11-01-2004, 03:04 PM
This past weekend I completed the MSF BRC. If I had to describe my experience in one word, it would be disappointed. That's not to say its a bad class or anything, I just think my expectations may have been a bit high. Everyone told me that I just have to take the class, its awesome, its great, etc. I would definitely recommend the class to others, especially those that have never ridden before.
Now before I get into what I thought about it specifically, ill share what my previous riding experience is. I bought my first bike, a 94 Seca II, in early October of this year. People told me to take the MSF course before I ride, but looking at my new bike sitting in the driveway I knew that wasn't going to happen, especially since my MSF course was a few weeks away. I put on a pair of boots, a pair of jeans, my leather jacket, leather gloves, and a borrowed shoei helmet from my neighbor. I had never ridden before, but I did have my learners permit. I had also been lurking on certain bike forums, and I knew all about how to ride theoretically, I had just never done it. Anyways, I roll the bike out into the street after it warmed up, and I took off down the street, keeping it pretty slow at first, around 15 mph. I went to the end of the street (dead end), and swung a nice wide u turn, and road back up the street to my house. For the next two or three days I continued practicing riding around my neighborhood, practicing making tight slow uturns, quick stops, and getting used to using both feet and hands to control everything. In a few days everything started to feel natural. I also practiced things like locking up my rear brake. I wanted to get my actual license so my riding would be legal, but first I need to get the bike inspected. I road up to a gas station (my first time out on a main road), got my inspection, and road home without incident, although I was some what nervous. A few days later I road to the DMV to take my riding test and hopefully get my license. It had been a week or so since I got my bike. I had heard from my neighbor that took the test years ago that it was very easy, and involved riding down to the end of the parking lot, turning around, and riding back. Well, they must have changed it in between the time he took his, and when I took mine. The first thing the lady administering the riding test said was "you know this test is hard, right?" The first thing she asked me to do was to make a 90 degree turn inside a box. It didn't have all that extra room on the inside of the turn like the MSF one did. I took one look at that and said to myself it looks like im not getting my license today. Fortunately I was able to negotiate the turn within the lines, so I passed. I then went through the rest of the tests; the slalom, swerve, quick stop, u turn, etc. without any problems, and I received my license. After that I began riding on main roads. I had about 2 or 3 weeks of riding before my MSF course (at least when it wasn't raining or freezing cold).
And that brings me up to this past weekend. Friday evening was the classroom stuff, and I don't think I learned anything new, other then the reason why they say if you lock your rear tire, keep it locked.
Saturday was the first day of riding, and we got started pretty slowly, learning the "friction zone" and various other things. This of course is pretty basic for anyone that has every ridden before. Later on in the day we finally started riding and goin through all the exercises. For both days, not once did they have to stop me to give my advice on anything. Well... that's not entirely true, but ill get to that. I'm not saying I am a perfect rider or anything (I am FAR from it), but I did everything correctly at the course.
The one time I got stopped was on the second day. Both days I had been going through the slaloms pretty fast (after I slowed way down waiting for the person in front of me to gain some distance). I was slowly increasing my speed through them. I guess one of the instructors paid attention to me during one of them, and didn't like what he saw. I was completely in control, but this time was probably the fastest I had taken them all weekend (although it was probably only a mile or two per hour faster then what I had done before). After I came around he stops me and says "You better slow down through there or im gona throw you of my course". I of course slowed down after that, but it kind of pissed me off. I had been going through them at a good speed all weekend, and not once was I asked to slow down, and not once was I out of control. I really have no problem with the fact that he wanted me to slow down, but he didn't need to threaten to throw me off the course. He could have just asked me to slow down.
Anyways, knowing what I know about the course now, I probably wouldn't have taken it. I learned almost nothing, and had no problems with any of the exercises. I'm not saying that it was a total waste of time. I did have some fun, and I am probably a better rider from the practice I got. However, its nothing that I couldn't have accomplished on my own doing the same type of things in a parking lot for an hour or so. I will still recommend this course to anyone that wants to ride. I think the biggest thing I learned this weekend is that those Honda nighthawk seats sucks, and my Corbin seat rocks .
-Mike
Now before I get into what I thought about it specifically, ill share what my previous riding experience is. I bought my first bike, a 94 Seca II, in early October of this year. People told me to take the MSF course before I ride, but looking at my new bike sitting in the driveway I knew that wasn't going to happen, especially since my MSF course was a few weeks away. I put on a pair of boots, a pair of jeans, my leather jacket, leather gloves, and a borrowed shoei helmet from my neighbor. I had never ridden before, but I did have my learners permit. I had also been lurking on certain bike forums, and I knew all about how to ride theoretically, I had just never done it. Anyways, I roll the bike out into the street after it warmed up, and I took off down the street, keeping it pretty slow at first, around 15 mph. I went to the end of the street (dead end), and swung a nice wide u turn, and road back up the street to my house. For the next two or three days I continued practicing riding around my neighborhood, practicing making tight slow uturns, quick stops, and getting used to using both feet and hands to control everything. In a few days everything started to feel natural. I also practiced things like locking up my rear brake. I wanted to get my actual license so my riding would be legal, but first I need to get the bike inspected. I road up to a gas station (my first time out on a main road), got my inspection, and road home without incident, although I was some what nervous. A few days later I road to the DMV to take my riding test and hopefully get my license. It had been a week or so since I got my bike. I had heard from my neighbor that took the test years ago that it was very easy, and involved riding down to the end of the parking lot, turning around, and riding back. Well, they must have changed it in between the time he took his, and when I took mine. The first thing the lady administering the riding test said was "you know this test is hard, right?" The first thing she asked me to do was to make a 90 degree turn inside a box. It didn't have all that extra room on the inside of the turn like the MSF one did. I took one look at that and said to myself it looks like im not getting my license today. Fortunately I was able to negotiate the turn within the lines, so I passed. I then went through the rest of the tests; the slalom, swerve, quick stop, u turn, etc. without any problems, and I received my license. After that I began riding on main roads. I had about 2 or 3 weeks of riding before my MSF course (at least when it wasn't raining or freezing cold).
And that brings me up to this past weekend. Friday evening was the classroom stuff, and I don't think I learned anything new, other then the reason why they say if you lock your rear tire, keep it locked.
Saturday was the first day of riding, and we got started pretty slowly, learning the "friction zone" and various other things. This of course is pretty basic for anyone that has every ridden before. Later on in the day we finally started riding and goin through all the exercises. For both days, not once did they have to stop me to give my advice on anything. Well... that's not entirely true, but ill get to that. I'm not saying I am a perfect rider or anything (I am FAR from it), but I did everything correctly at the course.
The one time I got stopped was on the second day. Both days I had been going through the slaloms pretty fast (after I slowed way down waiting for the person in front of me to gain some distance). I was slowly increasing my speed through them. I guess one of the instructors paid attention to me during one of them, and didn't like what he saw. I was completely in control, but this time was probably the fastest I had taken them all weekend (although it was probably only a mile or two per hour faster then what I had done before). After I came around he stops me and says "You better slow down through there or im gona throw you of my course". I of course slowed down after that, but it kind of pissed me off. I had been going through them at a good speed all weekend, and not once was I asked to slow down, and not once was I out of control. I really have no problem with the fact that he wanted me to slow down, but he didn't need to threaten to throw me off the course. He could have just asked me to slow down.
Anyways, knowing what I know about the course now, I probably wouldn't have taken it. I learned almost nothing, and had no problems with any of the exercises. I'm not saying that it was a total waste of time. I did have some fun, and I am probably a better rider from the practice I got. However, its nothing that I couldn't have accomplished on my own doing the same type of things in a parking lot for an hour or so. I will still recommend this course to anyone that wants to ride. I think the biggest thing I learned this weekend is that those Honda nighthawk seats sucks, and my Corbin seat rocks .
-Mike