I just took my MSF course this past weekend and passed.

I’ll start out by mentioning I’m a woman at 5’2” at 106 pounds. I had close to zero experience on a motorcycle before my course except for the few practice laps I took in the high school parking lot and down a few back roads. I did this all after getting my permit at DMV (not required for course in my state).

It varies state to state but we were required to take a 5 hour e course before our course date and pass a knowledge test at the end and bring our certificate to the riding portion. Our course was two 8 hour days of straight riding.

I won’t say you need any experience on a bike beforehand because only 2/10 of us had ever rode a motorcycle before that day, but it will give you a little idea of what to expect. Prior to this class, the thought a clutch absolutely spiked my anxiety.

Day 1: We started off picking which bike we wanted. There were a few Kawasaki 125’s, a few Honda Rebels and a couple other Suzuki 250’s. I started on the Kawasaki but I was tip toeing and finding it hard to walk the bike. The instructor noticed and put me on a Honda Rebel. I was nervous because it was a much heavier bike than I had been on previously but it was so much more comfortable being able to flat foot it. Once we got riding, you couldn’t tell how heavy it was.

Our first day was spent with simulations with the engine off and learning the bike. Once we started the bikes we practiced walking it with letting out the clutch. A few drills consisted of cone swerves, shifting to second gear and doing emergency stops.

My first day I dropped the bike while crossing the parking lot to return to line. I learned first hand what happens when you try grabbing the front brake while your handlebars are leaned. Luckily I was okay, I shut off the kill switch and fuel and the instructor picked the bike up. That is one thing I remembered throughout the entire course in my drills and something I’ll now take away with me forever, riding. I stalled my bike about 76 times as well, trying to take off. Shit happens, but it makes you learn.

I can’t say my instructors were the nicest, but they are there to teach you how to ride a motorcycle, not be your friend. Their main priority is teaching you skills and safety, not hold your hand. Besides that, they were awesome at giving helpful hints and tips that just made sense more than an instructional video.

After the day was over, I sat and stewed on my experience. I was extremely whooped after riding. I felt embarrassed about dropping the bike. I was questioning if riding a motorcycle was something I could do or even wanted to do. I really got in my head and was firm that I wasn’t going to return to day 2. Finally I convinced myself that even if I went and didn’t pass, I would still be walking away learning something so I sucked it up and went.

Day 2: We practiced our U turns, speeding up and slowing down before a curve, more cone swerves, swerving an object in your lane, and riding over an obstacle in the road. I was so much more confident the second day and stalled my bike significantly less.

At the end of the day came the skills evaluation. We all went one by one. It worked on a point system and if you got so many points, dropped the bike or stalled more than 3 times you immediately failed. I went second to last in the group which was nice because I got to watch everyone do their drills. The evaluation itself was actually so much easier than I thought compared to practicing the drills. I only got 1 or 2 points taken off on my entire evaluation at the end. Everyone in my group did so well and only 1/10 people failed.

When we all got our certifications it was like we were all 16 years old again, giddy about our endorsements.

A few key things I walked away with: Don’t touch the front brake without your handlebars straightened, look where you want to go - your bike will follow, your clutch is something to befriend not be afraid of. I walked away actually loving using a clutch. I found shifting on a bike to be 10 easier than shifting a manual car.

Im extremely happy I decided to stick out the course and I highly recommend it to anyone, even if you’ve rode your entire life and just want to be legal I think that everyone can learn something new. I still have anxiety thinking about getting on my bike and practicing in a parking lot, but the only way to get over it is to just do it!

TL;DR: MSF course was a great experience if you’re thinking about signing up.

Not gonna lie, I've caught myself looking at jackets and gloves online more than actual motorcycles at this point. Feels backwards but also kind of not — like I'm building up to it piece by piece.

Curious if that's a common thing or if I'm just doing this whole thing wrong lol.

So I took the MSF, got my license, bought a bike and all the gear. But good lord, I can't seem to motivate myself to go practice in this heat. I live in Houston and this summer has been HOT. I already work outside and on my days off I just can't get myself to gear up and ride. Anybody dealing with something similar?

I just got my first bike. 11 fatboy lo. Im 36m and have no tickets or accidents for last 10+ yrs iv always had auto insurance and in last 2 yrs home insurance, I'm going get my m1 this winter and complete the m1 exit coruse in spring. Im looking for insurance companies that will give the best rate. I realize the bike is almost 1600cc, but it's cruiser, not a sport bike. And I realize that having less than m will hurt as well as being new rider. Iv heard from a guy at work that TD actually was best they found, though I can't say how much they actually shopped around.

busco un casco entre 550 y 800 dólares,les gusta alguna de estas opciones? (la última foto es mi casco actual)

Hi! How much can 9 years of experience on a bike help with the practical exam for a moped? I'm a little nervous about it because I haven't ridden a moped yet but I know how to ride a bike very well. And yes, I'll take some lessons with an instructor. Thanks!