Mike, there's nothing wrong with learning the way you are. I did a similar thing in 1978 when there was no MSF course. I practiced doing figure eights the hard way across my street, stopping, starting, etc., in preparation for the skills test that MD gave on a closed course. It worked out well for me.
My daughter took the MSF basic course and told me she learned a ton. That seemed to be proven when we rode together right after the course. The problem was that even though she had handled the motorcycle very well all day, both days, she got very anxious during the test part of the course at the end of the last day, and rode slightly outside a chalk line, instantly failing her. The immediate response from the instructors was "just sign up again". Sure, we thought... at about $200 a pop in our case, just sign up again. I would have thought that there might be at least a discount for repeating the course in a case like that, but there was not. I'm glad she took the course because I think it really helped her skills, but she has continued to work hard at improving since then, going to the supermoto track with me several times, and putting many miles on the 250.
So instead, she took the skills test at a NC test center and passed, and has been riding for two years since then. We just got back from the week long 2-stroke meet at Deals Gap, where she did an excellent job on the Dragon, as well as 100+ mile rides with me. I'm going to buy a few of the pro photographer photos of her, but haven't gone through all of them yet. Here's one of their proof photos she found last night. Before you think she's a maniac, know that she was probably doing about 30 mph in that shot.
