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Taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse

Editor's note: Since this article was written, the MSF has changed to a new curriculum for the Basic RiderCourse. Many parts of the experience are similar, however. If you would like to review the current curriculum, download the course handbook (.pdf) from the MSF site.

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.

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?