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MSF Instructors

by Lois wnc
(waynesville nc)

I've been reading this site for a while and I've noticed a lot of you talk about the MSF instructors you had as being very negative towards you and your choice of bike. I also took an MSF course and I had the best instructors, they were positive everyone in the class would be able to ride by the end of class. They took extra time with some that needed it to get the confidence to ride. On the last day they had to ask 1 person to leave before the test, there wasn't anyone who disagreed with that call. The person would not listen to directions and did not complete any exercise we did. I watched these instructors work very hard with everyone including the one that left.

When I told them I wanted to get a Triumph Bonneville they thought that was great. In fact they asked people what kind of bike they wanted. For each bike they found something positive to say about it.After the written test we were asked to grade our instructors, I gave them the highest marks for making all of us riders.

So if your debating taking a riding course I recommend taking the MSF.

Comments for MSF Instructors

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Oct 08, 2011

Hey, this is great to hear...
by: Witt1031

... I started riding a motorcycle late in life, worked hard at it, and I am now a MSF instructor. While I do not speak for anyone but myself, I appreciate hearing from all of you about your experiences, it just makes me that much more dedicated to making our course the very best possible!

Oct 04, 2011

I had a good couple
by: Dawn

Hubby and I took the course together, and we had one male and one female teacher. They were both great.

We did the book work on Friday night, then the Saturday & Sunday were the road days on their bikes. Saturday afternoon I started feeling sick, add the fact that we were in 90 degrees with new blacktop didn't help. Struggled, but really concentrated and made it through Saturday. Then on Sunday I was feeling semi-better but my stomach was still queasy. The class was completely full for months, so this was my only shot. And here in Minnesota if you pass the road test at the end of the course you get the automatic endorsement, and you don't need to take the road course at the DMV. So I was motivated since I didn't have access to a bike for the road course yet.

The guy pulled me aside and told me three things. 1. This is meant to be fun so smile, once he found out I was ill he made sure I was ok to ride then said "then lift your face shield for some air, and don't puke on the course and make it slippery" :) 2. If you don't pass today, I will retest you in a couple days with my other class free of charge if you are feeling better, and 3. In the real world, putting a foot down is better than falling over. Wink-wink, hint-hint.

Then I took the road test with the girl, and she was very supportive, but tough. Told me what the expectations were and afterward when I got my card told me I had only missed 1 point for a foot down. YES!!! Then I promptly puked in the bushes because I was so hot and miserable. She said she didn't even know I was sick, and just for the record she doesn't recommend riding while ill.

They were both great, and told us what we needed to hear, not what we wanted to hear. When we did something wrong they told us how to fix it, and even though they weren't silly, they had good senses of humour.

Sorry to be so long winded, but they were great and I wish I could remember their names so I could recommend them to anyone that needs the course in Minneapolis.

Sep 30, 2011

Ditto
by: Connie

I took the Rider's Edge course at a Harley dealership in Upper Sandusky, OH. I was 58 at the time, and I had the best, most supportive male instructor ever! Completing the MSF course (and passing the test) was probably one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had in my life! I'm not making a sales pitch for Harley, but I believe they offer the best training - smaller, classes, more one-on-one help and a real desire to want you to pass.

Sep 28, 2011

MSF Course
by: Sandra

My husband and I took the course together; there were 2 classes going on simultaneously - one with 2 male instructors and one with 2 female instructors. The students were about 3 to 1 male in both classes.

We had the ladies, and they were wonderful. They knew their stuff, and I believe only one of us, an older female who had dropped her bike and never quite felt comfortable after that, did not pass that weekend.

I often wish I had been in the other class though. I somehow felt the lady instructors may have been too "nurturing" and that the male instructors may have pushed me a bit harder to improve some skills I felt I had not mastered even after passing.

However, I just hit the parking lots until I felt much more capable of completing that tight U-turn and emergency braking my much larger C50 Boulevard compared to the TU 250 I had in class (both Suzuki bikes).

I cannot imagine thinking I knew "how" to ride if not for taking the class. There is so much logical information, gained from the experience of others, shared in that fast-paced weekend!

Sep 28, 2011

MSF
by: AdriAwesomepants

I highly recommend taking the course. (It's a requirement in Texas.)

Unfortunately, my instructor was very sexist always yelled at the girls about make-up related comments (even if we weren't wearing any sweating in full gear) and even said women often don't pass... but it felt good to prove him wrong anyway.

I took it though a community college here. My husband went two weeks later and he had a different guy who was great... even though there were no females in that class.

Sep 28, 2011

Triumph Bonneville
by: Madeline

I always recommend taking the course and will someday try to become an instructor because I am an educator that loves to ride. I love your comment about the Triumph Bonneville because I ride one and highly recommend it. Check out my site to see what I have done with mine lately and plan to do it again next summer. http://missrider.com/
Hope you get your Bonnie and will join me on my next ride starting July 21, 2012.

See you on the road.

Sep 28, 2011

take the course
by: sassy2731

I say take the course. I loved my class and the instructors were great. I took the class over 5 years ago and hzve recommended others to take the class from the same people and they have enjoyed the same experience.
Two years ago Texas made it mandatory to take the class in order to get your motorcycle endorsement. Some hate this, but I think it is the best thing for all riders as I have seen many people that have had accidents on a bike and not even have a motorcycle endorsement at all. If you ask me all motorcycle dealers should be required to check to see if the buyer has an endorsement.

Sep 27, 2011

Earl Small Harley MFS Greatest
by: Wanda in Canton GA

My instructors with the Earl Small Harley dealership in Cartersville were wonderful and I was 59 when I took the course two years ago. They were very encouraging with me and coached me through those figure eights and I passed on my first try. Well I guess it was really the second, because I got heat exhaustion and just as I was going to tell the instructor closest to me somehting was wrong the other instructor came running uo and said you have heat exhaustion you need to get inside and hydrate and cool off. He siad when I had passed him he noticed that my pupils were dilated to the size of saucers. I watch the rest of the day and came back and watch the next day, took the written protion got my award and return later in the year when the temeratures were cooler and passed with flying colors! I can't wait to take the Experienced riders course.

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