Sportbike riders

Yea I think my main problem is that the jerking is directly affecting my throttle control. Do you know how rigorous the road test portion of the MSF course is? I'd like to pass for now and just practice with my friends bike in a parking lot.

Originally Posted by Mike Larry

Yea I think my main problem is that the jerking is directly affecting my throttle control. Do you know how rigorous the road test portion of the MSF course is? I'd like to pass for now and just practice with my friends bike in a parking lot.

MSF courses build confidence in a way that practicing on your own can't/doesn't. Take the class!

I never took the MSF course. I got a lot of mixed reviews about it and with a dirtbike background it didn't really make sense to take it. I find the best learning comes from riding with a mature, experienced rider on different types of roads - highway, back roads, traffic (lane sharing), etc. so that you get a feel for how you should behave and how they move their body. You can only get so much from 2 days in a structured motorcycle course, and you won't get much from riding in a parking lot aside from learning the basic controls.

Originally Posted by Mike Larry

Yea I think my main problem is that the jerking is directly affecting my throttle control. Do you know how rigorous the road test portion of the MSF course is? I'd like to pass for now and just practice with my friends bike in a parking lot.

The road test wasn't anymore difficult than what you've already been practicing. Although we did have one person fail it when we took it

hi!

long time popping back into this thread... got hit back in late june and ended up with a broken wrist and concussion..

meh, funny thing is I saw this guy cutting people as he approached me from behind, license plate is HULKSMASH (go figure), and then he just kinda merged into me from the left into my lane without a blinker because his lane stopped short for traffic. Initially, I was shocked, and then some really hot girl came over and said "I saw the whole thing oh my god are you alright?".. She insisted that I take off my helmet, but it was giving me future protection from any additional head trauma I might have recieved for staring at her boobs. They were so nice so I gave her a hug and said thank you and walked towards my bike. So I picked up my bike, and said I had to go to school and will figure everything out later. I took off. About 25 feet later, realizing that my front brake lever is missing and my right peg for the rear brake is missing as well, I tense up and lock up the rear and end up back on the ground, giving up my attempt to make it to school on time.

andd dasssss it!!!

It was a fun experience, everyone says I am lucky to walk away with minimal injuries, and it hasn't thwarted my decision on purchasing another motorcycle in the future.

Washed her up before I took her out... Got to love Florida weather....

Originally Posted by M3Inline6

MSF courses build confidence in a way that practicing on your own can't/doesn't. Take the class!

i'm in the class already. day 2 is tomorrow

One of my biggest takeaways from the class was to not be afraid to slip the clutch. Driving stick for so LNG has gotten me used to the idea that the clutch is like an on/off switch, and the throttle is a dimmer.

In the MSF class I learned that on a bike they're both dimmer switches.

Wife and I both had a lot of fun, and I was amazed at how much I had learned even with having rising experience before.

Originally Posted by M3_POWER

Washed her up before I took her out... Got to love Florida weather....

god damn thats hot

Originally Posted by M3_POWER

Washed her up before I took her out... Got to love Florida weather....

Im jelly

Got a couple rides in this past week with the warm weather, but it looks like its over until spring for me.

Mike, learn to relax on that bike. You are learning new motor skills/eye hand coordination. You'll get it. But it takes time.

How'd you do Mike?

Originally Posted by kuksul08

I never took the MSF course. I got a lot of mixed reviews about it and with a dirtbike background it didn't really make sense to take it. I find the best learning comes from riding with a mature, experienced rider on different types of roads - highway, back roads, traffic (lane sharing), etc. so that you get a feel for how you should behave and how they move their body. You can only get so much from 2 days in a structured motorcycle course, and you won't get much from riding in a parking lot aside from learning the basic controls.

I disagree about its effectiveness, but we can agree to disagree on the subject. Not all MSF instructors are created equal, so there is a lot of room for variance. My MSF 2-day course was invaluable. The amount of confidence that I built during those two days (..along with the life saving skills that I learned) was significant, and it's not just basic controls. How to deal with unavoidable debris, etc. etc. are things taught in those courses. Trust me, your average auto-didactic rider doesn't usually think about the "What if's" of riding a bike on the street (..ex: You're approaching a 2 x 4 on the freeway and avoiding it isn't an option. How do you handle the situation?). Sure, a dirt bike background helps with the mechanics of riding, but not necessarily the safety issues that you need to be aware of riding on the street versus riding in the dirt.

Originally Posted by M3Inline6

I disagree about its effectiveness, but we can agree to disagree on the subject. Not all MSF instructors are created equal, so there is a lot of room for variance. My MSF 2-day course was invaluable. The amount of confidence that I built during those two days (..along with the life saving skills that I learned) was significant, and it's not just basic controls. How to deal with unavoidable debris, etc. etc. are things taught in those courses. Trust me, your average auto-didactic rider doesn't usually think about the "What if's of riding a bike on the street. Sure, a dirt bike background helps with the mechanics of riding, but not necessarily the safety issues that you need to be aware of riding on the street versus riding in the dirt.

+1, mechanics and mental preparation are two distinctly different things.

Originally Posted by M3Inline6

I disagree about its effectiveness, but we can agree to disagree on the subject. Not all MSF instructors are created equal, so there is a lot of room for variance. My MSF 2-day course was invaluable. The amount of confidence that I built during those two days (..along with the life saving skills that I learned) was significant, and it's not just basic controls. How to deal with unavoidable debris, etc. etc. are things taught in those courses. Trust me, your average auto-didactic rider doesn't usually think about the "What if's" of riding a bike on the street (..ex: You're approaching a 2 x 4 on the freeway and avoiding it isn't an option. How do you handle the situation?). Sure, a dirt bike background helps with the mechanics of riding, but not necessarily the safety issues that you need to be aware of riding on the street versus riding in the dirt.

This. Having taken the course I can definitely say they prevented me from adopting a variety of bad habits that I frequently see in some self taught riders. It's one of those "you don't know what you don't know" kind of deals.

+1 for taking the MSF course. DO IT!

Originally Posted by M3Inline6

I disagree about its effectiveness, but we can agree to disagree on the subject. Not all MSF instructors are created equal, so there is a lot of room for variance. My MSF 2-day course was invaluable. The amount of confidence that I built during those two days (..along with the life saving skills that I learned) was significant, and it's not just basic controls. How to deal with unavoidable debris, etc. etc. are things taught in those courses. Trust me, your average auto-didactic rider doesn't usually think about the "What if's" of riding a bike on the street (..ex: You're approaching a 2 x 4 on the freeway and avoiding it isn't an option. How do you handle the situation?). Sure, a dirt bike background helps with the mechanics of riding, but not necessarily the safety issues that you need to be aware of riding on the street versus riding in the dirt.

By all means, I think most riders should take the course. I don't think it would have benefited me personally much, but that's only due to some experience and having a lot of motorcyclists around me giving me advice already.

As far as avoiding debris in the road, it's so easy to zone out on the slab. I've found myself doing it a couple times unfortunately. You have to look far ahead and constantly be scanning your front and rear. If you aren't mentally tired after riding you aren't doing it right, I think. The real danger on the street is cars that don't see you. Then again, I just passed two big landscaping tarps full of leaves and a 10ft aluminum ladder sitting in the lane the other day. Yikes

How many of you ride in the rain or really cold weather regularly? I've got everything waterproof except for gloves and the fingers keep getting numb. Also worried about the neck getting soaked.

In today's Socal shitty weather, I prefer my car over the bike... did quite a few riders in pouring rain and I hate it every time.

Originally Posted by Shaban

How'd you do Mike?

I passed, but I'm by no means prepared to ride on the street yet. That being said, I could tell this is something I can pick up with more practice. The couple of hours I spent on the bike during the MSF course were literally my first time. I think I'm gonna look into a 250 sportbike next April and practice a whole lot in an empty parking lot.