My MSF experience.

[Legally Jackie]

A few people asked me to tell them all about my MSF course this weekend - so here it is!

I'm taking it with Ironstone Ventures in North Andover, MA. The instructors are Bill and Tony (who may very well be on this forum) - both very cool, and helpful. Good feedback, etc.

It started at 7AM this morning and we actually started out on the bikes. It was FREEZING. 30 degrees and 30mph wind chills. My new jacket is awesome though - with the interior lining and leather/textile exterior I can't even feel the wind! (Thanks, Jim!) Fingers got a bit numb though, despite my beautiful new gloves.

I was on a Suzuki GN125. I picked it because it had purple handlebars . The bikes were obviously cold so they were all stalling out quite a bit. I had to leave my choke on a lot, and at one point I was told to put the fuel on reserve because there was concern that I may have been running out of gas. The bike just kind of died on me while I was coming to a stop after one of the exercises and wouldn't re-start. I went along with Tony's assessment that it was lack of fuel and not user error.

Most of the exercises were the same as the ones I had already done in my parking lot lessons this week. I'm relieved I had some practice time before the course, though, because most people seemed to pick things up pretty quickly. I'm glad I was able to keep up. A lot of people had trouble with stalling, but there was only one fall (not me). Nobody even saw/knew about it until it was brought up in the classroom later, though. A demonstration of the "don't use the front brake at slow speeds" rule, apparently.

I think the hardest exercise was the offset weaving, though I made it through each time without putting a leg down or hitting any cones. The quick stop is pretty scary, too, and I need to remember to downshift whilst doing so, but other than that it went pretty well for me!!! Hoping tomorrow goes just as smoothly (and hoping for slightly warmer weather!!!!)

Thanks for reading

[Chippertheripper]

Look, press, press, twist, braaaaaappp!!

[OreoGaborio]

I was on a Suzuki GN125. I picked it because it had purple handlebars

I KNOW that bike!

[fineout]

Remembering to downshift was my biggest problem on the quick stop too, happy to hear its goigoing well!

[Jim]

any wheelies?

[golden chicken]

When another of my classmates mentioned she was having trouble remembering to downshift, I told her, "both hands, both feet," as in, squeeze both clutch and brake levers and press down on both the foot brake and the gear shift.

HTH. Good luck.

[carsick]

Woohoo, good times! Plenty of folks at the track also forget to downshift when faced with a rapidly approaching corner, the brain doesn't have enough attention to brake AND downshift!

[OreoGaborio]

When another of my classmates mentioned she was having trouble remembering to downshift, I told her, "both hands, both feet," as in, squeeze both clutch and brake levers and press down on both the foot brake and the gear shift.

HTH. Good luck.

Even easier... "ALL FOUR".

[Legally Jackie]

any wheelies?

No, but I'm told that SOMEBODY wheelied Pink Stripe (my ninja 250) yesterday

[Jim]

No, but I'm told that SOMEBODY wheelied Pink Stripe (my ninja 250) yesterday

if it was Pete, can i sniff the seat? :

[mzdagrl]

Woohoo, good times! Plenty of folks at the track also forget to downshift when faced with a rapidly approaching corner, the brain doesn't have enough attention to brake AND downshift!

All the more reason to practice practice practice. Once you do it enough, you don't have to think about it.

[Legally Jackie]

Day 2 was a bit warmer, thankfully! Started off the day with that figure 8 box exercise. Terrible way to start your Sunday, lol. Wasn't too bad at it, but did drop my right foot a couple times. Went through the rest of the exercises and then the evaluation, which was surprisingly short, to me (only four exercises?). Not that I'm complaining.

It was kind of silly to go back inside after taking the skills test to do the rest of the classroom portion, but it went pretty quickly and we were still out a half hour early. Everyone in the class passed. Hoorayyyy!!!! BrianDucati, I have no idea what was up with your class with eight people failing!!! Seemed like so long as you didn't wheelie or drop the bike, you were good.

Oh, and I remembered to downshift on my quick stops today

[jasnmar]

Congrats!

Welcome to the streets.

Now be safe!

[SCRLT01]

yay!! congrats!!! cant wait to see you on 2 wheels!!

[csmutty]

Congrats! And mass does a classroom after the riding eval? O.o

[Rada]

Awesome Jackie

[OreoGaborio]

Congrats! And mass does a classroom after the riding eval? O.o

It's weird... they run two classes each weekend... one class does range first, then classroom both days... the other class does classroom first then range both days. Kinda weird, but it works since that's what Jackie went through.

[SCRLT01]

It's weird... they run two classes each weekend... one class does range first, then classroom both days... the other class does classroom first then range both days. Kinda weird, but it works since that's what Jackie went through.

Thats how my class ran as well....although i was in the group to ride in the pm, with classroom stuff in the am.....

[Kenn157]

Congrats!

[golden chicken]

Congrats!

[OreoGaborio]

[drop]

please, please, please make that a permanant smiley on here.

[oVTo]

Congrats!

Congrats! And mass does a classroom after the riding eval? O.o

It's weird... they run two classes each weekend... one class does range first, then classroom both days... the other class does classroom first then range both days. Kinda weird, but it works since that's what Jackie went through.

At most sites it's usually class 1, range 1, class 2, range 2. Most places start with a Friday night class so the classroom is before the range, but that didn't work out in North Andover because the Friday evening traffic is a nightmare in that area. MSF says it's OK to do range sections before classroom.

NH finishes the last part of the classroom, including the written eval after the riding was complete. At least they used to, it's been a few years since i've taught there.

[csmutty]

I'd just think they would want to present the info present in the 2nd classroom before the 2nd range portion because of the information in that 2nd classroom like counterweighting.

[nhbubba]

'Grats!