So I'm finally starting my MSF course tonight

[pelikan]

I was the only one in class answering his questions. I hope I'll learn something on the riding day. I have to be there at 6:45am on Saturday morning....if its not wet maybe I'll take my bike. Haha..

don't take your bike, you spend all day in 1st gear. No reason to put wear on it.

 

[Taz]

When i took mine last year, a woman popped the clutch on first gear and the bike wheelied and threw her off the bike. After that, she left the class and i think she got her refund back

 

[Eric in Davis]

Oh yeah, some memories are coming back to me now:

1) don't look at the ground when you are "staging" (parking the bike after a drill).

2) don't forget about that damn fuel ON/OFF BS. Luckily my bike didn't have an OFF position so I didn't have to deal with it. Who the hell turns their fuel to OFF everytime they get off their bike

 

[Hyperlite]

One detail that I don't think was mentioned: This class is designed to teach you how to handle your bike in dificult circumstances. Get as much slow speed practice as you can on a bike other than yours so you can keep your fairings nice and shiny . The weave and 'avoid the bus' drills are very good. The rest will be boring as hell. Shoot I could definitely claim I knew how to turn a bike on and off really well after that class.

on a side note- wear sunglasses under your helmet so you can keep the face sheild open. You don't want to be sitting on the bike for hours with that thing closed, gets all stuffy and will probably fog up with this weather. Good luck bro, just remember there's a reason why everyone recommends the class even though you will probably think to yourself how much of a waste of time it is more than once.

 

[ro-monster]

oh ya, heard a story of an older woman in her 40s or 50s taking the course. rides a harley. doing it for insurance benefits. thought she knew all there was to know about riding. she revs up the 125, lets the clutch out and the bike wheelies. doesn't know what to do and doesn't have the strength to close the throttle (she's hanging onto the bars basically). BAM! goes and hits a wall and dies. BTW, she wore a half helmet and no other gear other than some basic gloves and designer boots. don't know if it's urban legend or if it really happened but just food for thought.

There was a woman who died at a Rider's Edge course for beginning riders (these courses are sponsored by Harley, and the students ride Buell Blasts) in New Hampshire. I think it was about a year ago. As far as I know she didn't wheelie the bike, but she did somehow run into a wall; it wasn't clear exactly what happened. I remember it being discussed on a mailing list I'm on, and people had posted links to the news stories about the incident.