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Fixed Gear Guy posted:Maybe you should have taken the BRC2? Has anybody taken/taught the experienced course? I just got myself a whole lot of bike and was thinking of re-taking the MSF just to force myself to refresh and practice. I drill myself on the stuff from MSF/BRC1 at the start of every season anyway though so it will probably be more beneficial to take the advanced instead. My actual MSF cert is 6 years old now so it might not hurt my insurance to take and pass the advanced safety course either.
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Aug 24, 2012 05:43
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Halo_4am posted:Has anybody taken/taught the experienced course? I just got myself a whole lot of bike and was thinking of re-taking the MSF just to force myself to refresh and practice. I drill myself on the stuff from MSF/BRC1 at the start of every season anyway though so it will probably be more beneficial to take the advanced instead. My actual MSF cert is 6 years old now so it might not hurt my insurance to take and pass the advanced safety course either. Take the ARC course, intro to trail braking, getting away from the whole "outside-inside-outside" is the only way to corner, and learning to get up over the tank using your weight and body position... Only a 1 day class and it was a ton of fun.
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Aug 24, 2012 22:59
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Skreemer posted:Take the ARC course, intro to trail braking, getting away from the whole "outside-inside-outside" is the only way to corner, and learning to get up over the tank using your weight and body position... Only a 1 day class and it was a ton of fun. I am planning on taking it when it cools down - like in January. It will have been about six months and the cooler weather will be nice. Taking those classes in the heat of the Florida summer is no way to learn how to ride a motorcycle.
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Aug 25, 2012 02:30
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Wulframn posted:I am planning on taking it when it cools down - like in January. It will have been about six months and the cooler weather will be nice. Taking those classes in the heat of the Florida summer is no way to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Dehydration and heat stroke is no drat fun at all.
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Aug 25, 2012 16:18
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Halo_4am posted:Has anybody taken/taught the experienced course? I just got myself a whole lot of bike and was thinking of re-taking the MSF just to force myself to refresh and practice. I drill myself on the stuff from MSF/BRC1 at the start of every season anyway though so it will probably be more beneficial to take the advanced instead. My actual MSF cert is 6 years old now so it might not hurt my insurance to take and pass the advanced safety course either. I took the ERC a few years ago. I can't say I learned anything I didn't already know, but it was free, fun and I got a chance to practice some things I otherwise wouldn't have.
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Aug 25, 2012 20:26
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Halfway done with the MSF beginner rider course. Definitely should not have gone out into a clear sky on a 90 degree day wearing a black jacket, black boots, black gloves and a black helmet on a black bike riding on blacktop asphalt. Will not repeat that mistake tomorrow. Started the day with the basics like powerwalking, turning around, riding in a circle. Started with a group of 10, and by the end of the first 2 exercises, we were down to 8. One older guy gave up, one young-ish girl dropped her bike twice. The first time she just turned the handlebars as she came to a stop. The second time she managed to almost pull off a ghost-ride by "jumping" off the back after revving the poo poo out of the bike and dumping the clutch. She just got up and left after that one. The split the rest of us into groups of 4 at that point. One guy who had experience riding dirtbikes led one group, I got to lead the other group. I did pretty good on everything except the low-speed slalom exercise where the cones were offset from each other. After that was done we had to go to the local bike shop for the classroom portion. It was all pretty basic stuff and I managed to get 100% without really trying. Tomorrow is more "advanced" riding and then the test. Had fun today, looking forward to tomorrow. It didn't help that as I was getting ready to leave the bike shop after the classroom and written test there was a used orange SV1000 for sale. 
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Aug 25, 2012 23:44
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The trick for the offset weave is to look one cone ahead. once you've made your turn and are on the way to your next cone stop looking at it... Also the other things I have to say a lot is "Keep your knees tucked in," and "don't be afraid of slipping the clutch."
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Aug 26, 2012 18:04
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Wulframn posted:I am planning on taking it when it cools down - like in January. It will have been about six months and the cooler weather will be nice. Taking those classes in the heat of the Florida summer is no way to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Oh I can attest to that as I just took it three weeks ago in Orlando. It was goddamn miserable, mostly given the fact that I don't have any jackets that breathe at all. A couple people had armored mesh jackets that they said help a lot. I sweated buckets during that whole class and kept getting sweat on my sunglasses and having to clean them. Plus anytime you get off your bike to go huddle up and discuss something, you'd come back to a lava hot seat, accompanied by the instructor saying "those seat warmers are free of charge with the class."
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Aug 26, 2012 18:13
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Mine was the opposite -- I took it in the fall and it was about 35 degrees and pissing rain the entire weekend. I wore long underwear and three layers of shirts under my jacket and it was still pretty frigid. Lots of warming your hands in the exhaust stream, or hovering them around the header. On the plus side, I learned right at the beginning that it's not *that* scary to do panic stops on wet pavement, so that was good.
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Aug 26, 2012 19:05
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rockcity posted:Oh I can attest to that as I just took it three weeks ago in Orlando. It was goddamn miserable, mostly given the fact that I don't have any jackets that breathe at all. A couple people had armored mesh jackets that they said help a lot.  Jackets? Who said anything about jackets? Wear your thinnest, lightest, most breathable long sleeve shirt. I wore an old silk button up dress shirt that was missing a button when I took my class a few weeks ago. You don't need to wear a jacket for the BRC.
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Aug 26, 2012 19:14
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HotCanadianChick posted:
Yeah, a couple people wore long sleeve shirts. I chose a jacket just because I could unzip it/take it off when we weren't on the bike without taking off the helmet.
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Aug 26, 2012 19:46
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rockcity posted:Yeah, a couple people wore long sleeve shirts. I chose a jacket just because I could unzip it/take it off when we weren't on the bike without taking off the helmet. Thats what I did. However, there were 4-5 guys wearing long sleeve under armor shirts. Passed the course earlier and just got home to check craigslist and what do I see? Orange SV-650 for sale on the other side of town. WHEEEEEEE!!
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Aug 26, 2012 21:02
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rockcity posted:Oh I can attest to that as I just took it three weeks ago in Orlando. It was goddamn miserable, mostly given the fact that I don't have any jackets that breathe at all. A couple people had armored mesh jackets that they said help a lot. I sweated buckets during that whole class and kept getting sweat on my sunglasses and having to clean them. Plus anytime you get off your bike to go huddle up and discuss something, you'd come back to a lava hot seat, accompanied by the instructor saying "those seat warmers are free of charge with the class." I have an armored mesh jacket with zip-in winter liner that I wore. The mesh does help a lot, but only when you're moving - which isn't enough during the BRC. To those preaching long-sleeved shirts; I did that my first day, too. I had it on, with the sleeves rolled up, under my armored jacket. At one point I tested my theory and took the jacket off and just rolled down my sleeves; that didn't help worth a drat. The second day I ended up wearing an a-shirt and whenever we weren't touching the bikes I would take off my jacket and pour water on myself. That still didn't help, but it was a hell of a lot better than sweating in a light, long-sleeved shirt and/or the mesh jacket. DJCobol posted:Thats what I did. However, there were 4-5 guys wearing long sleeve under armor shirts. Awesome! Congrats on passing the class and let us know how it goes with the 650.
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Aug 26, 2012 23:15
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You basically need a white longsleeved UnderArmor Heatgear shirt, and some cheap pull on mesh-backed mechanics gloves. I'm convinced that would dramatically improve everyone's BRC experience. Lightweight not-cotton tan/khaki pants also rule.
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Aug 26, 2012 23:32
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Yeah I had to rush straight from work to the first day of my BRC, and just wore my dark grey Dickies... on the tail end of SoCal's record-setting, nasty-humid heatwave a couple weeks ago. I work outside all day so I was fine with it, but my legs were roasting. Our coach said people in classes the week before were vomiting and getting heat exhaustion, and he kept forcing us to drink water. He congratulated me because I was the only one who brought enough (3liters and a gatorade). The next day I wore light colored jeans and it was much better. Seriously forget the motorcycle jacket and just go with long sleeves.
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Aug 27, 2012 02:37
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I took my test a few years back but only got to ride for 1 year before I had to sell the bike to help pay for living. I still remember getting only 2 faults during the final exam, 1 for the 135 degree turn and 1 for the u-turn box. I was really surprised I did so well because the previous times out on the tarmac I'd been stalling a lot and having a hell of a time finding neutral. On top of that during the quickstop practice I managed to do a fairly impressive stoppie.
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Aug 27, 2012 19:20
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Wulframn posted:Awesome! Congrats on passing the class and let us know how it goes with the 650. Didn't get the orange one. Got a red 2006 instead! http://nashville.craigslist.org/mcy/3209373649.html
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Aug 28, 2012 02:18
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DJCobol posted:Didn't get the orange one. Got a red 2006 instead! That posting has been deleted. Post pics asap or we'll beat you in the head with a stick. Also, congrats on your new bike.
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Aug 28, 2012 04:19
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Wulframn posted:That posting has been deleted. 
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Aug 28, 2012 13:04
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Oh that's reeeal nice. Congrats!
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Aug 28, 2012 18:06
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I didn't know the SV came in red, that's lovely.
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Aug 28, 2012 19:09
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Is there ever a bad time to start an MSF course? Not too concerned about weather - it's always wet in WA, it would be to my advantage to have it done during the rain - but maybe there's something else I'm not considering. A rush of people during certain times or something? I've got little gear and I'm not sure when to jump into a course. I gotta save up some money for the bike, too. I'm concerned there's gonna be a several month time span between doing the course and actually getting a bike. Or maybe the reverse will happen and I'll rush into my local dealer..
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Sep 16, 2012 09:07
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Lothire posted:Is there ever a bad time to start an MSF course? Not too concerned about weather - it's always wet in WA, it would be to my advantage to have it done during the rain - but maybe there's something else I'm not considering. A rush of people during certain times or something? The courses always taper off at the end of the riding season. Out here in the mid-west (Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin) we're already canceling and consolidating classes because of folks simply not signing up (a little less of a problem in Illinois). There's good and bad to taking the class while there's weather happening. You learn that weather will affect the bike but can be overcome with practice and skill. If you've never ridden ever though I would say perfect would be a sunny first day with all of the build up skills and a rainy second day where we're just building upon learned skills. If you've got the cash and classes are open I say jump into a course now. Heck take a bit of a drive if you need to. When I took my class the first time I lived in Aurora Ill. and the only open course was in Carbondale Ill. drat near the complete opposite end of the state. Just take notes when you can and practice when you finally get your bike.
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Sep 16, 2012 21:02
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That sounds like a good approach, thanks. It's been something I've wanted to do for a long time but kept having reasons to put it off. Finally took a look at their schedule and it turns out a nearby powersports has a lot of booked classes with the earliest happening in late October. I don't mind the wait, it'll give me time to work on my funding, check out gear (I'd like to bring my own helmet if I can snag one) and read up on what I can. The last part is weird for me, as I'm not normally a book type. I guess being on a vehicle with a rather grim reputation for injury is a pretty strong motivator to get as much information as I can crammed into my skull.
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Sep 16, 2012 21:27
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Lothire posted:That sounds like a good approach, thanks. It's been something I've wanted to do for a long time but kept having reasons to put it off. Finally took a look at their schedule and it turns out a nearby powersports has a lot of booked classes with the earliest happening in late October. I don't mind the wait, it'll give me time to work on my funding, check out gear (I'd like to bring my own helmet if I can snag one) and read up on what I can. If anything else try and get your own lid before you go. Borrowing always seems just dirty to me. The ones at the schools are almost always guaranteed to have been neglected. As for to book learning stuff, they let you keep the booklet for the course. Just jot down a few extra notes in the margins. If you think you'll have issues with the written part of the test go over the "quiz" that's in the original post. It's literally 2 questions short of the test they'll give in the class.
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Sep 16, 2012 21:31
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Just passed my course today! Unfortunately my girlfriend dropped out of the class and is generally feeling down about the whole thing after getting built up for motorcycling for a little over a month. Hopefully she can get comfortable enough to take the class again after getting some practice on my ninja. Took me a while to understand how to take off without stalling the bike, but after some parking lot practice with my dad before the third day I got the hang of it. All in all I had a lot of fun and I can't wait to get my endorsement and my bike insured so I can take it out on the road.
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Sep 17, 2012 06:53
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Lots of people find the difficulty/scariness of learning to ride is more than their enthusiasm for riding was. Do your thing and offer her experience on yours but don't pressure her on it or she may grow to resent the whole thing. While she's down and out about it try your best not to have motorcycles dominate every conversation for the next month or two (good luck on this).
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Sep 17, 2012 16:12
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Halo_4am posted:Lots of people find the difficulty/scariness of learning to ride is more than their enthusiasm for riding was. Do your thing and offer her experience on yours but don't pressure her on it or she may grow to resent the whole thing. While she's down and out about it try your best not to have motorcycles dominate every conversation for the next month or two (good luck on this).
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Sep 17, 2012 19:14
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Thankfully after some practice today on my bike her confidence is back up and she's almost ready to tackle the course again.
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Sep 18, 2012 03:53
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Clevermuldoon posted:Thankfully after some practice today on my bike her confidence is back up and she's almost ready to tackle the course again. May we ask: what in particular was she having (an) issue(s) with? Perhaps we could provide advice to help her on her way more effectively. Glad to hear she's doing better, though!
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Sep 18, 2012 06:12
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Clutch control. But it was more of a buildup of anxiety. She'd have trouble doing an exercise then the group would be waiting behind her which would stress her out even more and cause her to perform worse. My main goal is get her comfortable on a bike and build up her confidence, and so far she's coming along well.
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Sep 18, 2012 14:08
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Clevermuldoon posted:Clutch control. But it was more of a buildup of anxiety. She'd have trouble doing an exercise then the group would be waiting behind her which would stress her out even more and cause her to perform worse. Yeah, if you get anxious, that's just going to get worse because you feel rushed and then you're going to not focus on just how slow you need to let the clutch out. I had a similar problem my first day on the range. Day two I only stalled once and it was because I forgot to downshift to first when I came to a stop and the Buell's we were riding will pretty much stall out in second from a stop every time.
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Sep 18, 2012 14:26
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See that all the time. There are some days I wish I could separate the truly new riders from the ones just going through the course because they need their license. (In Wisconsin you can get your permit for 4 years in succession then you need to get your license as they won't issue you another permit.) Both groups still need instruction, they just need a little different type of help. When I see folks struggling or getting frustrated I'll usually stop them for a second and tell 'em, "Take a deep breath." Take a few deep breaths with them, "OK, smile... better? Let's go." It only takes a few seconds and generally calms their nerves.
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Sep 18, 2012 16:23
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I had plenty of examples in my riding, but still had trouble grasping "The bike will go where you look" on an intuitive level. Not anymore. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MYJss-lynE&t=128s
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Sep 23, 2012 05:46
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We just had a big meet out in Wisconsin this weekend. The new SMART systems they are looking at is pretty nifty if within it's own limitations. Not quite a bike simulator but more of a "hey, pay attention!" trainer. They have a little rig that's set up like a bike (seat, foot controls and hand controls) and you go about a number of driving areas, city, burbs, rural. Then they can control the environment a touch, day, night, fog. They let you loose and it's like being on a bike when no one's paying attention but you. Annoying as all heck but drives home the point you need to constantly have your eyes on the move and keep a space cushion. There are some big changes coming in the next few years, they are changing both the range and classroom content. They are trying to take the current book and turn it into "online only" as "homework" prior to going to the classroom. The classroom work will change from "skill building" instruction to what I'll call behavior modification. A lot of self assessment and "what kind of risk taker are you?" kind of questions and activities. The changes on the range are going to be a touch shocking but they haven't alluded to all of what they are changing. (one example was to somehow combine exercise 5, 6, and 12). As an introduction to some of the new range classes they offer we went through a few of the "bike bonding" exercises. Holy crap you better know how to control your machine at low speeds and know it's dimensions for tight maneuvering. If anyone has any specific questions, let me know.
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Sep 23, 2012 19:16
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Here is my Ridiculous MSF Getup The only thing that I feel is iffy are the jeans, they're not very heavy duty (straight up everyday skinny jeans). What are my chances of getting turned away if I wear those? Fuckin Dickies don't even make jeans in my size man
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Sep 25, 2012 04:11
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An observer posted:Here is my Ridiculous MSF Getup When I went to my course they just had to be ankle length pants. Jogging pants would have been fine. That looks good!
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Sep 25, 2012 04:12
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No MSF instructor is going to come up and examine your jeans to make sure they're heavyweight material, let alone motorcycle-specific; they'd have to turn away most of the class. Some people will have armored jackets and gauntlets and so on, while others will wear a nylon windbreaker and gardening gloves and get away with it. You're right in the middle I'd say.
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Sep 25, 2012 06:29
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I wore skinny-chino pants, cotton long sleeve-shirt, and high-top $19 sneakers, but I'm sure every instructor is different. If you're really worried just bring some extra clothes in the car/backpack. Bring some bottled water too maybe even a snack.
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Sep 25, 2012 10:39
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An observer posted:Here is my Ridiculous MSF Getup I'm sure they've seen worse than a Canadian tuxedo. Protection-wise, I mean. 
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Sep 25, 2012 11:52
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