I am new to riding, but ive spent some time with very experienced friends. I fully understand how to use my bike, i can get through gears well and i aced my permit test.
Has anyone here taken the beginner training course? Do you recommend it? Is it only for totally new riders with no experience? Should i look into taking the experience rider course instead?
Any advice on riders courses would be helpful.
Thanks!

 

Classes can really help if you're new to riding or not. In my state (Maryland) classes are required and a certificate of successful passage must be presented to the MVA to obtain a motorcycle license. You can get some good insight and tips on how to stay safe with motorcycle classes. I had been riding on and off road motorcycles for years and still got some good things out of classes.

Mike

 

Experience isn't knowlege. In a lot of cases the experienced but untrained rider can do a lot of wrong things but do them very well. He knows that he do them well. He doesn't know that they're the wrong things to do.

Getting through the gears and mastering the clutch is only the smallest part of being able to ride.

Can you ride repeated full lock figure eights with both feet up, using the clutch and rear brake to control the speed rather than the throttle? Do you know when to use the rear brake on its own and when to use both with the correct balance? Do you know how to best position a bike to see and be seen in traffic, and the way that you can lean with the bike, lean past it or lean away from the curve to optimise line or vision as circumstances dictate?

Do the course. That said, even the MSF rexperienced rider course teaches you very little of what you need to ride street safely. It concentrates on stuff you should really know before you get your permit (but aren't tested on) and ignores a lot of the stuff that you need to be taught.

Be aware that for the first few years of riding the biggest killer isn't lack of skills but overconfidence and lack of realisation of how meagre your skills are. As your skills improve, so does the realisation of how much more there is to learn grow. Even an experienced rider can benefit from refresher training. In my instructor days we refreshed about every two years, and I always came away having learned something new.

Rob

 

I had been riding for almost 4-5 years before I took the BRC...it was worth it because I still learned something...after that I took the experienced riders course... ...going to these classes you learn from the experience of the instructors and other class members... ...i recommend both...

 

Yup, take the course

 

My wife along with 4 of her friends took the class. they all said it was tough, a lot of work and worth every penny. I have always wondered if I should have taken it. I got my endorsement back in 1982, then all these years later had to get it again since I let it lapse a few years back. Big mistake. Once you get it, take it to the grave (hopefully at 95 of old age) I am interested in the advanced class. I have heard that no matter how long you have been riding or how good you think you are in your own mind, everyone comes out of the class better riders and glad they took it.

 

Thanks for all the input everyone! I signed up this morning for the BRC. I'm excited to learn from the pros. And i look forward to taking the experienced course too.
Thanks!!!

 

Did you take your course? How was it for you? I started it last month but didn't finish. I had issues with the u-turns, swerving, and finding frickin Neutral on their bikes. They asked me to come back. I also need to work on the throtttle finesse. Ok I just need to work on everything. I think next time I'll request the 250. I went after work yesterday to get my permit for this weekend, but the DMV doesn't let you take the test after 4:30 damn. So now I have to wait til Tuesday. boo hoo

 

Welcome to the hobby and the forum. First off, I use to think the same way about friends teaching me, but understand this : The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents. 92% is to large of a number to argue with.

3 years ago, I took the motorcycle road test on a Yamaha Zuma scooter and got my license. I needed it to legally ride my 50cc scooter at the lake. The license allows me to ride any motorcycle. Then this year I purchased my first motorcycle an 09 Ninja 250. I quickly figured out it was a lot diffrent then operating a scooter. Sure I had prior dirt bike experience and that helped somewhat, but not enough. I signed up for the MSF basic rider course and completed it in three days. I learned some things I didn't know, that have saved my *** several times riding in traffic. I learned to take corners faster and lean further also. It's your life and if you are not properly trained to ride that motorcycle it can be a fatal mistake. Yes, take atleast the basic rider course and the experienced rider course later.

Read the "Hurt Report" hthttp://www.clarity.net/~adam/hurt-report.html

 

hahaha, love this forum.. People that actually care about the final results. That to me is impressive.

hey VM, I took a license in a different state, so anything less than a 500cc was good for license A lets say, and a course for anything over 500cc was good for all rides.

As I have mentioned in here before, you can always take the time to take your local track day lessons.

edit: not for the new new newbie out there probably.