Motorcycle Safety Education Course

[the_finch]

Here in Dothan, AL, it's $225 for the BRC. Not required for your license. If you have a valid driver's license, you can pay $5.00 and take a 50 question written test (you're allowed to miss up to 5) and then you're qualified to ride a motorcycle! (maybe that's why there's alot of motorcycle accidents around here).

I took mine a few months after getting the FZR, and it helped alot, mainly because the FZR is the very first motorcycle I've every owned and ridden, and I didn't know anything about properly riding in traffic, even after getting my motorycle endorsement.

On a side note, Alabama does have a helmet law, though some people try to fight it (for some reason).

[cad600]

You can get your endorsement in GA by just going and taking a written test and a riding skills test. No other experience is required. You can even take the written test first which gives you a "learners permit" to ride a motorcycle. The only restrictions with it are no passengers, no night riding, and no limited access roads (highways). The state offers a MSF course as well as a few other places.

I took mine through the local Harley dealer. It was somewhere between $250 and $350 (I can't really remember any more). But since I had already taken the state written, I just showed the MSF certificate and got my full endorsement. I've heard the GA state riding skills test is a bit of a pain so I choose to skip it and take the MSF instead. I learned a lot taking it so it was well worth it.

[manveru]

wow, you have to take a course to get a liscense , in colorado you can get your liscense in one day if you take the written test and driving test the same day, cost $25 maybe i don't remember. Glad your finally legal.

[shredex]

I could never complete the course on a sport bike...you a need a bike that turns like hell...like an enduro bike like I used on the course...sport bikes just dont have the turning capibility to do the U-turn/figure-eight...I thought it was just me until I got on that dual purpose bike and I did it no problem

[thatkid]

I could never complete the course on a sport bike...you a need a bike that turns like hell...like an enduro bike like I used on the course...sport bikes just dont have the turning capibility to do the U-turn/figure-eight...I thought it was just me until I got on that dual purpose bike and I did it no problem

That excuse doesn't work cause the instructors can do the figure 8 with a huge goldwing. A sportbike will do the 8 in the box, you just have to be good at slow speed maneuvering.

In IL the course is 20 bucks and you can get it back at the end of the session if you felt you didn't get your 20 out of the course. Otherwise you can go down to the dmv and take the written for free which is 20 questions and you can miss 3 or 5. That gives you the no night, no passengers, riding next to a licensed rider for at least a year ability. Then it's the practical which is free also, but much harder than the MSF one so 20 bucks is worth it. All you pay for is the added endorsement on your license.

[shredex]

my fiz does not have the steering radius that other bikes have...goldwings have a larger steering radius just like the police bikes...it might be because of the r1 fork swap but the 8 is just out of the picture...im thinking about grinding down the steering stopper on the frame about 1/8"-3/16" on each side to make the whole radius larger.
i would love to see someone do it on my bike though...you would need to do a circle burnout to accomplish it.

[reelrazor]

my fiz does not have the steering radius that other bikes have...goldwings have a larger steering radius just like the police bikes...it might be because of the r1 fork swap but the 8 is just out of the picture...im thinking about grinding down the steering stopper on the frame about 1/8"-3/16" on each side to make the whole radius larger.
i would love to see someone do it on my bike though...you would need to do a circle burnout to accomplish it.

Dude, guys on harley customs can do it.

My bud's chopper has a 68" wheelbase and is raked out ridiculously...and I am pretty sure I could do the figure 8 on it.

I think you need to get the slack outa your chain and go practice

[shredex]

like I said...its not the wheel base...it how far you can turn your bars...
you guys have fzr's go out and try one and stay only on 2 lanes (and not the wider lanes...)
after doing many 8's on the course with the dual-purpose bike with no problem, I brought my bike onto the range they had and tired it in the box and failed miserably.
my bike allows for about a 25 degree turn from straight to all the way right...the harleys and other bikes have around 45 degrees

[thatkid]

Your bike isn't a stock setup. Every factory bike can do an 8 in a parking space. I wouldn't plan on taking the advanced course if you can't do an 8 on your bike.

[yamaha_george]

like I said...its not the wheel base...it how far you can turn your bars...
you guys have fzr's go out and try one and stay only on 2 lanes (and not the wider lanes...)
after doing many 8's on the course with the dual-purpose bike with no problem, I brought my bike onto the range they had and tired it in the box and failed miserably.
my bike allows for about a 25 degree turn from straight to all the way right...the harleys and other bikes have around 45 degrees

Shred,
Yes the turning radius is governed partialy by the stop to stop left & right. When I took my brit test we have to do a slalom course with the bike that is set up for 125 dirt bikes I turned up on my RD400 after explaning patiently yes I am allowed to ride it or any other bike in the world on my international licence (lasts 1 year from entry into any country before you must get a local licence if the laws are like the brits)
The instructor laughed say you will never make it so I bet him his fee against my doing it. The RD is like your bike very restricted BUT I also now how to ride trials bikes so I just used brakes and throttle to bump the back end round with body english job done .
I pass cert and no charge .

Learn to work the bike and trim the stops so the bars do not trap your thumbs on the tank :-}

[reelrazor]

like I said...its not the wheel base...it how far you can turn your bars...
you guys have fzr's go out and try one and stay only on 2 lanes (and not the wider lanes...)
after doing many 8's on the course with the dual-purpose bike with no problem, I brought my bike onto the range they had and tired it in the box and failed miserably.
my bike allows for about a 25 degree turn from straight to all the way right...the harleys and other bikes have around 45 degrees

Once they are raked out near 45° HALF of the steering input is VERTICAL-the headstock rises and falls-so we're talking less than your 25°(50°total steering lock).

But, like George said, there is no reason why you can't get your bike to do it-hell if you have to push your clipons forward at the tips to get more clearance-do it. If you keep telling yourself you can't, you never will.

I took the Michigan test-including a figure eight on my FZR a couple years ago.

[space_weazel]

Sad.... The MSC here in Oregon is not required, and only cost $100 same three day set up, we seem to have great and really friendly instructors, and I really enjoyed the class, I felt like I got a lot out of it, and though I wanted to ride before I took the course, after the course I couldn't wait.

Sorry your course sucked so much.

[PIMPMYFZR]

Here in Michigan when i took my course , i tried every month to sign up for Motorcycle class but it was full everytime so this lady on a bike told me take the advanced course at the local C.C so i said what the hell .. and you use your own bike .. it cost $50 i belive and it was only one day ..I had the fiz and a couple bruthas had a RC-51 and a chromed out ZX-9 with extended swingarm ..Mind u i rode the fiz 2 yrs before i took the course so when we went out on the parking lot to do the courses .. after seeing the instructor on his big ass goldwing do that figure 8 i was like this aint shit , i tried first time messed up . tried again Got it .. The other dudes on their Bikes couldnt do it for the life of them , honest to god my bike did so well but i think i played a little part in it also .. Some 350 lb woman on a Valkrie or somthing like that could'nt ride it for jack but they still gave everyone their little slips at the end of the day . One thing i noticed about the fzr during the course is that while waiting your turn to do the next drill when there 30 other bikes it would start to overheat that i would turn it off till it was my turn togo next or move up in position ..

[shredex]

i can do the 8 on my bike, but i need 2 &1/2 lanes to do it...unlike the 2 lanes your suppose to do it on....Ill try again later today to see if I can get closer

[shredex]

I got my motorcycle liscence today!
im officially legal to drive my bike now
and finally got to update the pic on there
cost me 22.25 to have it made
*$10 liscence/id fee
*$7 endorsment fee
*$5.25 tax collection fee

so all together it was $222.25