View Full Version : New MSF advocate.
Porkchop
09-25-2010, 05:03 PM
So my bike ran into some problems a couple weeks back. Just a little surging during low speed open throttle. Nothing that a good once over on the carbs could fix. So my neighbor is a BWM/Honda man. Has like 4 BMWs, a bonneville, and a some other single cylinder bike from the early 1900s. So I rolled it over and asked if he could look it over. I never asked him to fix it. So about 3 weeks back he tells my mom that he was going ahead and fixing my bike, and that he was doing it for free. The catch.... I had to take my MSF course before he would give it back to me....... Fuck. Of course its almost the end of the riding season here, and some counties classes are over, and the ones that have classes are full.
So my last chance to walking into a class that is reasonably close was this weekend. Good part, got the weekend off. The bad part, the center is 56 minutes away. The worse part, through friday night traffic, it was an 85 minute drive. :bash: I run all over this tech school to find the classroom, and walk in with seconds to spare. YES, 1 walk in spot available! Of course, riding on and off for the last 2.5 years, the first night is monotinous and boring. Read through the whole book/videos and dont think I learned a single new thing. Today was a different story....
Showed up at 7:30 this morning... which meant I had to be up at 5:45 :wtf:. Our course had 3 Honda Nighthawk 250's, 3 Honda Rebel 250's, 2 Kawasaki Eliminator 125's, 1 Suzuki GZ250, 2 Yamaha TW200's, and 1 Suzuki DR200. They placed the smallest girls on the Kawasaki's, and the tallest guy on the Zuk DR. They let the rest of us run and pick a bike, and of course the only option in my mind was the Yamaha TW200. Now I see why you guys love dual sports so much. That little bike was KICK ASS. I whiped that thing around the course so much easier than I would have with the cruiser based options.
Opinion of the course so far. I am already a better rider. I dont ride in the city much, but some of the clutch application techniques will give me more confidence when I want to ride downtown to class. Some of the emergency braking was a good refresher to what I had been taught. I know day 3 adds more technical stuff, which I really signed up for.
The only complaint I have about the drills is the disparity in skill level. About half of students have either rode before, or currently own a bike. About 3 had never even sat on a motorcycle before. Of the drills where you had to run a course or circle, half of them were split into groups of 6. I found that being one of the students who currently rides, I was constantly getting behind one of the girls (not being sexist) and holding me up. It was hard to learn and get in a rhythem when I was constantly slamming on my brakes when one of them blew a cone, ran off course, stalled, etc. I understand its a basic course, but when an instructor sees this, they should do 2 groups of 6 based on skill level. I'll see tomorrow, but I already know 1 of these people does not belong on a motorcycle.
More updates and pics tomorrow.... :rockwoot:
racedoll
09-25-2010, 08:41 PM
I can't wait to hear how Sunday goes!
Porkchop
09-26-2010, 06:38 PM
try the ERC next time.
I'm already planning to next spring.
go to a track school, MSF is highly overrated.
Particle Man
09-26-2010, 08:04 PM
MSF is pretty good when the closest track is a stupid distance away
MSF is pretty good when the closest track is a stupid distance away
buy a fiddy and go to a parking lot, you will learn more.
Particle Man
09-26-2010, 08:54 PM
buy a fiddy and go to a parking lot, you will learn more.
I'd hurt myself :lol:
I'd hurt myself :lol:
not bad, you will laugh it off. I wrecked the shit out of mine several times attempting to elbow drag before I actually pulled it off this weekend. I am fine.
Particle Man
09-26-2010, 11:00 PM
I'm fat. I land harder.
I'm fat. I land harder.
you can't use that excuse, there are two fat guys that run with us and do it very successfully. They make suspension for these bikes for fat people. :nee:
Porkchop
09-27-2010, 12:12 AM
go to a track school, MSF is highly overrated.
Oh man do I want to go to a track school. I told my instructors that I want to get into club racing after graduation. During the drill where you do a straight into a sweeping corner, I was trying my hardest to get my knee to the ground without touching, cause I just had jeans on. They just shook their heads and waved me by. :lol: They barely ever had to correct me, and of course they had to pick me to do the test first. It was a good experience, and a good excuse to get 3 days off work..
101lifts2
09-27-2010, 11:13 PM
go to a track school, MSF is highly overrated.
Dude this really makes no sense for what the MSF is supposed to teach you which is how to ride a motorcycle. You don't go to a track to learn how to ride, you go to learn how to ride fast. Put a new rider at a trackday out here and he is gonna crash.
MSF also teaches you how to survive on the street. It's a good course, but people need further training. ERC what Derf suggested is the next step.
Oh man do I want to go to a track school. I told my instructors that I want to get into club racing after graduation. During the drill where you do a straight into a sweeping corner, I was trying my hardest to get my knee to the ground without touching, cause I just had jeans on. They just shook their heads and waved me by. :lol: They barely ever had to correct me, and of course they had to pick me to do the test first. It was a good experience, and a good excuse to get 3 days off work..
How old are you? If you wanna club race, start young. This way when you crash (and you will) you will heal faster. redflip
Dude this really makes no sense for what the MSF is supposed to teach you which is how to ride a motorcycle. You don't go to a track to learn how to ride, you go to learn how to ride fast. Put a new rider at a trackday out here and he is gonna crash.
MSF also teaches you how to survive on the street. It's a good course, but people need further training. ERC what Derf suggested is the next step.
He knows how to ride, which is why I suggested track school.
MSF doesn't do a good job of teaching you how to survive on the street, it barely teaches you the basics. It's a weak course limited by many things.
lauralynne
09-28-2010, 01:28 PM
I went from MSF straight to racing - I put about 200 miles on my 'street' bike - all neighborhood stuff to get the basics down. And then my street bike became a race only bike.
It can be done.
I went from MSF straight to racing - I put about 200 miles on my 'street' bike - all neighborhood stuff to get the basics down. And then my street bike became a race only bike.
It can be done.
Heck, you can skip street riding and MSF. It's possible to learn on your own and go straight to track schools/racing. Most racing leagues require a school, so it's hard to get into most series without the school license.
Porkchop
09-28-2010, 02:31 PM
Dude this really makes no sense for what the MSF is supposed to teach you which is how to ride a motorcycle. You don't go to a track to learn how to ride, you go to learn how to ride fast. Put a new rider at a trackday out here and he is gonna crash.
MSF also teaches you how to survive on the street. It's a good course, but people need further training. ERC what Derf suggested is the next step.
How old are you? If you wanna club race, start young. This way when you crash (and you will) you will heal faster. redflip
I'm 22. I have been riding on and off for 3 years, when finances permit me to have a bike. The R6 was my first bike. The reason I bought the smaller VF was to save some money for a "decent" track bike. And its comfortable as shit.
If I get a job in ohio by next march, I hope to be racing by summer. If i get a job in LA... im not so sure. I probably wont have the money.
Mid-Ohio has a 2-day race school for beginner/intermediate/experts that runs all year long. A 2 day school with 9 hours of track time instruction is $365
Particle Man
09-28-2010, 06:14 PM
That's a decent price in my book.
101lifts2
09-28-2010, 11:43 PM
I went from MSF straight to racing - I put about 200 miles on my 'street' bike - all neighborhood stuff to get the basics down. And then my street bike became a race only bike.
It can be done.
Yeah but you have to admit though you are not the norm. Damn Betty Spies :redflip
101lifts2
09-28-2010, 11:49 PM
I'm 22. I have been riding on and off for 3 years, when finances permit me to have a bike. The R6 was my first bike. The reason I bought the smaller VF was to save some money for a "decent" track bike. And its comfortable as shit.
If I get a job in ohio by next march, I hope to be racing by summer. If i get a job in LA... im not so sure. I probably wont have the money.
Mid-Ohio has a 2-day race school for beginner/intermediate/experts that runs all year long. A 2 day school with 9 hours of track time instruction is $365
Well....three years riding in OHIO doesn't allow for the best cornering experience does it.:boobs: But....I'm guessing in the midwest the range of racer talent is much more broad than say in CA because we can ride year round and in canyons.
azoomm
09-29-2010, 09:46 AM
Well....three years riding in OHIO doesn't allow for the best cornering experience does it.:boobs: But....I'm guessing in the midwest the range of racer talent is much more broad than say in CA because we can ride year round and in canyons.
Yeah, Texans have just natural talent.... Polen, Schwantz, Spies, Edwards, etc etc etc
:lol:
As far as the msf is concerned, I'm a big fan of education. I'm a bigger fan of practicing that education in a controlled environment.
Porkchop
09-29-2010, 10:37 AM
Well....three years riding in OHIO doesn't allow for the best cornering experience does it.:boobs: But....I'm guessing in the midwest the range of racer talent is much more broad than say in CA because we can ride year round and in canyons.
You'd be surprised... get in the southeastern part of Ohio and you are getting into the foothills of the appalatians....
When I lived in Newark in the eastern half of the state there were already some monster backroads.
fnfalman
09-29-2010, 09:53 PM
Yeah, Texans have just natural talent.... Polen, Schwantz, Spies, Edwards, etc etc etc
:lol:
Wayne Rainey, Randy Mamola, Eddie Lawson, Jake Zemke, etc. Californian racers rules!!!
azoomm
09-29-2010, 10:18 PM
Wayne Rainey, Randy Mamola, Eddie Lawson, Jake Zemke, etc. Californian racers rules!!!
My point, canyons aren't what built racers....
fnfalman
09-30-2010, 11:06 AM
My point, canyons aren't what built racers....
My point is that Texas doesn't have a monopoly on turning out racers...
azoomm
09-30-2010, 02:18 PM
My point is that Texas doesn't have a monopoly on turning out racers...
Yeah, well.... where are your local heros?
We do have the best dealers in the US.
fnfalman
09-30-2010, 03:15 PM
Yeah, well.... where are your local heros?
We do have the best dealers in the US.
You have ONE best dealer in the US - AF1 Racing for Aprilia.
California has San Jose BMW. You know, the BMW dealership that actually raced the bikes and were even competitive.
Amauri Nunez, one of the mechanics that used to work Aprilia Supermoto racing team, is at Long Beach Aprilia. Not as good as AF1 because they don't have the resources as AF1 but Amauri is as good as Micah if not better.
Pro Italia handles Ducati and MV Agusta.
Hell, even the best Hardly-Ableson dealership is in California: Bartel's. Last I heard Shawn Higbee rides for them. You know, the Shawn Higbee that Erik Buell mentioned by name.
California rules!!!
Yeah, Texans have just natural talent.... Polen, Schwantz, Spies, Edwards, etc etc etc
I am not a Tennessean, therefore, Spies is not a Texan. No matter what he might think.
lauralynne
09-30-2010, 03:46 PM
Yeah but you have to admit though you are not the norm. Damn Betty Spies :redflip
LOL - thanks for the laugh.
Nope - not the norm in ANY way...that's me.
Proving the impossible possible.
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