[alanmcorcoran]

Despite my grousing, I do have some MSF positives:

1) I was able to get in on "standby" so I didn't have to wait three months. Just squeaked in on that. The 24th guy did show, but he was a little too far past the Late Cutoff so they let me stay.
2) After some paperwork and bike inspection they did let me ride my own bike (a GZ natch!)
3) They got us in the habit of using both brakes. The gigantic dual front discs on my Strat will stop a speeding locomotive on a dime, but I like to use both brakes on the GZ. I also find the lighter bike brakes more evenly with both. I got pretty good at laying down rubber and panic stopping in a straight line - which came in handy a few weeks later when I failed to realize the guy in front of me was not moving until I was very, very close.
4) That effing box drill does teach you a lot about looking, leaning, clutch control and use of power to stay upright. We should have probably spent a few hours on that one. I think I only did it five or six times in total, three of which I went outside the line and one of which was the final exam.
5) I passed the test on the first try and thus did not have to go to the house of horrors that is the CA DMV to get my M1 endorsement. It's not entirely out of the question I might have wasted MORE than 16 hours had I gone that route and failed once.

I mainly offered my perspective because I was disappointed in how the thing was managed and had been given such high expectations by so many about how wonderful it was. I still recommend it to people that see me on the bike and muse about trying it "one day" I think the best thing about it is you don't need a bike or expereince to sign up.