I have been riding for years but took the motorcycle safety course not too long ago with my wife who is a new rider. I would say that the course is a great investment as it teaches skills most people don't learn by practice. I ride with a lot of groups and am continually surprised at the folks who still try to steer through turns. The course taught countersteering and moving your head and eyes during a turn, two skills that are essential to proper driving technique. I know of several cases where accidents would have been avoided if the rider would have learned these skills. If I made the laws, everyone would be required to take the course.

 

Not to be a monkey wrench here, but recent Motorcycle Consumer News (excellent magazine; no ads so not beholden to anyone and can tell it like it is) articles have been discussing the downturn in the level of training being offered at new MSF courses. They're being dumbed down and shortened in order to get more riders out the door and on bikes. I don't have the magazine handy but one of the items was that the guy in charge of the MSF stuff is also in charge of a different motorcycle advocacy group that would appear to conflict (safe riding vs selling more bikes).

That being said, my wife took the course in 2003 and failed due to overrunning a turn. She paid $90 for it at the NOVA community college. I took the military Motorcycle Defensive Driving class back in the 70's when I first started riding and that was a scary class. I want to take the enhanced class but haven't gotten around to it.

Carl

 

When I took the course back in March, 3 of the 12 people did not make it through the class. My wife and I plan on taking the advanced course in 2005, I hear it is very good and you use your own ride.

Randy

 

I'm not sure about dumbing down but I do know that in the class I took they let someone through that I don't think they should have. Of course, that's just my opinion but I know I'll never be riding next to that guy should I see him again.

 

Yea, that's what I hear as well. I may have to take it twice, once for each bike :-)

Carl

 

I talked to the instructor of our basic MSF class and he said that the advanced course is essentially the same as the first course with about 80% of the exercises being exactly the same; the biggest difference is that you use your own bike and can do the course with a passenger. He also said the speeds are a little higher on some exercises. He still recommended the course but said that if I didn't have the money or the interest then I could just go use the course when they weren't conducting class to practice on my Sporty.

 

In order to get a sticker for your motorcycle to get on base, you must take the MSF course. Its offered on base, its free, and best of all, its during work, so you get to ride or talk about riding all day instead of being at work. Not a bad deal.

On base you bring your own ride, and you show that you already have a motorcycle endorsement...I wonder if this is the advanced course? When I took it 10 years ago, it was all pretty slow stuff and it was all solo riding.

This is the one that I will take again...if they dumbed it down, I will be disappointed, but in the end, it will have some benefit.

Mac