Is a Motorcycle Safety Course Recommended?

[ChrisSpyder11]

I live in Cali which doesn't require it or a Motorcycle endorsement.

However, I've never ridden a motorcycle (rode a snowmobile, jet ski) and my parents want me to. I read though this is completely different and you'll have to unlearn everything.

Those of you who hadn't ridden a motorcycle before, how easy was it?

 

[bruiser]

I strongly recommend a MSF course. Is there one available for trikes? Do you think you can handle a two wheeler? The MSF teaches the basics and gives a good foundation for operating a motorcycle or roadster (Spyder).

 

[asp125]

+1, check around for an MSF trike course. While the mechanics of operating a two wheeled motorcycle are different than a three wheeled one, a lot of the concepts like looking where you want to go, cornering strategy, etc are quite applicable.

 

[lookerjdc]

highly recommended, whether you have or have not been on a bike before....

there is a trike course available, you will just have to google search for it, but even if its not available in your area, take the 2 wheel course

 

[bullant12]

+1, check around for an MSF trike course. While the mechanics of operating a two wheeled motorcycle are different than a three wheeled one, a lot of the concepts like looking where you want to go, cornering strategy, etc are quite applicable.

:agree: as I could hardly right a bike, I wanted to learn more about riding motorcycle before I got into the Spyder. I learned a lot and in the state of TN, once you pass the MSF course, you take it to the license office and they will endorse your "M" class.

 

[lookerjdc]

check http://www.ca-msp.org/

 

[bzbaeren]

Riding rules

I live in San Diego and have ridden for over 40 years, bought a spyder in February and took a MSF course in March, one of the smartest things I have every done. I think it was a good reset to my skill set and reminder of things I have taken as second nature without thought for years. I recommend take the course it doesn't hurt and might save you some skin or worse.:spyder2:

 

[Bob Denman]

Think about this; How expensive have YOU seen ignorance be? :shocked:
Take the course... :thumbup:

 

[GMac]

Taking the Motorcycle Safety Course is one of the best things I've done

I live in Cali which doesn't require it or a Motorcycle endorsement.

However, I've never ridden a motorcycle (rode a snowmobile, jet ski) and my parents want me to. I read though this is completely different and you'll have to unlearn everything.

Those of you who hadn't ridden a motorcycle before, how easy was it?

I'm 52 years old and had never in my life ridden a motorcycle (or a snowmobile, quad or Spyder) up until last September. That was when my wife decided it was okay for me to finally learn to ride (kind of sad that I couldn't decide that on my own, but for anyone that has been married very long it seems to be a fact of life).

I immediately signed up for a class (before she could change her mind) and went out and bought a bike. At that point in time I hadn't even heard of a Spyder (a neighbor told me that I should get one when he saw me on the Honda - so I blamed my Spyder purchase on him when my wife asked about it). I passed the class, got my license and picked up a Honda. The weather here in CT won't let you ride much past the beginning of November so I got about a month and a half in before I had to put it away for the winter.

I decided to get a Spyder this year (I've had it for almost three weeks now). I think that the class has served me very well in learning what to do in different situations and what to watch out for. I would highly recommend it to anyone and have been tying to get my brother to take one (his wife hasn't okayed it for him yet pps.

I think that not having many of the "motorcycle skills" heavily ingrained in me made it easier for me to learn to ride the Spyder - simply because I had fewer things to "unlearn". I'm still riding my Honda but not nearly as much and may sell it this summer simply because I'm having so much fun on the Spyder that I find I'm not missing it at all.

You asked how easy it was - if a large, uncoordinated, inexperienced 52 year old can do it his first time out with no problems I'm certain you'll have no issues at all and the skills you learn will be valuable regardless if you decide to go with the Spyder or somewhere down the road determine to go with two wheels (or both!).

Best of luck to you with whatever you decide!!

 

[daveinva]

I'd recommend the MSF, but NOT a trike class.

I admit, that's counter-intuitive, but having taken both a two-wheel and a three-wheel MSF class (the latter *on* a Spyder), I can say from experience that you'll get everything useful for the Spyder out of the two-wheel class except for the practice.

BUT, and this is a huge but, the two-wheel class will teach you the basics on how to ride a motorcycle, and that's a valuable skill to have (and who knows? You might actually like riding two wheels enough to get a bike too someday). The trike class, however, obviously won't translate to two wheels.

Yes, riding the Spyder is different than riding two wheels. But once you know how to ride a bike, you can pick up riding the Spyder in minutes, in hours you'll be great at it, and in days you'll absolute love it. But if you take the trike class by itself, once you learn how to ride the Spyder... all you will know is how to ride the Spyder.

My vote says go for the two-wheel MSF if there's a choice. But either way-- go for the MSF!

 

[PrairieSpyder]

Take the MSF course and make sure your insurance company knows you passed. They'll probably cut you a break on your insurance rate.

 

[lookerjdc]

one secret to taking the two wheel course......

when you get to the final part where you are evaluated, and you have to do the figure 8 U turn....

feel free to go outside the box - dont try to stay inside it if you feel you are going to tip the bike..... lol

 

[flaggerphil]

If they don't have a trike MSF course take the two-wheel MSF course. It will simply give you a leg up on safety and riding.

I've been riding two and three wheelers off and on since 1968 and still took a refresher course 4 years ago. You can't go wrong with it.

 

[joet82]

I grew up riding a Honda FourTrax 300, and I also own an 08 Can-Am DS450X, so the only thing I had for a learning curve was the lack of a front brake. everything else pretty much came naturally.

 

[Tierhog]

I live in Cali which doesn't require it or a Motorcycle endorsement.

However, I've never ridden a motorcycle (rode a snowmobile, jet ski) and my parents want me to. I read though this is completely different and you'll have to unlearn everything.

Those of you who hadn't ridden a motorcycle before, how easy was it?

Good luck finding one here in Cali. Id go with you. They put you on these little 125s and have cones set up that a spyder wouldnt be able to cut through anyway. I imagine other states might let you take your own bike and if a Spyder rider, modify the track, but dont anticipate seeing it here as its regarded as a car with motorcycle licensing and road privileges (HOV, etc).

Cant answer your hadn't ridden question as I had... Sorry.

 

[murphybrown]

Invaluable

I took course for trikes... If I could control the world everyone would be required to take. Everyone can learn something new. Highly recommend. JUST DO IT. :thumbup:

 

[joet82]

Good luck finding one here in Cali. Id go with you. They put you on these little 125s and have cones set up that a spyder wouldnt be able to cut through anyway. I imagine other states might let you take your own bike and if a Spyder rider, modify the track, but dont anticipate seeing it here as its regarded as a car with motorcycle licensing and road privileges (HOV, etc).

Cant answer your hadn't ridden question as I had... Sorry.

the Navy made me take a 2wheeled safety course to be able to allow me to ride my Spyder on base, even though I had 6 months left of active duty. lol I never looked in to a safety course besides the closest one being MSF approved was in Texas. There was one in WA, but it was in accordance with the Washinton state Trike manual, and not iaw the MSF handbook.

 

[FaranH]

:agree: as I could hardly right a bike, I wanted to learn more about riding motorcycle before I got into the Spyder. I learned a lot and in the state of TN, once you pass the MSF course, you take it to the license office and they will endorse your "M" class.

Same in Arkansas and exactly what I did. Even if your state doesn't require it, you will learn invaluable information about staying safe of the road. I'm a much better car driver because of my MSF course. It just opens you eyes to how quickly something can go wrong.

 

[danlnc]

Definitely! I rode for 25 years and took the course in NC to get the endorsement. Learned more about riding in three days than I did in 20 years.

 

[muleman1]

Yes.....but,

Being "seasoned" citizens, and also not having experience on two wheelers is the very reason we chose a Spyder SE5.

I'm sure there's lot's of valuable info to be gleaned from attending an MSC, but we didn't want to have to learn how to ride, shift, and brake a two wheeled motorcycle to gain that info. It's bad enough that the vast majority of the book knowledge that we had to learn for our operator permits in no way applies to riding our Spyder.

We'll take our road tests on our Spyder and accept the "W" endorsement that only allows us to ride a three wheeled vehicle.

Anyway...I'm thinking our next ride will be something with a joystick and a basket on the front!:roflblack: