Harrodsburg Cruisers Message Board

The MSF Basic RiderCourse - Available at EKU in Richmond, KY

by Bill Andrews

A new rider course?

I'm not a new rider. I've been in the saddle for over 20 years, and over a quarter million miles. New rider? Bah!

Well, that's the way I used to feel. But I'm here to tell you, brothers and sisters, I've seen the errors of my ways. I've seen how my emergency stops had all the snap of a cat after a long winter's nap, and how my cornering technique had somehow gained a life of its own. I've discovered there's a whole lot of motorcycling skills that must have seeped out of my brain while I was sleeping.

In short, friends, today I'm a reborn rider.

The thing about any skill is that over time it's easy to develop some bad habits. Some techniques don't get used in awhile -- and then they're forgotten.

Since my earliest recollection, my favorite mode of locomotion has always been two wheels -- bicycles first, then motorcycles. I was adept at riding, and I really enjoyed what I was doing. At one point, I can honestly say I felt one with the road, like a bird that doesn't even think about its wings to soar.

By the end of the weekend course, we would become very familiar with Mr. Cone.

Still, I have to admit that over the years my comfort level started to wane. I could ride down highways and secondary roads just fine. But the natural, almost instinctive connection with the road was gone, and the joy of banking through turns effortlessly had become a cumbersome set of thought processes.

So when a beginner's rider course became available, I decided to try and get rid of whatever demons had attached themselves to my shoulders. When I first started riding, there weren't many courses being offered. Now, they're available in every state. I've always thought you can never know too much about motorcycling. So why not start from the very beginning, and discover what I never knew?

Day one
The Course:

* Day One
It starts in the classroom with a get-acquainted session, and it becomes apparent that we are taking the course for many different reasons.
* Day Two
After a good night's sleep, we reconvene Saturday morning and our class of 18 heads out to the tarmac to become familiar with the real machines.
* Day Three
The instructors combine the individual exercises we did yesterday. We practice. Then it's test time.

© 2002, American Motorcyclist Association