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From: darryl@ism780.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: riding & safety courses?
Message-ID: <388@ism780.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 1-Sep-84 00:02:14 EDT
Article-I.D.: ism780.388
Posted: Sat Sep  1 00:02:14 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Sep-84 09:37:21 EDT
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Nf-ID: #R:bentley:-46300:ism780:15800034:000:3851
Nf-From: ism780!darryl    Aug 24 08:28:00 1984

>***** ism780:net.cycle / bentley!sjf /  3:11 pm  Aug 23, 1984
>
>        I understand that the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF)
>has courses in Motorcycle riding and safety.  I am particularly
>interested in such a course in New Jersey.  I contacted a motorcycle
>research firm in VA, they gave me an 800 number to call and get information.
>They told me that MSF was in the process of moving from Wash. DC to
>California (I have also heard rumors that it has moved to PA).  They
>gave me the number of a commercial driving school on Long Island.

The MSF has traditionally been headquartered in far-flung places, kind of
in the middle of nowhere.  They are moving to Orange County, CA, this
fall.  (O.C. is just south of L.A. county, and an integral part of the
Southern California  Megalopolis.  My MSF instructor said that he had
been criticized by the MSF for instucting how to lane split, but he
figures that the MSF will take a different view when they move out here
and discover 10 lane parking lots!).

>        I contacted the school; they do have a course in both
>beginning and advanced safety riding procedures.  Each course is
>20 hours (8 hours instruction, 12 hours riding) spread out over 2
>weekends.  They supply bikes.  They tell me that the course is approved
>by the MSF.  The max. number of students is 12.  The cost is $225.
>Does this seem reasonable?
>        I thought that the MSF gave courses like this themselves? --at
>a much lower cost (not to mention the fact that Long Island is at least
>1 1/2 hour drive for me).

The MSF doesn't actually teach classes themselves.  They train and
accredit instructors, who are then free to go out and set up MSF approved
classes.  These instructors try to run the classes as a business... this
IS America, you know.

Personally, this sounds kind of expensive.  I have now taken the Advanced
Rider class here on the west coast twice.  It's 8 hours (4 riding, 4
classroom) on a Sunday, and it costs $35.  The beginner class is as you
have described it, but costs $105 last I checked.  I believe these
classes are limited 16 students.

The advanced course is taught on the Terminal Island Navy base, on the
southern coast of L.A.  I live in the San Fernando Valley, at the
northern end of L.A.  Its about 55 miles away and takes a little over an
hour to get there, but well worth it.  The beginner class is given at the
Hollywood Bowl, a much more reasonable location.

>        Does anyone know how to get in touch with the MSF?  Heard of
>other courses in riding & safety?  Has anyone taken such a course;
>did you find it useful?

Sigh.  They have an 800 number which I can't find at the moment, but
here's an address you can write to:

	    MSF
	    P.O. Box 120
	    Chadds Ford, PA  19317
(unfortunately, they don't seem to have a net address)

They can tell you of the approved course nearest you.  I have found that I
can out run many riders on "hot" bikes in the canyons just because I can
turn better than they can...  This doesn't say much about me, but a lot
about advertising campaigns, motorcycle magazines, and licensing laws.
Learn to ride before you buy that "canyon carver".

For BMW owners, there are the R.A.T.S. courses given by Rob Beach and Reg
Pridmore (of BMW Superbike fame).  These course have strictly limited
enrollment.  They rent a racecourse (Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, others
in other areas) and you get out on the track and do 100+ speeds, under
Reg's guidance (the only *reasonable* place to do speeds like that!).
The cost is $75, and although I haven't taken it yet, it sounds like a
BLAST!

>                        Scott J. Foster
>                        AT&T Bell Laboratories
>                        Piscataway, NJ
>                        {eagle, allegra, cbosgd, ihnp4}!pyuxbb!sjf

	    --Darryl Richman
	    ...!cca!ima!ism780!darryl