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I am planning on taking the MSF course but I have never rode a motorcycle before. Should I be nervous about that? I'm afraid I will be too worried about screwing up and looking like an idiot to be able to pass the course. Anyone else ever taken this with no riding experience?

No, you don't need to be nervous. The course is geared to be able to get people who have never touched a motorcycle up to speed on how to safely use one. In my class there were quite a few people who had never operated a motorcycle, and even a few that had never operated a manual transmission of any sort, and they all did pretty well by the end of the course.

They start slowly with basics like how to properly get on the bike, inspecting it, how to start it, find neutral, finding the friction zone of the clutch and then duck walking it across the parking lot. Honestly beginner stuff. You're probably better off not knowing how, because you'll be able to learn how they want you to do things.

If you need a little more help, you can ask one of the range officer people that are working with you.

I wouldn't be nervous at all, just do what the people running the show tell you and you should do just fine.

I had never ridden a motorcycle either, I mountain biked so my balance is good and drove a manual transmission so I knew about shifting. The pace they start you at gives you a chance to get used to riding, just follow their instructions and you'll do fine. the 250's they started us on were easy to handle, light weight and small, maybe a little too small for taller people.

Like the sandman said, if you need extra help the instructors will do so during breaks, at least they did at my course for a couple of people that were having issues.

There is nothing to be nervous about.

I had the exact same nerves and a friend of mine let me hop on his buell blast for a quick spin. While this unnerved me I certainly didn't learn anything that could be applied towards the class, infact I probably picked up some bad techniques.

While it did help calm me down a bit I believe that all of my nerves would've gone away just as easily the next day by getting on the bike at the MSF class.

mayhem39 wrote:I am planning on taking the MSF course but I have never rode a motorcycle before. Should I be nervous about that? I'm afraid I will be too worried about screwing up and looking like an idiot to be able to pass the course. Anyone else ever taken this with no riding experience?

MSF is geared to folks at this level you're at. Don't sweat it. Just pay attention and have fun.

Shorts wrote:

mayhem39 wrote:I am planning on taking the MSF course but I have never rode a motorcycle before. Should I be nervous about that? I'm afraid I will be too worried about screwing up and looking like an idiot to be able to pass the course. Anyone else ever taken this with no riding experience?

MSF is geared to folks at this level you're at. Don't sweat it. Just pay attention and have fun.

It's true that the coaching is focused on the level of the rider but, at least in the group I was in, not the riding examination at the end. Six people in my group already had their Class M license. All passed. Five had learner's permits. All failed.

I'll admit, I was one of the failure. It floored me. I had about 800 miles under my belt at the time, and had ridden 70 MPH on the interstate for the 20 miles to the course. The coaches had been exceptionally positive to me for the two days of the riding part. I did the same things for the examiner that I did for them, and he flunked me. I didn't drop or hit cones or anything. He said I was just going too slow.

But, I digress. I agree with everyone else that it's worthwhile even for people who have never been on a bike.

Ok, thanks guys. That makes me feel better. I really want to start riding. I know I will love it.

Rokcbottom, what do you mean by the exam wasn't at a beginner's level? What drills did you have to do?

Shorts wrote:Rokcbottom, what do you mean by the exam wasn't at a beginner's level? What drills did you have to do?

I didn't mean the exam wasn't at the beginner's level. It simply included a U turn in a box, a swerve, a stop, and a curve. What I meant was there seemed to be a disconnect between the coaches and the examiner. Take the rapid stops. We practiced that a dozen times. The only feedback I was getting from the coaches was "good job." Then I did the same thing for the examiner and flunked. On the curve, I went into it as hard as I felt safe and stayed within the very narrow lane. But the examiner flunked me because he said I was going too slow.

I would have no problem if the coaches had been telling me I had problems, and then I flunked. I guess I was just frustrated because I was getting nothing but positive feedback from the coaches, and then flunked.

As a long time educator, if I had a 45% failure rate in one of my courses, it would have been a signal that something was wrong.

In Pennsylvania, you can get your class M license either by taking the exam directly from the DMV or by completing the MSF course. I'm convinced I could have ridden right from the course to the DMV, passed the test, and gotten my license. Problem is, I work on a military base so I can't ride to work without the MSF card. Now I have to decide whether to devote another 16 hours of my life to it.

I actually wouldn't mind doing the riding part again. More coaching is always a good thing. But I hate the idea of having to do the six hours of classroom stuff again--I got 100 on the test the first time.

Sounds like your instructors sucked.

All but one person in my class passed. And that one person had no business behind the wheel of a car, much less on a bike.