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With all the other questions I see out there in other threads, I figured I'd start a new one. Post up questions, concerns, and anecdotes from your own experiences. I've been an MSF instructor for 3 years now, and while not an expert in all things MSF, I'm out there in the 95+ degree and rainy days throwing cones and dodging new motorcyclists. I instruct in Wisconsin but live in Iowa(used to live in Illinois too) so I know a little about the DMV rules in three states. MSF Website MSF Practice test The practice test is 48 questions in 3 sections. The "real" MSF multiple guess test is 50 questions. Fair warning I am not the be all end all voice of the MSF but can offer encouragement, clarification or direction if needed. Renaissance Robot has reported that the link below is a good resource for beginners in the UK. http://www.begin-motorcycling.co.uk/index.htm Skreemer fucked around with this message at 09:56 on Nov 22, 2014 |
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Jul 24, 2012 01:10
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Bloody Queef posted:I'd like to know the most ridiculous thing you've seen as an MSF instructor. Not to take joy in the humiliation of people starting out, but I think we'd all enjoy some of those stories. There was one guy that just couldn't get that the clutch was "analogue" not "digital". The second exercise on the tarmac is finding the friction zone and just rocking up on to the balls of your feet and then pulling in the clutch and rolling it back. Total movement of the bike is about 6 - 10 inches for and back. He dumped the clutch and dropped the bike. Part two of the same exercise is called "power walking". Kinda glide your feet along the ground and let the bike pull you across. He dumped the clutch and dropped the bike. Part 3 of the same exercise is finally getting your feet on the pegs and riding across. He dumped the clutch and dropped the bike. We "counciled him out of the course". One of the instructors volunteered to sped 1 hour a night for a week with the guy to get him comfortable on the bike. The guy never showed. The worst for me was one guy going through the course did everything just about textbook perfect. Followed my instructions, asked good questions, and steadily improved the entire weekend. During the "skills evaluation" (the test) he did the double u-turn spot on and came out of the "box" switched up to second and proceeded towards the swerve area at about 25mph, way too fast. He actually made the swerve but when he straightened out he locked the rear brake and dropped the bike. I was stunned and drat near heart broken. Picked him up, cleaned him up and he was able to take the test again a few days later and pass.
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Jul 24, 2012 02:55
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MomJeans420 posted:Dumb question: I'm taking the course soon and don't own any jeans, only Dickies. The website says you need pants at least as study as jeans, and I'd imagine work pants count, but I'd hate to show up and get denied because I don't have jeans on. I could probably also just call the place where I'll be taking the class... Dickies/Carhartt will work just fine. Just remember everything else in the list too. I hate sending folks home because they wore sneakers (high heels once too) instead of over the ankle boots. Heck even high top sneakers will work for the course, just tuck in your shoe laces.
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Jul 26, 2012 01:56
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I was recruited by an instructor. One of the guys I know through another forum and I had built a GS450L for his wife and over the course of that and the many test rides he said he thought I'd be a good fit. It was a solid 3 weekends of training. Basically 8am to 6pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We went through the class as if we'd never taken it before, then we were given the basics on "adult learning" and the fact that the classes are structured as skill building. Tell them (in class), show them (training aid/movie in class), tell them (on the range read the cards), show them (on the range do a demo), make them do it. The last weekend we had to teach a class under the direction of our instructors. When I got to the school I was teaching for, I was paired up with an instructor that had been doing so for 8 or 9 years. First as "C2" and then as "C1". He gave the lead instructor the ok and I was hired on. Though we only make 16$ an hour. Though heck I get to talk about and ride motorcycles all day and get paid for it, other than the admin BS, it's a boatload of fun.
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Jul 26, 2012 23:03
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Spiffness posted:Buy yourself a copy of Proficient Motorcycling, with a user name like that, you'll need all the help you can get. The MSF put out their own book as well.It's mostly the class with a bit more information added. When I get the chance I'll see if I can scan my cards. (though mine are all marked up) Our course used to be taught in one of the parking lots. The school built a skid pad to teach police and EMS evoc driving, we teach there now. I tell folks to go to our old parking lot and practice, all of the lines are still there. Skreemer fucked around with this message at 23:11 on Jul 27, 2012 |
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Jul 27, 2012 23:08
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Weird poo poo that happens during an MSF course. Yesterday I managed to get both pollinated and crop dusted by a pair of helicopters. Being in Wisconsin our range is surrounded by corn and soybean fields. The wind has been pretty bad here and has knocked the tassels off the corn and they aren't getting pollinated very well. Helicopter with booms on either side to the rescue, they actually swoop into the corn field and use the skids and metal booms on either side to stir up the pollen. Weird poo poo... The guy made dozens of passes and I was freaking coated. A few hours later another copter goes by spraying poo poo and it's breezy so I get a good dusting of whatever they were throwing about. Today was all about dodging the rain. Right out on the course at 8am, got a few exercises in when it started to rain around 10, headed back into the class, did the rest of the book work, broke for lunch. I watched MotoGP qualifying on the projection screen while eating. Then it really start pouring. Did the multiple guess test, everyone passed, the headed out to the range to finish up in the light sprinkles that were coming down. What is it with that 135 degree curve? No one gets on the throttle until they're at least halfway through the corner. Everyone passed the riding portion too. Not a bad class.
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Jul 30, 2012 01:04
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The two courses MSF offers for experienced riders (basically anyone that's ridden a motorcycle and knows how to work a clutch pretty well) is the ARC (basically sport bike riding techniques) and the Ultimate Bike Bonding course. I've taken the ARC and it's a great follow up to the BRC/BRC2 but not all that advanced if you've been riding for a long time. Try the Lee Parks school as well I know a number of folks that have teken that course and enjoyed the heck out of it.
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Jul 31, 2012 00:33
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I've had a few people get the shakes or nervous as sin after a get off. I'll usually stop them before they start off and exercise and ask them how they are doing, a little bit of banter, and say, "OK, deep breath, feel better? Let's go." Giving them that second and reminding them to breathe helps a bunch and you can see some of the tension drain away. With a drop or two during the course I usually don't pay much attention to it. With the number of drops the lady you mentioned had I'd call a break and see if there was something I could do to help. A few of the coaches actually live right down the street from our range and have spent a number of hours coaching folks on their own time.
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Jul 31, 2012 21:59
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An observer posted:Excellent thread. I asked this in the gear thread a few days back, might as well ask here—what do I wear for a top during the classes? People said they pretty much just wore longsleeve shirts. I was thinking a denim jacket. How about gloves? For the purpose of the course you can get away with wearing anything long sleeved. Heck depending on the temps I'll just wear the long sleeved sweat wicking shirt they bought us. If you plan on riding in gear though I suggest going with your gear. Get used to how it feels getting on and off a bike, see if the sleeves are too short and bind your movements. Gloves are fairly entertaining as again just about anything goes, they just need to be full fingered. We have folks ride wearing work gloves, gardening gloves all sorts of weird gloves. I usually suggest a set of lightly armored motorcross gloves if you know you're not going to wear them ever again. Again though main suggestion is if you have the gear already, wear that and see how it fits.
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Jul 31, 2012 23:08
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Jolly Rancher: If you have driven and can figure out a manual vehicle, and can ride a bicycle with some confidence, you should be able to ride a motorcycle. The only caveat I have to all of that is out here we have a lot of farmers, and for some strange reason they do not like to slip the clutch. Learn your friction zone and get comfy with slipping the clutch a lot. JABS: We have nothing under a 200 at my school and personally I would let her continue if she got right back up and could demonstrate the skill needed for that exercise; provided she wasn't holding up the class. Maybe some extra attention during lunch. I second the idea of buying a pedal bike. There are some folks out there just not prepared for the whole balance thing, and re-learning to ride a bicycle at slow speeds helps tremendously. The disparaging remark should have been brought up to the lead instructor or the head of the person running the school. That's just not right. Let her sort it out if she wasn't to try again, don't push her. Get a bicycle to train the balance and if she's up to it try again.
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Aug 2, 2012 00:05
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:I'm aware that the mechanical principles are the same on a bicycle, but I don't remember ever pedaling a bike and being able to notice the effect of countersteering that you feel in motorcycles. Not to mention the big effect that throttle and brake have on the steering of the bike. It's mostly for folks to find balance and getting used to being on two wheels. There's been a few folks in class that have forgotten the whole "it's two wheels and you need to put your feet down" thing. Heck for a "training" bike a little 80 - 100cc dirt bike might work out as well. Without watching or knowing what she was doing during the falls it's going to be impossible to give really good advice.
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Aug 2, 2012 14:12
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Finally passed my 普通二輪 (中型) [Normal two-wheeled, mid-size] practical yesterday! Two things: Congrats on passing the practical bit of the course. I amazes me sometimes how much we have to bend over backwards here in the US. If you show up at an MSF course and need an interpreter we have a hotline we call so they can send one out right away, and our program has to pay for it. Know just enough to be able to decipher numbers but can't read? That doesn't stop you from getting a motorcycle license, I have to read the test to you. Second thing, you're in Japan. Do you see any of the Motegi MotoGP advert posters hanging around? If so I'd like 4 of them please. I'll pay a reasonable amount and the shipping costs if you want, or we can trade I'll ship you some posters from the Indianapolis GP. my email is my username @gmail.com
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Aug 5, 2012 02:09
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Anyone else on here instruct and noticed the drop off? Every year when August rolls around it's the same thing, we hardly get any students. But drat do they clamor for classes April, May and June. March is pretty much a crap shoot weather wise this far north.
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Aug 8, 2012 22:04
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Yeah those test scores are kept by the school and possibly sent in to the DOT if they run the MSF in your state. Call the school complain, call the DOT and complain loudly and have them pull the test scores. Call the main MSF offices in Cali and complain loudly. Our job out there isn't to be an rear end it's to convey information and skills and to see if you are grasping concepts the and able to do those skills.
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Aug 10, 2012 08:01
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rockcity posted:Just signed up for a BRC through Harley Davidson this weekend. The class is only $189 until the end of the month, gets you your motorcycle endorsement here in FL and also a free bike rental after successful completion of the course. I'm pretty excited to finally learn how to ride, even if I don't end up buying a bike anytime soon. The Harley version (Rider's Edge) is the same MSF as everyone else gets with an added bonus, they try really hard to sell you a Harley Motorcycle and anything and everything they can that's Harley branded. Tour through the shop, talks from all the sales folks... It really is a fun experience other than just taking the class. Oh and you get the added bonus of being introduced to your first Harley to ride, a buell blast. 500ccs of heavy vibey clunky motorcycle. (they are fun to hoon on a bit though)
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Aug 10, 2012 08:06
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JollyRancher posted:words... The double u-turn area is not a life saving skill, it's a few points but more about bike control than anything else(you can only lose 8 points total in the u-turn area). The swerve is timed and if you're not going fast enough they'll make you do it again. Quick Stop, timed... go through the marked area in 0.xx seconds you better be able to stop in yy feet. This is the one area that can royally screw you, we had one woman that for whatever reason not do an emergency stop, always coasted to a stop. 1 point assessed per foot past the standard. 5 points for not going into first. The 90 degree turn isn't scored, it's to give you time and space to get up into second gear and up to speed. The 135 degree area is timed, it's a ridiculous 1.90 seconds to get through the turn though, starts at the single cone and runs until the end of the hash lines. They are mainly making sure you use both brakes, stay within the lines and maintain or ,even better, increase throttle all the way through the corner. What did you think of the flow of the course and the skill building?
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Aug 11, 2012 00:35
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Remember whenever you get on that next bike to practice a bit before you go. The friction zone is different on every bike you get on and as someone mentioned it will sometimes move as things heat up. I've never ridden one but drat near everyone tells me the clutches on the blasts are pretty horrid. On the Suzuki GZ250s and Yamaha eliminator 250s we have they are a right pain in the rear end to find neutral until the oil and everything is really warmed up. We have the question and the answer right in the same group of posts. Go into first as you come to a stop: you'll get more braking switching into first, if you need to get on the throttle again right away it'll be in gear already. Also if your at a light and forget to go all the way down you could stall it at the light. With most modern bikes not that big a deal, stall your kickstart bike at a light though and you'll hear some interesting verbiage until you get away.
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Aug 12, 2012 23:22
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JollyRancher posted:I had problems getting the Eliminators into Neutral. This makes me feel much better about struggling with that! Most bikes have either a green "N" or a green light that comes on. Though on all of the eliminators we have I've gotten good enough to be able to get the green light to come on and have the bike in second. Al to have the bike in neutral and have the green light off... (Don't rely on the light)
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Aug 13, 2012 06:02
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I've noticed the same thing, most right handed folks feel more comfortable turning left, and left handed folks are the opposite. Not true for everyone but it's definitely "a thing".
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Aug 15, 2012 02:50
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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nsaP posted:I messed up the figure 8 as well in my class, it's an easy one to do. I've been riding for years now and I'm still cautious when turning that tight. At speed I'm comfortable, but I sometimes get that nervous stomach when tipping it over to do a quick U turn. You just have to practice with your bike and learn how to control it and be smooth when slowly turning tight. Second gear, slip the clutch, keep the revs up, drag the rear brake a bit. If you feel like you're going to tip over or you're getting "happy feet", reaffirm your view on your exit and let a little more power go to the rear wheel.
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Oct 24, 2012 01:10
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To make is short and sweet for slipping the clutch remember: "To it not through it." Bring a bag lunch and ask to go through an exercise or remedial training during lunch or after the class.
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Nov 3, 2012 03:53
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Pissingintowind posted:Passed my MSF class! So much fun, can't wait to get my first bike Any of those will get you about all day. During the course you were most likely on a 200cc or 250cc machine (unless you took Harley's course then you were on one of those infernal Buell blasts). During exercise 8 (shifting from 2nd to 3rd and back) or exercise 11(getting up to speed quickly and counter steering) did you feel any lack of power? The GS500 and Ninja 250/500 are a little more forgiving if you whack the throttle wide open unexpectedly. Though the the SV650 is just fine as well. I spent my first 6 years riding a 1983 GS550 and never felt myself lacking for power to go down the highway. In the twisties is was a lot lighter than everything else and I could carry a bit more corner speed and had no issues keeping up there either (please take it slow as you're just starting out)
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Nov 12, 2012 03:10
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Almost teaching season here, it's still in the low 30's in the morning and the road salt is thick and heavy. I'm actually praying for rain over the next few days so the weekend is clear. If this year shapes up like the previous years, none of the bikes will have had an oil change, none of them will have stabil or any of the like in the gas tanks. None of them will be charged and at least 4 of the 14 bikes will have completely flat batteries that I will need to charge right before class because we have 14 bikes and there'll be 12 riders. April 20th I'm going through the MSF's trike course, I'll try and get a report up on how it goes. As no one actually owns a trike I'm on pins and needles wondering what they'll bring. (in the past to teacher demos and courses they've brought a selection of Can-Am Spiders.)
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Apr 2, 2013 01:43
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Not sure where some of this is coming from, the programs that run in Wisconsin, the BRC and BRC2 are the same courses, the BRC2 just uses your own bike. The ARC teaches "advanced" techniques such as trail braking, body position, and "advanced cornering". I taught a BRC class this weekend and one of the students put down, "I wish the instructors had more hair." under the criticism section. Another student suggested, "Abolish the dual sports as optional bikes to ride, they crush my genitals."
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Apr 29, 2013 01:21
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Here's a fun one. One of the students was doing fine but struggling. Just nervous as all get out. During every exercise they'd do what they needed to but in a very mechanical way, nothing seemed to flow. During the emergency braking while in a corner everything seemed to come together and was perfect for that one moment. I congratulated them, "Perfect, good job!" To which they threw their hands up in the air and when "YAY!", while the bike was on, and in first gear. It (not "I") jumped forward about 8 inches and died (thank god for 250's). death isn't hard. it's the resurrection part, especially in front of a class. Skreemer fucked around with this message at 04:07 on May 5, 2013 |
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May 4, 2013 00:00
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nsaP posted:My buddy took the MSF with me years back then never really rode. He's thinking of getting into it now, the returning rider course would be good for him yeah? I told him he might even get away with lot drills himself and going over all the old stuff, but the bonus of someone watching him would be nice too. I could always do it for him in a lot, but I feel like I might instill my bad habits in him, or forget to tell him things because I don't know all the stuff the instructors cover. Out in the wild hinterlands of Wisconsin they only have 3 schools that run anything other than the BRC. Mainly because there isn't enough people signing up for the class on a consistent basis. Though trying to be ahead of the curve those three sites do offer, the brc i and ii, ARC, the UBB "ultimate bike bonding" (police and gymkhana type maneuvers), and a trike course. (of course all of those schools are within an hour or two of Milwaukee.)
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May 22, 2013 03:08
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nsaP posted:Makes sense, no use in having empty classes. As an instructor, is there any leeway in letting someone just do part of the BRC1? Meaning my buddy walks in and says "hey, I'm a returning rider, all the returning rider classes are full or 200 miles away, any way I can just do the riding skills portions with you?" or is there just no way of that happening? Driving 90-120 minutes just to see if there is a walk in spot is silly, but something tells me it'll be pretty bureaucratic and he won't be able to do that. Completely up to what the instructor can get away with. If he wants the card, and the waiver/insurance break that comes with the card, unfortunately he'll most likely have to sit through the whole thing. If he just wants to bone up to be able to take the state test and is chummy with an instructor, they may spend some spare time after a class or on a specified weekend to run through "remedial training". If an instructor allows your friend on a bike without sitting through the class and signing a waiver, that instructor is risking his permit to instruct. At my site if I get caught, I get booted from the program and not allowed to teach in the state anymore. All that said if you know a local instructor, there's nothing that says they can't take your buddy out to an empty parking lot, draw some chalk lines and run him through the course. (again he just wouldn't be able to get the card)
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May 23, 2013 02:37
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CmdrSmirnoff posted:This is a bit of a long shot, but if anyone has a recommendation for a course in the Greater Toronto Area I'd love to hear it. In the US the MSF has a national standard that must be adhered to. It doesn't really matter where you take the course material wise. Some instructors/facilities my be a bit better than others though. Our site for example has an awesome classroom. brand new clean building, computers and dvd/vhs systems hooked to multiple projectors, speakers installed in the cieling... Our range though kinda sucks. The range lines and surface are top notch, but there's only one port-o-let and it's 100 yards away. The veranda they put up is on the wrong corner of the range to be useful, there's no building near the range, the bikes are literall shoved into a trailer. The range itself is almost 1/2 a mile from the building because of where the usable entrance are. It's the little things.
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Jun 9, 2013 13:30
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captainOrbital posted:I can still hear my instructor's voice yelling, "START 'EM UP, FINE-C!" every time I sit on the bike. I randomly flip an engine cut off switch when we're stopped or on a break. Some of em get on it right away but most I stand there and run through my spiel, "OK calm down, deep breath. Let's go through the list. Fuel. Ignition. Neutral....." At that point most of them get it. I had a drat good class this weekend. All the folks that had been riding for a while quietly did the exercises, worked at improving and didn't try to offer help or as we usually get, horrendously wrong advice. Class ran smooth, no drops and everyone passed easily. Even better I looked at the weather this morning and planned accordingly. Instead of starting off in the class this morning I hustled everyone out to the rage. Skills testing was completed by noon, started raining at 1pm.
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Jun 10, 2013 00:25
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Evil SpongeBob posted:Read through the whole thread & appreciate the info. Saw a few posts cursing those summer classes. The Rider's Edge folks have to pass the MSF instructors course in order to instruct. The MSF portions of the class have the same info and skills. The Rider's Edge classes have a bit more time added to them. Of the folks I've talked to that have taken the Rider's Edge classes they fill the time touring the Harley shop (buy our stuff and have it maintained here too!). The MSF classes on the other hand are supposed to be "manufacturer neutral". Most of the Rider's Edge courses still use Buell Blasts as opposed to the array of 200cc and 250cc bikes I've seen at most MSF facilities. (mind you this is personal experience I've only been to two Rider's Edge facilities and 5 MSF facilities). As to heat waves during the MSF, the dress code is long sleeve shirts, long pants, over the ankle boots, full finger gloves and a helmet(3/4 or full face only). There's no specific guidance other than that. Wearing full spandex stirrup pants, cowboy boots, long sleeve under armor shirt, and gardening gloves with a vintage 1982 bell helmet? Come on down and take the course. You'll get funny looks but there's nothing in the rules that says you can't dress that way. Also as a side note for most of the class you won't be going very fast and will want to have your visor up. I usually don't enforce this rule heavily but there needs t be something covering your eyes. Visor half up and or sunglasses on is also fine. Visor fully up with no eye coverage is supposed to be a no-go. Skreemer fucked around with this message at 02:11 on Jun 14, 2013 |
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Jun 14, 2013 02:04
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Evil SpongeBob posted:Thanks for the input. Signed up for an October class with MD DMV. As an MSF instructor, please stay separate during the range exercises. Offer encouragement only, let the instructors be critical and only jump in if they are real jerks or you feel they are asking for something unsafe to be done. Nothing on you personally because I know neither you or your wife, but most husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, or parent/child pairings are an utter pain if the two have a great difference in riding experience. Other time one or the other is so nervous of screwing up in front of their partner that they just screw up worse and worse. We'll have one come back at the earliest opening and they'll sail through and are noticeably more relaxed. I hope you two enjoy the class and have a good experience. Let us know how it goes.
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Jun 15, 2013 15:15
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ManicJason posted:
Double U-Turn What bike were you on? The Honda Rebels and the Yamaha Star 250s have a bit more rake to them than most standards. The front ends feel "floppy" until you get used to it. I can do the double u-turn with plenty of space to spare on every other bike we have, and including my Bandit 1250 and Bandit 600, I can do it on the Star and the Rebel, I just use more of the available space. Did you try the exercise in second gear? I find that first gear is a bit much and feathering the clutch while in second smooths that out quite a bit. The only other thing I can think of is using all of the available space. A bunch of folks after completing the first u-turn don't go all they way back to the line before starting the next turn. Constantly I see people put just the front wheel 6 - 12 inches on the other side of the line when they started two feet away from the opposite side. Breaking Distance You should have been told that it was an emergency stop and you needed to come to an immediate stop as quickly and as safely as you could. It's part of the instructions in the range course pamphlet. The decreasing radius turn catches a lot of people out. Things to think about : Were you at the "outside" when you started the curve? A lot of folks ride right down the middle to the breaking area and don't really "set up" for the corner by moving to the outside (to the left). The corner can still be completed but you're not giving yourself all of the available space and things feel "tighter". Were you going faster than you felt comfortable? Combined with not "setting up" for the curve the feeling of "I'm going too fast and I'm running out of space", is the second culprit. Tipping into that corner everyone rolls into it like the 90* corner, and suddenly it's 135*. Instead of pushing on the bar a bit more and continuing to roll on the throttle a little, a lot of people let off the throttle and decelerate.
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Jun 17, 2013 01:16
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ManicJason posted:Stuff One of the things I stress and see all the time is people taking their eyes off their exit. During cornering judgement(the one with the near and far gate) it's really apparent. They take their eyes off the exit and "get lost" trying to find it again now that they are a good 15 - 20 feet from where they were. It helps the subconscious out a lot. Eh just practice practice practice.
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Jun 18, 2013 01:05
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