Online motorcycle instruction

As a fairly safety conscious motorcyclist (Ah! frivolous modesty), I've been around the internet block of safety sites a few times. The sheer number of references to the American Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) is simply astounding. I'd go so far as to say that, for a non-profit organisation, they, and their rafts and rafts of sponsors have done rather well. And since I've never heard of any criticism (outside of the usual 'rear tyre locking exercise is a waste'), they must be good.

Since I live a fair distance away, and on the wrong side of the Atlantic, US Immigration Service and the Prime Meridian, getting to a MSF RiderCourse has been a long standing desire. So yesterday, imagine my surprise when trawling my usual set of hangouts, a link brought me the MSF online library. Suffice to say, I blazed through the material available and guess what, there is a whole bunch of information in there. Obviously, I've read parts of it here and there, but that does not count. It's like reading a psalm from The Bible here and there and then saying, you've read The Bible itself.

Here then, is link to Moses' mountain (Am I mixing the locations and times, then?).

While you're there, scroll down the read only BRC handbook. That is the complete handbook that accompanies the Basic RiderCourse. You can't print it out (dash it), but it is the full text, complete with intsructions and notes.

The MSF also runs an off-road school of sorts, and dirtbikeschool.com also has a neat PDF on off-road exercises designed to improve your skills and aptitute for off-road motorcycling. Although I just can't seem to find the link now. So sorry. I promise to update this post with the link as soon as I find it again.

Meantime, Cheesebeast has posted a humourous account of his time at the Basic RiderCourse at the Motorcycle Online forums. It makes a good read, and for that you should click here.