I have been riding for many years, I'm 48 years old. I am from the old school that when you got your drivers liscence, you could pretty well drive anything( Canada) The goverment has since cleaned that up. I digress, I have never taken a motorcycle course. I consider myself a fairley accomplished rider, never had an accident but that's probably due to luck to a certain extent. My question is for those who have taken a course or MSF training after the fact, do you feel that you leaned things, that It may have improved you in certain areas of your riding?

 

Like you I've been riding for about 30 years only off and on after a couple of crashes. My fault both of them. Took the MSF course recently and learned a few things that might keep me from another one. Go into the course with an open mind. I thought I knew it all but I didn't. The hardest part was riding that 250 Suzuki. Got 15% off my insurance also.

 

I took the class after the fact ... as did many of my riding friends ... we all say we learned something new. It certainly made us more aware. The class is well worth the time and cost.

 

It was well worth the time as it brings out things you really never think about. I learned some things that make me a safer rider. Also got a nice discount on my insurance.

 

You've probably never heard this story before, but I owned a Harley when I was 25, sold it when my first was born when I was 30. Bought another one last year when I turned 50 and made a deal with the wife that I would take the MSF so she would feel better about the new ride.

Bottom line, best thing I could have ever done. 20 years later, I'm 20 years older. When I got back in the saddle, everything felt pretty familiar. I almost cried when the first night of class they had everybody sit on a Buell and squeeze the clutch to "get the feel". [X(]

But when we finally got on the bikes, the things I learned that day were invaluable. I must have developed a bad habit of covering the front brake while I wasn't riding and the hairpin, figure 8 turns helped me to turn my head and look where I was going. Having to do the hairpins with a mini-crotch rocket under me (felt different) forced me out of my comfort zone and to trust and concentrate on my skill level and abilities. A very good thing.

You'll probably get different things from the class, but the time and effort you put into it will equal what you get out of it. My hunch is, because you are thinking about it, you may need it for whatever reason.

 

I think it was definitely worth it. Showed you some evasive manuevers. Best way to come to a hard stop if need be. The instructor even went into it with us of what to do if a crash was imminent. There were a few people in my class that already knew how to ride. They seemed like they were picking some stuff up. They kept getting yelled at that their technique was off. The self-taught riders weren't looking into the curves and letting their bike follow. I would recommend the MSF class to anyone.

 

What is a MSF class?

 

Is there any courses out there that will let you ride your own bike or one like it. The ones I checked on want you to ride their bikes.[sm=biker2.gif]

 

You ride their bike for the basic class, you ride yours in the advanced.

 

MSF = Motorcycle Safety Foundation

The MSF class is just that, a class to learn how to ride a motorcycle. They generally have several levels of classes, basic, intermediate, and advanced. The basic class supplies the motorcycle, the others you bring your own.

My wife and I took the class. It was actually paid for (well mine was) by the dealership we bought our first Buell from. Excellent class for both of us! Watching the advanced class going on next to us was neat, the guys on their huge Goldwings and Ultra's doing through the figure 8's that most of us didn't think we could do on the little 250 bikes we were riding was cool.