So, last Sunday, my fiancee and I got T-Boned in her car. It wasn’t a hard hit, and no one was hurt, but we got the estimate from the body shop yesterday. The girl who ran into us caused $2700 worth of damage, and it’s going to take two weeks to fix the car. Because of this, and because my Kia hasn’t been running well enough to drive daily since January (it needs an alternator), we decided to get two new, more fuel efficient vehicles.
I’m super-pumped! She financed the bike for me, and we paid for the scooter outright. Mine is a Suzuki M50, and hers is a Buddy 50. A scooter works well for her short commute (5 miles), while the bike lets me use the HOV lane. For me, the dealership threw in a new helmet, jacket, and gloves. I need to go back and get pants and saddlebags; I wear slacks to work and have to take papers to grade to and from work pretty often.
I’m excited, and can’t wait to ride it some more. I’m going to ride for a couple weeks, then take the MSF Intermediate course. I already know how to shift and steer and such, so I don’t think their beginner course is for me.
Hmmm… since I can’t report my own post, could a moderator please move this to MPSIMS for me? It seems better suited to that. I posted in IMHO out of habit, sorry!
Arizona highway riding, with little motorbike experience? Be careful, dude. It doesn’t take much to get hit there (no offense to any Arizonians, but damn, y’all have some poor drivers out there).
I’d take the course before going all out in rush hour traffic, but it’s your call. Anyway, congrats on the rides!
I highly suggest taking the beginner MSF course, and doing so before you get on the road, for several reasons. Calling the course a beginner course is a bit misleading. I’ve been riding dirtbikes since I was a kid, and streetbikes since I moved out of my parents house. I still learned a whole heck of a lot in the “beginner” class. They teach a lot of things that it’s a good idea to get practice in before it’s an emergency. Obstacle avoidance, braking and cornering techniques, slow speed maneuvering. I emailed the head of the course here in New Mexico, asking for details about the intermediate course, and he strongly suggested taking the beginner class first. If you get on just about any motorcycle forum online, the older guys there will tell you they’ve been riding for 20 years and still learned something in the course. The instructors are really good at picking up bad habits you have. They also let you ride their bikes, whereas in the intermediate class you use your own, so it’s a good opportunity to practice certain things with a small bike that you’re more confident on and you don’t care if it gets dropped.
Finally, taking the beginner course in most states will allow you to not have to take the course at the DMV, which is easy, but can be a pain in the ass to schedule, depending on the location. It’s pretty inexpensive, mine was only $150 for 14 hours of instruction, and it was well worth it. You can always take the advanced course in a few months after you get used to your bike. You’ll get a lot more out of that class if you’re comfortable on your bike. But in the meantime, you should take the beginner one.
God, maybe I should come to NM to do the course! Here in AZ, the beginner is $275, while the intermediate is $150. I do appreciate the input, though. Unfortunately, circumstances dictate that I have to ride before I take the class; I have no other way to get to work 3 days this week. I will consider taking the beginner course, though.
I’d also recommend taking the beginner MSF course, but it’s not true that you “don’t care” if you drop the bike. Generally, that’s grounds for failing the class. Also, be aware that the course mostly teaches slow speed skills. It’s a good idea to practice riding at speed - including emergency braking - before you get on a road that’s busy with cages!
Jill
Honda CB599