I am a self-taught rider, as most of us probably are. Then there was the 18-year gap and I am a newbie again, kinda.
I have had several friends tell me I should take the MSF course, I will learn all kinds of stuff I never knew and will learn some new tricks. These are mostly new riders who took the course.
There is one of these take-the-class guys I have ridden with who does all kinds of stuff that I consider unsafe and scary. (Turns, braking, following too close, blind spots, etc.) He had a bike back in the 80's, too, but just returned to riding this last few years. He is also one of the most verbal about me taking the course. (probably ought to point out that in 3 years he has chalked up maybe 4K miles, not all that much)
This weekend there was a seat in the beginners course and I almost signed up for it. Then I got to thinking that I would spend 2 long days taking a course to cull a few tips that I can use. The weather was great and I decided to ride solo instead.
While in the class site, I read the Experienced Riders Course part. Looks more to my liking: turning techniques, advanced traffic skills, etc. The requirements are that you have ridden for over 6 months and 3000 miles. I have been on the bike about 10 of the last 14 and am a bit over 11K miles, so I qualify for sure.
My question is for those of you who have taken both classes and know what is taught in them. Is there something in the beginner's course that would make it worth my while to spend a weekend in there? Or should I pass Go and shoot straight to the experienced course?
