I took the Smart Rider Basic course this weekend. I think it was a good class but it was exhausting. Are the tests these guys use really on the road test? I passed them so I don't really have to worry about it. But the figure 8 in the box I couldent get it perfict with their little suziki gz250's I dont even want to try it with my cbr afrade ill drop it. and of course we had to do the class in the rain so i lost points on stopping distance dew to it was wet out and I didnt want to lock up the brakes. it was fun tho, as a guy whos been riding for a year with out a license i did learn alot. but most of it was kind of a joke to me. I would actually like to go back for the advanced class... any of you herd of these or taken any of them?

 

Never taken one, they werent available when I started riding, well been riding all my life but when I turned 16. I think its a good idea though, I think it should actually be a requirement.

 

I'll be in one someday. I have heard of MSF that is the one i will prolly be taking.

 

I took the MSF class but it sounds like the same thing. The fig eight in the box was kinda a joke because it was a slow speed maneuver that you couldn't put your feet down or go outside the box. In real life your gonna put your feet down if you need to, and if your gonna hit something (go out of the box) your gonna stop and readjust.

 

^The instructor did that maneuver 3 or 4 times in row. They all agreed it was useless so I'm not sure what it teaches you.

The MSF basic course is designed more for people who have never been on a bike before while the advanced or experienced class would be a much better option since you use your own bike.

 

I'm not sure about that. I agree the range exercises will be very easy if you've been riding for a while (although if you can't do the Figure-8, maybe you still have some work to do).

For me, the classroom material was more valuable than the range exercises. Things like traffic awareness, scanning for possible dangers, using head check as well as your mirrors, staying out of drivers' blind spot. Not knowing that stuff can get you killed. Not being able to make a tight low speed U Turn will just make you look a little foolish when you have to put your feet down and duck walk around.

I took the Experience Rider Course last summer, so I could get the insurance discount on my bike and car. The exercises were similar to the beginner's course, except you go a little faster, and the Figure-8 box is smaller and of course you're doing it on your own bike. And they really stress things like setting your entry speed, and looking all the way through a turn so you don't need to make mid-turn corrections.

 

^I thought the range exercises, besides emergency braking and swerving, were very basic to the point of if you had ridden before at all you could pass that portion of the test.

The classroom stuff I use every time I ride and that material should be available for free (if it isn't already).

 

When I took the MSF course, the one thing were people failed, if they where going to fail was the figure 8. People either look down at the cones or don't turn there head enough.

But you would be surprised where all this little stuff comes in handy in traffic. Any one can go fast thats easy, it's the stop and go traffic that gets most guys.

 

i took the msf course n im sure glad i did... you definitely learn a lot more in there in a couple days than you would out on ur own. And the 8 things are kinda helpful if u wanna make U-turns without looking like a noobie

 

yea i def liked mine
mine did seem a little too basic at times, but just learning the small things, like where to look when turning, and how to stop if you panic or come up on something in a curve. i had alot of fun and mine and i tried my hardest and i was one of the best in my class. im not trying to brag but they were all surprised and it kinda made me proud because i show up first day on a F4i with an A* jacket and scorpion helmet and they (the teachers and other guys in the class) all have harleys/cruisers. they prob fig i would be some errogant punk who thought he knew everything but i paid attention and tried my hardest and they seemed to realy like me and i may have helped them with any stereotypes they had about sportbikes riders.

either way back to the subjct. i def think everyone should take them and i have considered going back for the advanced class, only prob is i dont have the $75 this summer to do it soi prob wont. i think i will eventually tho, just to freshen up and see if ive developed any bad habits that im not aware of.