Possibly taking the MSF course tomorrow

[Hero Danny]

Yeah, I know. I'm horrible I waited over 3 months and 2,000+ miles before I even signed up for it.

But here I am, I just got my pay check and was looking at some available dates when I noticed that they have an opening tomorrow. I'm about to pull the trigger. (waiting for them to call me back since they didn't pick up the first time).

Only concern I have (which I plan on explaining to the guy once I get an opportunity to speak with him) is the licensing process, apparently I need to do a prepaid license endorsement (money sucking leeches..) and was confused on that.

But anyway, I'll report back my review on the course as a whole, whether or not it is worth it, blah blah blah. I was thinking today how the course will save me 10% (plus hand me my license) on my insurance, which is only 20-30 a year which means it will not pay for itself until 10 years... but if I ever get a bigger bike (or full coverage) it may save me up to a $100 a year which is completely worth it. Despite all that, the learning experience is valued even though I feel rather comfortable at a beginner level.

[csmith12]

Do et if you can!

[Hero Danny]

Okay, I signed up for a course that starts 8/16 (next weekend) I'm a little nervous but at the same time confident that I will pass and get my license since the course is designed for people with literally 0 experience.

$295 is pretty steep at first, but I know the breaks on the insurance will pay for itself 10 times over in the course of my life time. Also I'll get my license and of course the most important I'll have some valuable experience that will save my life.

[csmith12]

The course is set up for your success and the RiderCoaches should be more than happy to help you out with any trouble spots that come up. The drills are skills test are only as hard as you make them. Everyone sweats the box part of the test but even if you put a foot down, it's not an automatic fail.

There are only 2 automatic fails;
Causing an unsafe riding condition for the entire class.
Dropping the bike during the skills test.

Go have fun, don't sweat the little things and ask plenty of questions.

[Bigballsofpaint]

i think the 10% off insurance stuff only applies for 2 years, ie, you need to take some type of driving class every 2 years to constantly get the 10% off. Lucky for us their is the adavance (ARC) and all that jazz to do if we so chose. Have fun, i completely botched the figure 8 box. I put a foot down and went outside the box, the rest of the test i did fine. Like csmith said, just dont drop it and you should be good!

[Kruse08]

I just took this course and it was the best idea ever. I bought my bike in early spring and have put about 3k miles on it since. I only had my temps but I was not a "noob" in the sense that I did not know what I was doing. Plus my work schedule never worked out until now to take it. I highly recommend this class to everyone no matter the experience level. It was scary to see some of the people they passed.

[LittleRedNinjette]

The classes are well worth it! I did the BRC to get my licence and just did the BRC2 this year.

Good luck!!

[fry1024]

Originally Posted by Bigballsofpaint

i think the 10% off insurance stuff only applies for 2 years, ie, you need to take some type of driving class every 2 years to constantly get the 10% off. Lucky for us their is the adavance (ARC) and all that jazz to do if we so chose. Have fun, i completely botched the figure 8 box. I put a foot down and went outside the box, the rest of the test i did fine. Like csmith said, just dont drop it and you should be good!

I'm thinking it's 3 years but it may vary from insurance company to insurance company. Anyway, it's been 6 years since i took the MSF and my company is still giving me the discount.

More on subject though, the MSF is worth more in experience than anything you'll ever save on your insurance.

[LittleRedNinjette]

Its 3 years with Progressive. One of the reasons i took the BRC2.

[Hero Danny]

@csmith12 @LittleRedNinjette @Kruse08 @fry1024

Thanks guys! I actually just finished my first day, today! It was pretty fun, a few things that I can point out immediately. They helped me with my slow maneuvering abilities, also helped me a little bit with stopping quick and brushed up on a few skills, like look through the turn was a big one.

I must admit I was getting a little annoyed with the instructors. They were not very clear on the rules and often times I couldn't hear what they were saying and would mess up (go around the wrong cone, etc.) without realizing it because they were extremely vague.

Also they told me I had to use all 4 fingers when I brake, which was rather frustrating to me since I just deconditioned myself not to do that to avoid locking up the brake (I learned that from you guys, use only 2 fingers and you'll be safe) well, they didn't like the whole 2 finger thing and I kept doing it out of habit and they were giving me crap about it.

Overall though I did exceptionally well, best in the class. Which isn't very surprising since I have nearly 2,500 miles under my belt where these guys have little to none.

I am a bit nervous about the evaluation and written test, I'm just afraid i'll make a silly mistake and not pass, i'm sure i'll be alright, but still nerve racking to say the least.
@Bigballsofpaint It is 10% off for life. here's a link to a website for a MSF school https://www.ironstoneventures.com/ "10% discount for life!!" Yeah, it's a standard for MA and I even asked my insurance company even though i'm going through a different school and they said it was 100% true and I would get the discount for life.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Hero Danny

.........I am a bit nervous about the evaluation and written test, I'm just afraid i'll make a silly mistake and not pass, i'm sure i'll be alright, but still nerve racking to say the least...........

Some common sense is all anybody needs to pass that test: you will do fine.

[LittleRedNinjette]

I'm sure you'll do fine! Good luck!

[csmith12]

2 main things....

Listen Hard: If you can't hear or understand an instruction, ask them to repeat it before attempting a drill. They should not mind, it's their job to be loud & clear and also shows that you will not blindly follow the person in front of you to a fault.
Confidence: We look for it. During testing, written or range, do what you know AND... do it confidently. When you take the written test, read the question and answers, then reread it. 99.9% of the time, your gut will tell you the right answer. Listen to it!!! It's all common sense accept for the distracted driver questions. Hint, hint When you're doing the skills test on the range, your confidence in your actions can mean the difference between a point off vs. a questionable call. Feel me? ijs.

Also, the 4 finger (covering controls) thing on both brake and clutch is normal for the first day, but applicable to most fresh new riders as a safety concern. Yes, sport bikes have stronger brakes and such, but the MSF is not a sport bike specific course. So just follow the instructions with a smile and you can adjust to "your bike" after the course. It's just one of those things with the course.

Most important thing is to just keep having fun and believe in yourself.

[cadd]

Wait a minute. Do you already have your M license? If not, how are you able to rack up 2500 miles legally? If you do, why are you taking the BRC? it's a complete waste of money. Instead, you should take the BRC2 (formerly ERC) course. It's so much less expensive and it's identical to the BRC on the range....just faster paced (but still too slow for my liking).

I took the BRC2 after a 9 year hiatus. It was a cool class. But it wasn't worth it for me. I was hoping to for more advanced/challenging training. If you've been riding for 2500 already, I say do the BRC2 if you're not confident on the bike. If you are, go straight to the ARC course (which I plan on taking in a month or so).

[capt_bugaloo]

I get why they want students to practice 4-finger braking in the course, but not every motorcycle is a Harley. I find 2-fingers is plenty for most bikes, and especially the littlest Ninja.

[NevadaWolf]

When I took my basic MSF, my Coach knew I'd been riding and we had even been to the same track day (course is required to ride to work). I used two fingers, she knew it and understood, but needed me to use four for the class. So every time I rode by her, I'd either remember and cover the lever or she'd lightly whap my hand with her clipboard.

[ForceofWill]

I've done the BRC twice and the MSRC. The instructors at the BRC told me they don't like two fingers because they see newer riders that brake with two also twist the throttle.

[Hero Danny]

Originally Posted by cadd

Wait a minute. Do you already have your M license? If not, how are you able to rack up 2500 miles legally? If you do, why are you taking the BRC? it's a complete waste of money. Instead, you should take the BRC2 (formerly ERC) course. It's so much less expensive and it's identical to the BRC on the range....just faster paced (but still too slow for my liking).

I took the BRC2 after a 9 year hiatus. It was a cool class. But it wasn't worth it for me. I was hoping to for more advanced/challenging training. If you've been riding for 2500 already, I say do the BRC2 if you're not confident on the bike. If you are, go straight to the ARC course (which I plan on taking in a month or so).

I will admit it was a bit of a waste since I knew everything mostly, they did help me with lower turning techniques though.

It's completely legal to ride on my permit as long as I don't ride with a passenger or at night. racking up 2,500 miles was easy and completely legal.

Overall, I'm happy I took the course, $300 was a bit steep for the learning portion (given my skill level prior to the course to after) but I got my 10% and license, so it was worth it.

[LittleRedNinjette]

Woo-hoo! Next stop DMV?

[Kruse08]

I just took the basic rider course after putting about 3,000 mikes on my bike. I was very happy that I took the course to get my licenses. This course was helpful and many of the exercises I learned I know do as they are beneficial. I was also asked to become an instructor after a few years as they were extremely impressed by how I interacted with everyone and my level of confidence on the bike. That made my day when they asked me. I suggest everyone to go take the class.

[csmith12]

Gratz!

[cadd]

Originally Posted by Hero Danny

It's completely legal to ride on my permit as long as I don't ride with a passenger or at night. racking up 2,500 miles was easy and completely legal

That's very interesting. I took the BRC when I lived in NYC. With a permit, it gave us permission to go to a driving school (or MSF) to take classes. We were not able to operate a bike on public roads.

This leads to another question. If you have a permit and a bike, how does insurance work? Are you able to purchase insurance without a license?

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by cadd

This leads to another question. If you have a permit and a bike, how does insurance work? Are you able to purchase insurance without a license?

Yes sir, many states have laws that require you to keep your permit for a length of time, KY is 6 months car or motorbike. Insurance is required to ride the public streets on a permit or full lic.

[NevadaWolf]

I think Nevada allows for the option of going to a permit first or going for the full license. Permit would allow for practicing before the license test.

Only restrictions that I can see are:

If you obtain an instruction permit, you may ride a motorcycle only under the direct visual supervision of a licensed motorcycle operator who is on a motorcycle, is at least 21 years old and has held a motorcycle license for at least one year. You may ride in daylight hours only. You may not carry passengers or drive on freeways or other high-speed roads.

[LittleRedNinjette]

you can ride and insure a bike in NJ with just the permit too. You just have the restrictions, no passengers or riding after 9pm (or it may have been after dark).

[Hero Danny]

Originally Posted by LittleRedNinjette

Woo-hoo! Next stop DMV?

I prepaid on the phone, so the MSF place is sending the DMV my information and the DMV will be sending my license in the mail in a few weeks.

As for everyone else, here in MA we can do whatever we want on a permit, literally go where ever I want, I'm pretty sure I can leave the state even (don't quote me on that) only problem is I cannot ride at night, or with a passenger also I would have to renew the permit every 2 years... luckily in a couple weeks all of that will not apply to me

[LittleRedNinjette]

They send it to you!? Sweet! We have to go there for anything like that.

[sandman889]

Its a great program.