Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueNinjaF18
....... As I said in my post I am Autistic, and I learn things almost instantly if I do not feel pressured or rushed in doing so. A large group environment would not be conducive to what I want to do, and that is to break down each issue that I'm having, and practice it correctly until it is no longer an issue. By doing that it means that my attention is no longer focused on something that could cause me to crash.
The other issue is of course money, and though I do not think that everyone on this site is rich, I'm sure some are, and can afford anything that comes up. I am not wealthy, and do not think that it would be a fair statement to say if a rider cannot afford everything that everyone else does, that I should not be riding. The MSF course here costs $340, plus the cost of transporting my bike there, which is 50 miles away. I would also have to incur expenses for a room. That's not feasible when you have a budget. Could I save for it? Sure. Do I want to?No, because as the instructor and I discussed it's not my best option. What I need is a veteran rider who I can learn from and ride with locally.
Having said that, I have budgeted $2000 for my next bike. I already have the insurance and gear lined up beforehand. I am also aware this time around about regular maintenance on the bike, and what I can and cannot do myself. I did not know what to look at and look for before, now I do. I also have no intention of buying a used bike from a private seller. I have talked with about a dozen dealerships within a hundred miles, and they all have used bikes that are single rider owners, with no drops, and were well maintained. That's the other reason I'm doing that, because the owner of my previous bike obviously didn't care about anyone's safety, he just wanted the money.
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Just a few thoughts here.
1. Check around for some other MSF courses or instructors, the places that teach beginning riders courses around here, several of them do one on one classes. They are a bit more expensive, but they offer just what you are looking for. While getting a a veteran biker to teach you may be a good thing, how do you know the veteran biker is teaching you the right thing? I read a study a while back that looked at how people learned to ride and their accident rate in the first couple of years riding. The worst way was "being taught by a family member, friend, or neighbor" The best way was taking a MSF type course, and "Self Taught" was almost as good as the MSF course and better than the family member or friend.
2. I know $340 for the class sounds like a lot to you, and you don't have much money. But what will the insurance deductible be on your new bike? $250, $500, $1,000? If the course teaches you a skill that prevents you from dropping your bike, even in a low speed parking lot spill, if will save you more than it cost. In other words, don't look at the short term cost of the class, look at the long term benefits.
3. You don't have to be able to afford everything that I can buy, but you do need to be able to afford enough to ride safely. That means a motorcycle in good condition (if you have mechanical skill you can do that yourself), a decent helmet, Jacket, pants, gloves, and boots. You are budgeting $2,000 for a bike, you need to budget at least another $500 for gear in my opinion. The $340 for the training is just another small fee in my opinion.