This is cool.  I took the MSF course back in May and bought my GS two weeks later.  I've put 3,000+ miles on it and learned a whole lot.  

My older brother started expressing some interest in motorcycles just about 2 months ago.  After countless hours of talking about the this and that of motorcycling with me, he took the MSF course and bought an '05 GS, which I believe he is still 'breaking in'.  He is a Justinoob, a new member to this forum.

My dad just finished the MSF course last week.  He hasn't bought a bike yet, but Justin and I will see to it that he buys a GS500. Perhaps he'll join the forum sometime soon.

(I have another older brother who took the course and started on an '89 ninja 750r - crazy, but at least he took the course first)

That makes four of the six members of my immediate family MSF course graduates.  I just wanted to celebrate.  

Good for you! And, kudos!

I took mine back in '92 while I was in the military, so it was mandatory if I was riding a bike on base (a black '90 GS500, coincidentally). I had already been riding for 6 years, and already had over 100,000 miles under my belt at that time, including a season of track racing and a day at Keith Code's California Superbike School. It was the best thing that ever happened to me, and definitley made me a better, safer street rider than I ever was when I was racing.

We practiced mounting, starting, stopping, stopping locking up the rear, maximum braking, countersteering, feeling for the friction zone while going around 2 cones 30' apart, in about 10' and smaller raidius' (to the left, like in u-turns), and then swerving.

My experiences: http://gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20898

Took mine in 2000. It was really good, learnt a lot, but it was hard getting used to new stuff (for turning) which i had gotten used to before..but i had fun, i would do it again if need be.. it is sure fun.

Just make sure you take water,and drink fluids in the heat you can dehyrate and i had a little tumble because i wasnt thinking straight and i hit the rear brake into a turn and went flying off.

SO yeah.. basically MSF is fun. I want to take teh advanced but only after i get back to LA and start riding the gs a bit and then i will take it.

I took my course this in the summer of 05.  I learned alot as well.  I'd have to say that the most important thing I took away was the saying my rider coach loved:

"If you look down you will go down."

The most important lesson was look where you want to go.  The second most important lesson was counter steering.

One that wasn't really emphasized in the course was staged braking or progressive braking, something I'm working on now.


O - Proud MSF graduate


PS:  Are there more advanced rider courses around here designed for traffic and street riding?  I know there is MSF advanced and track days and superbike school, but are there any ones that are specifically targeted at making you a better rider in traffic?

all the info is at http://www.msf-usa.org

there is an advanced course.. you ride your own bike.

I wish somebody made a book of MSF course with illustrations, as there is no MSF course here in Lithuania.

And it is hard to learn from own mistakes.

I find it hard to justify paying 150 dollars to take MSF course. I feel the years of dirtbiking sort of override it. I got a perfect on the road test anyway which according to the instructor (who is the MSF teacher) is admittedly harder.

Maybe the advanced course some day?

I also got a perfect score on my endorsement test.  I wanted to take the course but all of the local classes was full :dunno:

I might go next spring and take it and trry to sell my bike to someone there, then I can move up to a bigger bike or higher hp bike.

 Bandit 400

Bandit 600s

Quote from: VTNewbI find it hard to justify paying 150 dollars to take MSF course.

Mine was only $80

At my MSF course, they called me smiley b/c every time I would come around the bend when we were practicing shifting to second gear I would have a big cheesey grin on my face b/c I loved it...luckily it came naturally to me so I was very comfortable.

The two other girls (that were in my class of 12) and myself were asked were all asked by the instructor to come back and teach the MSF course b/c we were positive fun people.  

I really loved it and it's the first thing I tell people to do when they show interest in learning to ride.

QuoteI find it hard to justify paying 150 dollars to take MSF course.

In NC, the course is $100, and I saved that much on my first six-month insurance premium because I took the course. When my next premium comes due, that means I'll be $100 in the clear. Maybe I'll get those progressive springs...

I took MSF in April out in California.  It was the best thing I could have done as far as becoming a rider.  I had never so much as started a bike before it.  After the first day of riding, my girlfriend and I were bouncing off the walls, couldn't wait for day two.  We both passed and have logged a few thousand miles each since the course.  There is no question it made us safer and better riders than we would have been otherwise.  I never would have figured out the look where you want to go thing, or have felt as confident the first time I rode my first bike (Nighthawk 650) on the street.  Much fun!  
I think we will take the advanced course at some point as well.  Anyone have recommendations on how much riding you should have done before taking it?

Taking my course in two weeks here in Cali..i cant wait.

Quote from: jbeaber
I think we will take the advanced course at some point as well.  Anyone have recommendations on how much riding you should have done before taking it?

All but two of the exercises are the same as in the Basic Rider Course, and the two that are different are not all that much more advanced. It's more of a refresher than anything else.  I'd say when you are comfortable, and feel the need for the refresher.  Of course, another factor is what you ride. The U-Turn box is a bit more challenging on a Gold Wing, for example, than on a GS500, although I saw a guy handle it just fine on a GW when I took the ERC.

As far as I know, there is no school or program in this country that offers actual on road coaching/instruction. In England I have read that there is, and they have better accident statistics to show for it. I've thought about starting something like that myself, completely on my own, but I think I'll log some time as an instructor first.

The cost of my MSF course is more than my total insurance cost for the year  

Did mine in April of this year in Kansas. $175 here. Passed easily, the instructors could not believe I had not ridden in 15 years. I am considering taking it again next year with my wife just for support. Had a blast.

looks like I got jacked... Paid $250 for my coarse...it was money worth spending IMO tho...

I'd like to take the ERC sometime, just to see how well I fare on the GS. The little bikes we were running on (125cc cruisers) were easy to maneuver around. Low speeds were nothing with these things (peg scraping for me). I'm not sure how comfortable I am on the GS at low speeds.

Yes, indeed, Skeletor is my younger brother.

Before I took the MSF BRC I was afraid of motorcycles.  If someone offered me a ride on back.....actually.... I still wouldn't ride on the back of someone else's bike.

The course took me from absolute zero to being comfortable on a bike.  This week, after about 170 city miles, I really started feeling confident.

Too bad all of us brothers and our dad live in different states.  Otherwise, we'd form some kind of gs500 gang.

180 miles and still haven't dropped it!