start msf today....pretty excited

chris111 · 06-01-2007, 04:55 PM

well, the title of the post pretty much says it all.....my first day of thte motorcycle safety course is today from 6-9:30 ill be taking the class and tommarow ill be out on the bikes themselves

i go again next friday and saturday too and then hopefully i pass with flying colors....im just a tad nervous however because i havent really ridden bikes, my friend let me cruise around on his dirtbike last year for a few hours but...thats basically it. but other than that im extremely excited about taking the class, now all i have to do is save for that 250 ive been wanting for a while

chris111 · 06-01-2007, 04:57 PM

oh ya....almost forgot to mention....its been a constant 90 degrees in my part of CT the past few days with severe thunderstoms in the late afternoon/early evening....so, that may be a pain, sitting with all my gear on in that kind of heat and humidity..oh well, i guess i have to get used to it sometime

isaac · 06-01-2007, 05:01 PM

Welcome to the sport. You'll have fun with it if you pay attention to the parts that keep you from dying. My favorite thing when telling somebody how to ride is "just remember, if something goes wrong you can always pull in the clutch." Start slow and you'll be fast in no time.

GoIllini · 06-01-2007, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris111

oh ya....almost forgot to mention....its been a constant 90 degrees in my part of CT the past few days with severe thunderstoms in the late afternoon/early evening....so, that may be a pain, sitting with all my gear on in that kind of heat and humidity..oh well, i guess i have to get used to it sometime

In IL, the MSF will let you go with a 3/4 face helmet or at least flip your visor up if you bring prescription glasses or motorcycle safety sunglasses. That may make things a little less painful.

When I took the course six weeks ago, it was sleeting on the first day and boiling hot on the next.

Be sure to pay attention and remember to practice stuff when it comes to:

-Outside-inside-outside curves
-Staying out of cars' blind spots
-being aware of cars behind you.
-Signalling and canceling signals.

I'm sure that the more experienced folks will have more to add; I'm just rattling off the stuff that's been really applicable for me in the past six weeks.

Where are you in CT? I'm going to start work in NYC in a few months.

Good luck and keep the rubber side down!

chris111 · 06-01-2007, 05:29 PM

thanks for that info GoIlllini, im going to try pay attention to everything and anything as much as i possibly can but i just dont really know what to expect. and i live in the northwest corner of CT in torrington....its maybe an hour and a half or 2 hours from NYC, and i only know that b/c me and my friends took a trip down there a few weeks ago on the train, haha

GoIllini · 06-01-2007, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris111

thanks for that info GoIlllini, im going to try pay attention to everything and anything as much as i possibly can but i just dont really know what to expect. and i live in the northwest corner of CT in torrington....its maybe an hour and a half or 2 hours from NYC, and i only know that b/c me and my friends took a trip down there a few weeks ago on the train, haha

Yeah, when I took the MSF, it was one of the most exciting things I did all semester long. And college students at UIUC tend to do a lot of fun stuff (even nerdy engineers).

Of course, buying my first bike was about twice as exciting for a new rider like me as the MSF- if that's possible.

mssdrider · 06-01-2007, 06:11 PM

chris111...congrats and welcome to our addiction! just remember, if you have ANY questions, don't hesitate to ask the instructors. That's what they are there for. Don't give into peer pressure and think that once you watch how someone else do it you'll be okay. The MSF instructors are awesome people and have a lot of knowledge, if you have any questions, general or otherwise, ask them during break. oh! and also, ask them to show you how to pick up a bike. (i think this all pertains to the riding portion) I'm not sure about you, but i'm pretty weak and can't lift a bike on its side by just picking it up like my guy friends can, but there are tricks to it. Also, don't get intimidated by other people who may seem to have more experience than you. MSF is designed for people with absolutely NO riding experience whatsoever. Just take it slow and learn lots!

Remember to bring gear, always listen carefully, and bring a little snack and water. It will definitely help! Good luck and keep us updated!

Fargin_Bastige · 06-01-2007, 08:38 PM

Welcome to the sport and having so much damn fun!!

chris111 · 06-01-2007, 09:39 PM

well....i just completed my first 3 hour classroom course...it went by a lot faster then i thought it would of, which is good....but its a bit odd sitting in a room with the person closest to my age is a senior in college and im a senior in high school.

and mssdrider i actually already started asking the teacher questions on break about the range tommarow and motorcycles in general and answered a good bit of questions, it may be the instructors personality but, she seemed to be getting a bit annoyed...but, i guess there arent any stupid questions

mssdrider · 06-01-2007, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris111

well....i just completed my first 3 hour classroom course...it went by a lot faster then i thought it would of, which is good....but its a bit odd sitting in a room with the person closest to my age is a senior in college and im a senior in high school.

and mssdrider i actually already started asking the teacher questions on break about the range tommarow and motorcycles in general and answered a good bit of questions, it may be the instructors personality but, she seemed to be getting a bit annoyed...but, i guess there arent any stupid questions

ahhh well f* her then...j/k

well, if you have any questions, feel free to post up, or PM me or any of the mods. I am not that great of a rider but I will try my best to help. There are many very experienced riders here. If you want someone who have a wealth of knowledge, I would suggest Acalliste for riding (she knows all, and if she doesn't, she will find out) or Fargin (who has stats up the ying yang)! have fun tomorrow and good luck!

GoIllini · 06-01-2007, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris111

and mssdrider i actually already started asking the teacher questions on break about the range tommarow and motorcycles in general and answered a good bit of questions, it may be the instructors personality but, she seemed to be getting a bit annoyed...but, i guess there arent any stupid questions

Welcome to the East Coast!

It's kinda funny. On my way to New York (About a little over a year ago), I was at O'Hare airport. Sat down at the gate, and ten minutes later, this 65 year old lady asks me what book I'm reading. Soon enough, we get into this huge conversation about the book, which then turns into her life story.

I'm heading back from New York at LaGuardia. There's a huge storm that's rolling through the Northeast. I'm in this huge line at security. People are just sorta standing around, and it would be the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation if I were in Chicago. I'm halfway turned around, so I ask the lady behind me where she's heading for. She looks at me like I'm nuts, gets out of line, and enters another line.

Perhaps my (and perhaps other non-East-Coasters) advice is contingent on your instructor being creepily friendly for someone living within two hours of New York.