NOTE KEY 5

The MSF(Motorcycle Safety Foundation) is a perfect introduction to the basic world of motorcycling as well as great way to get your motorcycle endorsement on your driving license, however the most you will gain from this course are the basic and I mean BASIC skills to ride upon a motorcycle. The course are usually taught on a open paved lot with either painted lines or cones, in what is best described as a “controlled environment”. While this serves as a perfect place to allow potential riders to straddle the bike, and learn the friction zone and basic machine operations, it does not allow for any real-world experience, like other vehicles, people on cell phones invading your lane, the dreaded left turning vehicle, bad pavement, RR tracks, diesel fuel spills, off-ramps and on ramps, turns from a stop and any number of other daily riding experiences that most riders face. Granted the MSF will serve to guide you, provide you with a good book for building confidence and skills, however you are still leaving in learning mode, with maybe 10-12 hours of actual riding. At the end of the MSF course, the new rider emerges, as just that, a NEW RIDER and in order to evolve into a skilled rider, time, experience and constant development of learning will be essential.

There are several GREAT books to assist with skill development. My very favorite is Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. I also enjoyed reading Riding in the Zone by Ken Condon. Both books will add to your skills if your both read and practice the suggestions for improvement. I found both of these books very helpful in my quest to improve my riding skills as both were readable and easy to comprehend. Also, other classes are very helpful. Streetmasters Precision Cornering Motorcycle Workshop is one such offering which stresses cornering skills on a controlled race track that equates a mountain road with decreasing radius turns, huge leaps in elevation and varied speeds. This coupled with paddock practice of quickstops, U-turns from a stop and swerve skills, round out for a perfect day of improvement. I have taken a streetmasters class and will certainly enrolling again. There is nothing as good as riding with excellent personal instruction and receiving a critique, highlighting your improvements.

I guess the bottom line of this post is to remind all new riders and experienced riders as well, that there is much more to learn as well as unlearn as you establish a career as a motorcyclist! Practice those skills so they are sharp and ready for memory recall when needed. Keep safe out there and ride with vigilance!!