A Noob Reviews the MSF Course

[toolb0x]

An absolute novice reviews the MSF course
JCCC May 18-20th, Parks & Pruitt

Personal Background

All my life I've been around bikes, and by bikes, I mean bicycles. I have never before been on a scooter, moped, motorcycle, or any motorized vehicle on two wheels. I have ridden ATV's a couple of times, but never ventured onto a dirt bike. The extent of my experience on two wheels has been riding a bicycle. Growing up, riding a bicycle everyday, while not the same as riding a motorcycle did give me some of the skill set as far as balance, and unknowingly counter-balancing and counter-steering that would be necessary for the MSF course. But to put it simply, I have zero experience on or around motorcycles prior to the course.

Why then did I decide I had the itch to buy a motorcycle? Simply put... freedom. Here's how it started. I commute daily to school. I live in Lenexa and attend Rockhurst University. It's about a 15 mile drive each way, 5 days a week, sometimes a couple times a day. Gas was eating me alive, but worse even, the commute was life draining. I began to grow weary after 6 months of this grind, of the incessant stop and go traffic, the inability of other drivers to make informed decisions and not put my life in danger, and I grew more and more irritable. I've always really enjoyed driving, in fact, when gas was cheaper, if I was bored, my go-to pass time was cruising around aimlessly. However, I began to find myself irate on the road, and beginning to make the same careless decisions that others were making around me for the sake of shaving 2 minutes off of my commute. I also was looking at my gas bill, wish as stated before, was eating me alive, and so I went to Shawnee Cycle to check out their scooters.

At Shawnee Cycle I looked at 49cc scooters initially, but after realizing it wasn't going to have the power I wanted I looked at the 125's. I looked them over for quite a while, sat on them, and contemplated them, but after reflecting on their price tag, $3400ish new, and realizing I could step up to a 250cc Ninja, for around a grand more, I knew there was no reason for me to stick with the scooter. And given my disposition to enjoy driving in the past, I know myself well enough to realize, I would want speed, more speed, and still more speed. The 125cc scooter was simply not going to cut it. Also knowing myself, I knew I was going to kill myself if I stepped onto a liter bike or even a 600ss right from the beginning. Some people are surely capable of those bikes as their first bikes, for me I don't feel comfortable with that much power at the twist of a wrist, not while learning at least. Now while I'm sitting at Shawnee Cycle, a gentleman that worked there asked if I knew how to ride, and after reluctantly telling him simply, "No I have no idea what I'm doing" he told me about the MSF course. He didn't go into detail, and he didn't elaborate on the benefits of it, but he referred me to JCCC's MSF website.

The Obsession Begins

After browsing every link available on the MSF course website, to get an idea of what it entailed, what benefits completing the course would have, and the cost as well as dates, which I might add fill up rapidly, I began to browse youtube for MSF information as well. I watched videos, endless videos, on what to expect at the course, how to complete the course efficiently. As well, I watched videos of people talking about what not to do at the course, which made me a bit nervous, but I knew this was something I wanted to do. I enrolled for the JCCC MSF course, taking place May 18, 19, and 20, along with my fiancee, who also wanted to learn how to ride and had the same amount of experience as me on a motorcycle, and we began the countdown.

Preparation for the Course

Earlier I mentioned that I watched quite a few videos of the MSF course in action and honestly this may have been the best preparation for the course. By watching these videos, I was aware of exactly what would be taught to us, what we would be tested on, and what I needed to at least have a good grasp on by the end of the second riding day. My fiancee and I watched these videos several times and at the conclusion of the videos decided we should invest in some gear. Keep in mind we still did not have bike(s), and still had never ridden, but we agreed that this is something we wanted to commit to doing and even if we hated it we would keep the gear in case we ever wanted to catch a ride with a friend of family member who rides. We purchased our helmets from motorcycle-superstore and purchased jackets and gloves from motorcycle closeouts in Smithville. We put the boots and the pants on hold, as we figured these are essential for riding later but not for the MSF course. We felt a bit apprehensive about showing up the MSF course in brand new gear, when we had zero riding experience, but we got over it for the sake of safety and decided this was the best choice.

The First Classroom Night

As I stated earlier, the course was setup Friday the 18th, Saturday the 19th, and Sunday the 20th. Friday the 18th, our course was only from 6-10, but Saturday and Sunday, our course was scheduled from 7am-4pm. From what I had read online on the MSF website, as well as from the JCCC literature, we knew that the 18th was going to be strictly classroom time and not riding lessons. We walked into the classroom at 5:40pm on Friday, nervous as could be, not really knowing what to expect from the first night of class time, as most of the videos we had watched only covered the riding portion, but were relieved to see so many other nervous people, HA! The classroom was packed, which was not the best set-up in my opinion. The class we signed up for, the 18, 19, 20th, morning class session was only scheduled to have 12 in it, but this classroom had 37 people in it plus instructors. Subsequently, this was probably the most nerve racking of the entire experience.

Class got started though and we began to learn about safety gear, the controls on the bike, the different types of bikes, etc etc. To be quite honest, it was informative but it was terribly boring. Most of the classroom time was common sense on this first night and really was just attempting to prepare us for the
following day and make sure we had some of the basics of what different controls do understood. After 4 hours of group work answering questions in a workbook, the class was dismissed and we immediately headed home to get a good nights sleep before the next morning of riding. This was crucial in hindsight as I cannot imagine getting any less sleep than we did and still being able to perform the functions properly, let alone retain anything we were being taught.

The Second Day

Our class on Saturday was scheduled for 7am, but we were instructed to be on the course and ready to go by 6:45, so that class could start properly at 7am. Rolling out of bed came pretty early that day, but we were on site and ready to learn at 6:30am. We geared up, drank some water, and tried to take some deep breaths. They assigned us to bikes at 7am and both my fiancee and I were given Honda Rebel 250's. In hindsight, I wish I had a different bike for several reasons, mechanical reasons which I will get to later, but for now, because I am 6'1" and do not fit very well on those Honda Rebel's. I felt like a frog all bunched up on the bike. Legs sticking either up or out when placed on the pegs. The first day jitters subsided incredibly quickly, probably a combination of adrenaline, and a want to learn the bike. Our instructors were fantastic with teaching us the basic functions of the controls and making sure we understood exactly the way the bike worked before even sitting on them, but soon it was time to start our engines, and we began to move the bike forward and backwards using clutch control and trying to find the friction zone. Did I mention I don't drive a stick shift? In fact, I'm quite inexperienced with a standard transmission, but I do know how to drive one. Nonetheless, I found the clutch control to come quite a bit more easily than a clutch in a car.

Soon we were duck walking our bikes down the parking lot and back, down the lot and back, eventually learning a bit of the throttle to actually put our feet up on the pegs to ride the bike from one end to the other. We continued to learn how to shift, turn, steer, brake, hard brake, counter-steer, counter-weight, etc all on the first day, and the method of progression was incredibly smooth. Everything built on top of the previous lesson and nothing seemed abrupt or unclear. The instructors were able to communicate both efficiently the path of travel as well as qualm any nerves about exercises before the nerves even had a chance to build. Did I mention how nervous I was for this entire ordeal?

After about 5 hours of range instruction it was lunch time at 1pm and we went to lunch for an hour. My fiancee and I could not stop talking about how much fun we were having and how easily the course was going, well except for one major issue. The bike that I was riding, was having mechanical issues, it was 'vapor locking'. Still I do not understand how this works, but it is not only embarrassing, but frustrating to be on a bike that is not functioning properly. I couldn't figure out why the bike kept dying in the middle of exercises. Everything was done properly prior to riding, it had gas, the battery wasn't dead, strange, but even the instructors often couldn't get the bike started back up for about 5 minutes. They had to open the tank, rock the bike back and forth, and eventually get a running start with it to get it started. Nonetheless, I stayed on this bike for the entire first day and felt like even though it seemed to have some problems, I knew how to use it's clutch pretty well. Fast forward to after lunch, we had classroom time, which again was tedious, but focused more on some technical aspects of riding which are important, it touched more on safety gear, and the instructors were very good with elaborating on what we would definitely need to know for the test. After class that day, the fiancee and I went home, and crashed early again so that we could be sure to be well rested for the next day's class.

The Third Day

Good Lord, did the morning come early, and did my forearm hurt something atrocious from all of the clutch control. But a couple anti-inflamatory pills later we were ready to roll again. Now in the last paragraph I mentioned my issues with the bike I had. Well on this day, upon arriving, they had brought me up a totally different bike. I say totally different, and while it was still a Honda Rebel, the clutch control, throttle and brakes were completely different. This really threw me for a loop as one of the first things we did that day was a clutch control, low speed maneuver exercise, and since I had not had time to get acquainted with this bike I was really struggling with it. One of the instructors pulled me aside and said "Hey what's going on with your speed today?" to which I replied, "I'm still trying to figure out this clutch, this is a totally different feeling bike", he nodded, as I guess he had forgotten that I was the one stuck on a different bike from the day before and said, "well, as soon as you figure out the clutch on this one you're going to have it made", which boosted my confidence, and that is exactly what I needed as I began to psych myself out because I was basically starting from scratch with this bike. I regained control of my confidence and began to putter around the exercises again, doing much better this time around.

Now I could go in depth on the exercises we did but basically they are a rehash of the previous exercises, just at higher speeds, or lower speeds depending on the intended purpose of the exercise, and this time they are timing you, which is a pretty good hint as to what will be expected on the coming test. Finally, at the end of range instruction that day, just before lunch, we had the dreaded range test. The first of which was the dreaded figure 8 box. I had gotten pretty good at looking through my turns the previous day, and still was doing all right with them on this day, but my clutch control still wasn't up to par. I was nervous as I entered the box, and as soon as I began to make the initial left turn, my bike died. Now, most of you assume I probably stalled it, but I didn't, and some of you may assume I hadn't turned the gas valve, but I had, no rather again, the bike vapor locked, and I couldn't get it started back up. I opened the gas tank, waited a few seconds, closed it, rocked the bike back and forth and got it going again finally, at which point the instructors yelled for me to go around and re-enter the box. So I did, and now not only did I not have good control of this bike's clutch, but I also was not trusting the bike after it had the same issues the previous bike had for me. So i went outside of the box by a couple feet on the initial turn left, but on the second u-turn back right I cut it in half almost and cleared it no problem. I then sped up, and went through the swerve without an issue, and the did the power braking without issue, and then did the high speed turn without dilemma. They retired that back as soon as I was done.

The third days class time was a breeze as well, and ended with the test, which was mostly common sense and a few statistics that they covered relentlessly in class. Then they pulled us individually into the hall to go over our range test with us one on one. I scored well, but lost points for exiting the box initially, and then lost some points for not going quite quick enough through the turn, but nonetheless those were the only issues I had lost points on. As for the written test, I aced it, zero wrong out of 50. Did I mention how easy the written portion is?

Wrap-Up

My fiancee also passed the class and actually scored better than me on the range portion, which I will forever blame on the bikes I rode, but nonetheless she did exceptionally well. We both had a blast and passed the course and have the riding bug now. We're looking for a bike, a used Ninja 250 and will continue to look for one until we find a good deal. Now after reflection here are some final thoughts on the course in a concise format.

Pro's
- Builds confidence
- Designed around the total novice
- Designed to build on prior principles learned
- Individual attention due to class size
- Exceptional range instructors
- Written portion was simple enough, but technical enough
- Course was well set-up, clearly marked, easy to follow
- Range instructors anticipate nervousness
- Instructors were always encouraging, never harsh
- Instructors were critical in a constructive way
- The bikes are forgiving if an error is made (250cc)
- Frequent breaks between exercises

Con's
- The bikes suck (at least the ones I got stuck on, old and failing)
- The classroom initially was too large (37 people)
- The classroom time was a bit tedious and boring
- My bike really did suck


TL;DR: MSF was fun

[Skippii]

You couldn't afford the gas to drive to class every day, but you could afford to buy a bike, gear, get motorcycle insurance, and take the MSF course? If you're a freshman and plan on getting at least a PHD, I guess you might break even.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Skippii]

Out of curiosity, why not bicycle to class?
Posted via Mobile Device

[toolb0x]

Originally Posted by Skippii

You couldn't afford the gas to drive to class every day, but you could afford to buy a bike, gear, get motorcycle insurance, and take the MSF course? If you're a freshman and plan on getting at least a PHD, I guess you might break even.
Posted via Mobile Device

trololol your boat

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by toolb0x

Also knowing myself, I knew I was going to kill myself if I stepped onto a liter bike or even a 600ss right from the beginning. Some people are surely capable of those bikes as their first bikes,

That's where your wrong

Originally Posted by Skippii

You couldn't afford the gas to drive to class every day, but you could afford to buy a bike, gear, get motorcycle insurance, and take the MSF course? If you're a freshman and plan on getting at least a PHD, I guess you might break even.
Posted via Mobile Device

Skippii is right man, gas on a 15 mile commute is nothing, you're spending what, $5-$6 per day? Motorcycling won't save you any money. Don't lie to yourself, you just wanted to be a badass on a bike

[csmith12]

Great review Matthew! Bummer about the vapor locking bike but those bikes take a beating for the benefit of all. If that was the worst part about your experience, I would call the whole thing a success non the less.

Enjoy your freedom and congrats to the both of you!

[Falcor]

Now i'm afraid to get handed a Honda Rebel at the MSF in July o.0

[Jono]

Nice write-up!!

I really enjoyed my time at the MSF class last summer. In fact, I think it was the highlight of my summer. I took it with a good friend which just made it that much more fun.

[toolb0x]

Originally Posted by Skippii

You couldn't afford the gas to drive to class every day, but you could afford to buy a bike, gear, get motorcycle insurance, and take the MSF course? If you're a freshman and plan on getting at least a PHD, I guess you might break even.
Posted via Mobile Device

Did you see me state somewhere that I could no longer afford the gas to drive to class everyday? No, I never said that. In fact, I can easily afford it, but with gas being as high as it is, it takes a large chunk out of my 'fun' money, and doesn't allow me to save as much as I would like. You must have quit reading just before you got to this part, "gas was eating me alive, but worse even, the commute was life draining." This had less to do with money and more to do with the quality of life, and attempt to regain some joy on my commute. And where did you see me write that I purchased a bike, purchased insurance, etc? I stated very clearly in fact, that I am now looking for a used Ninjette, and that we have not had the opportunity yet to purchase one.

[toolb0x]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Skippii is right man, gas on a 15 mile commute is nothing, you're spending what, $5-$6 per day? Motorcycling won't save you any money. Don't lie to yourself, you just wanted to be a badass on a bike

Closer to $10-12 a day, given the nature of the drive. It is straight through the downtown area, the Plaza district, etc. Typically, assuming there is no construction and I am not caught within an hour of rush hour, I can make it there in around 30-40 minutes, and get home in about 40-60 minutes. If it is rush hour or there is much construction that day, or like yesterday, the traffic lights are out, causing the traffic to become congested at every light, it can take over an hour and a half to get down there and unfortunately, there is no way to approach the school from a different angle that would alleviate this congestion.

But you are correct, everybody wants to look badass on a bike.

[toolb0x]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Great review Matthew! Bummer about the vapor locking bike but those bikes take a beating for the benefit of all. If that was the worst part about your experience, I would call the whole thing a success non the less.

Enjoy your freedom and congrats to the both of you!

Thanks, yes the vapor lucking really was unfortunate, however, it did allow me to have to adjust on the fly to a different bike, see that not all clutches are the same, and force me to work a little harder subsequently.

Originally Posted by Falcor

Now i'm afraid to get handed a Honda Rebel at the MSF in July o.0

Nah, almost everybody was on a Rebel and mine was the only one that had issues, except for a couple folks who kept forgetting to turn the gas valve. The Honda Rebel really was a great bike to learn on. The seating position, the controls, etc are very easy to use and you'll be glad you are learning on it when your MSF course rolls around.

Originally Posted by Jono

Nice write-up!!

I really enjoyed my time at the MSF class last summer. In fact, I think it was the highlight of my summer. I took it with a good friend which just made it that much more fun.

Thanks, and agreed, having someone in the class that you know, in your case your friend, in my case, the fiancee, makes all the difference. Not only for the sake of your nerves, but also to encourage each other during the exercises. If any of my friends decide to take it in the future, I would seriously consider taking it again with them just to refresh some things in 6 months or so.

[xSean13]

Dang, a 10-15 minute commute and that takes a large chunk? My commute to my campus is an hour and a half (I give myself at least 20 mins to find a parking spot & get to class). Totaling to 100 miles round-trip, 5 days a week...now that takes a large chunk out, especially considering my alternate vehicle is a truck.

[toolb0x]

Originally Posted by xSean13

Dang, a 10-15 minute commute and that takes a large chunk? My commute to my campus is an hour and a half (I give myself at least 20 mins to find a parking spot & get to class). Totaling to 100 miles round-trip, 5 days a week...now that takes a large chunk out, especially considering my alternate vehicle is a truck.

Where did you see 10-15 minute commute? And I hear you on the 20 minutes to find a parking spot. Although it doesn't usually take me that long. Given the variability and the unpredictable nature of my commute. I leave for class 2-2.5 hours earlier than my first class and spend that extra time once I get there working on homework or grabbing a snack.

[etiainen]

Not that I'm being a complete traitor or anything, but....if you can find a used CBR250 in your area... (They are quite hard to find however)

I find it better for commuting than the Ninja.

Sorry guys, had to do it.

[xSean13]

Originally Posted by toolb0x

Where did you see 10-15 minute commute? And I hear you on the 20 minutes to find a parking spot. Although it doesn't usually take me that long. Given the variability and the unpredictable nature of my commute. I leave for class 2-2.5 hours earlier than my first class and spend that extra time once I get there working on homework or grabbing a snack.

I meant miles. One of those words that starts with "mi"

[dfox]

Originally Posted by toolb0x

I began to grow weary after 6 months of this grind, of the incessant stop and go traffic, the inability of other drivers to make informed decisions and not put my life in danger, and I grew more and more irritable.

i don't mean to be rude, but unless you plan on driving to school illegally (lane splitting), being on a bike vs. a car in traffic is no different, actually it makes things worse and more stressful. The only benefit you'll see is that you might spend a little less on gas.

Traffic will still be traffic. You will still sit still in traffic, but now you won't have the radio to keep you entertained. In the summer you will be HOT and uncomfortable, and in the rain you'll be wet. To wear proper gear, now you need to carry additional bags for your gear, and now you'll be lugging around that gear from class to class. Drivers still suck, even less people will see you and more will try to kill you now that you're on a bike. Just be realistic about the commuting situation, it's not glamorous. Joy-riding is glamorous, commuting is still commuting.

Personally, after taking the MSF BRC, i thought it was a waste of time. the classroom section is everything that you need to know to get your motorcycle permit. The on road stuff, sure, there could be some benefit, but to be honest, in reading how a bike worked, I knew mentally how to shift gears and all before I got on the bike. A few times around the block and in a parking lot before my course helped me learn way more than the BRC taught me. I'd rather have saved the money and taken the experienced rider course after a few months of riding, but I was informed that I couldn't take that without having a certificate saying that I passed the BRC.

[toolb0x]

Originally Posted by xSean13

I meant miles. One of those words that starts with "mi"

Originally Posted by dfox

i don't mean to be rude, but unless you plan on driving to school illegally (lane splitting), being on a bike vs. a car in traffic is no different, actually it makes things worse and more stressful. The only benefit you'll see is that you might spend a little less on gas.

Traffic will still be traffic. You will still sit still in traffic, but now you won't have the radio to keep you entertained. In the summer you will be HOT and uncomfortable, and in the rain you'll be wet. To wear proper gear, now you need to carry additional bags for your gear, and now you'll be lugging around that gear from class to class. Drivers still suck, even less people will see you and try to kill you now that you're on a bike. Just be realistic about the commuting situation, it's not glamorous. Joy-riding is glamorous, commuting is still commuting.

Personally, after taking the MSF BRC, i thought it was a waste of time. the classroom section is everything that you need to know to get your motorcycle permit. The on road stuff, sure, there could be some benefit, but to be honest, in reading how a bike worked, I knew mentally how to shift gears and all before I got on the bike. A few times around the block and in a parking lot before my course helped me learn way more than the BRC taught me. I'd rather have saved the money and taken the experienced rider course after a few months of riding, but I was informed that I couldn't take that without having a certificate saying that I passed the BRC.

Commuting will always be commuting, I'm sure you're right, but maybe, just maybe, not being stuck in a cage, something new, and not mundane can at least get me through it with a bit more pleasure. More stressful, I'm sure at the beginning. More invisible, without a doubt. But the drive itself is actually quite pretty, and maybe being able to see the entire thing and experience the road as opposed to driving over it, can make up for such deficiencies.

And as for your MSF course I'm sorry to hear that yours did not go as well, or that you didn't enjoy it as much as we did. Did you have prior riding experience? The reason I ask is that there were two people in my class that admitted to having prior riding experience. One was a young, dirt bike seasoned, kid, who clearly thought he needed not be in the class. He would do stupid things like ride with no hands during exercises, and just push the bounds of what the instructors found acceptable in general. The other gentleman that had prior riding experience actually commented to me, that he was just taking the class for the insurance break and to get back into biking, but actually corrected a lot of bad habits that he had picked up throughout the years and he seemed impressed by the course. I'm not saying you have to identify with either of these individuals, but what I am saying is that a lot of times our attitudes going into something that may be a refresher for us has a lot to do with what we get out of something, and as well, the instructors can make all the difference. I thought my instructors were fantastic, teaching us some things which I'm not sure are normally taught such as trail braking, or dragging the rear brake through low speed maneuvers to shifting weight off the bike to lean it independently, etc. Maybe it is the case that the instructors you had were not as enthusiastic, efficient, or excellent as teachers?

[trenttheuncatchable]

The little ninja is a fun bike, but if you're going to be stuck in traffic a lot, a 150cc+ scooter might be a better bet. It'll get better mpg, you won't have to shift, and there'll be more space under the seat for your stuff.

Nice writeup. And for anyone else taking the MSF BRC, if you have a choice of bikes, the Nighthawk 250 is a better choice than a Rebel 250.

[dfox]

Yeah, none of that was thought in my class. It was purely a beginners class to learn how to control the throttle, brakes, and, lean into a turn? Obviously swerving and all that too. My experience is different, I had my license already, but got it on a 150cc scooter that I never took above 30 mph, only had handbrakes, no gears, etc. I never rode a motorcycle or dirt bike until this class. The seconding sat on the bike though, I felt right at home. It seems like I was a motorcycle rider in a previous life. My dad had a bike when I was young, so maybe the riding basics were engrained at an early age.

I'm just sharing my experience with commuting. I ride all the time to work, but was convinced before I started that it would make my commute better. It's a little relief to be on a bike, but not nearly what I had expected. Rush hour riding is not fun, just another means of transportation.

[toolb0x]

Bummer that none of that was taught in your class. I wondered when they were instructing us, just how much it varied between classes.

Have you now completed the Advanced Course through the MSF? If so, how did it go for you?

[dfox]

i have not, and to be honest, i'm not looking to after my experience with the BRC, and other reviews that I've heard of the ARC. I think the MSF courses are just so dumbed down because they don't want to encourage people to ride too fast on the street, that they miss some very important techniques. I may look into the Lee Park total control course, but they require a full year of riding, and I don't think I'm ready yet, I've only been riding for a month and a half now, I still have a lot to learn. I am very seriously looking to track my bike next year, and think that the lee park course might bridge the gap for me between what I can learn on my own on the street, and what I need to learn before I hit the track.

edit: I understand that most people will gain something from the beginner rider course, and I may have gained some knowledge and set some good habits that I don't even know, because I didn't have any bad ones to correct. My own personal opinion is that it wasn't as beneficial as it could have been though. I realistically wanted the course to go at twice the speed it did, but if it did, more people would have failed. Is that a bad thing though? If you can't pick up the basics quick, you probably shouldn't be on a bike. just my opinion.

there were some people in my class, who failed, but they were stalling the bike, and nearly ran into the back of someone because they let go of the clutch and brake before putting the bike in neutral. Others who couldn't execute a quick stop in a reasonable distance DID pass. this scares me a little. I think they need to be more harsh. Not everyone is mentally or physically able to ride a motorcycle.

/rant.

[toolb0x]

Yeah, I agree with that about the course being too lax. There were two ladies in my class who couldn't get the hang of it. Even on the second day they were dropping the bikes, and getting inside their own heads.

That is one thing I took note of during the class, and would warn others about. If you mess up, push past it and continue on. If you dwell on it you'll only mess up worse, get inside yourself, and make bigger mistakes.

For example one of the ladies couldn't get down some of the low speed stuff, and she ended up dropping the bike. She got so upset with herself, and flustered by the ordeal that she ended up sitting out the second half of the exercise.

Guess what. They still passed her... I would not have passed her however. Even as a total novice, it was clear to me that she should not be on a bike, and that the back of a bike is probably the best option for her without doing the class at least 2-3 more times.

The other lady who dropped the bike, just simply did not trust the bike. She wouldn't look through turns, she wouldn't lean enough, she wouldn't brake hard enough. And especially, she wouldn't swerve. She also passed the class, but I would not have passed her either, although she never got inside her own head. She kept with it and persisted through mistake after mistake, but in the end, she should have had to repeat the class.

[Luvninja]

Originally Posted by toolb0x

My fiancee also passed the class and actually scored better than me on the range portion, which I will forever blame on the bikes I rode, but nonetheless she did exceptionally well. We both had a blast and passed the course and have the riding bug now. We're looking for a bike, a used Ninja 250 and will continue to look for one until we find a good deal. Now after reflection here are some final thoughts on the course in a concise format.

TL;DR: MSF was fun

I like the fact that you can't admit she did better than you lol. I did better than all the guys (&gals) in my class and was the only one that was on a 250 that was too tall for me (everyone else was on a Honda rebel) . Yet the guys at the end of it came up with excuses on why they didn't pass or got a score lower than mine. Men...

[Stingray1000]

Originally Posted by Luvninja

I like the fact that you can't admit she did better than you lol. I did better than all the guys (&gals) in my class and was the only one that was on a 250 that was too tall for me (everyone else was on a Honda rebel) . Yet the guys at the end of it came up with excuses on why they didn't pass or got a score lower than mine. Men...

How tall are you?

[drowe531]

Originally Posted by dfox

I'm just sharing my experience with commuting. I ride all the time to work, but was convinced before I started that it would make my commute better. It's a little relief to be on a bike, but not nearly what I had expected. Rush hour riding is not fun, just another means of transportation.

You are also commuting in Boston, any driving in Boston is just not fun.

[Luvninja]

Originally Posted by Stingray1000

How tall are you?

5'1" tippy toes on the ninja, sucks if I park somewhere slanted and I need to back out lol I just push it. I shaved my seat and lowered the bike a tiny bit. But in the MSF course as a first time ever ride (ninja provided by MSF course, not mine), that was... Nerve racking, but fun.

[dfox]

Originally Posted by drowe531

You are also commuting in Boston, any driving in Boston is just not fun.

it can be fun at times. obviously headed out closer to, or past 495 gets more fun, but I don't mind it too much.

[Numbersix]

Originally Posted by dfox

Traffic will still be traffic. You will still sit still in traffic, but now you won't have the radio to keep you entertained. In the summer you will be HOT and uncomfortable, and in the rain you'll be wet.

If radios and a/c are entertainment and comfort, then maybe motorcycling isn't your best choice? I've been commuting for two years now, happy in July heat and January cold 'cause the entertainment and comfort IS the ride. I keep arriving wishing my commute were a bit longer

To wear proper gear, now you need to carry additional bags for your gear, and now you'll be lugging around that gear from class to class.

That's one thing I miss about the scoot. With the Honda, I had enough underseat room to store a full helmet and any gear (if I hadn't been bringing them into the office).

[folky15]

Thanks for the review of your experience! You have a great writing style and I found your post very helpful. I take the MSF course next weekend and this write-up helped calm some of my nerves, having a better idea of what to expect.

[Ninja Justin]

I got to ride an 09 ninjette She was Blue and Purrrttty MSF was fun, although since i was the only one there that knew how to ride.. It was fun, and funny xD Congrats on the bike and the course.

[dfox]

Originally Posted by Numbersix

If radios and a/c are entertainment and comfort, then maybe motorcycling isn't your best choice? I've been commuting for two years now, happy in July heat and January cold 'cause the entertainment and comfort IS the ride. I keep arriving wishing my commute were a bit longer



That's one thing I miss about the scoot. With the Honda, I had enough underseat room to store a full helmet and any gear (if I hadn't been bringing them into the office).

Don't get me wrong, I love bike commuting. I don't care to have music or a/c when I'm on a bike, but just wanted to point it out to someone considering commuting on a bike that there are drawbacks.

[drowe531]

Originally Posted by dfox

it can be fun at times. obviously headed out closer to, or past 495 gets more fun, but I don't mind it too much.

Also heading up North to NH,Vermont and Maine is where you get the good roads.

[dfox]

Originally Posted by drowe531

Also heading up North to NH,Vermont and Maine is where you get the good roads.

Yeah, I'm headed to Maine for a weekend in a few weeks and plan on riding... I've also got a ride planned with some coworkers to drive the kangamangus and route 16 later this summer.

[bonbon76]

Originally Posted by dfox

Yeah, I'm headed to Maine for a weekend in a few weeks and plan on riding... I've also got a ride planned with some coworkers to drive the kangamangus and route 16 later this summer.

I commute into work everyday, if its not rainign on my bike..

headed to Laconia every weekend in July on her too

oh.. and that first post was way long.. my attention spam went drifting..lol