MSF Course... Have You Taken It?

[OldGreg]

I just signed up for one... but now it'll be a long wait until 3/27 (1st day of class). I guess i'll shop for some MORE GEAR in the mean time!

[Lurkable]

I took in here in California. It was definitely worth the $250 especially for someone like me who had never even taken a seat on a motorcycle before the class. Waiving the driving test at the DMV is a huge bonus too. My instructors agreed on the theory of 2 kinds of riders - those who've dropped their bike and those who will. If nothing else, it gave me someone in a position of authority to prove wrong...4000 miles later on my first bike and I'm still fighting the good fight.

[cwb48]

Yup. I actually took the course about 18 years ago with my son Gabe, who was required to take it to get his motorcycle license. I had recently started riding again after a fairly long hiatus (I originally started in 1969), and I figured that the refresher wouldn't hurt. I guess it didn't, since I haven't had a single incident on 4 different bikes in those 18 years.

I really took all of the safety stuff to heart- all the gear, etc, don't trust the mirrors alone, you all know the drill. I would feel too exposed now if I rode without full leathers, boots, gloves and helmet, and that certainly wasn't true when I started.

But the old fool rambles on... it's raining a cold rain here, and a sunny ride up to Camp David seems a long way off, but the days are getting longer now, so with any luck it won't be far off.

Chris

[ARc]

It was great for someone like me who had no exposure to motorcycles whatsoever. My first experience was behind a family friend while he tore down a mountain on a tricked out scooter. That made me realize I really liked riding. But to my dismay, no one I knew back home had a bike or knew someone that rode. So shelling out $150 (its cheaper for kids under 21) let me on the seat of a motorcycle, taught me the basics of motorcycle operation and safety, and most importantly, how to ride safely.

How it worked for me was class was on Wednesdays while Saturdays we got on the "range" with Suzuki GS125's or Kawasaki Eliminator Cruisers. Wednesday sucked because all he did was split us into groups and read about motorcycling. Saturday was super fun because we got to ride. Started with friction zone control, moving onto powerwalking, and then into getting moving from a stop. The pace which they teach at is pretty fast, but if you can keep up, by the end of the first day you'll be riding so much better. The test that they make you do at the end is pretty easy, so I recommend everyone do it! After you pass you get a card that will lower your insurance and make you eligible for a 15% discount off purchases at Cycle Gear (for the first time only I think, so make sure you get something expensive like a helmet or jacket >_<)

[sprale]

I just took the $80 advanced class from MotoFun. It met the states requirements. The instructor was cool. I didn't really learn much, other than to check my blind spots more in traffic. Panic braking, emergency maneuvers, etc...

They had a little road course-type track laid out as a final test. The bikes there included an R1, a Triumph Triple, a pair of 600's, a R1150GS and an old R75. I went after a few and was able to toss my Ninjette around the tight turns quicker than anyone else I think I may have embarrassed someone who spent much more on a sportbike because they thought it was faster.

[KnoxNinja]

I always do things the hard way. The course is $225 down here, so it was either MSF or gear at the time. I might take it this year to iron out all the bad habits I've probably taught myself.

[xTKx]

A big yes from me. I had very little experience on motorcycles and it was also a condition that my wife set if I was serious about purchasing my first bike. The MSF course was AWESOME and our instructor was really cool (which made it even better).

The only bad thing about my experience: I took it last summer here in central TX. With temperatures peaking in the low 100's it wasn't particularly fun. Also, I got a crazy bad sunburn on my face (yes, even through the helmet's visor--and especially when we had our helmets off), so when I took the pic for my license I looked like an absolute goofball with my bad sunburn...

[travis5018]

Yes, its the only way to get a endorsement in Florida now-a-days. and noone wants the $500 felony of being caught riding without the endorsement

[CC Cowboy]

I didn't take the course but both of my sons took it. They said I was too old and feeble. It might be the training wheels on my bike that turned them off. I think it is a great course and all riders should do it ( at least for the fun factor, I laughed my ass off at some of the people who really shouldn't be on a bike). I have a friend that has had a few bikes but hasn't ridden in years. He bought a on-off road Kawi and has put two hundred miles on his yard (4 acre yard) but is afraid to hit the street. I keep telling him to take the course then I'll take him on some back roads with no traffic (like I did with TrueFaith).

[kkim]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I keep telling him to take the course then I'll take him on some back roads with no traffic (like I did with TrueFaith).

[Criomega]

I took the class a few months ago again (after years) just to be along side my wife. I rode the busa to the class all 3 days and had alot of people scratching there heads. at the end of the class I was asked to be an instructor for the new classes this spring. They get $460 to run the 3 day class (Fri night, all day Sat., all day Sun.)

[WestCoast]

I heard that the dmv test was hard so I took the MSF course after 5 months of motorcycling experience. Passed it with no problem. Out of curiosity I went to the DMV to check out their test and did it for fun. It wasn't hard at all, at first it was hard, but after 10 minutes of practice, I got it down. You had to utilize counter steering at low speed, it can be difficult and intimidating at first but now I could do the DMV test no problem.

[jpnfrk]

Taking the MSF class next week/end, YAY!!

It's 3 days in a row here in NC. Friday 6-9pm then Saturday and Sunday 7am (ouch!)-4:30pm at a local community college. Upon completion, they give you a certificate saying you passed the driving test which you take to the DMV. Then, do the writing test and voila! You have a moto license!

[Alex]

Good luck Nani!

[OldGuy]

Alright Nani - know that you will do great. We'll be waiting to hear how you liked it.

[Criomega]

Originally Posted by jpnfrk

Taking the MSF class next week/end, YAY!!

It's 3 days in a row here in NC. Friday 6-9pm then Saturday and Sunday 7am (ouch!)-4:30pm at a local community college. Upon completion, they give you a certificate saying you passed the driving test which you take to the DMV. Then, do the writing test and voila! You have a moto license!

Its the exact same here. I took it with my wife just for fun. They asked me to come back this year and teach the class. I'm really thinking about doing it as it almost $500 for the weekend.
Posted via Mobile Device

[jpnfrk]

Those $500 sound good for something you consider fun!!

In regards to the class, I'll keep everybody posted...

[Countrygirl]

Originally Posted by Mista Bob

We don't actually have the MSF courses up here.
But I did take a course that's essentially exactly the same thing.
Had a decent amount of previous experience on dirt bikes and still found it very helpful.

Really? Where in Alberta are you. In Calgary there are quite a few. I took my course with "Too Cool Motorcycle School". They are a great crew and hilarious! I'll be taking a refresher course at the end of March just for more road practice and to make sure I didn't forget anything from the summer.

[Sound Wave]

nani, do you already have your learner's permit for the motorcycle? if not, then you would also need to get that.

[jpnfrk]

Originally Posted by Sound Wave

nani, do you already have your learner's permit for the motorcycle? if not, then you would also need to get that.

I called the DMV about that. Lady said since I already have a regular car license and am over 18yrs of age then upon completing the driving course and passing the written test I'll get a regular moto license.

One of my co-workers just went through that process about 2mo. ago and he never had to get a learner's permit... could that be an NC thing?

[Sound Wave]

Originally Posted by jpnfrk

could that be an NC thing?

OR..... having to get the learner's permit along with the MSF course could be a hawaii thing.


edit: oh wait. i re-read your post. the "written test" is the learner's permit portion. i didn't have my permit at the time of the MSF course. i took my waiver to DMV and then took the written permit test and they gave me my license the same day.

[jpnfrk]

Originally Posted by Sound Wave

OR..... having to get the learner's permit along with the MSF course could be a hawaii thing.


edit: oh wait. i re-read your post. the "written test" is the learner's permit portion. i didn't have my permit at the time of the MSF course. i took my waiver to DMV and then took the written permit test and they gave me my license the same day.

[Criomega]

Here in Michigan you get the permit if you haven't taken the course but want to ride with another licensend rider. You have to ride within 250' at all times or something like that. Thats the only reason I can think you want/need a permit.

[NJD022588]

Originally Posted by jpnfrk

Taking the MSF class next week/end, YAY!!

It's 3 days in a row here in NC. Friday 6-9pm then Saturday and Sunday 7am (ouch!)-4:30pm at a local community college. Upon completion, they give you a certificate saying you passed the driving test which you take to the DMV. Then, do the writing test and voila! You have a moto license!

Those are long days. I took it at a local community college and we had 4 hours for the first day (classroom) and 4.5 hours each for the two riding days (on the range).

[Purspeed]

Originally Posted by BlueTyke

I took it! It helped me get my license and lowered my insurance, at the time.

I also have a dvd - Ride Like a Pro - that helped out a lot too!

+1

To me, learning to master slow speed (less than 29 mph) maneuvering is where it's at. I envy those who get to take the highway patrol motors courses and if you ever see those guys, it's very impressive.

BlueTyke's video recommendation is right on.

Back to the topic at hand, I took the MSF course, but felt it was only a very brief introduction. Very brief.

A car requires about 1200 inputs an hour whereas a motorcycle requires about 5300 inputs per hour. Countersteering, keeping on gas, body-steering, target fixation, not looking at the ground or handlebars are all counter intuitive and unnatural.

Since your survival reactions kick in, a rider needs to understand the physics of a bike as well as the technical skills needed to properly operate.

I think that a state-paid class for riding that takes riders all the way to advanced riding would be helpful for keeping riding fun and safe.

Most collisions can be avoided. Most riders don't understand why the bike does what it does. That makes for a bad combo...

[Beast]

Yes over here too. No way was I taking the DMV circle of doom. I tried it on my Vespa for fun and I couldn't even do it on that hahaha.

Someone in my class got on the throttle instead of the brake and crashed the Rebel into a fence. This is the same guy I was talking to earlier that told me he wants to get an "R6 or somethin".

After he crashed I went up to him and said, "If you think that's bad, try chopping the throttle on an R6, freaking out and chopping it some more...it's not going to end pretty"

There's always one of "those" in every class. Anyone else experience the local idiot syndrome during your course?

[kkim]

My class was the advanced riders course on a military base. Guys were pretty much dead serious with years of riding experience. Most squidly guy was one of the instructors, actually.

[Sound Wave]

Originally Posted by Beast

There's always one of "those" in every class. Anyone else experience the local idiot syndrome during your course?

well, the instructor was asking everyone what type of experience they had, and what type of bike they planned on getting. there was one guy who said that he had NO experience but had just gotten a gsxr-1000 that he bought but hadn't ridden yet. he was waiting to complete the course first.

the instructor told him, "yeah good idea. start off small." lol.

we were broken up into two groups and he wasn't in mine, so i don't know how well he did, but he did pass the course.

[kkim]

[Snake]

No, I have been riding since I was very young and I had some great teachers.
Although I would like to take a more advanced ridding course because you can always learn more.

[kkim]

They have all different levels of the MSF course. I took the ERC last year and it was the first time in my life taking a MSF course. Learned a few things (a lot actually) even after 40 years of riding bikes.

[Snake]

Cool, I will have to look into it.
Thank you.

[sombo]

Doesn't matter how long you've been riding the class (even the basic) benifits all riders. In the class I took in PA (MSF course paid for by Penndot thanks to being a PA licensed driver) we had several students that had been riding for years and even they said they learned things they never realized they were doing wrong thanks to the basic course.

If you live in a state where you can take the courses for free I 100% suggest taking full advantage of that and take all the courses you can, basic, advanced and if they have sportbike training for free as well, take that one too.

So far I've only taken the basic course and then moved before I could take the advanced up in PA I moved to FL. I'll see what their policies on the courses here are when I get the chance.

[kappuru]

I took the MSF this weekend, just for the insurance discount and making the licensing process easier-- in my state (VA) you just take the completion card to the DMV and pick up the plastic license, no written or skills test necessary.

The class was a bit boring at parts but I'd still recommend it, even some of the drills where I thought I'd be fine I could use improvement on, I also learned I have some not too great habits (2-finger braking)...

[wyckedflesh]

Multiple times, not to mention that it was a Job Requirement (had to be able to pass the skills test only tighter confines)

[tiburonsita]

Yes. Was my first time ever riding a bike and what better way to learn than from people with years of experience who enjoy teaching their passion. Had great instructors and the class was a lot of fun. To my surprise, having taken the course, I got a discount on insurance.

[CANTFUNCTION]

Yes I taken the MSF class. I took it bcause for one thing I didn't want to learn form a freind which might give me the wrong info. And after talking to a lot of older riders they all said I should take the class. The class was small 7 people and 2 instructors. I think in about year I will thank the advanced class. Did I learn any thing? Yes. Would I encourage other to take the class? Hell yea.

[krazygluon]

Originally Posted by Sound Wave

OR..... having to get the learner's permit along with the MSF course could be a hawaii thing.


edit: oh wait. i re-read your post. the "written test" is the learner's permit portion. i didn't have my permit at the time of the MSF course. i took my waiver to DMV and then took the written permit test and they gave me my license the same day.

Back in Kentucky (where I originally got my permit/license/msf course) it was a 30 day waiting period between permit and license, no matter how you chose to get your road test done.

I scheduled my MSF course and ran down to the county clerk office to take the written test the same day, then as soon as my 30 days were up (about 2 wks after taking the BRC) I walked in, gave them the completion certificate and walked out with the license.

Michigan's SOS was nice enough to directly transfer the cycle endorsement when I moved up here, no retest necessary.

Anybody know if the ERC adds a further discount to insurance? Mine is laughably cheap right now but I figure any little savings would let me increase the comp/collision/etc coverage.

[Elfling]

Yep, took it. Have to for getting your license in FL anyways, but I would recommend taking it even if that's not the case; I learned *soo* much from it. Even my experienced boyfriend said he learned a lot from taking it.

[CodE-E]

Getting driving licenses here in Austria is quite hard and expensive. One's gotta do all of the following:

A) Visit a driving school where one learns the theory (~8 hours for the motorcycling part).
B) Pass a multiple-choice exam. The general part has a set of around 1000 questions, and the motorcycle-specific part has around 600. Passing requirement: >= 80%.
C) Take driving lessons with an instructor. For motorcycling, 2 hours of practicing basics with an instructor on a closed car park (driving around cones, doing 8s, switching between 1st and 2nd), and 8 hours of riding on public roads, are mandatory.
D) Get a health check-up at a doctor. (Just a quick check if your eyesight is okay, if your general hand-eye coordination is working properly, if you've got enough strength in your arms, and that you're generally fit enough to ride).
E) Pass the driving exam. This consists of two parts. i) Performing a sequence of pre-determined riding maneuvers on a closed course: U-turn, riding two 8s with a noticeable lean angle while keeping a good line (i.e. don't drift away from the cones), emergency swerve maneuver at 50+ km/h, slalom around cones placed at 4 meter distances apart, and finally an emergency stop from 50+ km/h within something like 12 meters. ii) If one demonstrates proficiency at these maneuvers, one gets examined riding on public roads for about half an hour. Basically, the examiner tells you to ride a particular route, and follows behind you in a car and notes down any mistakes you make.
F) After E) one gets the license, but after about 6 months one has to visit a 1-day course at a special training course where one goes over safety maneuvers and some more advanced stuff (for example, braking in wet conditions). One isn't tested there, but one's gotta attend.

I failed the first time at E) ii) because I didn't make any checks over my right shoulder when I overtook bicyclists and trucks. Checking only my mirrors wasn't enough. Yup, the exam is anally strict. So I took a few more driving lessons, and then passed the exam two weeks later on the 2nd attempt.

And all that stuff is damn expensive. Driving schools are a real business here in Austria, because they're mandatory by law. In total, getting my unrestricted motorcycle license cost me about €1200! And it took about 2 months, because I had to wait several weeks before I could take lessons, due to cold weather conditions. >_< It sucks, but therefore drivers and motorcyclists over here are generally well-disciplined and I guess not all too many people get killed on the roads.