The Most Important Safety Equipment You Can Own

Your skills! We spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on helmets, jackets, gloves, boots, pants, etc. But how much do you spend to enhance your skill set? Your skills are your first line of defense. Keep your shiny new bike and gear shiny. A skill tune up every couple of years (or when you get a new bike) will help maintain a trouble free life-long adventure in motorcycling. So, consider spending a few extra dollars on some beginning or advanced training and enjoy the ride!


WGW

good point

3 courses in 18 months and I plan on doing more......next step would be a track day / advanced training

Good point and just as important as wearing the right gear.

Related to good skills, but kind of different.
Expecting the worst in traffic situations.
Never have an attitude that drivers will to the right thing
or that they can see you or even care if they do see you.
Complacency kills.

Bubba Satori said:

Good point and just as important as wearing the right gear.

Related to good skills, but kind of different.
Expecting the worst in traffic situations.
Never have an attitude that drivers will to the right thing
or that they can see you or even care if they do see you.
Complacency kills.

Click to expand...

Act like they're actively trying to kill you...

like NC owners manual said-ride DEFENSIVELY. always expect the unexpected,keep the distance,stay visible(i always ride with high beam on,during the day) and practice,practice. i would love to take advanced course(specially when they are free),but they don't have any in our area.

I agree with wgwgoldwing. Even though I got back into motorcycling; after a 30 year blank spot in my life it all came back to me. I had raced dirt bikes in the 2 stroke era. However, there are many differences between off road and rode skills. I find myself heading to the inside of a curve instead of the correct way. I keep bringing the off road habits along. There are many habits that work great in the dirt, that may not be of good use in the on road scene. So-- I'm going to take some basic skills classes this year. I also bought a new high buck helmet. I'm hoping I can advance myself thru the training. I know most accidents are caused by a driver not paying attention. But if I can curb my injuries by wearing armored clothing, I'm doing it. Take care to all. off

wgwgoldwing said:

Your skills! We spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on helmets, jackets, gloves, boots, pants, etc. But how much do you spend to enhance your skill set? Your skills are your first line of defense. Keep your shiny new bike and gear shiny. A skill tune up every couple of years (or when you get a new bike) will help maintain a trouble free life-long adventure in motorcycling. So, consider spending a few extra dollars on some beginning or advanced training and enjoy the ride!


WGW

Click to expand...

I've been considering taking the MSF Advanced Rider Course. Has anyone here taken it, and would you recommend it?
Any other options I should look into?

It is a good class. Not much different riding drills than basic, but don't wait for one rider to finish before next starts and most of the day is on the bike not in the classroom. Instructors watch and give good feedback to help break bad habits we don't know we have. Several in my class did not want to be there but came to be able to ride on military base. At the end of the day they had changed their tune and readily admitted they had benefited from the experience.

CORRECTION" The class I took was the "Experienced" class not the "Advanced" class.

I have taken the MSF course and I highly recommend it. In addition, I highly recommend the book Proficient Motorcycling. I feel this book should be mandatory reading for all new riders and it is also a really good refresher (set of reminders) for experienced riders so they don't mistakenly think they are beyond focusing on safety and from properly recognizing potential hazards before they become actual hazards. I say, concrete, stationary objects, and speed combined together should never be taken for granted. Maybe it's just me...

Thanks for the book recommendation. I just purchased the ebook version and put it on my iPhone.

Good article in the August Road Runner magazine on the advanced MSF class. Reading it I realized that I took the "Experienced" class not the "Advanced" one. In Georgia it is hard to find either class now, only the basic class is readily available. Problem is lack of interest. Most only want the basic class to help them get a license or get on a military base.

RyC said:

3 courses in 18 months and I plan on doing more......next step would be a track day / advanced training

Click to expand...

Howzit. Where'd you do your courses?

You should spend the money and do Keith Code's California Superbike School or even Jason Pridmore's STAR School. The skills they teach on this are perfectly transferrable to an NC.

I think with age I have slow down and certainly ride alot more defensively then when I was young,(I,m 57)...Infact I just got in from a ride out and returned though heavy traffic,,I was riding alot slower then other guys between lanes ,,I was very aware of problems coming up...I doubt you could be trained for that...My weakness is going though corners,I intend to do some training on that...It has to be the right kind of instructor thou,,I cannot stand the preacher type!!!!!

lipsee said:

I think with age I have slow down and certainly ride alot more defensively then when I was young,(I,m 57)...Infact I just got in from a ride out and returned though heavy traffic,,I was riding alot slower then other guys between lanes ,,I was very aware of problems coming up...I doubt you could be trained for that...My weakness is going though corners,I intend to do some training on that...It has to be the right kind of instructor thou,,I cannot stand the preacher type!!!!!

Click to expand...

The schools I mentioned will teach you how to corner. Track riding is the art of cornering. You do learn other skills along the way such as maximized braking efficiency, shifting techniques, power on, trailbraking, chasis settling, overall smooth operation, etc.

The Most Important Safety Equipment You Can Own - Common Sense

It tells you to use every piece of information, and gear you can find.

Old Can Ride said:

The Most Important Safety Equipment You Can Own - Common Sense

It tells you to use every piece of information, and gear you can find.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately this commodity is not available to all people, let alone 2-wheelers with a combustion engine between their legs.
Age has nothing to do with it. I have seen older people who ride like kids out of kindergarten.

When I first saw the title of your thread my first reaction was to give a two word answer "Your Brain"

jlandon said:

I have taken the MSF course and I highly recommend it. In addition, I highly recommend the book Proficient Motorcycling. I feel this book should be mandatory reading for all new riders and it is also a really good refresher (set of reminders) for experienced riders so they don't mistakenly think they are beyond focusing on safety and from properly recognizing potential hazards before they become actual hazards. I say, concrete, stationary objects, and speed combined together should never be taken for granted. Maybe it's just me...

Click to expand...

After I saw you mention this book I brought it and read it and I'm left feeling confused.

As I understand it this guy is some sort of safety person in the US with magazine columns etc. setting aside that this lunatic comes out with some utter rubbish I.e. "friends don't let friends wear HiViz" and " if you must drift into the oncoming lane in a corner then try to get back quickly". the rest of what he says is what's covered in the first few lessons of a basic riding test here in the UK, but from what he's saying its considered pretty advanced stateside.

I can't decide whether he's actually pro-safe riding, but doesn't want to alienate his readership, who are throttle grabbing loons by the sound of it, or if the standard of teaching in the US is a lot lower than in the UK. Either way, I'm moving to the US to live in a few months time and that book has seriously put me off riding State-side, I have a young kid and I'm not willing to put up with the level of poor riding and driving he's talking about - so much so that I spent today tracking down cars and SUV's and talking to my UK bike dealer about giving the bike back in a few weeks.

TL;DR..... Book has some serious rubbish in it, book has convinced me to sell bike before I emigrate to America. Sadface