I know lots of people have taken the beginner course (highly recommended for all riders, by the way) but has anyone taken the advanced course?  If so, would you recommend it?

What sort of skills did you learn?  

How long do you think someone should be riding before taking the advanced course?  In PA, they suggest 6 months riding experience does that seem about right?

Thanks, Susan

Thanks for your thoughts Greg.

Since no one here seems to have taken the course, I posted the same question on the Heise forum and got several responses from people who had taken the course.

Here's the link if you are interested:  http://www.heise-workstations.de/ls650/Fragen/messages/33587.html

HI,

My wife and I just took that course on august 31st.  We both passed.
The course was very good, it teachs emergency braking, and several low speed handling techniques.
My wife has the savage and I have a honda vtx 1800.  We used our own bikes.  
The wife has only been riding about 3 months, she passed with a higher grade than me!  Working that 1800 in one of the tight turn exercises was a pain, handlebars at full lock doing a figure 8.  Had to put my foot down.
Take it and enjoy it.

Here is some information I copied from our Texas area website regarding the Advanced course:

The Experienced Rider Course is approximately 5 hours of on-cycle instruction.  Students must be licensed operators who currently ride on a regular basis. The course objective is to provide students with the skills identified as lacking in the accident-involved motorcyclist. On-cycle instruction covers street strategies and special situations, advanced turning, braking, and evasive skills.  

Each student attending the Experienced Rider Course will be required to provide their own motorcycle. Motorcycles must be licensed, insured, and street-worthy. Proof of insurance is required.  There is no lunch break during this class so we recommend you bring snacks.

Out here in West Texas, the course is offered on an "on demand" schedule.  The instructor told me that if I could get 4-6 folks rounded up, they would offer the course.  I do believe that 6 months of riding experience would be helpful prior to taking the course.

Munson_kl279 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09:


I went to your site and looked at your new bike work.  Looks good.

I think that the purpose of the advanced course is to help you better control your present ride....not a different ride.  Otherwise, they might just have everyone riding 250s, the same as the beginner course.

If those 33 1/4" drag bars are difficult for a swerve, it might be really good to take the course.  

BTW - in the beginner course, when we all rode little bikes, one of the MSF instructors demontrated the flawless execution of that killer "figure eight" skill test with a huge fully dressed Hog.  No feet down or anything.  I was impressed.

Honda_fan wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09:


Thanks for the thoughts.  It definitely sounds like a worthwhile course.

Here we show listed a Beginer course... and Intermediate Course (which you describe from their recomendation of 6 months or at least 1000 miles) and a Advanced course. Thats MSF in South Carolina anyway...

So not certain which one we are realy talking about here because no ones mentioned Intermediate by name so far. Here, at the DMV discretion, they can accept Intermediate Course and for full license. Both Advanced and Intermediate require you to ride your own bike. And they discourage you from taking up space in the Beginer course if you have about 1000 miles riding experience and suggest you go to the intermediate course directly. They tout the Advanced as a refresher for people with full licenses and wanting to learn some more skills or refresh thier riding habits.

cphilip wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09:


Lucky you to have three courses.  In PA we don't have an intermediate course.  Just the beginner and advanced courses.