I'm thinking about getting a motorcycle and I'd like to take one of these courses... any suggestions? I heard Ray Price and Wake Tech offer them; anywhere else?

Can anyone tell me any personal experiences? Where do they meet?

I had a look at http://www.msf-usa.org/ but that doesn't really give much information.




p.s - Sorry if this thread has been done, but I don't hang out in the Garage much...

1/21/2009 8:25:43 PM

The most important part of the decision is to actually take one of them. It really doesn't matter which.

I went through Ray Price, for I think around $300. Community colleges are around $120. The harley dealers throw in a bit more extras - riding a Buell instead of a 250 of some kind, t-shirts, a walk-through on shopping for gear, etc.

If you don't want to deal with a constant sales pitch, or think you might give in to one, don't go through the harley dealers.

Bottom line - any MSF course will be worth WAY more than what you pay, whether you've ridden before or not. All of their instructors are highly qualified, usually having had careers as driving instructors for some HP, PD or federal agency.

Go, pay attention, keep the reference materials and have fun. If you go the harley route, don't buy any of their crap.

1/21/2009 9:04:35 PM

http://www.ncmotorcyclesafety.org/

1/21/2009 11:32:41 PM

go to durham tech. should be much less wait than WTCC and much cheaper than ray price

1/22/2009 12:34:10 AM

can you use your own bike at one of these?

i've been riding since 2004, but i figure it couldn't hurt...

1/22/2009 2:59:05 AM

^^^ that only gives a link to Wake Tech. When I go to WT's site, I can't find anything about the course.

^^ DT is too far away. I'd rather pay a little more not to have to drive to Durham at the crack of dawn.

^ yes, you can use your own bike. They offer an experienced rider course http://www.ncmotorcyclesafety.org/ERC.htm (but I don't know when or where)

1/22/2009 6:21:03 AM

Holy fucking shit chief. Do some investigative work.

http://conted.waketech.edu/schedules/schedule_pdfs/wtcc_conted_classes.pdf

Page 74. Call the person listed. 919-866-5853. Or you can email twhitaker@waketech.edu. That'll get you the schedule.

That literally took me 35 seconds.

The basic ridercourse, unless you're taking it on a military base, provides the bikes. And you're better off using theirs. I'd much rather risk destroying someone else's 250 than my R6 if I was taking a course like that with no experience.

1/22/2009 8:09:01 AM

I took it last year.

Be prepared to spend your entire weekend with those guys. My class was Friday 6-9pm, Saturday 8-6pm, Sunday 8-3pm I believe.

Time was split between 50% riding/techniques, 50% classroom.

We rode honda 250's the whole weekend and had a blast. It was a lot of fun, and even if you've never ridden a motorcycle before, you will be confident after this one weekend. Not saying it'll make you a pro, but you'll definitely learn the basics. You have to pass skills AND written tests before you can get certified.

I took it in Archdale, NC since my parents live pretty close, and all the classes were booked up 3 months in advance around Raleigh.

1/22/2009 9:05:20 AM

I really like the ridgers edge course, the buells have good torque so they are harder to stall (esp if your not used to a clutch at all) than a 250 you will get elsewhere

Plus i think they include a few free rentals which are worth it.

1/22/2009 9:34:17 AM

Quote :

"Holy fucking shit chief. Do some investigative work. That literally took me 35 seconds"

Holy fucking shit, douchebag. I was looking for personal experiences, mostly - and I'm not going to find that on any webpage. Learn to read the OP.

1/22/2009 1:21:56 PM

i took the advanced course at keesler AFB while i was in the navy, for free

but i guess youre not in the military

1/22/2009 1:34:48 PM

^ Keith Code brings his California Superbike School road show to Cherry Point once every few months. They set up a makeshift road course on the runways and taxiways. I'm gonna do it when I get back (for free, to boot!)

Quote :

" riding a Buell instead of a 250 of some kind"

it's a Blast...not a "real" Buell. More than adequate for riding around a parking lot...just don't want anyone to get the wrong idea.

I've never taken the MSF course. Seemed like a waste of time to me, as I've been riding dirt bikes since I was a teenager, and riding street motorcycles for probably 8-9 years now. I can't imagine that they would teach me anything besides a few things that are not really applicable for riding a sportbike. Seems like it would only be useful--and then marginally--if you had absolutely no idea what you were doing...I mean, riding around a parking lot is nothing like riding at speed. You mostly aren't even going fast enough to countersteer. However, the military is finally going to force me to take the class...I'm gonna take the advanced sportbike rider's class on base (they said it will give me credit for taking the basic class), then do the Keith Code school.

1/22/2009 1:49:37 PM

have fun with the box

1/22/2009 1:50:31 PM

I took one last year at Fayetteville Tech for about $120. It's easier to get into one there than at Wake tech. Definitely worth every penny if you've never ridden before. I had ridden dirt bikes when I was younger, so everything was pretty straight-forward.

Quote :

"Be prepared to spend your entire weekend with those guys. My class was Friday 6-9pm, Saturday 8-6pm, Sunday 8-3pm I believe."

1/22/2009 1:57:59 PM

Thanks for everything so far. The reason Wake Tech doesn't have a schedule is that the schedule hasn't been made yet... according to Continuing Ed. I guess I'll just keep calling them back.

So far I have:

Ray Price - $270
Thursday: 5:30pm - 9:00pm
Friday: 5:30pm - 9:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday: 8:00am - 5:00pm

Wake Tech - $155
Friday: 6-10 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m.-6 p.m

It seems like DOT would offer a course, but I haven't found anything through them yet.

1/22/2009 2:21:59 PM

i took it last year in georgia. i went ahead and got my m endorsement, but still don't have bike yet. down here they do it through the dmv, but its not subsidized at all so it costed $250. the harley course costed $350 i think.

our instructors said the only difference in the courses is that the harley course includes a $100 guided tour through the show room.

1/22/2009 6:17:09 PM

Alright, my bad. If you've never ridden before, I'd say it's good. Plus you get a discount on insurance for completing the course. I don't think it'd be worth the extra to take the course at the harley dealer. Just make sure you're there on time every day, and as long as you pass the written and riding, you're good to go. If you're late, you're screwed.

1/22/2009 11:47:05 PM

I talked to a friend before I bought my bike who had taken it and if you have never been on any sort of bike take it. If you have then you might want to reconsider. Everyone on here says to take it. You should be able to find the classroom stuff online to read.

1/23/2009 10:01:32 AM

^ I have never driven a motorcycle. I've had scooter for the past few years, but I know that's not really the same (size, weight, handling, shifting, etc). I drive a manual (WRX), so I hope that will help me a little, but I have no idea how to do the hand clutch and all. I think the class is a good idea.

1/23/2009 10:42:10 AM

I took it at Durham tech. Worth doing, get used to low speed handling and if you drop the bike you don't have to pay for repairs.

1/23/2009 12:35:04 PM

^^ yeah, in that case, it isn't a bad idea.

i viewed it as a complete waste of my time, because I'd ridden dirtbikes, and my first motorcycle was a 400cc beater that I had about $350 invested in, anyway...I rode it around my grandparents' yard and then around the Varsity Park & Ride a little before taking it out on the street, although I never had any real trouble with it.

Starting out on a low-powered, small, lightweight, dirt cheap motorcycle was infinitely more important than anything they would've taught me at the MSF school.

If you get a sportbike (which should not be anyone's first motorcycle, in my opinion, other than maybe an SV650 if you count that), you must read Keith Code's Twist Of the Wrist II.

[Edited on January 23, 2009 at 12:54 PM. Reason : asdfasd]

1/23/2009 12:46:57 PM

Quote :

"I mean, riding around a parking lot is nothing like riding at speed. You mostly aren't even going fast enough to countersteer."

Sounds like everyone's experience with the class varies greatly but I took the course in 2004 at GTCC and we rode around on the Greensboro/Guilford County police training course. We got up to ~45 mph and definitely learned and practiced countersteering as well as taking the proper line/accelerating/ and even emergency braking in a "curve" (just lines painted onto the asphalt). We also got some experience riding over some loose gravel/sand on the hazard portion of the course. (On top of all the low speed maneuvering.)

[Edited on January 23, 2009 at 1:48 PM. Reason : ]

1/23/2009 1:46:25 PM

yeah Duke, i've pretty much been riding offroad since i was 3 and on the highway since i was 16

they asked me to be an instructor but it was not my permanent duty station

1/23/2009 1:54:40 PM

the main instructor at Cherry Point is a retired Master Sgt. Cool guy. He doesn't know anything about riding a sportbike, though...some of the stuff they teach isn't really valid for a sportbike, and there are important things you need to know about riding a sportbike that they don't cover, unless you take the sportbike course.

1/23/2009 2:02:23 PM

still trying to sell my bike if you know anyone interested

1/23/2009 2:11:21 PM

900RR with fresh engine, right?

year? mileage? price?

1/23/2009 2:13:27 PM

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/mcy/1004241614.html

1/23/2009 2:45:24 PM

the very first time i ever rode a motorcycle, it was when i bought my rebel 250 (from what i understand, this is the model/size that they teach on)...i rode it 30 miles on back roads in orange county

you have/ride a scooter, yes? it's my opinion that a scooter is harder to ride than a motorcycle (as long as you're okay with the manual transmission thing)...if you have a friend who has a smaller bike, ask/beg to learn to ride on it

i'm not discouraging the course...i've heard a lot of people really get a lot out of it, even if they already ride and/or have been riding for years...i just figured i'd save my money at the moment and practice on my own for now since, so far, it's pretty easy to do

1/23/2009 2:53:19 PM

I'll add that my insurance required me to take the MSF before they'll insure me

1/23/2009 4:24:34 PM

I had the exact same experience as quag. I bought a nighthawk 250 and learned to ride on my own very unpopulated road. I had extensive time on a dirt bike growing up (inb4 "Dirt bikes are totally different.") and I found a road bike to be easier. The course does a lot of great things, but if you are already comfortable in the "saddle" for one reason or another, the course isn't absolutely essential. If you can however, take the course, but don't let that keep you for enjoying the open road if you are confident in you abilities.

Flame away!

1/23/2009 10:09:35 PM

alright, here's the thing about the msf course that no one has mentioned. its not going to teach you to ride like valentino rossi, nor is it intended as such. its a good introduction to motorcycling, gets you just comfortable enough on a bike to trust it, and suggests things for you to think about in order to mitigate risks on the road, some of which may or may not be initially counter intuitive. most of the riding and classroom exercises are centered around accident avoidance.

i will agree after taking the course that upon completion, you are really only qualified to ride circles and jam on the brakes in a parking lot. unfortunately, that's all most states require to be licensed.

it is worth mentioning that there was a guy in my class that had 10+ years of riding experience that was never able to do the box.

1/24/2009 12:33:22 AM