So, this past weekend I finally bit the bullet and took the MSF Basic rider course, and passed. It was easy-peasy, It re-inforced  and honed skills I already had and help develope new ones. We had great instructors who were  patient and encouraging to the newbies and cast a critical eye towards us vets. All in all, it was a great and hot weekend. I received my endorsement today. No more riding dirty! Let the pigeons loose!  

I didn't take the course, but my wife did and she rides on the back, so seeing how she knows everything anyway, I..Oh Hi Honey, I was just telling the fellas abou...(Slap!) Yikes! (Kerblam!) .. I gotta go!  

360k+ wrote on 07/03/12 at 08:37:04:

True, I have to agree with you there. I've taken the basic safety course 4 times over the past 33 years from various orgs. There's always something new to learn, and they can also save you on your insurance rates.

SuperSavage wrote on 07/03/12 at 23:08:51:

Back in 1980, the motorcycle licensing test in Hawaii was ridiculous. One had to do Figure-8's in like 16 feet diameter circles, alternating semicircles stopping without putting feet down at every half circle for like 4 down, 4 back, etc. After the first round a dozen riders were eliminated. After the second, I was the only one left. There were a half dozen events one had to pass.

I practiced that on my 1971 Honda CB100 scoot using vacant parking lots a half hour a day every day for several months, after I failed it on a learner's permit.

Case in point, it was not that I had an easy ride, it was the persistent practice. So when you say, "Nothing like riding your own bike set up for you...", I can't agree with you more there.

People don't understand that the best they can do, is use their scoot daily even if it is a 10 minute ride to work. Getting familiar with one's scoot through regular daily practice is more valuable than using the bike only on weekends.  

HPT I agree totally. The more saddle time in real-time riding situations the better we become....but with a caveat.....bad habits can be programed as well as good ones so the MSF courses are a must!

I ride 80+ miles round trip each day to work and my truck has sat all of them but one or two in the last two months! That makes for a lot of "practice"