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Did you actually learn anything from the brc? I'd imagine everything here is kids play after the licensing test you had in Japan.
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Sep 4, 2014 20:04
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Angryboot posted:Did you actually learn anything from the brc? I'd imagine everything here is kids play after the licensing test you had in Japan. I'd been riding for 5 years when I took my BRC, and I feel like I came out of it with a bit more than I went in.
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Sep 4, 2014 21:27
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If nothing else I'd hope they could give you some tips for slow speed riding.
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Sep 5, 2014 00:36
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Angryboot posted:Did you actually learn anything from the brc? I'd imagine everything here is kids play after the licensing test you had in Japan. From the riding part not really, as the instructor said, completing the MSF is basically "I know how to ride around in a parking lot (hopefully) and not look like an idiot". I think he said there were some changes coming either this year or next to make it more applicable to real world riding though? I'd made a habit of practicing slow stuff on my own when I was in Japan, so once I got used to the test bike (a lot lower than I'm used to coming from a dual sport, but also a 250 single) it was pretty straightforward. I definitely did my best to undersell the instructor on my skill (something I have a habit of doing, especially to myself), but after he saw me ace the box he goes "Were you messing with me?" and we skipped ahead to the next activity  From the classroom content, I would have passed it as-is walking in (have read Proficient Motorcycling a few times, as well as hang out around here for years), but there were certainly a few items that were either new to me or I could have stood to brush up on. The most mindblowing part of the day was as we were setting up, one of his former students rode up to say hi... in full gear (well, street shoes, but whatever). In Florida, that is basically like seeing a unicorn.
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Sep 5, 2014 00:52
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My wife took the course two months ago with the updated curriculum. Honestly from talking with her and the instructor they didn't change much on the field portion. It was a lot of restructuring the class segment.
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Sep 6, 2014 03:54
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First day at MSF course completed. It was a real blast I had a lot of fun. I really need to work on my throttle control though, I'm pretty jerky and can't seem to smooth it out. The eliminator 125 they use is a cool little bike but far too small for me at 6'. It's not a natural foot placement for someone tall which causes me some wobbly starts as I try to find the pegs and rear brake.
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Sep 6, 2014 23:53
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Those little MSF bikes, in my experience, tend to be jerky as hell in first. Once you get up into second and third it's a big improvement. Work on feathering the clutch more. It'll help a lot.
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Sep 7, 2014 00:10
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Digital_Jesus posted:Those little MSF bikes, in my experience, tend to be jerky as hell in first. Once you get up into second and third it's a big improvement. I noticed that too when we got to the second and third gear exercises it smoothed out but those first gear turns get me. When I asked one of the coaches about the rear brake being hard for my big feet to find he suggested just resting my foot on the pedal rather than sliding it off and on, is that legit? Seems like it would ride the brake but I did notice a lot of pedal travel before the rear brake actually did some braking action. After driving stick cars for all my life I feel like I'm being brutal on the clutch with the amount of slipping and power walking.
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Sep 7, 2014 01:17
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Bike clutches are designed to be slipping waaaaaaay more than a car (it's why the vast majority are wet clutches) and at the parking lot speeds you're at for the course, almost any bike is going to need some clutch slip. A little rear brake will also help. Resting your foot on the rear brake pedal is a bad habit you shouldn't pick up for real riding, but dragging the rear brake just a little will help calm the bike down. Also keep in mind the MSF bikes are quite commonly going to be in terrible material condition that no respecting or safety-minded rider would ever let their own ride get into, so the clutch, brakes, throttle etc may be much harder to control than normal.
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Sep 7, 2014 01:26
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Digital_Jesus posted:Those little MSF bikes, in my experience, tend to be jerky as hell in first. Once you get up into second and third it's a big improvement. When I took the course, the instructors had us do most of the drills in 2nd or 3rd. Even the figure 8 box was done in 2nd gear to make it easier to control the throttle.
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Sep 7, 2014 02:50
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Snowdens Secret posted:Also keep in mind the MSF bikes are quite commonly going to be in terrible material condition that no respecting or safety-minded rider would ever let their own ride get into, so the clutch, brakes, throttle etc may be much harder to control than normal. This isn't true whatsoever. The bikes are routinely inspected and if they're crashed they're repaired or replaced. Our state MSF division is pretty on-fuckin-point when it comes to safety. At least here in WNY.
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Sep 7, 2014 04:29
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My msf bike in CA was the shittiest poo poo that ever shittily shitted.
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Sep 7, 2014 04:40
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It will greatly vary by state. Some states, such as Washington, use contractors to provide training facilities and bikes. Some of those run on shoestring budgets so their bikes may be in rougher shape than state-funded and state-run programs. I spent a year maintaining the bikes at a training site in Idaho. They were all in better mechanical condition and cleaner than my personal bikes.
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Sep 7, 2014 05:55
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Digital_Jesus posted:This isn't true whatsoever. The bikes are routinely inspected and if they're crashed they're repaired or replaced. Our state MSF division is pretty on-fuckin-point when it comes to safety. The eliminator 125 I had was "safe", but the throttle had an inch of play and something was wrong with the idle. It was jerky, unpredictable, not exactly confidence inspiring, and made me beter at controlling non-trashed bikes. My FZ6 has a friction zone that feels like it's 2mm wide sometimes, but it's way better than that eliminator was.
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Sep 7, 2014 13:05
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My MSF bike (a TW200, fun) appeared to be in perfect mechanical condition, with just some scratches and dings on the bodywork. To be fair I didn't strip it down for a full inspection so I might have missed something.
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Sep 7, 2014 19:59
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w00t passed the course despite getting the maximum point dockage for the box. I should have just rode straight through it, everything else was perfect. I was disappointed to only get 3 practice attempts at the box before the test, but I plan on practicing on my own with a bike that fits me.
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Sep 7, 2014 21:56
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Blackdawgg posted:w00t passed the course despite getting the maximum point dockage for the box. I should have just rode straight through it, everything else was perfect. I was disappointed to only get 3 practice attempts at the box before the test, but I plan on practicing on my own with a bike that fits me. Yeah. I happened to ace the box but it was absolutely through sheer luck. Slow speed maneuvering and clutch control are prime skills to work on but that's probably the last time you'll have a dude standing next to you with a clipboard. Hopefully this has all prepared you for sitting in front of a DMV computer for two minutes. Congratulations!
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Sep 7, 2014 22:23
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M42 posted:My msf bike in CA was the shittiest poo poo that ever shittily shitted. Mine was a destroyed Ninja EX250 with a really touchy throttle. I still managed to be third in the class behind 2 tw200s. If you get a choice in the class go for the tw200, a nighthawk, or a rebels. It will make your test a lot easier. I thought the ninja was just like that until I checked my classmates EX250's throttle and found out his was completely normal.
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Sep 11, 2014 20:09
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Taking the BRC this weekend. Super excited! 
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Sep 24, 2014 17:50
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Relax and enjoy yourself. Don't dwell on it if you dropped the bike. Shrug it off, take a deep breath, and go at it again.
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Sep 24, 2014 18:05
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Angryboot posted:Relax and enjoy yourself. Don't dwell on it if you dropped the bike. Shrug it off, take a deep breath, and go at it again. Yeah, the point of the class is to try new things, make a few mistakes, and at the end of it, realize that you've learned a lot. They don't expect instant perfection.
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Sep 24, 2014 19:35
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Yay! Have fun! Try not to deathgrip the handlebars, and remember that no one expects you to be perfect and know all this poo poo from the get-go.
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Sep 25, 2014 01:28
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First day down. Had quite a few stalls from getting used to the clutch being in my hand rather than my foot. Overall, had a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to finishing up tomorrow.
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Sep 28, 2014 00:00
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xergm posted:First day down. Had quite a few stalls from getting used to the clutch being in my hand rather than my foot. Overall, had a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to finishing up tomorrow. Awesome! The clutch is really hard for a lot of people. The fact that you knew how to drive a stick shift is a huge help; most Americans drive automatics, and the clutch is just completely foreign to them. Good luck on day two!
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Sep 28, 2014 00:56
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Thanks. It got a lot easier once I got over that. I think only one person had never driven stick, so my group didn't have too many issues. Certainly helped when the bikes warmed up too. No more problems trying to find neutral when I needed it, and no more finding it when I didn't.
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Sep 28, 2014 01:23
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xergm posted:Certainly helped when the bikes warmed up too. No more problems trying to find neutral when I needed it, and no more finding it when I didn't. If I was to go back in time and do the MSF over again for some reason, I'd be sure to tell myself to thrash on the controls a lot harder... all of my issues with stalling and accidentally finding neutral could have been avoided. Jam up/down on the drat shift pedal like you mean it, and don't be afraid of the throttle - you won't break anything and the bike is not going to accelerate out of control.
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Sep 28, 2014 08:16
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The Royal Nonesuch posted:If I was to go back in time and do the MSF over again for some reason, I'd be sure to tell myself to thrash on the controls a lot harder... all of my issues with stalling and accidentally finding neutral could have been avoided. Jam up/down on the drat shift pedal like you mean it, and don't be afraid of the throttle - you won't break anything and the bike is not going to accelerate out of control. This. My being afraid of sounding like I was revving the poo poo out of that tiny poorly tuned kawasaki 125 eliminator to be a douchebag led to so many stalls.
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Sep 28, 2014 12:31
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xergm posted:Thanks. It got a lot easier once I got over that. I think only one person had never driven stick, so my group didn't have too many issues. Don't worry so much about the neutral thing. It comes with practice. When I first got my bike I had the hardest time getting into neutral. I then had more of a hard time getting it from neutral into first. You'll learn the tricks like gently bringing your foot up till you feel the click as opposed to when you shift into 2nd and just slam up into it.
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Sep 28, 2014 16:35
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I'm sure a lot of it was the bikes being a learner for quite a few people. It was mostly a minor annoyance instead of a distraction by the time I was more comfortable. Passed the skills test today with no points off. I think that was the only time I nailed the box too. Everything else was smooth sailing. The instructors were great. I'll definitely be back for the more advanced courses when I get there, they've definitely got a wealth of knowledge.
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Sep 29, 2014 00:00
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The Royal Nonesuch posted:... all of my issues with stalling and accidentally finding neutral could have been avoided. Jam up/down on the drat shift pedal like you mean it, and don't be afraid of the throttle... I'm taking the MSF this week and I know this will be my biggest issue until I get a feel for the clutch.
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Sep 29, 2014 01:03
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Yeah, I got that a lot better when I realized I just needed to keep on the throttle and let the clutch do the job. I think that's why I finally hit the box is that finally all clicked.
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Sep 29, 2014 01:37
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xergm posted:Yeah, I got that a lot better when I realized I just needed to keep on the throttle and let the clutch do the job. I think that's why I finally hit the box is that finally all clicked. Congratulations!
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Sep 29, 2014 09:49
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xergm posted:Yeah, I got that a lot better when I realized I just needed to keep on the throttle and let the clutch do the job. I think that's why I finally hit the box is that finally all clicked. It was that way for me when learning manual on an '85 Honda Accord, empty streets and a few minutes of driving early on a Saturday morning. I really dig it when anything I am terrible at suddenly clicks and it becomes easy as pie in an instant. This feeling/phenomenon is kind of explained in the Spielberg movie Always.
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Sep 29, 2014 12:49
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xergm posted:Yeah, I got that a lot better when I realized I just needed to keep on the throttle and let the clutch do the job. I think that's why I finally hit the box is that finally all clicked. Congrats!! 
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Sep 29, 2014 14:35
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Day 1: stared at a cone. Then I ran over it. Success! Here are my thoughts - 1. Just doing exactly what the instructor tells you to do is a pretty easy route to success. 2. Counter steering is great. 3. Target fixation is not. 4. Don't look down. 5. Seriously, stop looking down. 6. Ride the clutch. 7. Rev the poo poo out of the engine while you ride the clutch. 8. Make "VROOM" noises while you do this; nobody can hear you anyway.
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Oct 1, 2014 03:01
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builds character posted:Day 1: stared at a cone. Then I ran over it. Success! Victory! I am the best motorcyclist ever! Passed with no points off in the box. Pretty sure that was pure luck, but still, better lucky than good I always say. We had a turn as part of the test but it was just the normal turns we'd been doing in class. So either it wasn't decreasing radius or all the practice ones were too.
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Oct 1, 2014 23:08
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Grats! I doubt there were any decrease radius turns in the brc. The one I was in certainly didn't have it.
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Oct 2, 2014 00:05
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builds character posted:Victory! I am the best motorcyclist ever! Passed with no points off in the box. Pretty sure that was pure luck, but still, better lucky than good I always say. Congrats on passing. It's a great time to find a deal on a bike right now fyi
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Oct 2, 2014 00:10
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Congrats! Welcome to the club of soon-to-be motorcycles owners!
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Oct 2, 2014 00:36
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builds character posted:We had a turn as part of the test but it was just the normal turns we'd been doing in class. So either it wasn't decreasing radius or all the practice ones were too. Angryboot posted:Grats! The decreasing radius turn is certainly taught, it is exercise #13 and is the last "skills evaluation" at the end of the course. It's a 90* corner followed by a 135* corner... The exercise is done to the left a number of times and then to the right, the "skills evaluation" is done to the right. Also congrats on passing. Don't forget to start out slowly on your new bike when you get it.
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Oct 2, 2014 01:05
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