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MSF Advanced Rider Course Report


JohnG

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Finished the ARC this past Saturday, and I have to say it was well worth the time spent and the $50.  Classroom time on Tuesday night was not the greatest, but there was some lively discussion and worthwhile information to be had.  Our class was made up of the whole range of personalities and rides, from guys older than me to college aged girl and guys.  From sport bikes to HD cruisers and even a Burgman scooter.

 

Saturday was the day I was really looking forward to and I was not disappointed.  From 8 a.m. till 1 p.m. with short breaks between drills, it was a full day of riding and even the more experienced among us started to feel it in the arms and back.  Cornering, decreasing radii drills, avoidance maneuvering and some stopping drills all helped to either teach the skills or reinforce what we already knew.  Make no mistake, this was no basic rider course.  The drills were run at street speed and I was running the cornering drills quickly enough to wear my chicken strips down to under 1/2".  Not that that was my intention, as a matter of fact I was quite surprised when I looked at the back tire...

 

For me, it wasn't so much about learning anything new.  What I went for and what I accomplished was the opportunity to rehearse riding skills in a controlled environment with qualified instructors giving me feedback.

 

Highly recommend the course, no matter where you feel you're at in your riding ability.

 

 

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Did you ever feel like you were going to drop your bike :)? In the beginning courses you use their bikes unless you have a good reason to use your bike. I saw people drop their bike a few times in the beginner course. I imagine nobody wants to drop their bike in the advanced...

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Did you ever feel like you were going to drop your bike :)? In the beginning courses you use their bikes unless you have a good reason to use your bike. I saw people drop their bike a few times in the beginner course. I imagine nobody wants to drop their bike in the advanced...

 

Nobody ever "wants" to drop their bike, but if you're going to find out where your limits are, a course like this is the place to do that.  Like anything else, you decide what level you want to take it to.  You are restricted from operating unsafely by the instructors.

 

That being said, did I ever feel like I was going to drop my bike?  Well, honestly, I was testing the limits of my braking, since the VFR has linked front and rear brakes, and got a little squirrelly during a quick stop drill.  Felt my back wheel lock and start to come around on me.  Made the mistake of releasing my brakes when the back wheel was not lined up with the front and I was still skidding.  Doing this at sufficient speed will cause a high side.  I wasn't going that fast, but I felt it.  Did I think even for a minute that I would drop the bike?  No, but it got my attention and I learned from it.

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I'm planning on doing the course this year with my father who owns a Burgman 400. He needs a little confidence booster and is ready for the extra challenge. I do have to say except for the acceleration lacking due to the CVT, that scooter can corner like a mo-fo. 

 

Glad to hear that the course was well worth it. Tried to get my two usual riding buddies to do it with me but they believe that their skills are beyond what the course can offer. They also each highsided their bikes last year.  :facepalm:

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I'm planning on doing the course this year with my father who owns a Burgman 400. He needs a little confidence booster and is ready for the extra challenge. I do have to say except for the acceleration lacking due to the CVT, that scooter can corner like a mo-fo. 

 

We had a Burgman 400 in our class.  The only trouble he had was with the clutch on the scooter.  I guess you're recommended to keep the rpm's up to a certain point on starts to keep from glazing the clutch disk.  Other than that, he was cornering like a boss by the end of the class.

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... they believe that their skills are beyond what the course can offer. They also each highsided their bikes last year.  :facepalm:

 

:wreck: I'll bet the instructors see the same expressions at the beginning and end of each class.  At the beginning, they see guys looking like, ho hum, this is such a waste of my time.  And by the end of the class its more like, wow - I can't believe I enjoyed this class so much...

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My thoughts exactly. I just roll my eyes.

 

I have been reading a book by Nick Ienatsch called "Sport Riding Techniques" in my free time. Really good and insightful. I've been using some of the suggestions and it is making a difference. No matter how bad-ass one thinks they are, it always helps returning to basics every once in awhile to make sure that the foundation is strong.

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I guess I was wondering if people drop their bikes mainly to determine if a person has 2 bikes... if they should take their junker and try to push the limits or take a nice bike and be nervous. Was just curious...

 

Last year I took an older bike to the ARC to get more experience with it post-overhaul, and also to sacrifice it in case I pushed it too hard.  This year I took my baby because I know I'll be spending lots of time on her and figured it would be better to test the limits at 20-35 mph vs. 45-85 mph.

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