[Captain]

ok... where to start.... (btw, sorry for my lack of sentence structure (the .... and the breaks.) also, sorry for the misspelled words, i clicked submit before i hit the spell check.

this past weekend i took the msf (i purchased my bike 2 weeks ago), then today after work, i ran to the mvd, and then came straight home, geared up, and went for a ride even though it was dark...

the msf... keep in mind i have never riden a motorcycle before.

well, i will say, that at the very beginning of riding i was nervous. who wouldnt be right? you start with the feathering of the clutch and walk the bike. that for me was the hardest. the bike i was on was an old honda cruiser. and the clutch seemed like it was a 50lb pull. after having some trouble with that (too much gas while trying to find the friction zone, and yada yada) the intructor came over and told me they just put a new clutch cable on it so its really stiff, and might help if i put my hands more towards the end and use two fingers... that really helped to find the friction, then i went back to using 4 fingers. and later that night i went home and felt my own clutch... just to make sure i wasnt a weakling.

after day one i was getting pretty confident, and was definitely starting to enjoy riding way way more. it was awesome. also met some good people, one of which we exchanged numbers and once he gets a bike we plan on doing some riding.

day 2....

got a 98% on the written portion. ill take it. i missed the alcohol question. where "what does alcohol effect" and it could have been all three answers...

on to riding. on the first day i was really worried about my quick stops. i was so paranoid about getting it to first gear. so im glad on day 2 you practice that some more. in the practice i really started to get it down. but on my last practice run before the test, the intructor told me i was anticipating the stop "at your speed, you have 20ft to come to a stop. dont loose points for breaking early"

the 135 degree turn wasnt on my concern list. i have my leans down. same with the swerve. (sorry, for those that dont know there are 4 parts to the end test. a quick stop, 135 degree turn while keeping speed, a swerve at speed, and the last one... the worst one...)

the box!

i knew for a fact i was going to have trouble at this. i only did one practice run while staying in the box. its a double U turn while staying inside a rectangle. very tight. so while i was practicing i was in 1st gear.... i just found it easier to man the clutch, but then i tried my last practice one in second. and it was easier but i still went wide.

i knew i was going to screw that up. but thats only worth 8 points if you completely fail it. (you start at 0, and fail once you hit 21)

so i figured i would take the couple points for going outside the box rather then eat it and fail completely, or get more points for putting my foot down.

so i did it, and of course went outside the line. no biggie, i shrugged it off, gunned it for my swerve. nailed it.

then i did a perfect quick stop.

peice of cake

went to do the 135 degree turn... and i felt i did great, but i was docked 5 points for entering the turn too slow... but so did 9 others in my class, so i didnt feel too bad.

all together i totalled 8 points. but i PASSED! WOOT WOOT!


now... i really do have to say thanks to the msf intructors. we had a good cop bad cop situation and it worked really well. im really thankful i took the class and the fact that the class is there. i definitely learned alot. and i highly reccommend everyone takes it.

so it comes to today. after work i ran to the mvd, took about an hour. then got home around 6...

opened up the garage and sat on her... ooooo it felt so right. i walked her out to the drive way and fired her up while i geared up. then i walked her to the street and decided to find the friction zone before doing anything, and like nothing it was right there. couldnt be easier. so i decided to take a ride around the neighborhood. it was as if i was MADE to ride. everything came so natural. i practiced my stop and gos, tight turns. up hills, down hills, all between the speeds of 5-35 mph.

i can honestly say the msf has trained me well, everything came so natural. and IVE NEVER RIDEN BEFORE...

so after about ten miles of cruising around i head home to get some water, and decide whats next. i was ready to pick it up a little bit...

on my way back i am cruising at about 20mph, and a truck FLYS out of his driveway and almost nails me, THANK GOD I AM confident with swerves!

went right around him and threw up the bird.

got home and my friend had texted me. decided to cruise over to his place as a destination.

so i decided. this is it. i am ready. as i made that left turn onto the 45mph road... it was different. i never felt more ALIVE!

i took the main road straight, made a simple left turn and then right turn to a highway type road (50mph) and i did it just fine. got to his house. hung out for a bit but i wanted back on the bike!

so on the way home i stayed on the highway at 55mph, (his house is about a 14 mile round trip)

then i decided to turn down a street that i know has the one round-a-bout in town, and i loved it. nice tight lean.... gah i loved it.

got home, and decided i should eat something. and now i am here.


random thoughts of mine about everything;
i didnt realize i would be at 6k rpms in 5th gear at 50mph... really works the shifting. (in the "break in" period, trying to keep em low)

every person i stopped next to wanted to race... i would sit for an extra second and let them get infront of me. definitely dont want them behind me.

i need winter gloves... fingers get numb really fast at 50mph...

i think the msf makes you ride the crappy old bikes, so when you get on your newer if not new bike, its pie.

I LOVE THE NINJA 300!!!! best decision of my life.

anyways... just my thoughts. cant wait to go out and ride again tomorrow night.

 

[Bran7701]

I smiled out loud at that post, Captain. I'm happy you took the course! My instructors let me lead the test. They said, that almost never happens" being I am a female rider. Great knowledge, good times and a few good friends...welcome to riding ;-)

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[Arcade16]

Glad you are enjoying the bike! I'm in the same boat as you, took the MSF and then jumped on the 300 for my first bike.

One thing I'd recommend, is that you practice those low speed maneuvers (like u-turns and figure 8s) in your neighborhood or somewhere where you won't be under pressure.

The only times I have come close to dropping my bike are in parking lots or public roads where you are under pressure to turn quickly (to avoid irritating other drivers, or worse, being hit my them).

Ride safe and keep the shiny side up!

 

[Captain]

I smiled out loud at that post, Captain. I'm happy you took the course! My instructors let me lead the test. They said, that almost never happens" being I am a female rider. Great knowledge, good times and a few good friends...welcome to riding ;-)

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there was a chick in my class that NAILED the box like it was nothing. she was a **** pro!

edit... thats the d word... similar to the hoover dam

also, dont take the word chick as sexist... i learned the bad habit from my old man of calling every female a chick or chickie...

 

[Treizerxh]

Hey man glad you had fun on the first ride.

If I was smart, I would have followed a similar path, but I just bought my bike without the course....or riding before EVER! (I had been wanting to make my purchase for over a year and I couldn't help it anymore lol)

The first ride home on the ninja was my first ride in history and I kinda took the approach of "If I die, I wasn't meant to own a bike". Luckily, made it back in one piece and have been using the internet and youtube to find everything I can about proper riding techniques, as well as MSF books and every piece of literature I can find.

when the weather gets warm up here and they resume MSF classes I'll definitely be the first person signed up for them. I definitely feel I could use the critiquing of an instructor, even though I've kind of got the hang of everything.

Either way, congrats again!

 

[Bran7701]

I don't like to brag, but the box was easy for me too. I got a perfect score on the test. I completely understand what you mean when you say you feel like you were meant to ride. EVERYTHING about it makes sense.

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[Captain]

i will say one thing i need to work on is keeping track of what gear i am in. i would shift so many times so fast cause of the low rpms, i would end up paying more attention to the road and my surroundings and loose count. it didnt harm me in any way, i would down shift once if i slowed a little. so thats something i am going to work on tomorrow.

 

[phrenetiK]

the box wasn't EASY to me. i did get a perfect score but i was still having to try hard to not leave the box. i got -1 pt on the quick stop for going 1 ft over...and 5 points for taking the leaning turn too slow but that was the last part and he said go slow, don't drop the bike, and you all pass lol.

i however couldnt contain myself and started riding the 300 2 weeks before the class lol. i even got on the highway when the bike had 2 miles on the odometer. was scary but now im confident on the highway in a short period of time, don't be too afraid to go 70-80 mph...its windy but it feels good too.

 

[Captain]

you mentioned wind... once i hit the above 35 speeds, it was different then i was expecting. way more powerful. not that i couldnt handle it but it was a surprise. the head turn is a little harder... and i reached my left hand back to pull my shirt down, it was alot different then i was thinking. but it felt amazing. it feels like youre flying. f***ing awesome.

 

[Truesday]

I still can't uturn to the right as tight as the left. I feel like zoolander...

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[Captain]

DUUUUDE thats my problem! except i do it better left then i do right


also. i remembered one thing i need to work on... remembering to turn off my turn signals.
at night it was easier because i would see em flashing on the ground. but the day time is gonna be different.

and... i found one con to the 300... and i mean this is the one and only con...

is having to get back into a cage after riding it.... **** that sucks.

and before anyone asks, i had to transport my dog to my apartment (i leave my bike in my parents garage... and they babysit my dog while i work)

and until i am comfortable enough and have enough experience to throw her in a baby holster on my chest, she rides in the 4runner....

 

[phrenetiK]

btw...i didnt learn this until week 2 on my bike and after several trips on my step dads bike....just in case anyone else is as dumb as me

you can PUSH IN THE TURN SIGNAL!! for the first week i had my bike i HATED using the turn signal because it was hard to push it back the right amount and not activate the opposite side. after i found out you can push it in to cancel it it became a breeze and i use it 100% of the time now

 

[Captain]

I knew that. It's just hard to remember to do it. Cage habits.


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[Michael 891]

I knew that. It's just hard to remember to do it. Cage habits.


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I forget alot too, youll get used to it a little more as time goes, i always feel like an ass when i forget.

As for the MSF i didnt do too well, i felt like they didnt give me enough practice especially since pretty much everyone there already knew how to ride. i think i got 18 points knocked off during the test, so i barely passed.

It was more of a stress thing than anything else. I was really nervous that i was going to fail because i spent $200 on the class and i took the last one of the semester and the next class is in Feb. I made a few mistakes, one on U-turn box, and messed up the big turn at the end.

I am more of a rider than has to do everything on my own, i couldnt get counter steering down at the course but on my own ive nailed it! It is just easier to experience all the techniques on my own than being told how to do everything. I was just stressed about messing the whole thing up with everyone watching me. And i DID drop the bike once! ouch! i was pissed, but thankfully i learned a VERY important lesson from it! KEEP THE BARS STRAIGHT WHEN STOPPING! I had dropped it before we took the test so it was no big deal. I still think about that everytime i come to a stop so i will hardwire it to my brain! Dropping that Rebel taught me an important skill i use with my ninja everyday!

 

[Truesday]

I feel like such an azz when i notice my signals are on half way down the block.

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[stringer]

I'm happy because today i officially got my M1 license. I took the MSF on the 15, 16, & 17 of December and missed something like 5 on my riding exam. Today I missed 6 questions on the first of my written tests at the DMV, and you can only miss 4. so I took it again and missed 1. needless to say I was excited when I saw that I hadn't missed any on the entire front side.

So my bank approved me for the couple G's I'm gonna need to purchase my bike. On February 2nd I will be at the dealership hashing out the final price and purchasing procedure. Absolutely can not wait to get on two wheels, omfg it feels like it is taking forever.

Glad you had a good experience at the MSF though, that ish rocks.

 

[JTACKM]

The MSF course is one of the best options. Especially for a beginner rider. The 300 is my first bike and I get guys on bikes and in cars that want to race me all the time. What's the point of racing a whopping 50 yards to sit at another red light? Not to mention the risk of accidents and tickets. Sure I get the occasional mis-shift or stall (cold plus numb hands), but I don't feel so bad seeing as how other guys/girls get them too (Ducati, Harley, other sport bike owners).

I have been tempted to lane split, but am not ready for that yet. When I come to a stop light, I wait my turn like everyone else, I don't filter to the front.

The only downside to owning a motorcycle. Not all intersection sensors detect you. I waited near 10 minutes the other day for a green light. Saw it was clear and just gunned it.

 

[NoD GP]

My first time riding was my 300, one week before the MSF course. I had it in my garage and pulled it out, then did clutch control + minor throttle in my grass in a bunch of figure 8s (my backyard is not THAT big though, so I was taking semi-sharp turns.)

The first time I put her on the street and got on top, my heart was racing. I was so nervous about wrecking or embarrassing myself, but I did just fine. I stalled out a couple times til I could get used to the friction zone, and stalled out a couple times learning how to turn right from a stop. I did about 70 miles total in my neighborhood which is about .75 miles all the way around before I put it on a main road (40mph). First time I went down that I felt like the wind was going to rip me off my seat. Then I finally got used to it and practiced over and over, pushing my bike to 60MPH. From there, going to 45MPH roads were easy. I wouldn't dare go onto any of the big roads where the cops actually frequent cause I was still unlicensed.

Took my MSF course the next weekend and got 100% on the written and skills test, and was nominated as the best rider for the class. Kinda made me feel great seeing how there was a father and son there that had been racing dirt bikes for over 20 years together and I out performed them.

Then came the interstate (only at about 100 miles or so on the bike once I put her on there). I was coming back from the movies late at night and wanted to get home quickly instead of hitting 30 red lights coming home. I thought I was going to die, and the wind felt like it was going to kill me yet again, but obviously I did just fine.

I have to cross a bridge to go to work (this bike is mainly used as a commuter bike) and it also has the concrete with the straight lines that make you wobble while you go across it. On windy days, it's pretty rough, but I have become used to it.

Just keep riding and, as long as you are confident but not stupid, you'll master your techniques quickly.

Just try and remember that nobody out on the road sees you no matter what and ride like you're invisible, but HAVE A GREAT TIME. Riding a bike is all about the adventure and having a blast. Just commuting to/from work and random trips is still fun to me.

 

[damronjr]

See this is where I am right now! I have never ridden and have yet to take the MSF course so my bike is just sitting in my garage because I'm afraid if I try to ride it I'm going to wreck it! I need to call my wife's uncle, he told me he would teach me how to ride prior to going to the MSF course. I have my permit so technically I can ride on the city streets during the day.

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[NoD GP]

It's only as hard as you make it man. I have a quiet neighborhood, and very very very quiet street. So I was able to practice clutch control (NO throttle) on my road without having to worry about other vehicles. I learned everything on my own, NO assistance from ANYONE, before I even took my MSF course. It just depends on how well you pick things up. I am a natural when it comes to picking up new things.

I went ice skating for the first time in my life last night (except when I was 5... I don't count that) and I was skating backwards and taking tight turns and balancing on one skate... Now my lady on the other hand, who has skated a lot but over 2 years ago, was having difficulty. Just have confidence that you'll do okay and go for it.

Even after your MSF course or even with a buddy standing there showing you what to do, YOU will still be the one responsible for doing it correctly.