MSF With My Own Scoot or With Their bikes?

[Piedmont]

I'm signed up for a MSF weekend course out at our local training center, Rolling Wheels. They said I was welcome to use my new scooter, which I hope to have by then, but I'll have to ride it the 5 and a half miles there all three days.

So should I lay their bikes down if I go down, or is it worth it to be able to automatically apply the teachings to my scoot instead of translating through a range bike?

[kilted texan]

So should I lay their bikes down if I go down or mine...

Do we need to answer that? If you are a good learner I do not think you will have any issues.

[She-Buddy]

While I am not allowed to use anything but the cycles provided through the MSF course (they don't want cycles they haven't saftey-tested), I don't mind.

I think the cross-training will be good for me, and possibly for you if you end up agreeing with me. Test-riding on a more complex cycle may better prepare me for handling the Buddy. It'll also make me feel more comfortable, should I ever decide to move up to a 250cc, etc.

This will be my first scooter so I can't say I'll never use another type of cycle. Just my thoughts and things to think about.

[jfrost2]

For the best experience, use their bikes, learning to ride a motorcycle before riding a little scooter really helps. You learn many things there that you would never learn using your scooter.

Shifting gears is the big part, but they teach you how to do it. Lift up once with your feet and you shift up 1 gear, press down and you go down 1 gear, no matter what you do life/press you can only change 1 gear per lift or press.

[EP_scoot]

Piedmont,
do a search for MSF and read the different revies on the courses.
Taking your own scoot:
PROS:
-you will get the feel for the exercises with YOUR scoot and get more familiar with it.
- you dump their bike, it is THEIR money that pays for the repairs.

CONS:
- there is quite a bit of clutch control exercises that might make you feel left out a bit.
- you dump your scoot, it is YOUR money that pays for the repairs.


The exercises apply to 2 wheel vehicles the same, be that a MC or scoot.

I would take it on their bikes, and then, after you pass the MSF, pratice the exercises on the scoot .

[jfrost2]

Some lessons for instance they want you to shift gears and hear the sound of your bike, on a automatic scooter it isnt easy please the teacher when you cant shift gears. Unless you're on a stella or some other manual scooter, then they'd probably accept that a bit easier.

[Dooglas]

I think it is a matter of what you are intending to learn. If you also want the proficiency on manual shift motorcycles then, of course, use one of theirs. If your intention is only to make yourself more proficient and familiar with your CVT scoot then I think using it is a good way to go. I noticed some new riders struggled constantly with the clutch and shift lever on the school bikes. I presume these were folks who had no experience in manual transmission cars either. They spent so much time trying to master the mechanics of shifting, I'm not sure they learned that much.

If you think you are at really high risk of dumping the bike you ride in the course, I suppose that is an argument. The exercises in the course are not really that difficult or dangerous though. If you are willing to ride your scoot on the street it should be no bigger problem riding it in the course.

The local safety course, Team Oregon, lets you use your own scoot with the permission of the instructor and usually several people do in each course. It is "luck of the draw" though, whether your instructor has experience on scooters and gives you some extra useful tips.

[jfrost2]

Even without shifting, the slow tight turns and maneuvers they make you do in the MSF, I can say many people drop their bikes 1-2 times and do damage to them.

I wouldn't want to use my own bike in the class even if you know how to ride it, it'll be in the shop for repairs after the class then.

[SScooterG]

My boyfriend and I took the MSF course on our own bikes this past weekend. We wished we would have used their motorcycles, as we missed out on the shifting (but I don't ever plan on driving a motorcycle). However, it was nice to have our own bikes, and our instructors loved us!! We made perfect scores on the maneuverability tests and quick stop (we stopped in about half the distance for the speed we were going) and it was a topic starter for the other students. I also felt immediately more proficient on my scooter. We didn't drop our bikes once, in fact, only two guys dropped their bikes throughout the whole weekend (one time was on the test, uh oh)! As mentioned before, you'll miss out on gear shifting and clutch control, but that's the point of having a TNG, idn't it?

[Dooglas]

Even without shifting, the slow tight turns and maneuvers they make you do in the MSF, I can say many people drop their bikes 1-2 times and do damage to them.

Hmmm, maybe there are larger differences in the course from state to state than I thought. I saw only two people "drop" their bikes in two days of practical exercises. Both really just layed them over at about zero speed. Both riders ended up dropping out of the course. I think they became frustrated and psyched themselves out rather than continuing to work at it.

[heavypetting]

MSF bikes don't get repaired much! Most don't have turn signals, etc.

[louie]

I noticed some new riders struggled constantly with the clutch and shift lever on the school bikes. I presume these were folks who had no experience in manual transmission cars either. They spent so much time trying to master the mechanics of shifting, I'm not sure they learned that much.

If you think you are at really high risk of dumping the bike you ride in the course, I suppose that is an argument. The exercises in the course are not really that difficult or dangerous though.

i'd own several manner of manual shift cars in the past and tried to shift gears on my way home after the first day of riding. that was a strange sensation.
but, one of the women quit the during he first day and i think it had a lot to do with the fact she wasn't familiar with manuals. there's something to be said about knowing the machanics of shifting going in.
but i still dropped their bike. so...

get someone to teach you to drive their manual car first and drop the courses' bike?

[jfrost2]

I dropped my bike twice, once was because of a heavy puddle near my parking spot when we lined the bikes back up, It didnt fully drop, But I still had it in my arms.


I've never driven or ridden a manual bike/car before, bit I caught on quick.

[brimstone]

use their bikes, if something happens and it does get dropped, it's theirs and not yours. when i took the course a couple years ago, nobody dropped their cycles. i've ridden bikes on and off when i was a kid and i used to own a 1200cc goldwing, so i think i was in better shape then most in my class, but taking it on a motorcycle just opens up one more door. it's better to have the knowledge of how ride a motorcycle, then to try and jump on one and take off without knowing what you're doing.

[schlagle]

I'd rather get more practice and knowledge than I need. You never know when someone might show up with a motorcycle that you would want to take a spin on. If you practice on the MSF motorcycles you'll have that extra bit of knowledge.

Plus, being forced to also consider your clutch and shifter while doing the exercises is a great way to practice your multitasking while riding. Lets face it, you NEED to multitask while riding. Everyone on the road is trying to run you over. You need to know what everyone is doing, what they could possibly do, and how you're going to react at all times.