- This topic has 3 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 11 months ago by Clay Dowling.
any tricks to getting a head start?
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May 22, 2009 at 5:17 am #2871homeyjoseyParticipant
Hi everyone, Im going to take the safety class this summer(july) and im really anxious to take it…..i was wondering if there was anything i can do in the mean time to maybe get a little head start in the riding department…without actually borrowing a bike….if there are any tricks it’d be great thank you
May 22, 2009 at 9:25 am #18838eternal05ParticipantYou know, the kind you pedal around on, causing you to sweat profusely?
If so, find a motorcycle book (I recommend Proficient Motorcycling by Hough or Twist of the Wrist II, not the first one, by Keith Code) and read it cover-to-cover. Also read this:
http://www.msf-usa.org/CurriculumMaterials/BRC_Handbook_Vs7.1_noprint.pdf
You might also consider browsing this:
http://www.ridelikeapro.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=34&Itemid=62
In particular, try out “art of leaning” and “mastering the u-turn.” Having some idea of what you’re getting yourself into before MSF will help out a lot. You’ll be focused more on the physical (e.g. developing throttle control, keeping the knees gripping the tank, keeping your eyes up, etc.) rather than the mental (i.e. which side of the handlebars do I push to go left?).
Finally, and this is where that pedal bike comes, in, you should get used to countersteering, braking, weight transfer, and lean on your bike before you show up to MSF. My years racing bikes put me way ahead of the curve in my MSF course when it came to keeping my eyes up, looking through turns, being comfortable on a steep lean, etc. Throttle control was a different story…heh…
May 22, 2009 at 6:42 pm #18851EliasParticipant+1 bicycle
Get out on a bicycle and ride the streets (bike lane even). Learn how traffic ignores you, how it flows differently as compared to driving a cage. This improves your situational awareness, as well as muscle memory. Granted, riding a moto is going to be much different, but riding street is where I trained myself, and it translated to acing the MSF course for me.
May 22, 2009 at 6:56 pm #18854Clay DowlingParticipantIs actually awesome. Good exercise, lots of fun if you look for the fun in it. Get yourself a cheap road bike and you can go pretty fast, which is definitely enjoyable. And will give you practice in countersteering.
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