MSF Course today

sharp4runr

sharp4runr

New member
I spent all morning riding a Honda Rebel at a Motorcycle Safety Class held at the local community college. It was loads of fun and I'm learning so much. The Rebel is only a 250cc motorcycle but it's pretty peppy and it's a good base to learn on. Tomorrow I'm doing the same riding as well as taking a skills test that either passes or fails me. If I pass I get a certificate that waives the on the bike riding test at the DMV as well as gets me an insuarance discount.

Wish me luck :)
 
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took that a couple months back... was fun, and in my opinion quite easy. Although if I remember correctly 2-3 people in my class failed the evalutation, they couldn't get the u-turn box down they'd go too slow and of course the bike would want to tip so down goes their foot...
 
Thanks Dax :)

Yeah two people are already off the course and it was only the 1st day of riding. One guy was an older gentleman who had already failed the course 2 previous times. He wrecked pretty hard and his day was done. The other was a woman in her 30's who said she didn't feel comfortable with the skills test today so she wouldn't be coming back tomorrow. I told her just to come tomorrow and get some practice time in since she had already payed fully for the class.

Tech - we haven't done that skills test you described, maybe tomorrow :) My buddy was telling me how they give you a big box and they have you do a figure 8 within the box without putting your feet down. Maybe that is an offshoot of the test you did.

I feel pretty comfortable on the bike but I need to work on my slow speed maneuvers. I also need to work on my clutch/throttle control. I'm so used to doing it with my feet that I have to relearn with my hands :D

Hopefully I pass the test because if I do, I'm going directly to DMV to get my new M license :rocker: :guitar2:

If anyone is looking at getting a motorcycle, I highly recommend the MSF courses.
 
yah the box you heard is the u-turn test. you go in and a sort of figure eight (its not really its an eight with straight sides) which they equate to doing 2 u-turns in a tight situation. I found that easiest for myself because I have just a natural inclination to keeping speed up, :D
 
Well, I'm the newest licensed Motorcyclist in Virginia :D :D :cool:

I did awesome on the skills assesment. I ALMOST put my foot down on the U-Turn test but at the last second gunned the throttle and the bike straightened out. It wasn't pretty but I didn't lose points :)

We started off with a score of 0 and they deduct points based on how well you do on the test. Failing is -20. I got a -1! :dancin:
I got the point from the test where you have to ride through a curve within a certain timeframe. My instructor said I was .006 seconds off and she had to deduct a point. I personally think her finger was slow on the stopwatch :arrow:

After I got my MSF Card, I drove down to DMV and took the computer test for motorcyclists. I got 20/21 questions right :rocker:

Now I just have to find a bike :D
 
I'm looking for a cruiser right now. There is a Yamaha V-star custom and a Kawasaki Vulcan 650 local to me that I'm going to check out this weekend. A guy at work has a classic 1987 Honda Super Magna that he's looking to unload and he says he'll cut me a deal. I'll have to weigh my options because the Honda is older but is considered a collectors item and can retain its value better than the newer bikes. The fact that it is older has me a little aprehensive as I'd want to be riding it rather than it being in the shop...

I'm actually on withdrawl. I want to hop right back on the saddle!!! arrrrrrgh.
 
EVERYONE who has any intention to ride should take this course. My wife took it, and I ended up knowing one of the instructors and he let me sit in on the class sessions. You will get a world of experience that is invaluable from this class. You also will get to take the road test at the end with the smaller bike that make it much easier. The only problem is my wife has been bugging me for a bike ever since.

Koz
 
eCourse for college via pimion​
​

Has anyone taken MSF Basic eCourse at Motorcycle Safety Foundation? I'm also interested in reviews and feedback about MCrider, Trama's Auto School or webBikeWorld. I'm finishing my exams in a week, so I thought I could apply now or schedule a test for my certification beforehand (if the dates are in September or October, when the new college term starts).
 
Congrats. Have fun. As a long term rider (50+ yrs) that is a license to learn.
Your first bike should be a light weight dirt bike. "If you never learned to ride a dirt bike, you never learned to ride"! There are lots of good tips on the MSF website. I really like the one on "Moving camouflages" That has saved my life more than once! You are invisible. Remember YOU ARE INVISIBLE Repeat after me, "YOU ARE INVISIBLE" Inconsiderate, irresponsible, inept drivers in their cages don't care about you. They don't see you as a threat or even human, so they don't care about killing you. That's for the lawyers to sort out after your dead.
So get a dirt bike and learn how to handle a bike. Dirt skills can save your life, and are redily transferable to the street. Different but transferable. Street skills don't teach you how to deal with a bad road, or gravel or where to focus when bad things happen. Read the Hurt Report. Very well worth the few minutes of interesting reading. Wear ATGATT.
Join ADVrider. Lots of good support there. Take a nice trip on a bike. Traveling on a motorcycle is amazing. Whole different world out there than you can experience from a cage.
 
Clarkede said:
eCourse for college via pimion​
​

Has anyone taken MSF Basic eCourse at Motorcycle Safety Foundation? I'm also interested in reviews and feedback about MCrider, Trama's Auto School or webBikeWorld. I'm finishing my exams in a week, so I thought I could apply now or schedule a test for my certification beforehand (if the dates are in September or October, when the new college term starts).
Click to expand...

Took mine last summer out your way in Harrisburg, PA. Definitely worth taking as you get an appreciation/introduction to the basic functions and mechanics of riding a motorcycle. My first and current motorcycle is a 2007 Triumph Daytona that I got prior to the MSF course ha. While not the smartest decision from an experience standpoint, I did find myself much more on the loaner that I had (Suzuki TU250x). All in all, definitely worth the two hour trip for me and I'd do it again as I learned some solid basics over the two days. Keep me (us) posted.
 
Clarkede said:
eCourse for college via pimion​
​

Has anyone taken MSF Basic eCourse at Motorcycle Safety Foundation? I'm also interested in reviews and feedback about MCrider, Trama's Auto School or webBikeWorld. I'm finishing my exams in a week, so I thought I could apply now or schedule a test for my certification beforehand (if the dates are in September or October, when the new college term starts).
Click to expand...

Me - riding 45 years, amateur road racer for 1 season, dirt bike rider, a lot of bikes, currently on a DRZ400 and a BMW R1200RT.

I haven't taken the Basic Course in any form, but the in person has been well commented on by friends.

I've been riding since 75. I STRONGLY recommend that your first bike be something like a USED 250CC Dual Sport, which is a street legal bike with some dirt capability. Reasons:
1) You're gonna drop it, even if only at a stop light, loosing your balance. It's a lot easier to pick up if it's a 275 lb bike vs. a 600 lb touring bike
2) And when you drop it, with a used dual sport you probably won't even notice any scratches.

Like the other guy said, you are INVISIBLE. That said, the only time I cam close to getting hit was last summer and it was 2 motorcycles that went wide on a mountain road. 70 mph closing speed and the closest was probably 5 ft from me.

Assume car people are idiots.

I couldn't in good conscience advise a young man to ride street these days - too many idiots with cell phones. Dirt is a very different thing. You can rail the turns and jump like a wildman, and little danger.

I like webbikeworld.

Practice riding slowly in empty parking lots.

Best wishes
 
^^^^ What he said. A good old dualsport that already has scratches. Easy to pick up when you drop it. Most are pretty Bullitt proof as far as abuse goes.
I also ride a DRZ400 and my current ADVenture bike is an Africa Twinn.
When doing the figure 8, you can easily cheat. Just gently drag the rear brake. Tightens up the turn and makes it smoother, also use the foot pegs. Turn you boot into the pegs 90 degrees, that will put your knee against the tank, shifting your weight. Lots of things like that you can learn with a small amount of practice and some expert more advanced training.
Like fighter pilots say, "It's that one you don't see that will kill you" not always true, but pretty close. So keep your head on a swivel, be constantly alert, and learn in the dirt.
 
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