Taking a refresher course this weekend

[boo68]

Since my little mishap last year (hit my friend's truck after a long grueling ride home from NH in the downpours) I have been reluctant to ride. My friend got clipped last year when coming off of a rotary by someone that pulled right, and hit her front tire, and down she went. No injuries but a few bumps and bruises thankfully.. so she asked if I would be interested so I agreed. The refresher course is typically retaking the beginners course sans class time. My friend had a different idea... she thought a hunky instructor could help us work on our little confidence issues while our husbands went out for coffee hehe. So I emailed our local MSF Trainers and put the request in. (not for the hunky instructor hehe) They have a 1:1 fee structure with a minimum of 2 hours but agreed to take us both for 2 hours. I am really looking forward to it and will let you know how it went.

Deb

 

[ELIZABETH]

What a great idea, Deb! :thumbup: I hope it helps you both with your confidence level. :cheer:

 

[lytehouse]

Well it certainally can't hurt right?!?! Have fun....and I hope you DO get a hunky instructor....:cheer:

 

[n1one]

Deb,

Let us know how it goes...I am thinking of the same refresher for my wife.

Since we have young kids, it is very hard for her to find time to ride with me, consequently she did not ride all summer. I took a day off from work last week and finally got her back on her bike for the first time in over a year.

I was so proud of her, she did great. We started in a quiet neighborhood with no traffic, but lots of side streets to practice stops, starts and 2nd gear turns. We played follow the leader a lot, so I could help her with her riding lines.

Considering the long layoff from riding, she did awesome!:Flash:

But.....I know her confidence is low right now, I thought maybe a refresher course with the instructor might help her confidence too. Also, since the kids are in school again, I plan some more day's off this fall to do more riding with her, that will also build confidence.

Good luck!

 

[Jman]

Sounds like a great idea....be interested to hear how it goes for you. :rockon:

 

[MG-242]

That IS a great idea. I assume you're in MA? What is the fee?

I've thought about doing something like this (from the instructor side). Generally, is there an interest for 1 on 1 training? I'm in Ohio and MSF instructors are State certified. I don't think we currently offer anything like this and I don't know but they may have an issue (insurance?) with us doing it on the side.

Let us know how it goes.

I'll work on the hunky thing

 

[boo68]

The course was great! The weather, not so much. No hunky instructor but she was a lot of fun, she races an R6 which I thought was cool. She said the FZ is a beautiful bike.... though we rode their bikes. Nighthawk 250s. The fee was incredibly reasonable and worth every penny. It is $75 an hour, with a 2 hour minimum. I think anyone that hasn't ridden in a while would find this nice. There is also an option to take a full refresher course (10 hours of riding) which runs $229 it is the beginner's course, without the classroom hours.

It would seem that my instructor found that i have a really bad habit, 3 fingers on the brake She said I may have to tape my fingers to break that habit and that is what racers do to help them.

This is their website to get an idea of what they offer. Training Wheels Motorcycle Rider Education in Metro West - Boston - Southeastern MA - Cape Cod

Deb

 

[ELIZABETH]

I'm so glad that you liked the course, Deb! Are you ready to roll again!! :thumbup:

 

[boo68]

I'm so glad that you liked the course, Deb! Are you ready to roll again!! :thumbup:

Sure am! I just bought a nice new leather riding jacket so we can ride into the fall even if it gets a little chilly

 

[MG-242]

It would seem that my instructor found that i have a really bad habit, 3 fingers on the brake She said I may have to tape my fingers to break that habit and that is what racers do to help them.

Just curious, she wanted to tape your fingers so that you use more than 3 fingers or less? MSF states 4 fingers. The theory is that it gives better feel and more feedback. I'll mention it once in a class but I'm not insistent on it. With today's motorcycles and their high powered brakes, 1 finger or 2 is normally plenty.

I've never heard of racers taping their fingers.

 

[boo68]

Just curious, she wanted to tape your fingers so that you use more than 3 fingers or less? MSF states 4 fingers. The theory is that it gives better feel and more feedback. I'll mention it once in a class but I'm not insistent on it. With today's motorcycles and their high powered brakes, 1 finger or 2 is normally plenty.

I've never heard of racers taping their fingers.

The issue is that I leave my index finger on the throttle... so if I taped it to my middle finger I'd have 4 fingers on the brake, like I should

 

[lytehouse]

The issue is that I leave my index finger on the throttle... so if I taped it to my middle finger I'd have 4 fingers on the brake, like I should

So, you're supposed to have 4 fingers covering the brake?? I do that too^^^ 3 fingers on the brake, thumb & index around the throttle.
And if you tape your fingers together....how are you suposed to put on a pair of gloves??? I have never seen motorcycle mittens!!!

 

[MG-242]

The MSF recommends 4-finger braking. That said, IMO, with the brakes that most newer bikes have, braking can be accomplished with less than 4 fingers leaving the rest of the little digits for nice smooth throttle control. The goal is to be smooth. Smoothness lends itself to traction management which is the ultimate result. If I need to brake lightly, I'll use 1 finger, 2 for medium braking and 3 for hard braking. One of the problems I often see in new riders is over-braking and some of this can be attributed to using 4 fingers. As an MSF instructor, I will mention that 4 fingers is the preferred method because it provides the most feedback. That's our company line. But, most folks will figure it out and do what feels best for them - that's most important, do what feels best for you.
One of the other related issues I see with new riders is not completely closing the throttle when stopping quickly. This is usually attributed to having the wrist in too high of a position to start with. Wrist should be below the knuckles so that when you reach for the brake lever, you roll the throttle closed. This may help as well.
Lastly, and this is a personal thing, I see many riders with their brake levers too high. The first thing you should do with your new motorcycle is to adjust the controls so that you can reach them and operate them easily and comfortably. With the lever too high, not only is it difficult to get your hand up over the lever, it will add fatigue to your wrist. I adjust my brake lever so that my wrist is straight when braking. Same with the clutch.
Hope some of this helps. It's great to see new riders come along and it's great to listen to questions and experiences. It helps us all and makes us think about what we are doing and how it effects the operation of the bike.
Oh, and yep, they do make mittens for motorcyclists. A lot of the winter gloves are mittens. My rain gloves are mittens.