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Disappointed in basic motorcycle saftey course
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A little about me first.
I'm 60 years old, up until the motorcycle course the closet I had come
to
riding a motorcycle was when I rented a moped in Hawaii while I was
there
on R&R from vietnam.
I'm fit, in pretty good shape. I work out at the gym. sail and run on
the beach
Motorcycles have always fascinated me and I finally decided to go
ahead
and take one of the many motor cycle saftey courses offered in our
area.
I called one and told the owner about my non-experience and was
assured
that it would not create a problem.
The course was held on a weekend. 8 hours on Saturday and 8-10 hours
on
Sunday with about 6 of the hours being classroom discussion.
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THAT is a GREAT idea!
Where's the distributor cap on a Buell?
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I showed up promptly on Saturday morning with 8 other people. Most all
of
them much younger but that was expected. There was one guy about my
age but he showed up riding his own bike.
The classroom session went quickly and I passed the test with a 98
score.
Feeling good we headed out to the "range" as the owner called it.
We started out with the beginning stuff, getting familiar with the
bike etc, then
just siting on the bike, walking it along. Finally placing our feet up
on the
footpegs. we got into shifting, braking. turning and so forth.
By the end of the day It became apparent that everyone else was
picking things
up a bit faster than I was. However I went home that evening confident
that the next
day I would catch up.
Sunday morning arrived wet and raining. Not hard enough to stop the
class though
so things went ahead as planned. The wet surfaces intimidated me and
the instructors
seemed to be picking things up...hurrying from one lesson to the
next.
By noon I felt I needed more time and was about to ask the instuctor
what to do when
he called me over after lunch and asked me to leave the class. He said
they felt that the class was moving along and I wasn't able to keep
up. He asked me to leave and said he would
call me back at another time when a smaller class becomes available so
that they could spend more time with me.
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Hi Phil,
When I returned to riding after a 20 year absence, I bought a bike and
started riding it. I started on my residential street, moved to a 35 mph
residential street, then a 45 mph rural street, then city streets, and
finally a 65 mph highway. I felt extremely stiff, awkward, and nervous
when I started, and that feeling returned each time I graduated myself to
the next level of street. I started riding about 3 weeks before the first
rider's test of the season was held, but got my license with high praise
from the testers, but I had practiced the test in a school parking lot on
several occasions prior to the test. I took the advanced MSF about 2.5
weeks later without issue.
My point is that you shouldn't worry about not being ready the first go
around. If you can handle a 10 speed with hand brakes you can handle a
lightweight, standard ergo, motorcycle. If its any consolation, my family
doctor told me it was time I stopped doing things like climbing up on the
roof of the house, as I wasn't a spring chicken any more and didn't have
the balance that younger folks do. That's probably the reason it'll take
you just a little longer to loosen up, which is all you need to do I'm
sure.
Don't give up if you want to ride, but don't get out in traffic till you
feel relatively comfortable.
Robert
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I left quite humiliated.
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Asked to leave isn't good.
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They never called me back.
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The old "We'll call you" routine. Don't wait for them to call you.
Schedule another course, right away.
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That is wong, but not unexpected.
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I really don't know what to do.
According to the "agreement" that I signed I can come back if I need
to
I'm just not sure if I want to. But the agreement I signed stated that
I could
come back if I need to.
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Hmm. That doesn't sound like the MSF course I took. On the other hand,
although I did poorly (like you, I was the oldest present, and in my
case, the most poorly coordinated, and probably the least experienced)
nobody suggested I leave. Was this an MSF course, or one put on by the
seller of a particular brand of motorcycle?
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Phil, let me tell you a little secret. The vast, vast majority of the
people taking the class are in there because they have been illegally
riding a bike they bought - without a license - on city streets, often
for months, already. They are there because they are wanting to ride
more and they are scared they are going to be busted by a traffic
cop. So they take the class since a lot of states use it to short-cut
the license test.
Your not going to find one of these classes where the instructor
recommends you break the law. Nor are you going to find many
folks willing to admit they have been riding illegally. But you cannot
expect to progress as fast in one of these classes since you have
never ridden before as someone who has ridden before.
I don't know what kind of bike you want to eventually ride as
your daily rider. But you obviously need to find a local motorcycle
club with a member who is willing to ride with you while your
under a learners permit so you can get some practice. I'm not a
Harley rider myself but I would suggest you start by going to your
local Harley dealership and telling them your story - I'm sure they
will be able to set you up, most likely with someone your own
age who you might find to be a much better teacher than any
of the instructors in one of these classes. Take it slow, on quiet
residential streets with little traffic and after you get 30 or 40
hours of practice in on a starter bike, you will be ready to go
back and finish the class.
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The Buell Blast is a great beginner's bike. I'd sell you one, if I was
allowed.
Thumper
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Or I could just go out and buy a starter bike and learn at my own
pace.
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I don't recommend that. A review of the accident statistics suggests
that older riders are more at risk than younger riders, and the
self-taught are more at risk than those with formal training. Since
they've agreed that you can come back, you should go back. And do it
soon, before you forget the lessons of your first attempt.
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Anyway I just thought I'd let someone know.
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I'd say you'd come to the right place.
Al Moore
DoD 734
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Call them up and tell them you want to re-take the course.
Ask if you could observe the riding part first and spend
an afternoon watching.
Do not waste time with any feelings of humiliation. You
decided you want to ride, go learn to ride. Good riders
respect another rider who has some initial difficulties
and works hard at learning and overcoming them.
The class is a pretty safe environment to work on
some initial skills. If you were promised an opportunity
to come back, use it.
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Thanks for listening, Phil
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I'd say give them a call and give it another try. You wont be
starting from ground zero this time so you might not have as much
trouble keeping up.
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Don't feel bad, Phil, take it easy. Keep preactcing and take the course
again. If the instructor doesn't call you back, call the course operators.
These MSF guys are usually pretty good.
My GF took the course twice. The second time she took it, the instructor
gave her a private session, for free, so she could catch up to the class.
This was after she had ridden for about 5 years.
Of course, the course didn't improve her riding ability one bit. Only
practice and the ability to accept your faults and limitations, so you can
move on, can do that.
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I can't imagine why you'd be humiliated that you had an incompetent
instructor, unless it was out of sympathy for a person who has clearly
made a bad career choice.
You would probably benefit from more from 1 to 1 coaching than from a
course designed with young folk (their main customer) in mind. Not
only do young people learn more quickly, they often lack the
imagination to fear hazardous situations. And let's be clear,
motorcycles, inexperienced riders and wet roads are unquestionably a
hazardous combination. Under these circumstances described, picking
up the pace seems to me to be a questionable decision at best, as
inappropriate for younger folk (who frequently have an underdeveloped
sense of self preservation) as for yourself.
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