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All of the above & make sure you have boots that cover the ankle portion of your foot or you may not be allowed to participate. You should have been sent a list of required items.
Sunglasses, some water to drink, sunscreen for your face & neck
Make sure your tires have the required amount of air or +2 psi extra (you can thank me later).
Listen to your rider coach in the classroom and on the tarmac. Relax & enjoy the course.
What do you mean here? Doesn't the MSF provide bikes for the course anymore? They set up the bikes, not the rider/student.
Next Monday is finally time for my Basic Rider course at my local HD dealer. Been waiting since January for it! Anybody been to one at HD? what to expect? any tips or things to bring not mentioned by the MoCo?
I have some experience on dirt bikes 10+ years ago but never ridden a road bike.
Any comments are appreciated.
Edit: This is in Maryland if that matters.
Like the others have said, PAY ATTENTION. I learned something in that class that they SAID, but we NEVER PRACTICED. It saved me some damage to my bike AND my body one day. This happened right in town where I lived. I was riding and took an entrance to an uphill curve gong into another road. I came in with too much speed. I quickly realized I wasn't going to make that curve and I was in trouble. Somehow, my mind immediately remembered what they had taught in discussion class, and that was to straighten up the bike...keep the handlebars parallel to the ground and apply the brakes. I stopped right at the apex of the curve, still on the road, and was safe.
Moral of the story: I paid attention in class and remembered EVEN SOMETHING that was said in class but never practiced on the range. I am positive that not knowing that procedure would have wound up with me in a panic hard-breaking low slide had I not paid attention in class.
EDIT: Ask the instructor to help you find where the friction zone is and how to use it, so that you know exactly how to put the clutch in the friction zone every time, without a worry. That skill is ESSENTIAL for slow speed riding. You will find out later that knowing how to do that is THE most important skill to have in riding a motorcycle, because all other practice skills revolve around that the mastering of the friction zone. ...in my opinion. Proper use of "head and eyes" and looking where you want to go both depend on proper use of the friction zone and rear brake combination.
Last edited by GOV5; Mar 30, 2021 at 05:49 AM.
Reason: to add
I have done many, many advanced and experienced rider courses and have found often miles do not equate to higher skill level. I have seen local MC's leave the class because they couldn't stop his bike efficiently. Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect!
Just to add....probably a more advanced skill, but it doesn't hurt to start now.....ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN. Look ahead as far as you can see, and scan your vision back towards you then continually repeat. Your peripheral vision will take care of things really near to you. Take in the information you can see ahead (signs, junctions, road conditions, hazards, etc....) and always have a "what if" plan running in your head. What if that car pulls out? What if that bit of road is as slippery as it looks? What if the reason there is horse **** on the road is because there is a horse just around the corner? What if a kid runs out from behind that school bus? What it that dog jumps into the road?
Remember the six Ps: Proper Planning Prevents **** Poor Performance
The BRC moves at a good pace, dont worry about being overwhelmed. There are things I had to learn the hard way, many of them are in post 17.
Some others:
Wet road paint, like turning arrows, isnt just slippery, like they tell you in the course. It has almost no traction. If youre turning when you go over it, dont lean too much, or go too fast.
Gravel, tar snakes, sand on the road, need to be respected. They take some getting used to, be patient. Always look for traction compromisers when stopping and putting your foot down. I like to have Vibram soles.
There's a lot of info here, my opinion is: dress for the weather and show up with an open mind to learn. The class is designed for someone who has absolutely no experience with motorcycles or even using a clutch for that matter. Chances are you'll be pretty bored for a lot of it.
That brings up a very good point.I had been riding for years, was self taught, when I took my course.
The OP has experience riding dirt bikes, so some of the very first stuff, like finding the friction zone and duck walking the bike, then getting going in a straight line will seem very boring. Resist the temptation to zone out and ignore the instructors or try to show off. Follow the instructions for the exercises and focus on mastering them even if you think you know them. The skills as they are presented build on each other, so even if you think you know it and the skill seems too easy try to execute it perfectly.
I took mine in 2000, at that point I had been street bikes for about 15 years and thought I knew everything. Turns out I didn't know as much as i thought I did. So as mentioned, pay attention, you'll probably learn something new.
with your dirt bike experience you shouldnt have any trouble with the basic operation of the bike, but some of the tight, slow maneuvers may take a little practice.
Oh and bring a rain suit if you have one, the course goes on rain or shine.
Get yourself some good rider's pants with knee protection and wear gloves Even some of those Kevlar jeans with knee protection pockets from Cycle Gear for $100 will work. Cheryl (my s.o.) took the course and dropped the bike hard. She only got a badly skinned knee out of it. But that abrasion got infected. She ended up getting sepsis from it and had to have knee surgery to clean it out and be on a PIC line (intravenous antibiotics injection port) for 30 days and taking heavy duty antibiotics twice a day. It was a nightmare. All from a scraped knee. Never would have seen that coming.
Other than that, listen and follow directions. Be willing to learn. A few of the guys in Cheryl's class already knew all there was to know about riding and as a result, learned nothing.
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