MSF course in 3 days

Good gravy I'm excited. I've been wanting to do this forever, but school has always been in the way.

All thanksgiving break was studying and catching up, all winter break was studying and catching up, all spring break was studying and catching up, hell even this lull between spring and summer semesters is catching up and getting papers ready for presentation at conferences. But I managed to clear up a full week. During the times that I couldn't go to MSC I've been trying to collect gear. I've got a full leather jacket and pants and have some cheapo gloves and boots. I will be completing the rest of my gear (including boot and glove upgrades) before I get my own bike. Starting small btw, 250 somethingorother or possibly a 500.

Been waiting for this for almost a year. Fucking STOKED BRO!

if you're not going to be on highway often, these are great little bikes.

I ride mine every day




be careful out there

woohoo! Got my sponsorship today. Gonna go pick up my M license tomorrow.


For those that havent ridden yet, the biggest thing I learned from class is looking where you want to turn. Its amazing, you could turn the bar in whatever direction you want, but if you dont look in that direction you dont go in that direction. Its like magic, you look where you wanna go and by some wizardry your motorcycle goes that way.

Counter steering is also pretty interesting. Going above 20 or so, you press the handle forward in the direction you want to go. Totally opposite of steering a car.

It works even better out on the roads. You enter a corner a little faster than you intended to and think "oh ****" but then you turn your head and the bike just tucks in and goes there, as if by magic.

Sounds HOT in that leather jacket. I'm in Texas and this time of year, it's a mesh jacket!

Thanks for the tips, I'm taking the MSF starting this Friday. It sure stinks that I'll miss seeing my mother in law for Mother's Day weekend... NOT!

[KirkP] You will soon be qualified to ride in a parking lot [/KirkP]

http://youtu.be/atCrbQv5P3k?t=7m35s

Ouch. You can definitely see he was wearing shorts and a teeshirt and what looks like low tennis shoes. Did look like he had gloves and a helmet, but those don't help much when your legs and ass are sliding on concrete.

Fucking dumbass deer, too. I've only hit one in the truck I had at the time. Still pissed me off all to shit.

AHAH HELP HELP HELP..

my mom's on the phone.. there's some guy here..yes I want you to come here..

Was this ever in GD?

I'm speechless.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1320854_Guy_hits_deer_on_Motorcycle__cries_like_a_girl.html

Here's a question that I'm not sure of and would rather know then test it out in the road. When the class did counter steering, it was for emergency maneuvers.. as in above 20 or so, then swerve to avoid the obstacle by counter steering.

Now say your going through a sweeping curve at above 40. Do you turn the bars in the direction you want to go(like a car) or do you press the bar in the direction you want to go (counter steering)? Because everything in class was in a parking lot, I'm unsure of at speed maneuvering.

Is it all "opposite" of the low speed stuff? Low speed you turn where you want to go, non-parking lot speeds press where you want to go?

Once gyroscopic effect takes over, you countersteer, which means anything above about 10 MPH or so. As you become more familiar with riding, it will become instinctive.

What they don't tell you is that at public road legal speeds, countersteering (turn bars left to make bike lean right) typically lasts for about 0.03 seconds, and after that at gravity is pulling you into the turn. You turn the bars slightly right to maintain the curve, and turn them further right to end it.

Not entirely true. That might be the case on the city grid at stop and go speeds, but there are lots of rural and country roads where you will be using countersteering, not to mention highway on and off ramps. Plus, even at small intersections, if you catch the light you will be going in at 15-20 MPH and be using countersteering to make the turn.

MSF instructor here.

Countersteering: If your bike is moving anything faster than about 12 mph, odds are countersteering will 'be in effect". In order to make your bike turn, the process is simple. Press on the handguard in the direction you want to go. Press left, the bike leans left, the bike goes left. Press right, the bike leans right, and then the bike goes right.

This is a very misunderstood concept, one that many people mess up, over explain, add extraineous garbage too, and other wise fuck up. Forget the physics, gyroscopic progression and all the other bullshit. Keep it simple: To go right, press right. To go left, press left. Simple.

The harder, and longer, you press, the more rapidly and farther you will turn. It is a very subtle technique.

Thank you for taking the time to teach us newbies. I completed the basic class this weekend - my Mother's Day present to myself - and had a great time. I should have done this 25 years ago.

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