Some Tips I learned from MSF Range Day 1

[shrimants]

• trim your nails. my gloves are fantastic and fit great. too great. curling my hands was not a problem until I grew my nails out and the seams kept getting stuck inside the nail and pulling at it. Very sore fingers tonight.
• invest in baby powder and/or anti-chaffing powder. Liberally apply it to everything in your pants. groin, buttcrack, ABC (ass ball connection), thighs, buttcheeks.
• make sure you have comfy pants and underpants. my underpants start irritating my skin after prolonged sitting and sweating.
• try on a bunch of different helmets and find one that fits your overall head shape. dont just buy shoei just because its shoei. different manufacturers have different shapes, and you'll thank yourself if you get a helmet that fits you nicely.
• invest in a moisture wicking long sleeves golf shirt. bring a jacket and sweatshirt. I had a thin sweatshirt and a moisture wicking t-shirt underneath but it was VERY hot still. glad i didnt just wear my leather jacket.
• haircut. 5 hours of helmet wearing will make you look ridiculous. I was originally planning on keeping my hair long but im going to go get a buzz. i cant be coming in to work with dr. frankenstien hair.
• water. get a (preferably) insulated bottle, fill the entire thing with ice, fill the gaps with water. take it with you. drink often. you lose a ton of moisture to sweat.
• food. hit up the grocery store, buy a few protien bar type things and maybe some lunchables, or at least pack something. you'll get hungry and its good to eat during the 5 minute breaks you get.
• timing: its great to be able to show up to the class at 12:45 but its significantly cooler and more comfortable at 7AM. i'm happy i went with the afternoon class but morning might be a better time, plus you'll have the entire rest of the day to do whatever.
• License: dont set up a dmv appointment for 1 week after the class. you probably wont get that certificate in time, and if you already have a permit you'll just be wasting your time unless you want to try to take the driving oriented test. I set my appt. up for this friday. if i dont get the cert by then, i'll just do the permit test and register my bike. hopefully i can take the real test and be able to get the endorsement but my hopes are slim.

 

[sanjuro]

Try some bike shorts.

I also took MSF at the College of San Mateo, because I knew it would be cool up there.

There is nothing as miserable as sitting on a hot motorcycle going 10mph!

 

[shrimants]

they require full sleeves and full pants for riding. do you mean bike shorts underneath jeans?

 

[sanjuro]

they require full sleeves and full pants for riding. do you mean bike shorts underneath jeans?

Yes!

I ride with armored pants at all times, but on long rides, I wear bike shorts underneath.

They prevent chafing and the pad is more comfortable.

 

[Deftone]

^ this, + some baby powder, especially when it's hot.

 

[YellowBastard]

Or take the morning class and freeze for 2 hours instead of sweating for 4 :rofl
Come one guys, let's not overthink the MSF course.

Do you really need to bring protein bars to sit on a turned-off motorcycle and rock back and forth for hours at a time, then go 20mph and never use more than 1/4 of the throttle?

Regarding the DMV, I like using the "roll-over appointment" strategy. I just make an appointment, and then I make another one for the week after. Since there's no downside to just cancelling an appointment the last minute, you can just roll them over until you get your certification in the mail. I consider this fair practice, since the DMV does such a shitty job at being the DMV.

 

[Mrwoo]

Never take that class in 102 degree weather...ohh wait you Bay area folks don't have that issue.

 

[shrimants]

DMV strategy is good.

personally, i get a very shortened attention span and i get pretty irratable if im hungry, so i carried a couple nutrigrain bars to munch on during breaks. it was nice.

passed today, so now next step is getting bike parts and going to the dmv for the permit. and possibly making another appointment if i dont have the DL form by then.

 

[YellowBastard]

so now next step is getting bike parts

You know they sell bikes pre-built, right? You don't have to buy parts and make it yourself.

 

[Pking]

Took my MSF in the rain, so it was all good...but wet:teeth

 

[shrimants]

You know they sell bikes pre-built, right? You don't have to buy parts and make it yourself.

the bike i bought needs some minor repairs and some tune up stuff. im waiting on parts for those repairs. when they show up im taking it to a mechanic to give it a once over and do all the standard maintanence and see what else he finds wrong.

 

[Cincinnatus]

Or sell what you've got for parts and use the money to buy a bike that isn't a POS. :laughing

 

[aram]

Come one guys, let's not overthink the MSF course.

+1

Be on time. Bring some snacks and water and the required clothing and a good attitude.

If the loaner helmet fits like crap and smells funky, it's ok. You're just putzing around the parking lot for a few hours.

 

[shrimants]

it does just boil down to putzing around in the parking lot for 10 hours. but that doesnt mean you should be uncomfortable while doing it. thats the only reason i made tips anyways, some of the people who showed up were woefully unprepared and were absolutely miserable the entire time. enough that they were no longer paying attention to the instructor and fucked up exercises.

anyways, when you do the class, dont be so damn scared to fall. you wont fail if you go over the line but why are you riding if you're so damn scared to fall at 2 miles an hour? if what you did the first time doesnt work, try something else. go faster. go slower. counterweight. SOMETHING. its sickening watching people make the exact same mistake over and over.

and stop complaining about the figure 8.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8o_KVoe3dg&index=3&list=FLjBiIpw2u75gM-nPFYQCrGw

 

[GixxerLover]

• water. get a (preferably) insulated bottle, fill the entire thing with ice, fill the gaps with water. take it with you. drink often. you lose a ton of moisture to sweat.

Took my course in the summer and I would highly recommend the camelbak. The night before, I froze a big water bottle. The day of, I filled the camelbak with ice and water. Then I added the cold water from the water bottle throughout the day during the 5min breaks. It's amazing what a difference it makes to drink at any time whenever you're stopped to get directions from the instructors.