sjf@bentley.UUCP (SJ Foster) (08/21/84)
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.
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).
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?
Thanks.
------------------
Scott J. Foster
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Piscataway, NJ
{eagle, allegra, cbosgd, ihnp4}!pyuxbb!sjflrd@drusd.UUCP (DuBroffLR) (08/22/84)
Quote: I understand that the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) has courses in Motorcycle riding and safety... 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. 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). 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? Scott J. Foster I am an MSF instructor and can answer some of your questions. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has relocated their headquarters to Chad's Ford, PA; their phone number is (215) 388-1555. Don't bother to call them there; they'll just give you the following number: (800) 447-4700. The 800 number is an answering service contracted by the MSF for the purpose of asking you where you live and then looking at their list and giving you the location of the closest MSF-approved teaching facility. The MSF does NOT teach students directly; the only courses taught by the MSF are for Chief Instructors. These Chief Instructors then teach regular instructors, who become MSF certified by this process. Any MSF-certified instructor can start a course and charge whatever s/he wants to. I did my initial few years of teaching in Illinois, where the course is administered by the state university system at NO cost to students! The Illinois program is, to my knowledge, the best in the country. I am now located in Colorado, which does not have a program sponsored by the state; the commercial MSF-approved courses that I am aware of all go for less than $100. It sounds like the Long Island course (which, from your description, is the standard MSF course) is GROSSLY overpriced. Of course, "over-priced" has to be put in perspective. While I think that $225 is excessive, the value of the course cannot be measured. It is my (personal and biased) opinion that no one should be on a motorcycle without having taken this course. Although designed to be suitable for entry-level riders, the course has an incredible amount of survival knowledge that even experienced (20 years or more) riders have praised. I'd suggest that you get a list of all locations that are at all feasible for you from the 800 number, and then make your selection purely on the basis of cost -- all MSF-approved courses cover the same material and should give you basically the same teaching.
darryl@ism780.UUCP (09/01/84)
>***** 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