MSF certified...

[yoda731]

Alrighty, I am poised to officially be a legal rider, just as soon as the DMV opens tomorrow.

My MSF course was a good one. My instructors were great-- knowledgable, concerned, and engaging. The woman that led the course has been riding for over 30 years, and can really make a bike move. I couldn't believe the amount of lean she showed on the Buell Blasts for some of the exercises...

We had 8 in the class, although one didn't show up the 2nd day. Which is a mystery, because they did fine. The remaining 7 of us all passed comfortably. The instructors said the average score range nationally was 15-18, and the highest anyone in our group had was an 11, so we all did pretty well.

I'm scheduled online with the Florida DMV to get my license at 8am tomorrow. Then I think I'm going to come home in my cage, get on the bike, and go to Panera Bread or some place with Wi-Fi and work for the morning, so I can park the bike out the window, and look up from the restaurant every now and then and say to myself, "Hey, that's my bike, and I rode it here..."

More soon.
JC

[earwig]

Awesome congrats... it's going to feel cool as hell to ride somewhere alone your first time

[Shiv]

Congrats.

You had to schedule an appointment to get your license? That bites. Is that standard practice or just so you could get in and out quicker?

[TheImp]

Congrats.

You had to schedule an appointment to get your license? That bites. Is that standard practice or just so you could get in and out quicker?

The latter case.

[Myself002]

Congrats man, have fun looking out that window

[Kal]

Sweet.

[ShawnKing]

so I can park the bike out the window, and look up from the restaurant every now and then and say to myself, "Hey, that's my bike, and I rode it here..."

LMAO I thought *I* was the only one who did that....

Congrats and ride safe!

[BigChickenStrips]

grrrrr... i dont take the MSF till this comign weekend, and im sooo jelous. have fun and ride safe!

[Z (fka Sweet Tooth)]

Then I think I'm going to come home in my cage, get on the bike, and go to Panera Bread or some place with Wi-Fi and work for the morning, so I can park the bike out the window, and look up from the restaurant every now and then and say to myself, "Hey, that's my bike, and I rode it here..."

More soon.
JC

That's an awesome feeling!!! Congrats and good luck at the DMV....

[yoda731]

Thought it only appropriate that I follow up...

I am at Panera Bread, working via the free Wi-Fi. I am looking out the window, and-- Hey, that's my bike, and I rode it here...

Thanks for the feedback. Loved the ride in, the first time I was on the road with traffic. (EDIT: First time apart from loops I did around our condo complex on Thurs/Fri last week, but that was pretty much no traffic due to time of day.) Don't worry-- I am safety conscious, and took a road with minimal traffic, but enough to let me start getting used to it.

Scheduling at the DMV is great. Its the first time I've had to go to the DMV since they allowed online scheduling. I was in and out in 20 minutes, including 10 minutes waiting for my new license to print. The no-appointment line at 8am was already 25 or so deep.


My best advice from the MSF-- its true, look where you want to go to get the bike to go there. Our instructors really drilled that, and we all passed the figure-8 test first try. It feels awkward the first time, to look completely over your shoulder as you start to turn the bike, but it makes all the difference in the world.


More road stories soon. I think I'll even post a pic of me and the bike soon, now that have all my gear and am rolling...