes unless it is brand new and needs to have a first crash put on it, then I am your Huckleberry.
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Yep. And some I don't know.
 
If I were you and he was asking about the Guzzi, I’d probably say yes. But your other bike would be a solid no. That Italian would jump up and smack him before he saw it coming.
 
I’m fine with other people riding almost any bike I own. The exception is my ‘41 Indian. If you know enough about one to know how to ride it, I’d probably let you...
 
If it was someone I had just met, then no. But someone I know, sure. Why not?
I’ve had the opportunity to ride a lot of cool bikes through the years that belong to riding buddies.
A couple of years ago I thought I really wanted a certain motorcycle, that is until a friend let me ride his. I’m still grateful for that eye opener...
 
jbird710 said:
If I were you and he was asking about the Guzzi, I’d probably say yes. But your other bike would be a solid no. That Italian would jump up and smack him before he saw it coming.
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The Guzzi was the bike in play. I offered an "intro to Guzzi" discussion and he had no response. Same with pulling out one of my best motorcycle safety books: he was too busy playing a computer game. The MV is way, way above his skill level: lethal if not respected.
 
In my younger days I would ride anything I could get my hands on. Now days I don't ride something if I can't afford to replace it. I have thought about breaking that rule if my KTM790 buddy ever offers but so far he has not offered on a day I had gear with me. I have no problem letting someone who I know has experience ride my KLR'ER but most folks can replace that one fairly cheap. Strangely enough no one asks?? 🤔🤔🤔
 
Rudy said:
My rule is this: if you can kickstart any of my motorcycles (Victory, KLR, or Trail 90), you can ride it.

The Victory doesn't have a kickstart.
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You should be able to push start that Trail 90 if they are smart enough. We used to do that on the Trail 70 all the time in college.
 
It’s funny but none of my kids or their spouses ask to ride mine except my daughter. All the boys are scared of it. I can’t understand why they would be afraid of a lite Hayabusa.
 
OldTLSDoug said:
I let most anyone I know ride my scooters. Usually they are way nicer to them than I am. After all, it is only a motorcycle. Putting a smile on a friend's face is worth way more than anything.
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I'm kinda the same. Most folks I know that ride have been riding longer than I have anyway, so I figure they are probably safer on them than I am.

It's hard enough to pick which bike you like without riding a bunch first. And not just around the service road in front of a dealership.
 
I will let my sons and best riding buddies ride my bikes but no one else.
 
I am rarely asked; but as long as the other person will let me ride theirs, I'll let them ride mine.

3 rules-

If you can start it, you can ride it.

You break it, you buy it.

You hurt yourself, too bad.
 
25 years ago I had a friend with a Ninja ZX6 and he needed a truck to move so he asked me if I would swap with him for the day. I said sure and one day turned into 3. By the third day I was getting fairly comfortable and riding it on the back wheel only was becoming common. I eventually found the limit when I transitioned from pavement to the sandy gravel driveway at my house while still on a wheelie. I ended up busting up some body work on the me and the bike. His dad was sure I wasn't going to pay, but I ordered every part new that was scratched or broken the following Tuesday from the local dealer and took him the receipt to show what I ordered. I let him keep my truck until the parts came in and I fixed his bike back to 100%. So I live by @grandpaul 3 rules. I have swapped bikes many times since then but ride them with great respect and dial it back a few clicks from the way I ride my own.

Like others have said I'm grateful for some extended test rides that I have gotten. It is fun to swap bikes sometimes with a buddy to see what your missing, maybe nothing, maybe your next bike. So pretty much if you have an "M" on your license and I don't think you are a total squid you can ride anything I have. The dirt bikes don't require anything other than asking. I have had lots of fun over the years introducing folks to riding by letting them get started on one of my dirt bikes.
 
I’m more comfortable with somebody riding my bike than I am with me riding somebody else’s. I can handle trashing my own bike and I can even handle somebody else trashing my bike. I’d have a hard time if I trashed somebody else’s bike though.

The one exception is my dad. He always wants me to ride whatever he gets, and I don’t have a problem with it. I know there wouldn’t be any personal conflict if I dropped his bike. Heck, when I lived with him in college we both treated each other’s bikes like they were our own. Every now and the. He’s get the itch to ride my Katana, and he had no problem with me pulling his V-Star out of the garage whenever I had the urge to ride something more comfortable.
 
If it's a good riding buddy of mine I've ridden with, know well and trust, I have no problem with it. I've even let a friend borrow one for a 3-day weekend trip. Most of my bikes are new-to-me, so it's not like nobody else has ever laid their butt cheeks on them and twisted the throttle.

Some guy on a group ride I barely know comes and asked "Can I ride you bike?" Uh nope. That's bad etiquette anyway. A gentleman rider never asks that. The proper way to do that is to say: "Have you ridden a ______ (insert model of your own bike)? Would you like to try mine?" That gives your good friend a polite way to decline, for whatever reason, because it is his prerogative at that point.

From what you're saying about your daughter's boyfriend... I would have said no too.
 
What's the boyfriends riding experience? What's his temperament? Does he have an M endorsement and who's insurance covers him. How long has he been dating your daughter and do you like him?

All of these questions would need to be answered satisfactorily before I'd hand over the keys, and even then I'd have to think long and hard about it.

I let any of my riding buddy's ride my bikes, They all ride better than I do anyway. But they all are also in a position to cover the cost if something goes wrong as well. Is the boyfriend in that position?
 
Annhl8rX said:
I’m more comfortable with somebody riding my bike than I am with me riding somebody else’s. I can handle trashing my own bike and I can even handle somebody else trashing my bike. I’d have a hard time if I trashed somebody else’s bike though.
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Sort of mostly this. I'll only let someone I know and trust ride my bikes. I'm always nervous riding someone else's bike and will usually decline any offers. Doug has a way of twisting my arm to make me ride his bikes though. I do have to say, when a buddy wrecked his bike, and it wasn't even his fault, it sure did make me think twice about riding his bikes again. Still, Doug twists my arm and I'm back on again, just riding carefully.

Sometimes I really want to ride someone's bike but will decline for other reasons. When I got my first DRZSM I took it right to the track. While there I was chatting with another Supermoto rider and he offered to let me take his fully built KTM for a session. I told him that I just got my bike and wasn't quite ready to hate it yet. :D
 
I'll ride anyone's bike, no matter what make, model or vintage.

I love to ride. Period.
 
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