Anyone ever take the motorcycle safety course

[Mariner Fan]

I'm taking the beginning motorcycle safety course put on by ABATE of Indiana. I must say that it's a fantastic program. Yea, I know most of this stuff but it's a great reinforcement for your rider skills. BTW, it's a full, three day course.

 

The weird part is you have to do the skills testing on a Suzuki 125. After a day of this the Venture feels like the Titantic!

 

I think I'll enroll for the advanced course next.

[Oldseadog]

I agree. The course was intense, but after a 20+ year gap in riding I thought it would be the best route to go. I also needed to pass the course in order to be issed a parking pass on military property. We used Honda 125Ts. Boy did my bike feel big when I was finished. Made me feel good though when as the third person to take the final exam I was the first to pass. I was the oldest on the course too.:banana:

[rod]

I take it every week while I teach:322:. Doing the ERC every couple of years is good to keep your skills sharp. Rod

[Gold Rush]

HERE HERE ROD!!!

 

I haven't taken the course in a while now but I too use to teach the course when I was active duty Air Force. I try to get out and practice the principles as often as I can but you actually teaching right now sure keeps your skills sharper. :clap2:

 

Just a plug for any/all rider safety training courses -- one can never become over trained in this area !!!! :thumbsup2:

[Missionary Rider]

Took the ERC course just over a year ago on my previous bike, a Vstar 1100.

Need to do it again on the Venture.

Lynn

[TEW47]

How would like to teach the ERC course on a Venture? Does make it a little harder. Noteable in the box and offset weave. I like exercise 9 the best. Rode with a group today mostly HD, boy did they needed to take the BRC real bad!!! One of my students who took the BRC two months ago rode better than they did. I was proud of him.

 

tew47

[RedRider]

Try to take the ERC every 2 years. They are not holding it this summer in town, but will get it next year. Always a good idea.

 

RR

[WV Terry]

I took the beginning class several years ago & my wife took & passed the same earlier this year. I truly believe that it should be mandatory to receive your license. With as many bikes as there is on the road (and lots more coming with fuel prices) it would make everyone's ride safer if they at least know the basics.

I too would like to take the advanced class & will either this year or next.

Off my soapbox now!! LOL

Terry

[Freebird]

I took the beginners class about 12 years ago and then the advanced class a few years later. Both are well worth doing and highly recommended.

[Squidley]

To get my cycle endorsement in Michigan some 10 + years ago I had to take one. I did it on my bike (which was an 850 Suzuki) and found that I learned a lot even though I was riding for years before that. I think it's a great idea and even better that it has to be taken before a license is issue. I would also like to take an advanced course for the touring bikes on my Venture.

[rod]

Doing the ERC on a Venture is a challenge. The offset weave was my biggest problem. The solution was to just believe the bike would do it and go for it. It is funny how some of the new riders that listen and follow instructions do better than the experienced riders. Never stop practicing you life may depend on your ability to handle the bike. Ride safe Rod

[waterbug]

I took the class last month so I wouldnt have to take the riding test and I wanted to see what my bad habbits are and I havent rode in about 15yrs. It was alot diffrent ridding those little bikes but it teaches you the basics. I asked about the experianced class and they told me that you have to use your bike in it and they have at least two every class that drop theres and one poor guy totaled his because it wouldnt stop and hit a pole. She told me the class is very hard but if you pass its a great class. I dont think I am going to take it with my bike but maybe down the road who knows.

[rod]

For those who ar afraid of dropping the bike and scratching the drop bars. Go to the home supply store of your choice and get the insulation that goes over 1" pipe and wrap that over the bars and tape in place. Cheap foam bumpers to protect the chrome. It is true that 1 or 2 people drop their bikes. Most of the time it is grabbing the front brake that brings them down, either stopped or very slow speed. If you follow the directions and are careful you will get thru fine. Ride safe Rod

[Snaggletooth]

Took the ERC a few weeks ago. Rode the VR. It's hard to get into here as they only take 36 riders a year. Got in after a cancellation. I felt like I was on a monster bike compared to all the crotch rockets that came.

 

It was 7 hours on the track in the heat, the rain, the wind and the lightening. They didn't coddle to the fair weather riders that's for sure. If ya quit, ya took it over.

 

A few bikes went down in the sweepers and a few took some damage. I was proud that the old girl and I made it through with no scratches or scrapes. It was a great experience and well worth the time and money spent. It brought my bad habits to light and helped tune in some new skills.

 

I wish I'd had time to practice the "Ride Like a Pro" techniques before I went. The skills taught on that DVD would have been a huge plus in the ERC class. That 20 ft box with the double u-turns inside would have been a lot easier. LOL!

[CrazyHorse]

Doing the ERC on a Venture is a challenge. The offset weave was my biggest problem. The solution was to just believe the bike would do it and go for it. It is funny how some of the new riders that listen and follow instructions do better than the experienced riders. Never stop practicing you life may depend on your ability to handle the bike. Ride safe Rod

 

]

This is very true. Guys that are new and learn the correct way usually do better then the ones that "I have been riding 20 years". In a short amount of time.

[CrazyHorse]

Doing the ERC on a Venture is a challenge. The offset weave was my biggest problem. The solution was to just believe the bike would do it and go for it. It is funny how some of the new riders that listen and follow instructions do better than the experienced riders. Never stop practicing you life may depend on your ability to handle the bike. Ride safe Rod

 

 

Try the weave just with clutch and throttle with no rear brake. Its a nice challange.

[rod]

Try the weave just with clutch and throttle with no rear brake. Its a nice challange.

 

Yep have done it both ways and trail brakeing is much smoother for me. They like us to demo differant tecneques so had to learn several way to do things. What works for some bikes/riders do not work for others. Wings with the linked/integated brakes don't trail brake well. Rod

[pegscraper]

I took the Abate class two years ago with my wife, as she wanted to learn to ride. I'd been riding street bikes, dirt bikes, and three wheelers for more than 20 years, and at the time I would have said that I could have gone right to the advanced course and didn't really need the basic one. But I was amazed to find that I learned a couple things. Before then, I didn't know that bikes could turn as sharp as they can. I realized that I would have done very poorly had I gone straight into the advanced class.

 

We rode the little 125s, and when we left for lunch, man my bike never felt so heavy. I frankly think the class should be mandatory for new riders getting their license. I'd like to go back now and take the advanced course, especially after practicing some of the RLAP stuff, but I haven't yet.

[Leland]

My son wanted to get his M/C endorsement. Since I had never taken a rider's course, I signed up with him to take the ABATE beginners course a few weeks ago. When I originally got my M/C endorsement, it was a one question test; Do you ride a motorcycle? Of course it was very informative, but I was also glad to know that I hadn't been doing everything wrong all of these years.

 

Now the sad part is that one of the students was a thirty-something aerospace engineer. That would make him a rocket scientist, right? Man, this guy just did not get it. He talked about buying a bike and taking his wife on rides. I almost felt like getting his telephone number so I could call his wife and tell her she should let him ride alone for quite awhile to get some practice. But, he passed the course. Which proves that just because you can pass a test is no guarantee of your proficiency.

[Mariner Fan]

Well, I'm back. Passed with flying colors. Well, except for that dang double u-turn box. I never can seem to get the last U-turn right.

 

I'll be practicing the ride like a pro drills before I go into the advanced class. Four of the class members did not pass so it's not as easy as you might think.

 

Glad I took this class. Getting educated on proper riding techniques is money well spent.

[pegscraper]

That double U turn box is also the only place where I lost points in the final test. I went outside in the second turn. But I had also just realized that bikes could turn that sharp in the first place, and there wasn't really enough time for individual practice of the exercises. I would have liked to work on that more while we were there. I didn't really get the technique figured out then. But I work on the RLAP stuff on my own now.

 

We also had a couple people not pass the test, and they truly did not deserve to pass. The instructors would have been doing them a real disservice to pass them. Plus there were two or three others who dropped out earlier and never made it to the final test.

[FozzyUSN]

The first course I took was in 1882 in Lafayette, IN. When I moved to Ohio in 2000, I didn't have a bike at that time, so I couldn't get the MC endorsement. I picked up Big Red in 2006 and took the course offered by Honda in Troy, OH. This was on a smaller Honda which covered the road course required by OH. It was much easier on the smaller Honda than it would have been on the Big Red. Ohio also has an experienced course that I would like to take in a few years and I've been told I could also get a job teaching the course (a scary thought) after a few years on the road.

[KingSizer]

In Pennsylvania, to get you motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license you can go straight to the license testing center and do a skills test. Several people have said that the skills test they make you do are nearly impossible though.

The other option is to sign up for a MSF class that consists of a 8 hours classroom time and a 50 point test, then 16 hours out on the course over 2 weekends. On the last day you do the skills test and if you pass they stamp your mc permit.

There is a long waiting list to get into the class because they only had 16 bikes to use. They were little suzuki gz 250's. and everyone of them was scratched and dented.

Of the 16 in my class there was 2 or 3 that didn't pass, so the instructors didn't just give anybody a free pass. I learned ALOT but I have probably forgot alot also, so I have thought about going and taking it again. There is no cost in PA to take the class.

I would recommend taking the class to not only new riders but to anyone who rides, regardless of experience.

[KiteSquid]

Getting educated on proper riding techniques is money well spent.

 

Amen!!!!!

[PBJ]

I took the beginners class about 12 years ago and then the advanced class a few years later. Both are well worth doing and highly recommended.

 

Hey Don, I was just going to ask if anyone had taken the advanced riding course could you give us some details about the differences between the beginner and Advanced?