My brother-in-law is taking his MSF test tomorrow and I need you all to aim your positive vibe transmitters in the direction of New Brunswick, NJ.
I just received an email from him - he aced the written test (100%) but was obsessing over some trouble he had with finding the friction zone and not stalling out in first. Told him not to sweat it; almost everyone has problems with it. Besides, around here the bikes they use for the course aren't exactly what you'd call "tuned to perfection".
I really need for him to pass this so that I can have a riding buddy who knows exactly what it's like to be married to one of the Borgia sisters. As they say, misery loves company.
I wish him the best! But he'll probably do fine. Let us know!
1971 Hodaka Ace 100
1977 Suzuki GT250 is now sold... Good bike!
1980 Yamaha IT125
Honda: '66 CT90 KO; '83 CT110; '92 CT70; 2001 XR250
and 1 or 2 others... I need to sell some bikes!
Tough news - he didn't pass. Judging from what he told me, it sounds like his nerves got the better of him - he is kind of a high-strung guy. As of now, he says that he doesn't want to repeat the class, and I get the feeling that he might not pursue a two-wheeler any further. Too bad, would've been nice to spend some road time with him.
charlie55 wrote:Tough news - he didn't pass. Judging from what he told me, it sounds like his nerves got the better of him - he is kind of a high-strung guy. As of now, he says that he doesn't want to repeat the class, and I get the feeling that he might not pursue a two-wheeler any further. Too bad, would've been nice to spend some road time with him.
Thanks all for the support.
Aw, man... Sorry to hear. I was quietly pulling for him, but I've met some folks over the years who could not do the clutch thing. It just means there's something else out there that's going to be his thing. Sorry it didn't work out.
RoaringTodd wrote:Do they allow the use of personal scooters on the course?
Don't know. I took mine 6 years ago at a different location and I don't think they were allowed at that time.
Spoke with him late yesterday, and he racked up 25 penalty points with 20 being the limit for passing. Couldn't stay in the box during the figure-8 test, knocked over a cone on the swerves, and failed to brake in the required distance. Like some folks that have posted here on the forum, he felt that the course tried to cram too much into just a couple of days and he was overwhelmed. I dunno, I had never ridden anything two-wheeled but a bicycle and I thought that it was a relative piece of cake. Different folks learn differently I guess.
Could be a good thing however. I mean if someone gets that flustered in a controlled environment, it may not bode well for how they'd handle real-world scenarios.
Hey charlie, I taught 3 ranges this weekend, and every part of my body aches.
I've had students who are doing ok all day long, but as soon as the clipboard comes out, they forget everything they've been doing. I try to hide it and not make a big deal so it sorta feels just like the rest of the day, but some folks just get in their own way.
The box isn't a big deal, but the other two areas, clipping on the swerve and not stopping quickly enough, those are life-saving skills. Maybe he should have failed.
If he wants it bad enough, he'll do it again. And sorry about the Borgia sister...life's too short.
siobhan wrote:Hey charlie, I taught 3 ranges this weekend, and every part of my body aches.
I've had students who are doing ok all day long, but as soon as the clipboard comes out, they forget everything they've been doing. I try to hide it and not make a big deal so it sorta feels just like the rest of the day, but some folks just get in their own way.
The box isn't a big deal, but the other two areas, clipping on the swerve and not stopping quickly enough, those are life-saving skills. Maybe he should have failed.
If he wants it bad enough, he'll do it again. And sorry about the Borgia sister...life's too short.
Yeah, I think that like a lot of folks, he fell in love with the idea of riding but got thrown for a loop when the reality finally set in - it ain't all rainbows and unicorn farts. I felt that his initial idea that he was going to just hop onto a $20,000 Indian and tootle back and forth to Manhattan every day was pretty unrealistic - that's why I tried to slow him down a bit by suggesting that he take the MSF course. Better to eat $250 and nurse a bruised ego than to rack up a big-bucks ride and be nursing a broken neck.
