What Level Will I Be After MSF?

[newrider57]

Now I won't pretend that I will be confident and skillful after the MSF class, but I am wondering if someone can quantify what 10 hours of practice will add to my skill level. I am taking delivery of my new maxi-scooter Xciting250 tomorrow, but am not taking the class until April 26th-27th.

I plan to park it in the garage until AFTER the class is complete and I see how I do. In the meantime I am curious on how people felt going in and how they were coming out of the class. Also, I do realize that I am still nothing but a rookie until after lots of practice. In fact, the reason that I bought the bike was for to/from work and I don't plan to even try until I have at least 6 months of practice under my belt. And more if I think it is necessary.

[Clint]

The BRC doesn't add much to your skill level, but it gives you tools to develop skill. I'd widely held by experts that the MSF course doesn't make you a safer rider until you practice what you learn and make it second nature.

So, a few thousand miles and a few hours of parking lot practice, and you'll be an "advanced novice". If you want to go further, study books like the one in my signature, ask more questions, and ride.

[tricker]

When i took my class 1 1/2 years ago i had never ridden before. Zero skill level. But afterwards it gave me what i needed to know to go and practice. I'll still consider myself a novice even though i've logged almost 5500 miles on it already.

[inspiron]

Like most licenses, the endorsement is a license to learn, not a certificate that you know everything.

Experience can only be developed over time. You don't gain experience in a classroom or over a weekend course. You gain experience by practicing the skills you learn in the MSF until they are second nature - in other words, you can ride without having to consciously focus on the mechanics of riding. The act of controlling the bike should be "automatic", so that you can concentrate 100% of your attention on the traffic around you and the road ahead of you.

That's also why it's so important to repeatedly practice maneuvers like an emergency stop - when you need to make a fast stop, your brain should be able to perform the maneuver without "thinking" about it first.

[Apertureguy]

You will be a slightly more informed rider. The rest is still up to you.

Ride lots more, but within your abilities. Don't try to push anything to its limits, because the price might be more than you expect.

[SuzukiBD]

In my opinion, you take the MSF course to learn how to think while operating the bike. (Keep your chin up and look where you want the bike to go when turning. Also, scan ahead for trouble are some of the points that go through my head constantly while riding.)

While you are there, you are using one of their bikes and they let you beat it up pretty good But then, on your own bike, you'll want to be more careful with it. However, after the course, I recommend you find a empty parking lot with your own bike and really practice hard braking and manuvering with it to learn it's tolerances since it's what you'll be riding all the time. At the same time, this will make you more comfortable and confident while riding it in traffic.
You'll be surprised how quickly you make progress.

I also second the suggestion of reading Proficient Motorcycling. I'm almost through the book and it is a great refresher and reference to what you'll learn in the MSF course.

Have fun!!!

[themeatmanlandry]

Make sure that you find a CLEAN parking lot to practice in.

To answer your original question: I went into the MSF as a mere grasshopper. I came out the other side somewhere between black belt and jedi knight.

[tricker]

Originally Posted by themeatmanlandry

Make sure that you find a CLEAN parking lot to practice in.

To answer your original question: I went into the MSF as a mere grasshopper. I came out the other side somewhere between black belt and jedi knight.

or a happy ass lunatic?

[themeatmanlandry]

Originally Posted by tricker

or a happy ass lunatic?

No thanks, I just had a breakfast chimichanga with a side of shaving cream.

[SuzukiBD]

Originally Posted by themeatmanlandry

No thanks, I just had a breakfast chimichanga with a side of shaving cream.

Wash it down with a nice glass of Aqua Velva

[newrider57]

Thanks for the replies. It was pretty much what I had figured, but wanted to get some input from those with previous experience. I do have school parking lot about 2 miles from the house on which I plan to practice. Also, I live in the country (so to speak) and have a lot of backroads I can practice on. I know that I will have to watch the sideroads very closely, but it will provide real driving experience without hitting the crowded roads just yet. A friend has also loaned me "Ride Like a Pro III" and I plan to use it for additioinal reference...oh and I will read the book that has been recommended.

[Nick Mystic]

A lot of good suggestions have been made in the previous postings. One thing I would like to add is this: Emergency braking is definitely a skill you will want to practice, but I think what a true novice would want to do first is to just become familiar with your new scooter and its basic operation. Spending time in the sort of parking lot that has been described is a good place to start and those country roads around your home should also provide some good practice.

I wouldn't worry about doing much emergency stopping until you think you have a pretty good feel for your machine. When you attempt to do hard braking it is important to be able to tell when you are approaching the point where your wheels are about to lock up and start skidding. I don't think you can reasonably expect to be able to make this determination until you've logged some miles on your bike under non-emergency conditions. You definitely don't want to go out to one of your early practice sessions and end up dumping your new scooter doing an emergency stop due to a wheel lock up that you had no idea was about to happen.

[russd]

I took the class 1 year ago next week it gets you in the right state of mind to ride . looking ahead ,knowing that at every intersection someone will not see you till you flash your lights.looking where you want to go not only in turns but missing pot holes ect.keep your head up watch out keep the rubber side down and have fun with the bike don't be an a-- on the road .put in the miles with all the things you learn

[Tab B.]

Originally Posted by Nick Mystic

A lot of good suggestions have been made in the previous postings. One thing I would like to add is this: Emergency braking is definitely a skill you will want to practice, but I think what a true novice would want to do first is to just become familiar with your new scooter and its basic operation. Spending time in the sort of parking lot that has been described is a good place to start and those country roads around your home should also provide some good practice.

I wouldn't worry about doing much emergency stopping until you think you have a pretty good feel for your machine. When you attempt to do hard braking it is important to be able to tell when you are approaching the point where your wheels are about to lock up and start skidding. I don't think you can reasonably expect to be able to make this determination until you've logged some miles on your bike under non-emergency conditions. You definitely don't want to go out to one of your early practice sessions and end up dumping your new scooter doing an emergency stop due to a wheel lock up that you had no idea was about to happen.

I'd like to expand on the braking thing a little. I was an instructor for the state of NH for 10 years. On a few occasions I would suggest to the students to do these things to help with their braking skills, after the course. All you need are two or three big soda bottles or cones, and that big parking lot. Take one cone and use that as your brake application point. Take the next cone and put that where you stop. As simple as that. Each time you make a run, try to stop short of where you put the cone from the last stop. You could use a third cone to leave at the point of your first stop, so you can gage your improvements. Without assigning any numbers, and indeed, at a pace you are comfortable with, you can see how your stopping distances change, and hopefully improve. Keep your speed as consistent as possible. It isn't rocket science, just good old fashioned practice. You can experiment with technique and certainly, feel. If you want to be anal about it, you could bring a tape rule, but I don't really think that is needed. The cones, or bottles should give you enough of a real world idea of how your braking can change, improve, etc. Don't set out to make any records. Start off conservatively, and let your bike tell you what it likes. The distances WILL drop as you become more familiar with your bike.

[TechJD]

You will be able to keep the bike up at low speeds
it's easy to do that at higher speed
but a lot of drops are at low speed

[themeatmanlandry]

Originally Posted by TechJD

You will be able to keep the bike up at low speeds
it's easy to do that at higher speed
but a lot of drops are at low speed

Yes, the MSF helped me greatly with low-speed maneuvers, where rider balance is crucial. Certain little tips like pressure on the outside peg in a tight turn are worth the money in and of themselves, and the opportunity to practice on a not-so-new bike cements the deal.

[05HDRAM]

Originally Posted by Nick Mystic

I wouldn't worry about doing much emergency stopping until you think you have a pretty good feel for your machine. When you attempt to do hard braking it is important to be able to tell when you are approaching the point where your wheels are about to lock up and start skidding. I don't think you can reasonably expect to be able to make this determination until you've logged some miles on your bike under non-emergency conditions. You definitely don't want to go out to one of your early practice sessions and end up dumping your new scooter doing an emergency stop due to a wheel lock up that you had no idea was about to happen.

I will disagree here. The last thing you want to do is learn how to do an emergency stop in an actual emergency. I would rather lay the bike down in an empty lot than eat a rear bumper of the car that pulled out in front of you. Tab B has some good points on how to practice by starting slowly and gradually increasing. That should reduce the likelyhood of dropping the bike.

[Davecm203]

I would also recommend you go to Captain Crash's Pad that is at the top of the training threads. Watch his videos. He has a lot of great pointers especially for handling the bike at low speeds.

[newrider57]

Thanks Dave, I will give it a try, but will probably have problems. We just moved out of town into the close in country... We don't have DSL or cable yet, so I am connecting to the internet via an aircard. They are faster than dial up, but not as good as the other two. Makes for long downloads and real jumpy videos. And at work where we have high speed, we are blocked from anything like youtube.

[Clint]

You might open several videos in seperate browser tabs and pause them. They'll fully download so you can watch them twitch-free when they're done.