Msf Course

[40Yrold]

+1 for the MSF
the instructors really have a ton of miles under their belt.

if you are in south jersey, http://www.ridertrainingnj.com/
was the best option , great instructors.

 

[JohnnyGrom]

The MSF Course helped me alot for the DMV test and made the DMV process faster.

 

[40Yrold]

in NJ,
it replaces the road test and permit requirement.

 

[JohnnyGrom]

in NJ,
it replaces the road test and permit requirement.

Same here in california

 

[MotoDynsty]

YES! YES! YES As a new rider the MSF course drastically showed myself how much improvement I made on basic skill manipulation and improved my confidence as a rider. If you don't take any advice from me, take this. TAKE THE COURSE! lol

 

[Sidewinder]

I took the corse and really enjoyed it. The place I took it with has an advanced riding course too. I was thinking about taking. Has anyone taken the California advanced riding corse? And if so how was it.

 

[MotoDynsty]

^^^^^^

im also curious. looking at doing it myself

 

[BubbleBoy]

I'll put it like this. I had already been riding for 15 years when i took the course. There was no course back in 91 or so when I started, at least not in my area. I still learned a lot and I had to unlearn some bad habits, too. Better to take the course and start out on top. In terms of you being able to save your life one day, it's not that expensive.

Also if I'm correct, in Australia and most of Europe, a course that teaches those skills is mandatory (and expensive) before you can even get on a bike and their riders as a whole tend to be more skilled than we Mericans. That is, except for the ones of us who have taken the time to learn the skills.

I know you are thinking of one day moving up to a liter bike, which is cool, but there is a big learning curve. I've owned a Ducati M750 and my Triumph cruiser was 800cc but I can tell you when I bought his liquid cooled beast of a machine, I had to go back and get my learn on.

The first thing I did? I went into a school parking lot (school was out) and practiced all the stuff from my MSF course.

Spot on mate. 4 bloody tests to get a license in the UK. 2 of those before your even allowed on the road, then that only restricts you to a 125cc. The other 2 then give you a full license with no restrictions if you are over 24 or restrictions to 500cc if your under 24 and over 21.

 

[BubbleBoy]

How do you guys in the states get your license? Is it simply turn up with a bike, 30 mins on the road and you pass or fail, or is there more to it?

 

[Leon Loco]

How do you guys in the states get your license? Is it simply turn up with a bike, 30 mins on the road and you pass or fail, or is there more to it?

Take a written test, get an interm permit, then you either take a practical test (parking lot) or get a waiver via MSF course. MSF is an exceptionally good idea, if for nothing other than the DMV hassle it avoids, and you get to grind up someone else's bike if you're a newbie.

 

[Clint Love]

How do you guys in the states get your license? Is it simply turn up with a bike, 30 mins on the road and you pass or fail, or is there more to it?

Pretty much what @Leon Loco said. I'm in Texas and if you don't take the MSF course, you have to take a written test on the computer for a permit. You also have to be 18 years old. Then to be fully licensed, there is a road test, similar to what you do for your car license. I didn't do it this way but one guy I know said he had to do some stuff in a parking lot then they went out on the road with the trooper following in a car.

If you take the MSF course, you get classroom and practical instruction on the bike. then there is a written test in the classroom and you do your road test in the parking lot with other people, basically, demonstrating that you learned what you were taught in the course. There is a Trooper there who directs it all and grades you. Once you pass, you get a voucher you can take to the DMV, where you pay some more money and get your license. Around here the MSF course is about $185.

Most people use the MSF course now, simply because it's most convenient.

 

[BubbleBoy]

Pretty much what @Leon Loco said. I'm in Texas and if you don't take the MSF course, you have to take a written test on the computer for a permit. You also have to be 18 years old. Then to be fully licensed, there is a road test, similar to what you do for your car license. I didn't do it this way but one guy I know said he had to do some stuff in a parking lot then they went out on the road with the trooper following in a car.

If you take the MSF course, you get classroom and practical instruction on the bike. then there is a written test in the classroom and you do your road test in the parking lot with other people, basically, demonstrating that you learned what you were taught in the course. There is a Trooper there who directs it all and grades you. Once you pass, you get a voucher you can take to the DMV, where you pay some more money and get your license. Around here the MSF course is about $185.

Most people use the MSF course now, simply because it's most convenient.

That's cheap! Over here.... Step 1. Theory test. Cost 50 USD. 50 Highway Code type questions. Must get 43 out of 50. Followed by a computer based hazard perception. 14 one minute clips. Click when you think you see the hazard. 5 points if you get it immediately going down to 1 the longer you take to spot it. Must get 53 out of 75. Must pass both bits to continue. If you fail. Pay another 50 USD and take again. Once passed you need to take a CBT (compulsory bike training). This takes a day. Once passed this you can then do module 1 training/test. This takes place in a special off road site. Push bike out of coned area into another. Then pull away and do a slalom in between 6-8 cones at slow speed. Put your foot down once, you fail. Straight out the slalom into 2 figures of eight. Again, put your fit down, you fail. Follow this with a walking speed slow ride for 50 yards to simulate slow traffic. Wobble and put your foot down, you fail. Then a u turn between 2 white lines. Put your foot down and, yep, you fail!! Followed by 3 high speed manoeuvres where you go round a bend, straighten up and have to be hitting 50kph between 2 cones before coming to a controlled stop with front wheel between another 2 cones. Same again but with emergency stop and then once again where you have to swerve around a cone and back on line to finish between 2 cones!! Must pass this to move onto module 2 test. 40 mins of road riding with examiner telling you where to go for 30 mins then 10 mins of free riding where he just tells you to head towards town Xxx and you have to keep an eye on road signs to find way. Pass this and you finally get your full license!! Total cost of course.... Just under $1000!!!!!

 

[SalvageSV]

How do you guys in the states get your license? Is it simply turn up with a bike, 30 mins on the road and you pass or fail, or is there more to it?

We get it easy in AL. Computer test only, no practical. Cost me $15 for the M endorsement and I had never been on a bike.

 

[SalvageSV]

Also, I haven't taken the MSF course, but I plan to. My wife wants to ride too and when she's ready we will take it together.

For my minimal training, a friend who had taken the MSF course walked me through the exercises and coached me. It was extremely helpful, but at best a "lite" version of MSF.

 

[Clint Love]

That's cheap! Over here.... Step 1. Theory test. Cost 50 USD. 50 Highway Code type questions. Must get 43 out of 50. Followed by a computer based hazard perception. 14 one minute clips. Click when you think you see the hazard. 5 points if you get it immediately going down to 1 the longer you take to spot it. Must get 53 out of 75. Must pass both bits to continue. If you fail. Pay another 50 USD and take again. Once passed you need to take a CBT (compulsory bike training). This takes a day. Once passed this you can then do module 1 training/test. This takes place in a special off road site. Push bike out of coned area into another. Then pull away and do a slalom in between 6-8 cones at slow speed. Put your foot down once, you fail. Straight out the slalom into 2 figures of eight. Again, put your fit down, you fail. Follow this with a walking speed slow ride for 50 yards to simulate slow traffic. Wobble and put your foot down, you fail. Then a u turn between 2 white lines. Put your foot down and, yep, you fail!! Followed by 3 high speed manoeuvres where you go round a bend, straighten up and have to be hitting 50kph between 2 cones before coming to a controlled stop with front wheel between another 2 cones. Same again but with emergency stop and then once again where you have to swerve around a cone and back on line to finish between 2 cones!! Must pass this to move onto module 2 test. 40 mins of road riding with examiner telling you where to go for 30 mins then 10 mins of free riding where he just tells you to head towards town Xxx and you have to keep an eye on road signs to find way. Pass this and you finally get your full license!! Total cost of course.... Just under $1000!!!!!

Your module 1 test sounds like the MSF course. We only do one figure 8, though, not two. The module 2 sounds like what the DPS Trooper does if you do the road test with the Trooper st the DMV vs. doing the MSF course, except it's probably more like 15 minutes vs. 40. $1000 though. Damn.

 

[BubbleBoy]

Your module 1 test sounds like the MSF course. We only do one figure 8, though, not two. The module 2 sounds like what the DPS Trooper does if you do the road test with the Trooper st the DMV vs. doing the MSF course, except it's probably more like 15 minutes vs. 40. $1000 though. Damn.

Yeah, not cheap. But that is using a motorbike school, so you get to use their bikes and get a full days training for each test with qualified instructors before you get let lose with the examiner. Worst thing is if you are 21-23 years old you are restricted to a 500cc bike. When you turn 24 you have to pay for the whole lot again and do it all on a 600cc to enable you to get a full unrestricted license to ride any size cc bike. Fortunately an old fart like me was over 24!

 

[Clint Love]

Worst thing is if you are 21-23 years old you are restricted to a 500cc bike. When you turn 24 you have to pay for the whole lot again and do it all on a 600cc to enable you to get a full unrestricted license to ride any size cc bike.

Geez what a scam! I could see having an advanced course for 600cc and up for people who already went through the 500cc courses, but making them pay $1000 to do it all over is just ridiculous.

 

[BubbleBoy]

Geez what a scam! I could see having an advanced course for 600cc and up for people who already went through the 500cc courses, but making them pay $1000 to do it all over is just ridiculous.[/QUOTE
Too right!! Although if they have their own bike I'm sure they would just pay for the two tests rather than an extra 2 days training. Still a piss take though!!

 

[BubbleBoy]

Too right!! Although if they have their own bike I'm sure they would just pay for the two tests rather than an extra 2 days training. Still a piss take though!!

 

[CreepySabr]

I took CMPS in Union City, CA and it helped a lot - I would recommend it to any new rider. It improved my skills a lot and provided me with confidence.
Still not enough to become a safe rider, but it's definitely better than learning it yourself or being taught by your buddy.

We had few people in our group who have been riding before and they said that the course was helpful for them as well.
Just my 2c