First time ride

[carsick]

 Thursday was a milestone for me, more so for my wife. I finally convinced her to go for a ride on the FJ, the first time she has ever ridden with me and probably the only time in the past 30+ years she had been on a motorcycle. I think she was traumatized by wheelies on the back of her stepdad's Bultaco as a young child. Being her birthday and the kids were elsewhere I gave her a card that said it was time to give it a try and she was all out of excuses. So I get her outside and it starts raining like hell. I don't know if she thought that was going to be a divine intervention, but I said " Get your helmet on to keep your head dry! Plenty of tread on the tires, let's go!" Did some slow laps around the parking lot, sure is interesting to have a passenger that thinks they're not moving but really is leaning in the opposite direction of the bike instinctually. She was a little freaked by the slow speed figure 8 stuff, so we hit the road with me agreeing to not speed. Man is that difficult. Felt like I could walk faster. Stopped to check how she was doing a few times, she was getting used to it. She said to take it easier on the corners, (I was going almost straight through the S bends!).
  Rain had let up, road was drying out, I stopped to turn around and said I was going to accelerate a little more on the way back, and to let me know if it was a bit much. Gave it about 3/4 throttle in 1st and brought the front right up like the hooligan I am. She gave me the rabbit punch in the back that said cut it out! Somehow I managed to bring us back in one piece.
  And here's the payoff. She said it was fun and she wished she'd done it earlier! She wants to go for a ride for my birthday next month and make it a regular
"date night" thing. And she's impressed with my, umm... skill.
I'm so proud of Amy for trying something new that's special to me. There's no need for her to get me a birthday present, she's given me everything I want and then some already.
  I'm pretty sure it was the Northeast rally that convinced her I was going to ride more than occasionally, and if you can't beat 'em join 'em. I've got the FJ Owner's forum to thank for that.
Thanks fellas.
Doug 

[bigguy1]

Great story. Congrats on getting her out. I tried getting my wife out on mine and she wants no part of it. Maybe I will let her read your story and that may change her outlook. 

[DailyDriver]

...sure is interesting to have a passenger that thinks they're not moving but really is leaning in the opposite direction of the bike instinctually.

Congrats!  

My wife did the same thing. She thought she was supposed to do that. So she asked if she should lean with the bike and I said no, just look over my shoulder in the direction we are going. She rode with me a few times but never really liked riding on the back of the FJ. So we got the Stratoliner for two-up trips and she's diggin' it.

Now she wants to ride her own bike.  

[jack02]

I'm lucky (??) in that my missus wants to get on the bike at the slightest excuse. She absolutely loves it and will only protest mildly on the rare occasions I really nail it. I've got an 8 year-old boy and he point blank refuses to ride pillion despite my assurances that I'll take it real easy. Gotta stop showing him those YouTube vids....