Just completed the MSF course. Along with basic safety it also helped me identify and correct a couple of bad habits. Just wanted to let people know that if they are considering taking this course, it is worth every penny! Ride safe!

hdrican

Congratulations. Do you want to share a few things that you learned, and what habits you corrected? Thanks

Congratulations!! I couldn't agree more... the course is worth every penney. A lot of people balk at the $300 price tag, but that's cheap compared to what your protecting.

Gazza

$300?? Wow, in Pennsylvania, it's free!

I got to use their motorcycles & gas, and you get your license if you pass the course. I agree that it's worth taking. I would probably even pay $300 to take it...glad i didnt have to though.

I learned a ton of useful info, and broke some old habits too. When riding with other people, you can usually tell who has the taken the course and who hasn't...just by their riding habits.

Our local community college hosts both the MSF basic course and the advanced rider skills course. Basic MSF is 150.00.Advanced is 90.00 I'm signed up for basic in June....

Well for one it pointed out that I tended to brake too long in the turns and I wasn't rolling on the throttle enough. I just had to learn trust on the bike's ability to pull out on them. Just from that I feel much more confident taking turns and I feel I'm a better rider for it. I definately plan on taking the advanced course after I get some more mileage under my belt.

I just completed Harley-Davidson's Rider's Edge course two weeks ago. It's an expanded version of the MSF basic rider course. You get an additional 7 hours of class time, class size is limited to six and you ride a Buell Blast that's less than 18 months old. A great bike for this class, light and nimble, easy to manuver at low speed but it vibrates like hell.

It's $100 more than the MSF class at the local community colleges in NC but with the additional hours and smaller class size I feel it was well worth it.

I don't know if it's done in the community college courses but part of the Rider's Edge deal is, if they feel you are a danger to yourself, they will "counsel" you out of the class. Recommend that you come back and try again at a later date. Two ladies didn't complete the class, one dumped the bike 3 times on Saturday and the other should have fallen 10 times but only actually hit the pavement once.

Buell Blast A great bike for this class, light and nimble, easy to manuver at low speed but it vibrates like hell.
I was so nervous when I took the riders edge... they vibrate?

The State's Safety Council out here offers the courses. $180 for the intermediate (if you pass you automatically qualify for a motorcycle certification on your drivers license).

I think some of the most important things they taught me in the course were defensive skills:
Keeping an eye out for cagers
Reading traffic
Evasive manuevers
Emergency stops

On riding skills:
Reading the road ahead of you
Entering & exiting curves
How to brake when in a curve in an emergency
How to turn in very small areas

There probably is a bunch of other stuff that is retained by my old-a$$ brain. I really find myself prepared for all of these things while I'm riding. It really did help me build confidence to develop and hone my skills on the bike. Lots of repetition - and they don't let up on you until you get it right. Out of all of us taking the course only 1 did not make it. She nailed the written test, and was doing OK in the riding portion, but got nervous when it was test time. I think it was the section where you take off, reach a certain speed and then apply your brakes to stop in a designated space. They would nail you if you "anticipated" the braking by rolling off the throttle before entering the stop box area. They do give you a second chance to get it right however.
She was pretty dissappointed. They offered her to come back the following weekend to retake the riding test for free, but she was so dissappointed she said she wasn't. A couple of us talked with her and tried to convince her to go back the next weekend. We hope she did.

I've been riding for two years now and I took the class when I first started. A buddy of mine was taking the clas to get his license and I took it with him. It was a great refresher. Plus after riding my XL you really can push and punish those little 150's they give you to ride! It's a great course - made me a safer rider.

Larry

Rode for 7 years before I finally decided to take the class for myself.

Best $200 I ever spent.