Hey guys, for those of you who have PM'd me in the last couple of days I have been in the throws of account maintenance - but yesterday I took a break from all things internet and attended the MSF Experieinced Rider Course. I went and took it because:
I hadn't taken a safety course since '95
There are way to many accidents here in the PCola area
I am thinking about trying to become a Ridercoach
and
IT WAS FREE (through the base)
DOWNSIDE? It was 39 degrees!
There were three big Harleys, a Valkrie and me. The other guys and the instructor were laughing at me, but that didn't last long....
So we start off with some easy loose slalom cones were set up at 30 feet straight, then at 20 feet, then at 18 feet with a 3 foot offset.
Then we did some box work, where you had to do 2 consecutive U turns (I am not sure why they don't just say a figure 8) first was inside 28 feet, then 24 feet - but the guy was telling us that we had to do it inside 20 feet for the eval -honestly I was nervous, because I was having trouble with the 20 feet - I think I would have gotten it eventually - but I needed more practice time than I had for the eval, that was for sure.
After that was some very tight S-turn work which was very difficult on the busa because it was all steering.
We did some 90 degree cornering stuff - then some object avoidance, increasing and decreasing radius 180 degree turns as well as clearing obsticals. The best part was the muliptle curves oval that they set up... I was very surprised after some concentrated effort of cornering, how easily the bike leaned over - the instructor had to pull me off the oval and let me go after the harleys and Valkrie were done - just because Bessie was so smooth compared to thier big dressers.
Then we did measured braking and a few other things.
All in all, it was fun and showed me some problems that I had with my riding style, but also built my confidence in other areas... long story short, if you get the opportunity to go, my suggestion is to take it!
I hadn't taken a safety course since '95
There are way to many accidents here in the PCola area
I am thinking about trying to become a Ridercoach
and
IT WAS FREE (through the base)
DOWNSIDE? It was 39 degrees!
There were three big Harleys, a Valkrie and me. The other guys and the instructor were laughing at me, but that didn't last long....
So we start off with some easy loose slalom cones were set up at 30 feet straight, then at 20 feet, then at 18 feet with a 3 foot offset.
Then we did some box work, where you had to do 2 consecutive U turns (I am not sure why they don't just say a figure 8) first was inside 28 feet, then 24 feet - but the guy was telling us that we had to do it inside 20 feet for the eval -honestly I was nervous, because I was having trouble with the 20 feet - I think I would have gotten it eventually - but I needed more practice time than I had for the eval, that was for sure.
After that was some very tight S-turn work which was very difficult on the busa because it was all steering.
We did some 90 degree cornering stuff - then some object avoidance, increasing and decreasing radius 180 degree turns as well as clearing obsticals. The best part was the muliptle curves oval that they set up... I was very surprised after some concentrated effort of cornering, how easily the bike leaned over - the instructor had to pull me off the oval and let me go after the harleys and Valkrie were done - just because Bessie was so smooth compared to thier big dressers.
Then we did measured braking and a few other things.
All in all, it was fun and showed me some problems that I had with my riding style, but also built my confidence in other areas... long story short, if you get the opportunity to go, my suggestion is to take it!
