MSF started today

[Dupo]

Well, since this place has been a ghost town lately (where is everyone???).... figured id post about the MSF course today.

1st day today, so was in class thank god (it was cold and snowy and raining). Nice instructor, very laid back, really into having fun with this instead of being overly serious. Pretty much spent the morning just reading Q&A out of the book. We didnt even finish doing all the questions and he let us go early. I guess the test isnt that hard since he really didnt do any speeches or really went over much in the book. Wednesday is ride day.... get to learn how to ride a bike (lol). Probably be a long first few segments while they do the whole 'this is how to walk a bike, this is how to balance, this is where the clutch is... i'll probably enjoy the 2nd half of the day more.

Anyways, i had to get this in as my permit expires next month. Tried to get in last year and it was booked for months in advance. Too cold over the winter...and finally nailed a spot.

Be glad to get this done and over with and learn something out of it, but most important, i get my darn license lol. Now i can be legal at night and when i dont feel like wearing my helmet :) (i know, i know lol).

[davidc83]

This place has been a ghost town, but I have been riding my bike, even with a broken collarbone and two broke ribs (horse kick). The weather finally is clearing where it is comfortable to ride. I have been thinking about taking a msf course (even though I already have my license); just to learn a few pointers and tips which I dont know.

[Bill]

I picked up a few good tips while taking the course a while back. It saved me a couple of times from chewing asphalt or being touched by a cage. When I get the time (maybe in the Fall) I plan on taking the advanced courses. I've seen a number of "Not so Noobe's" at them. In the meantime I'm getting a copy of "Proficient Motorcycling" to read.

Have fun at class.

Cheers!

[Water Warrior 2]

Good for you Dupo, you will get a lot out of the course. As you already ride the instructors might have to correct bad habits. That is one of the things I am expecting next week when happy hobo and I do our course. Can't be a bad thing in my opinion. Happy is going stir crazy waiting to actually get on the road and just ride her 250. The little bit I have shown her in parking lots is getting kinda stale.
Yah, ghost town is right. Thought I was in an alternate universe or something. Maybe everyone is out enjoying the roads and forgetting to come home again. Almost did that myself on Sunday. Had the Vstrom out for a ride from Squamish to Whistler and Pemberton BC on the Sea to Sky highway(#99). Great day with a couple other 650 riders for company. Happy is looking forward to the ride on her own bike and not as pillion on the Strom.

[Dupo]

yea i was out all day last saturday with my harley buddy taking him on his first ride with his vrod. He did dam good for his first ride on the bike, i was impressed. Guess it helped they grew up on dirt bikes. Gonna head out again with him and hopefully his brother if he can pick up his new soft tail by saturday morning.

[Badbob]

get to learn how to ride a bike (lol).

You may get surprised. In my class the only person who crashed was also the only experienced rider in the group.

[Dupo]

No crashes today, but close.

Had a bunch of first timers in the class. Made for a bit of frustration trying to do exercises only going 2mph lol. I'd say atleast 4 exercises i and a few others couldnt shift to proper gears or cone swerve properly because others were going way too slow. Even saw a few lift off the throttle and slow down to shift UP. And one who kept stalling because he forgot to put it back into first...then panic stop and almost drop it (forgot to put his feet down).

Not that im picking on them, but after 5 hours ... they really had no improvement. Made the day go very slow. My hands actually hurt at days end because of all the clutch squeezing i had to do slowing down for half the class. Not to mention i had a beat up gz 250 that fluttered the idle constantly lol. So they swapped it so it wouldnt break down on me. I ended up with one that i swear was smaller (more cramped) and the brake pedal on it was as high as it could possibly go with about 4" of travel before grabbing lol. I couldnt panic stop correctly because i had to lift off the peg and slam down on that 4" of brake pedal. What a pain. I did get to plug this forum though to a few people and tell them of all the mods that we do to these bikes lol (jonathan got the best modder plug). Even had the instructors interested in the needle shim mod haha.

Was pretty much an easy day. Everything we went over and did was pretty basic. Im sure next weeks riding day will cover the swerve and brake and all that fun stuff. Monday is finishing the book and the 50 question test and then wed finish the riding portion and possible riding test, not sure on that one how they work it.

[Badbob]

My class was three days. Friday through Saturday. My left hand was cramping so bad buy the end of the first riding day that I was worried that I would not be able to ride on the second day. By the end of the second day when we took our written exam I had to keep my left had flat on the table to keep it from cramping itself into a knot.

I rode a Honda the first day and the clutch gave out right out of the starting gate on day two. They gave me a European GZ125 that would in a sharp left turn at low speed. I think they cut me some slack in the exam because of this. It made the figure eight a bitch. The GZ125 had a full set of instruments. A speedometer, tachometer and a bank of indicator lights six of which were for gears. It had one indicator for each gear plus neutral so you always knew which gear you were in. I never could find another one like it.

[Bill]

Most of what I remember was taking the course for three days while wearing the high top boots, jacket, blue jeans, full face helmet, and insulated gloves (didn't have riding gloves yet). Oh yes, it was mid July and I'm in Florida so I didn't get cold! O_o :lol:

Cheers!

[Dupo]

Passed the written test. 1 more class to go.

Forecast for wednesdays class .......... rain ............ :cuss:

[BadMojo]

Man, rain that's probably the day you have to run the course too. It's going to tricky to pull that fast full stop with wet pavement. Good luck.

[Dupo]

Yes, its the last day of the course which is the riding part. Luckily, we did the panic stops already. This is going to be the 8's, circles, u-turns, swerve/stop class. Shouldnt be too bad other than getting wet.

[Dupo]

Passed my test ... had a few points taken off for putting my foot down on the dual u turns (fig 8). GZ fit good in the box but they are so beat up the throttle would jerk the bike so bad that it would throw your balance off while making the u turn.

But i passed, now i am fully licensed.

Only had one person fail. Lady who was pretty much afraid of that bike from day one. NO riding experience whatsoever. To everyones amazement she passed the first two tests (she was doing horrible at them earlier in the day). Then she did the panic stop and dropped the bike. Forgot to put her feet down.

[Bill]

Passed my test ... now i am fully licensed.

Only had one person fail. Then she did the panic stop and dropped the bike. Forgot to put her feet down.

Congratulations!

The mental image of the panic stop reminds me of the old "Laugh In" show with the old man falling over on the tricycle.

Cheers!

[Water Warrior 2]

Congratulations Dupo. Now you are better qualified than many riders out there. Happy Hobo and I have put away the first two days of school with four more to go. Next two days are parking lot and then two days on the street. Got a good instructor who appreciates why we are there. Lots of material in class room sessions but interesting even to an older rider. That is why I am there, don't know it all so there is room for improvement.