 Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 261
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OP
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 261 |
I took the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Experienced Rider Course this afternoon from the local Safety Council. There were about a dozen of us and we spent the afternoon doing all kinds of track exercises. I had a blast!
Lots of fun - I really felt like I learned a lot about handling my America - and that I CAN easily lean into a turn enough to start scraping the foot pegs!
We had some good discussions on safety factors on the road, I'm good to get an insurance discount for taking the class, and I feel just "that much" better in the saddle.
I'd recommend this for anyone wanting to further their abilities!
2007 America, Phantom Black/Sunset Red
Deposit down on 2010 Thunderbird - can't wait for it!
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Re: Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1
Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1 |
Sounds awesome! I have been thinking about taking that class. I thonk I will start thinking about it more seriously.
Soren
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 Re: Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,626
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,626 |
Back in the way back, I spent a day riding around London, attempting to keep up with the dispatch riders. Very humbling, very informative, very dangerous, and a lot of fun. I stayed until my clutch hand gave out, and learned more about riding than on any other day of my life. But I think that some of the lessons were not exactly legal.
Steelheart- '03 Speedmaster Black/Yellow
The Hayabusa Killa
16" Shorties/140 mains/Airbox drilled
Procom CDI
"There is no cure for Celibacy. But we can treat the symptoms."
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 Re: Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 467
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 467 |
How much did it run you in neck of the woods? How long did it take? I've heard over time & time again it's worth it.Just need to do it.Also we all can use a discount on insurance.Thanks. 
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Re: Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 261
Adjunct
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OP
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 261 |
$100 and ran 6 hours from 1-7 PM.
2007 America, Phantom Black/Sunset Red
Deposit down on 2010 Thunderbird - can't wait for it!
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Re: Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 495
Adjunct
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Adjunct
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It's a great course! I took it on my Honda VTX, and had been riding many, many years at the time. At one point in my life, when I was a motorcycle cop, I rode 8 hours a day for about three years, and I still learned a lot that day. Highly recommended for anyone and everyone!
Pedal Till You Puke
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Re: Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,197 Likes: 56
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,197 Likes: 56 |
Out of curiosity , being that experienced what kind of things did you learn? (I would imagine as a motor cop you had training)
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Apr 2007
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Adjunct
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Quote:
Out of curiosity , being that experienced what kind of things did you learn? (I would imagine as a motor cop you had training)
AAMOF, I got zero training. I worked for the city of Palo Alto, CA. I had never ridden a motorcycle when I won the motorcycle opening position. I simply had to demonstrate that I could ride a large Harley which I borrowed from an acquaintance. We used to take our motorycycle home, and I'll never forget riding in to work the first morning. I was trying to avoid stops, because I felt so awkward everytime I tried to stop that large Pan Head with big steel bags, and monster radio mounted on the rear. It took me about a year to feel totally comfortable, and out of the 5 motors on the department, I would have rated myself the worse rider. In contrast to what I did, the California Highway Patrol had an extensive course for their motor officers at their academy in Sacramento. After an officer graduated, he would ride with an experienced officer for awhile, and then come back and take an advanced course. I did ride with another officer for a week. On the first day, we got an emergency call up in the Palo Alto hills, and I remember stuggling to try to keep up with the other officer as I watched him disappear through the twisties.
When I did take the course I had been riding my own motorcycles for many years, and although years removed from the course I cannot remember the exact things that I learned, I remember that I learned lots of new things, and practiced things that I had never ever practiced. I remember being told that taking the course on my big VTX 1800 was going to be difficult because of all of the tight maneuvering required, but I remember being able to turn inside of a lot of the guys taking the course on crotch rockets.
Pedal Till You Puke
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Re: Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,197 Likes: 56
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,197 Likes: 56 |
To me thats crazy to just put you out there like that with no special training. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. That is not meant to be a cut on you in anyway. But you are expected to ride at high speeds and persue people and such I would think they would train you for that!!!
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 495
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 495 |
Quote:
To me thats crazy to just put you out there like that with no special training. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. That is not meant to be a cut on you in anyway. But you are expected to ride at high speeds and persue people and such I would think they would train you for that!!!
So true. Interestingly, the only accident I had was when I had been riding it for 2 1/2 years. I was chasing someone (who was not aware that I was after them). I was on a four lane, busy roadway in the inside lane. Suddenly a teenage girl, made a left turn from the right lane right in front of me, and I had nowhere to go. I had a flashback to one of the local officers that became a quadrapaligic from a similar accident. At the last second, I sort of laid her down, and I went careening off the bike flying through the air, I did a complete flip, and landed flat on my back in the oncoming traffic lane. Fortunately, there was no oncoming car coming at that moment. I remember thinking that I was about to die, and when I slammed down flat on my back, I could just tell that I was fine - I was not even stunned. I had split the back of my helmet right down the center, totalled the motorcycle, and I did not even have a scratch on my body or even a tear in my uniform. I remember getting up and slapping the dirt off my riding britches, and I was good to go. If that ever happened to me today, they would still be searching for my body parts.
Pedal Till You Puke
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Re: Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 220
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Adjunct
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 220 |
Good information.
Makes me want to check with our locals to see if they get any training.
Gerry
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Re: Experienced Rider Course - What a blast!
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,152
Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,152 |
Quote:
and I went careening off the bike flying through the air, I did a complete flip, and landed flat on my back in the oncoming traffic lane.
Gulp.
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