[4851]

Entertaining story. Would you consider naming me as beneficiary of your insurance before you "hit the road"?



F P

 

[56599]

Fun read Good job.. "Now get your own bike and practice" That's what my instructor told me. Practice so much that braking, shifting, swerving, cornering, and u-turns become an instinct that you don't have to think about when you are on the road. It was good advice for me. My second time on the road I had to make a quick stop when I teenager made a left turn in front of me down by the mall.

 

[55897]

Very well written, Cheesebeast! Great gear review as well.

I had only a vague idea what went on in the MSF courses.



Back in the day, I took a written test, rode with some friends for a while with my permit, then took the road test....in the rain!

 

[55897]

Did you have any riding experience before you took the MSF course, or did you just hit the road cold when you got your license?

 

[KLRer]

Cheesebeast, you're a writer of considerable skill with a sense of humor a little like Twain's. Well maybe thats going too far, but that section on turning off the bike to find neutral and then shifting into first gear, a gear you'd already found several times.........funny stuff.

 

[brandenw]

My MSF course was similar to that one, but before I even went I had been riding for a month or two already and being under 18 had to take the class to get my license (and I didn't have to take a road test with someone following me because of that). Anyways, I was on a black version of the Honda 250 and was amazed at how junky it seemed compared even to my parent's 02 1100 Shadow and late 80's (yeah, scary) Pacific Coast "Accord"/"scooter on steroids".



Dangerous bike..

 

[dragcab]

Excellent writing. The mo staff should hire you to be one of their highly paid writers.

My msf riding class experience was similar here in the cleveland, ohio area, except that we lucked out with good weather, and the course only costs $25. Speaking of a bargain!

I had been riding a new v-star 1100 for a couple of months when my name was drawn, so I really had some sea legs so to speak, and also passed that first time through. I was 57 at that time, and had not riden for 37 years. The first year of riding seemed to have the most close calls and vivid learning experiences on the road. Now I am 61 and have a Valkyrie and a vfr.

Enjoy whatever bike you get and always ride safe. There is no such thing as being too cautious when it comes to riding.

 

[34191]

VERY (!) well written piece. If you do not write for a living, you should at least consider it.



Tillman

 

[gr8shandini]

I'm really suprised that no one dumped a bike in your class. The first thing they asked when I got to mine was if anyone had never driven a car with a manual transmission. About half the class raised their hands. Then they asked if there was anyone there who couldn't ride a bicycle. About 5 hands stayed up. At that point I knew I was in for some entertainment.



After about 1 1/2 hours of starts and stops, almost everyone got the hang of the clutch, but there was still one guy who just couldn't grasp the concept. The only way he could get under power was to rev her up, dump the clutch, and try to recover from the whiplash. Instead of holding up the whole class even longer, the instructors must have thought he would figure it out as we progressed through the course, so we headed out to the cones. Aside from nearly jerking his helmet off every time he started, all was going well for this fellow. Until the 90 degree turns, that is. Obviously the phrase "feather the clutch" had zero meaning to our boy wonder who was conveniently placed directly in front of me for this exercise. When he got to the turn, the clutch came all the way in and the throttle stayed where it was. Believe it or not, but a CB250 can make quite a racket at redline. It can also perform a pretty nice wheelie when you dump the clutch at that throttle setting. I guess our intrepid rider figured he'd had enough at this point and literally stepped off the bike. The Honda, on the other hand, was perfectly happy to troll along upright until it hit a car at the other end of the parking lot.



All of that was funny enough that I nearly dumped my ride from laughing so hard, but the kicker was yet to come. As the instructors were asking him to go home and practice on a manual transmission car before coming back he almost starts crying and says "but I just bought a GSX-R600 and my insurance company won't cover me until I pass this class." I guess sometimes insurance companies are smarter than I give them credit for.

 

[50117]

OMG! Was the parked car alright??

 

[56599]

I had some dirt bike experience when I was kid but not enough to count.. I bought my bike and headed for some large parking lots. I then praticed the same MSF drillls. For the breaking drill I gradually increased speed. My first bike is/was a 2001 ZX6R Ninja. ..

 

[54937]

Thanks all- I went this morning to the DMV to get my motorcycle rider endorsement added to my driver's license. I was surprised to find the parking lot partitioned by orange cones. The parking lot was being strafed by bobbing and weaving Yamasazonda 600cc machines. The riders were all shorn of helmets, and they were all youts'.



I guess this is the other route to getting your Motorcycle license...



When I went in to the office, the state trooper was there getting some more orange cones out of a closet. I presented my Basic Rider completion card to the DMV lady, and the state trooper noticed this. He said: "You are lucky you went that route."



"Why?" I asked innocently.



He nodded at the swirling wolf pack snorting around the parking lot outside. "Cause," he said, "...I am only going to pass two of them."



He was grinning when he exited the office.

 

[41212]

Great story. Here in NJ the MSF courses are free (courtesy of the division of law & public saftey)

I rode a 200cc Suzuki DR on/off road bike with less than 30 miles on it. The Instructors were great.

The course was given at the local national guard base. there was a derelict tank at one end of the parking lot & picnic tables with retired attack aircraft nearby. (Would you like napalm with your sandwich, sir?) A great experience & best of all it was FREE!!

 

[5764]

Thanks Cheesebeast. Nice laughs this morning.



By the way, you're spot on about the MA drivers. I'm currently in Boston for a spell, and I cannot believe how terrible the drivers are. They really don't expect to use the turn signals, ever. Expect the unexpected. I thought I had seen the crappiest of all drivers in Portland, OR where we have the balls out Cali drivers mixing with the superduper slow and polite, yet easy to anger, OR drivers. But no - these MA freaks are incredibly stupid and unpredictable.



To quote the best movie of all time, Biker Boyz, "Burn rubber, not your soul", Cheesebeast.

 

[54937]

The one place I can recommend you visit in Mass. is the Vanson Leather Factory Store- in Fall River, Massachusetts. It is about 50 miles south of Boston, and get some directions prior to going there. The reason to visit Vanson is they have an extensive used/sales rack of leather gear at smokin' good deals (less than 1/2 retail).



Some of it is REALLY flexible in price (make offer). Stuff that has the rider's name engraved on it, for instance. I bought some used stuff there and now if I can only figure out why everyone keeps calling me Frank...



Once you are finished at Vanson hop on a plane and don't relax until the wheels are up- Mass drivers are OUT TO GET YOU.

 

[brandenw]

Congrats on the license. One lady in the class I was in failed and she freaked out and starting yelling.. It's sad, really, that in almost 10 hours of riding that they can't grasp even the most basic concepts of riding.



I think that in those little parking lots it would just be so much easier to handle the little bikes they provide than the 600cc bikes, what a shame. I wonder how many would've passed if they took the same class as you.

 

[54937]

Judging from the expense of the bikes they were riding, they could afford to take the class. Then again, what price would you put on having to hang out for a weekend with a buncha dorks? I think they would lose beaucoup street "rep" for doing that.



Ah well, what do I know? I am starting to understand why there are hundreds of street bikes at a local salvage place I visited recently.



Hell, I am even going to get a break on my insurance for taking the class. It really is a no brainer.

 

[brandenw]

Who would pass up a chance to join the HA?



I think I'd rather have my endorsement than care about who I was in the class with to get it.. Of course, many people care more about image than riding.

 

[jhenzie]

I had to take the MSF because, for some insane reason my British license is not valid here.



I hae to say that I was absolutely amazed that taking the MSF is all it takes to get out on the road.



In the UK they have an, albeit shorter (1 day), course called the CBT, that qualifies you for a 125CC bike with a learner plate (Not allowed on the freeway or carry a pillion).



To qualify for a real bike you have to take a ridden test (40 minutes) with an instructor following you. Putting your foot down on the u-turn is an immediate fail. Locking the back wheel on the emergency stop is likewise an immediate fail.



Letting someone out on any bike they please after the MSF is madness.



I am not dissing the good people who teach the thing, I just think the standard is very low, especially considering the number of people who choose cars as an appropriate venue to answer cell phones, put on make up and read the news paper.



Just my .02 cents.



BTW its not that I am perfect, recently wrecked my KAWA (OUCH)

 

[bbtowns]

OK, I'm hooked. What are you getting as your first bike?