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View Full Version : When Did You Take Your First MSF Course?



64BonnieLass
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:03 PM
Based on a previous conversation about learning how to ride, and purchasing a first bike, please answer the following poll.

And if you have taken an MSF course, please share why you did so, or why you thought it was important to you.

CYCLE_MONKEY
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:06 PM
Ahhh, I don't see a poll attached darlin'. :)

For me, it was in maybe '83 or '84, and I'm not sure it was an MSF course per se, but it was a course taught on the base that we had tl take so we could ride on the base. If it wasn't MSF, it was equivalent.

Bueller
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:08 PM
Never, did it the old fashioned way.

TinkerinWstuff
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:11 PM
Voted "before the bike" but I mean before I got a STREET bike. I had dirt bikes all growing up and only took the MSF because I felt it was the easiest path to an MC endorsement.

BC14
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:16 PM
I voted before, but I did tool around on my dad's old shadow a few(<5) times(rural) before getting my own bike and taking the course. I made sure to take the course before I rode my own bike on the street.

CYCLE_MONKEY
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:19 PM
I never took an MSF class.......but I DID stay at a Holiday Inn last night!

DemonRider
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:24 PM
I took it prior to purchasing my bike only cause it was highly suggested by several people and I also wanted to make sure it was something I would feel
Comfortable doing. Super happy I did.

DeeStylez
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:28 PM
Took MSF course immediately after failing the riding test at DMV :cry:, so approximately 45 days after purchasing bike.

zPurpleRoom
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:33 PM
I started riding bikes when I was 5 in the dirt. The minute I turned 16, I got my permit then endorsement and just rode with some of the best riders in the region. Never taking a formal course, I think the MSF courses are good but give "graduates" a false sense of all encompassing rider knowledge. Scary! I realize that I do not know everything and I am still wanting to learn more. I believe that is the key....never close yourself to learning. Just my opinion.

CaptGoodvibes
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:39 PM
I learned to ride in 1984 in Los Angeles and took the BRC here in Denver in 2007

I had a hiatus from riding from 1992-2007

rfranks303
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:41 PM
Rode my first bike for two years without an endorsment. Then shortly after purchasing my second bike it took one. Once I finished I thanked god I made it through those first two years.

PhL0aTeR
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:51 PM
i bought a bike when i was 16 for my first vehicle. In TX you have to take the course to get a license if you are under 18, so i bought the bike, took the course, then rode it, despite my voting for within 180 days.

Spiderman
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 09:58 PM
I'm taking my Basic Riders Course this coming weekend! :yay:

Matty
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 10:05 PM
Never, did it the old fashioned way.

:imwithstupid:

Graphite675
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 10:44 PM
Never took the MSF course but started out riding dirt when I was about 8. 34 years later I finally decided to try out street riding so I went down and got my endorsement. Being on 2 wheels was second nature by then.

I'm sure the MSF course is great but nothing can replace experience and riding dirt is a great place to start for any rider.

.

TwistyRydr
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 10:47 PM
Road dirt way before I took the MSF course, then shortly after taking it .. came across my bike :-)

Darth Do'Urden
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 10:49 PM
Never have. In one sense I desire to take it, but in another I feel that I've educated myself pretty well (and continue to do so) by reading more experienced riders, and learning what I can from those I ride with. I'm extremely cautious by nature, so I've been super-conservative from day one.

One thing I wonder if the MSF would help me on is emergency braking. If so, then that alone could be worth it to me at this stage. But maybe I need to look more towards the Advanced course...I don't know. My brother took the BRC/MSF right after he got his bike, and while he was glad he did it, in retrospect he's said that it is quite basic (at least his was).

Being somewhat hypocritical, I'd say that anyone new to riding (or has been out of it for a lengthy period of time) should take the course.

TwistyRydr
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 10:49 PM
Never took the MSF course but started out riding dirt when I was about 8. 34 years later I finally decided to try out street riding so I went down and got my endorsement. Being on 2 wheels was second nature by then.

I'm sure the MSF course is great but nothing can replace experience and riding dirt is a great place to start for any rider.

.

Totally agree on that last part! :cheers:

OUTLAWD
Sun May 22nd, 2011, 11:33 PM
started out on dirt at 5...worked my way up through various 50's and an 80 and was racing hare scrambles on a KTM 250 at 13...

I got a streetbike at 19 and took the MSF course after I had my permit for a the minimum time req'd. NJ offered the course for free, and I took it because it excempted me from the DMV road test. to be honest, I found idling around a parking lot on a GN 125 to be quite pointless

Sean
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 07:03 AM
Never did. Although I wish I would have. It miht have made me feel more comfortable on the bike, sooner. I did take the ARC Total Control. And now, I have total control, which is nice.

drago52
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 07:18 AM
I rode dirtbikes before, then when I decided I wanted to go street, I took the course. I highly recommend it. I thought the most important part of the course was the discussion of all the potential hazards facing a rider on a road. Much better to learn about the potential for a rider-cager accident in a course than from experience.

Captain Obvious
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 07:26 AM
Required by military to ride on base, so borrowed a bike, took the class, then shopped for my first street bike. No dirt bike experience.

madvlad
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 08:12 AM
I rode couple street bikes before hand but nothing crazy. Got it done because I thought it would be helpful to ride safer, cheaper insurance and when I bought my first bike I got a full refund for the class from Suzuki so win/win for moi!

ghostrider_9
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 10:54 AM
I took my first MSF class at my first duty station so I could ride on base. By then, I had been riding for about 13 years and still managed to walk away with some very good information. Subsequently, I became an MSF Rider Coach in 2002 and have been teaching the classes (and others) since then. This past weekend I took the Total Control Levels 1 & 2 and had a great time.

I very much encourage riders to continue their education about riding and motorcycles. Your cup of knowledge can never be too full! The worse thing that can happen is that you might accidentally pick up a new skill set or put some understanding behind all of the things that you are already doing . . .

aerofaze
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 12:10 PM
Took the MSF because I thought it was important to know HOW to ride a motorcycle. Felt it was one of those skills that every car driver should have and be aware of, even if they didn't plan on owning a bike.

I failed to realize at the time of signing up that after the course I'd want to CONTINUE TO RIDE.

The 3 months after the course were filled with extensive, and at times, frustrating, research and sitting on various makes/models before I chose my Duc. Now here I am. (I believe it has made me a better car driver, too)

Finklestein87
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 12:15 PM
Bought my bike a week before my MSF class as well as my temps. I rode to class everyday, always practicing new things I learned in the class on the way home.

My teacher actually thanked me and liked that i was riding to class. Plus it was fun going from a Ninja 250 to a Honda Rebel and back:D

Slo
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 12:29 PM
Never took one....

Bueller
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 12:54 PM
Plus it was fun going from a Ninja 250 to a Honda Rebel and back:D

After almost 40 years of riding I am still riding both of those bikes ;)

AOK303
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 01:08 PM
Took mine this year had 3 friends lay down last year so thought I would take an Msf class I haven't ridden since 01 and only did 3000 miles no other shifting experience on a bike rode a Honda metropolitan for a year so I wanted to learn correct ways to handle a bike bit I did buy my bike a day before I took the first class

Spooph
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 03:42 PM
Learned on a friend's ZX-6R. A year later, rode a CB550 home for a go-kart project. No gear, no helmet, silly stupid high school kid. 2 years after that couldn't afford car insurance anymore and the only way my parent's would let me get a bike is by taking the course. In fact, I even had to wait till the course was no longer refundable before I told them, because they're too frugal to "waste" money like that, even though it was my money, lol. The Thursday after I had strong-armed my dad into a co-loan for my first bike. About every 18 months I seem to run into somebody who teaches me something about riding it makes me feel I knew nothing before.... The thing about learning that sucks is that your frame of reference grows much faster than your abilities.... I'm still noob... :P

Spiderman
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 06:18 PM
I'm taking my Basic Riders Course this coming weekend! :yay:

I did take a course before getting my MC license in Canada, but I don't know whose curriculum it was... I'm pretty sure it wasn't MSF.

Spiderman
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 06:20 PM
Took mine this year had 3 friends lay down last year so thought I would take an Msf class I haven't ridden since 01 and only did 3000 miles no other shifting experience on a bike rode a Honda metropolitan for a year so I wanted to learn correct ways to handle a bike bit I did buy my bike a day before I took the first class

Dood, punctuation?!?

WolFeYeZ
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 06:35 PM
I took the BRC 1.5 weeks after buying my bike. First one available after my purchase. Before the course though the bike never left my parking lot. Its really funny how much time I spent in that tiny parking lot with my bike never going above 15 x.X

TransNone13
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 06:52 PM
Had to take 3 (BRC/ERC/SRC) to get military decals with a standard endorsement test and I have to take another when I get back due to my deployment (refresher course).

AOK303
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 06:55 PM
Dood, punctuation?!?

Typing on my Evo usually fix my post later for this reason
I get bored at work

crypto0793
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 07:38 PM
Started out on dirtbikes when I was 10 then graduated to streetbikes and I just took my 1st MSF course this month because I'm military so I had too it was very stimulating. but ill probably take the advanced course "ABATE"

Finklestein87
Mon May 23rd, 2011, 07:48 PM
Dood, punctuation?!?

:lol:

Spiderman
Tue May 31st, 2011, 10:13 AM
I'm taking my Basic Riders Course this coming weekend! :yay:

:w00t: I passed!!!

Snowman
Tue May 31st, 2011, 10:18 AM
I took the equivalent back in the day before I road a street bike. (Yes the stone wheels were hard to peddle...)

THoward
Tue May 31st, 2011, 12:43 PM
It's about time you learned to ride Spiderman!!

Sean
Tue May 31st, 2011, 12:48 PM
:w00t: I passed!!! :cheers:
I was a little worried...