Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hey Guys,

I am a beginner, I am not going to take the MSF class. The reason being is they're all booked through July. I have read how many of you recommend the MSF class and I have read the statistics (hurt report). I might take it at a later time.

My question is what books, and riding excercises you do you recommend for me to practice on my own? Maybe some excercises they used at the MSF class?

I have already read the beginner guide on this site. I have ridden a scooter, rode many bicycles and know how to drive a manual car. I understand how the clutch works. I am going to be learning on a 200 cc motorcycle.

duster wrote:Hey Guys,

I am a beginner, I am not going to take the MSF class. The reason being is they're all booked through July. I have read how many of you recommend the MSF class and I have read the statistics (hurt report). I might take it at a later time.

My question is what books, and riding excercises you do you recommend for me to practice on my own? Maybe some excercises they used at the MSF class?

I have already read the beginner guide on this site. I have ridden a scooter, rode many bicycles and know how to drive a manual car. I understand how the clutch works. I am going to be learning on a 200 cc motorcycle.

I recommend that you wait.

Call the night before every class to see if there are any cancellations. Find a class in another city or state that you can make it to.

At the absolute 100% very least, pick up a copy of Proficient Motorcycling and read it cover to cover three times before attempting to ride, and remember two things:

1) A handful of clutch is better than a handful of brake.
2) Don't decelerate or brake in a corner.

There are classes that are not MSF but are still based on the same concepts. A course by another name is 100% better than no safety course at all.

The problem with books and video's are they are a monologue. The spawn other questions which you won't be able to get a clear answer even here. Why? because we/others would need to read all that you read/see, to understand a conflict that leads you to your question.

Emails or forums are too difficult to get through that much detail, and get a quality answer. I use this forum for post class question that either I forgot or were never covered due to the classes being only 2 days for most.

Where do you live?

duster wrote:I have already read the beginner guide on this site. I have ridden a scooter, rode many bicycles and know how to drive a manual car. I understand how the clutch works. I am going to be learning on a 200 cc motorcycle.

What's your zodiac sign?

It's about as relevant as those other things for learning to ride a motorcycle.

Never, never, never, never think that a motorcycle is like a scooter or a bicycle. That will get you into trouble REALLY fast. They are NOTHING alike. The physics of powering a 30lb. machine with your feet and a 400lb. machine with 50HP at the flick of a wrist is COMPLETELY different.

I highly recommend you take the class. SInce that wasn't your question try these on for size. Try to stay in a parking lot until you've taken a class. It's very hard to understand countersteering as it's not intuitive. Also, nothing on a motorcycle is instinctive and human instincts can actually hurt you pretty badly on a m/c.


These are some great exercises for practicing your skills in a parking lot. I'd stay here before getting training to leave the parking lot.

All you need is the following
-Last 40 odd pages here (http://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/Riding_Tips.pdf)
-1 can of dollar store tennis balls cut in half to make 6 day glow
cones (comes with it's own carrying case ; ) )
-And an empty parking lot with parking spaces. (page 60 gives tips on
finding the perfect one!)

Start slow, do everything at your own pace and once you become comfy-
make them a bit more challenging. Start by moving the cones closer,
offset the cones in the weave further but make all changes in small
increments. I've been riding for quite some time but I try to do this
at least once a month when I'm not teaching.

I highly recommend all classes by the MSF. The BRC, the intermediate and experienced rider courses and for grins and jollies they also have a sidecar class!

Things to remember
-Keep your head and eyes up and look in your path of travel. So look into a turn to go that direction. Following that logic, don't look down or you'll go down.
-Don't cover your brakes, but do cover your clutch
-Riding your clutch in first gear will help you go slower and will not hurt the bike.

What storysunfolding said.

Try looking for a Harley-Davidson Rider's Edge class. They are given at some Harley dealerships. It covers essentially the same stuff as the MSF Basic Rider Course.

Dragonhawk wrote: Never, never, never, never think that a motorcycle is like a scooter or a bicycle. That will get you into trouble REALLY fast. They are NOTHING alike. The physics of powering a 30lb. machine with your feet and a 400lb. machine with 50HP at the flick of a wrist is COMPLETELY different.

well, i'd have to disagree with you somewhat.

the original poster didn't specify which kind of scooter...

i'll bet that the larger scooters (burghman, silverwing, etc..) are quite similar in power and weight to a motorcycle.

of course they're automatic, so that's a huge difference, but...

celt wrote:

Dragonhawk wrote: Never, never, never, never think that a motorcycle is like a scooter or a bicycle. That will get you into trouble REALLY fast. They are NOTHING alike. The physics of powering a 30lb. machine with your feet and a 400lb. machine with 50HP at the flick of a wrist is COMPLETELY different.

well, i'd have to disagree with you somewhat.

the original poster didn't specify which kind of scooter...

i'll bet that the larger scooters (burghman, silverwing, etc..) are quite similar in power and weight to a motorcycle.

of course they're automatic, so that's a huge difference, but...

He said he "has ridden a scooter." My mom has ridden a scooter and she wouldn't know wtf to do if she sat on a motorcycle. I've ridden a scooter, and I still didn't know a thing about bikes.

Riding a scooter doesn't teach you anything about motorcycling.