I just finished the MSF Course here in WA. First time on a bike since I was about 12 when I rode a dirt bike for a couple of weekends. I've done a fair amount of Mountain-Biking, so maybe that helped, but otherwise I'm pretty much 100% new.

Overall I'd say the course was great, even though the movies can be quite cheezy at times, and some of the younger attendees acted as if they were in high-school instead of taking a course that they paid money to attend. Instructors were great, the course was great, and the bikes and the range were in good shape (cosidering it's used for training...).

My only gripe is that I wasn't paying attention when they sent everyone to pick the bike that they wanted, so me being the tallest person in the class at 6'2" had to cram myself onto a tiny Honda Rebel. Don't get me wrong, the bike isn't bad, but I couldn't turn the handle bars to full lock because they'd hit my knees. This made it a bit "interesting" when trying to learn how to do the U-Turns in the box. I ended up failing that portion of the test (rode over one line, and put my foot down once [sm=nono.gif]), but that's only worth 10 points and I easily passed the rest of the course. I even dragged the footpeg on that low riding baby during the final "turning at speed" test. I kept a good line, my head up, and maintained a slowly increasing speed throughout the turn, so I didn't lose any points for it. In fact the instructor congratulated me on how well I handled it, and how smooth the corner was. [sm=smiley20.gif]

After the class I asked to ride on one of the larger bikes, I believe it was a small enduro. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Wow, I actually fit on that thing, and I was EASILY able to make the U-Turns in about 3/4 the size of the box. What was so frustrating to do on that small bike was so very easy to do on the larger one. I'm not sure if it was just the height, the fact I could turn the handle bars all the way, or the more central location of the foot peg (greatly aided counter-balance), but I felt a whole lot more comfortable at low speeds doing those U-Turns.

What did I learn from all of this? Above all, get a bike that FITS. If you get something too small, or one that you simply don't feel comfortable on, it could be dangerous. I was previously looking at a Ninja 500R as a first bike, but I've sat on a bunch of bikes and boy, do I feel cramped on that thing. It doesn't hit my knees like the little Rebel does, but I don't exactly feel comfortable on it either. My knees don't fit into the contours on the tank at all, instead they stick out quite a bit.

I know if possible I shouldn't get a new bike as a first bike, and I've been looking hard in all the various ads, cycletrader, craigslist, etc and I can't seem to find anything decent in the area that's at a significant price savings off of a new one. I don't want a super-aggressive stanced sportbike, I don't want a cruiser or a standard either. The one that seems to fit best so far is the '05 ZZR600 (was the '02 ZX6R), which is why I was looking for frame-sliders for it in a previous post. The bars are higher than on the modern-day super-sports, and I've read it's one of the most comfortable sportbikes ever made. After sitting on nearly every bike at various dealers I'd have to agree. My knees fit, the balance between the weight on my butt, legs, and arms seems to be very comfortable. I just picked up my endorsement and I think I'll swing by for a test-ride. Maybe even pick it up this weekend. I'll keep you guys posted.

So, to wrap up... MSF = GOOD... I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking to ride. And make sure you find a bike that fits!

-g

 

Congrats on you passing the course!!

As far as bikes go, have you sat on some of those sport touring bikes? You sit up more then the sportbikes and that may make it more comfortable for you to ride on.

 

Congratulations!!!!! Good luck choosing a bike. And as Remo said, you may want to check out the sport touring bikes. When I took the MSF, there was a really tall guy and the instructors recommended that he look into them as well.

 

Thanks!

I have been checking out the sport touring bikes... Strangely enough, because of the excellent ergo's of the '02 ZX6R, Kawasaki decided to bring it back and classify it as a sport-touring bike. Most other sport-touring bikes out there seem to be rather large in displacement (750+), and I'm really just looking for something around 600cc's as a first bike.

I think I'll just have to take a test-ride on a few to see how it feels... It's a bit hard to tell when you're just sitting on a bike on the showroom floor.

-g

 

I hope you find something that you like soon. Keep us posted and when you get your new ride, post up some pics in the Photo Gallery!

 

Congrates on your MSF Class. I just passed my class too. So hapy. So have you made decided on a bike yet?

 

After test-riding several bikes at a few dealers (lots of fun, btw... Definately try out as many bikes as you can, you'll be glad you did) I just purchased the '05 Kawasaki ZZR600. It's essentially the same bike as the '02 ZX6R with a new paint job. The bike and gear should be ready to ride home on Wednesday after work, maybe Thursday.

I CAN'T WAIT!!! The bike fit like a glove... and seemed to have an extremely comfortable riding position as compared to the current sportbikes. A nice compromise between sitting straight up and leaning over the bars.

I'll be sure to get some pics up as soon as I can (if I'm not out riding).

Congrats on passing the course... What'd you think of it? You have a bike picked out yet?

 

congrats on your motorcycle purchase!!

 

Congratulations Vasmel!

 

Congratulations Gerg! Glad you found a bike that fit you! Take her easy and keep her rubber side down! Enjoy it and post some pics asap (we're nosy!)