MSF Course - Range Bike Selection
I'm wondering abot other's experiences with what they ended up riding durring the MSF course. In this I mean did your instructor help select bikes for people?
Here's why I ask In my course the larges bike on the range is a Yamaha TW200 and the smallest bike is a Kawasaki Eliminator 125, with a seat height difference of 4.3 inches. What ended up happeneing on the bike selection is some smaller people (by this I mean average height arounf 5'5" and less than about 140lbs) leaving the 3 largest riders (all my size or larger at 6'6" and 260+ lbs) in the course on a pair of the Kawasaki's and a Honda Nighthawk 250.
What this resulted in was people struggling not just to grasp the mechanics of riding a motorcycle, but struggling to grasp the mechanics of riding a motorcycle the wrong size for them. It's not just that I looked ridiculous triding around with my knees over the top of the tank, but the space between the peg and the gear shift was so small that to upshift I could only use the side of my boot or had to take my size 13 foot off the pegs completely and get at it from under the peg and gear shift (which meant i was dragging my foot if I had to upshift on a left hand turn).
Has anyone here had a similar circumstance in their course? If so what did you do? I'm going to speak to my instructor about it this week so that my next class (and the test) will hopefully be on something more my size.
Yeah. Not sure how that works
Yeah. Not sure how that works out for tall people. The bikes there are more for average to smaller height folk. Definately talk to your instructor. At our range, we had a few more choices than you described above. I rode the nighthawk and the rebel. The nighthawk was fine, but the rebel sucked balls. Not sure what the protocol is for maintanence, but the condition of the bike matters a lot too. Especially, if it's a pita to shift.
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AFM #998
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To get an appropriate sized bike. A nighthawk should be able to fit most anybody.
The Nighthawk is bad for big
The Nighthawk is bad for big feet. The left peg is very close to the gear shift and part of the motor sticks out right there as well. Check it out
I had was on a nighthawk.
I had was on a nighthawk. Still tiny, I was back on the pylon seat half the time. (-: (6'3" /220) But it worked ok for the class.
2006 Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide
Sales, Peterson's North Miami Store
Removed as a duplicate.
Sorry my computer hicupped.
Like a cheap suit.
I am really sorry to hear that you are having that problem with the motorcycle that they chose for you. I try to fit students to the motorcycles according to size and experience. If they have a Nighthawk at home I try to get them on our only Nighthawk (still the premier training motorcycle IMO). I get that you are having a problem up shifting. What kind of footwear are you using? I have had SMALL people show up to class with a certain (motorcycle) manufacture specific boot where the sole and heel are so high that they have problems getting a foot under the shift lever. If they were on that manufactures motorcycle they wouldn't have a problem because there is more room between the pegs and shift lever. (Hint, the manufactures initials are HD). Great boots but, maybe not so much for the class. I would almost rather see a student wear leather, high top, athletic shoes. Low heal and sole. Remember that we don't send ya home with that motorcycle, so all you have to do is get through the class.
Jay T.
www.ridesafe.today.com
"Remember that we don't send ya home with that motorcycle"
Yeah, I was really disappointed about that one...
Yeah i was just wearing a
I was just wearing a pair of doc martins which aren't thick, and don't have a big heal on them especially since they are about 7 years old. My problem is that I happen to have a size 13EE foot.
What I was really driving at with my original question was to find out if other MSF instructors help fit students to bike, as our class bike selection was just a free for all where everyone just ran and jumped on a bike with no input or direction from the instructor.
For example as an instructor, if student 1 can fit on either bike A or B, but student 2 has difficulty on bike A, doesn't it make sence to put student 2 on bike B and student 1 on bike A?
Yes it's true you won't be taking that bike home, but you also won't be buying and riding a bike after that doesn't suit you either.
It was a free for all in my
It was a free for all in my class as well but that didn't really matter since all but one of the bikes were 250cc crusiers (I'm guessing the ergonomics are roughly the same between them). There was one Nighthawk which I had hoped to grab but I was too slow.
Assigned Seats?
We were a free for all too. I got screwed out of choosing my bike too, because I didn't realize we were supposed to sprint to the bike we wanted...
I don't see anything wrong with the instructer swapping bikes for students with special needs. I was swapped with a girl in my class because her bike would stall if you didn't keep the throttle up a little. She couldn't handle it and I happened to be the sorry sucker next to her in line. No big deal. I was able to deal with it until the first break when the instructor adjusted the carb and it was smooth for the next two days.
You probably need to just be forward about your issue and ask if one of the other bikes might fit you better.
I'm going to show up early
I'm going to show up early and have a talk with the instructors before our class room session this week.
Worst case scenario I just go push one of the little people off the bike I need! Dern little people...
Pushing is rude
You should always lift them off, so the bike doesn't get knocked over.
My class absolutely assigned
My class absolutely assigned rider to machine. The "sprint" for a bike is a bad sign . .instructors starting the class with no control. The girl who ran mine took charge from the moment we hit the range like a DI at Paris Island, assigned us bikes, and we used the same machine each day.
In the end . . none of those little 250's are going to feel right under you.
Jay T has a good general point . I dont use the HD boots, but I have harness boots and a pair that might as well be HD's and I ride an HD. The thickness at the toe was a problem for a while. I am only a size 10 1/2, but that is enough for me to tangle my brake foot up with the crash bar. Your battle ship 13's have to be a pain on the smaller bikes! Time will solve that problem on your own bike . . .but for the class . well, it is not meant to make you good, it is meant to teach you what it is you will be trying to learn when they cut you lose.
Gut it out and try to keep you mind on the important stuff the best you can. Shifting is self solving . .head turns, clutch control, lean when your brain says sit up straight, good foundational skills . . those are the things you have to "force" to happen for a while. Those are the purpose of the class. Tiny bike and poor control of the class by the instructor aside. . . take those things away and you will be OK.
2006 Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide
Sales, Peterson's North Miami Store
Actually the tw200 wasn't
Actually the tw200 wasn't bad. I'm sure it looked silly with me on it, but I had a lot of fun with how easy it was to make maneuver and I was really suprised by how much grab the nobby tires actually had. If i found one for 1k I might pick it up for tooling around town and some light off roading.
If you can get them to put you on a more apropriate bike...
If you can get them to swap, all the better. The problem with swapping in the middle of the class is that you (and the rider you are swapping with) are used to the motorcycle you are riding and it takes rolling time to get used to a different motorcycle. Also if you are allowed to swap, then the rest of the class may find a need to swap, as well. Have you said anything to the instructor before this? Since you are a paying customer, I would expect you to speak up and say what you need and the instructor to do the best to accommodate you. I hate the shotgun start approach to a class. I really think it is important to make sure you are going to be comfortable so you can concentrate on the important stuff. Good luck with that.
Jay T.
www.ridesafe.today.com
The bikes we had in my class
The bikes we had in my class were:
Suzuki GZ250s
Honda Rebel 250s
Kawasaki Eliminator 125s
Yamaha TTR225
Yamaha TW200
I did my first day of class on the GZ250 and just couldn't get the hang of it. the "Feet forward" riding position demanded by cruisers made it nearly impossible to be able to control the bike for me. I was struggling with half the exercises they made me do on that bike despite the fact that I had been riding for a few months when I took it. For day 2 I used the Yamaha TW200 and the difference was like night and day. Everything came easy, even easier than on my personal bike (Suzuki SV650).
Just had my last riding day.
Just had my last riding day. I used the TW200, and what a world of difference!
All of my control issues went out the window and I was able to easily pass the course.
The little secret my course instructor told me is that if you want to reserve a bike, show up a little early and place your helmet next to the bike. It's as good as reserving one I was told.
In my area, they use the
In my area, they use the Honda Rebel for the MSF class. I have sat on this at a store (not riding, just sitting) and it was comfortable for me. I also sat on a Kawasaki Ninja 250, which was a nice bike and which I understand is highly maneuverable, but the position you have to sit in was not particularly good for me. There is a difference between sport bikes, standard bikes, and cruser style bikes in how you sit. Sport bikes have the pedal behind you and you usually lean forward and have a narrower handlebar, standard bikes have the peg right below you and the cruisers have them in front with a wider handlebar. I was just sitting on these bikes and to me it made a huge difference in how comfortble I was.
Ninja and other sport motorcycles.
We have had sport bikes for class cycles on and off over the years. They usually only get used if a student says they already have a sport bike or one of our regular trainers is down. They usually don't get used much because of the price to replace the extra plastic. The trainer bikes are loaned and we have to pay to have them repaired when we give them back. Most of the dealers mark the motorcycles (as to who loaned them) when they loan them out. Make sure you visit these dealers and thank them for the loan.
Jay T.
www.ridesafe.today.com