I remember looking at the MSF course website and thinking, “Is the MSF course worth it?”. A couple hundred dollars and the earliest class was 2 months out. Sheesh!
On the other hand, my friend had already tested and received his motorcycle license after a couple of backyard sessions on another friend’s bike and a ridiculously easy test at the DMV. After all was said and done, he was on the road, legally, for less than $40.
It seemed like a no-brainer to take him up on his offer to join them and finally learn how to ride.
But for whatever reason, I went ahead and signed up for the MSF course, just in case.
As the date for the course grew closer, I realized I had never made it up to my friends to practice.
And it was too late, I was taking the MSF course in less than a week with no experience, no preparation, and no motorcycle gear.
After scrambling to go over the course guide, buy gear, and do all the YouTube research I could cram into 1 week, I found myself walking into the MSF classroom nervous but excited.
I remember coming home sore and exhausted after the first day. But I couldn’t contain my excitement.
The MSF course was much more than just learning how to operate a motorcycle, it was a life-saving experience that I rank high up there in terms of my time on a motorcycle.
Even after years of riding, I am reminded almost every time I hit the road, that I made the right choice.
So is the MSF course worth it? This article is to convince you that it is.
Why You Should Take the MSF Course
Is the MSF course necessary? No, but I think it should be mandatory for all riders, regardless of their skill level.
Let me explain.
What is the MSF Course
The MSF Course is a 2-day course designed to teach complete beginners how to ride a motorcycle safely and effectively.
That means you can come into the course with absolutely zero experience with a motorcycle and still learn how to ride within 2 days of practice.
Not just that, they teach you a myriad of skills you can build upon and life-saving rules that keep you safe on the road.
The MSF Course:
- Costs between $200-400
- Designed with the absolute beginner in mind
- Takes place over 2 days
- Consists of 10 hours of motorcycle practice and 5 hours in the classroom
- Covers skills on the motorcycle and the road
- Course provided motorcycles
- Passing waives any further DMV testing and grants you a license
The MSF course also hosts intermediate and advanced level courses for riders who pass the basic course.
So why should you take it? And what puts it above self-learning?
Benefits of the MSF Course
Although it does come at a cost, the MSF course is more than worth it. And if you pass, it literally pays for itself in less than a year of insurance discounts.
I remember seeing 2 guys in my MSF course that didn’t look like they needed to be there. They had no problem with the first few drills on the motorcycle and could even brake slide the rear when stopping. I was wondering why they decided to take the course until we started getting to the slow-speed drills. They were just as lost as the rest of us. And in the classroom, it became more apparent, they didn’t know any of the road rules we were learning. They obviously had motorcycle experience but the course filled in the other 90%.
The MSF course comes with a list of benefits that make it a no-brainer for 99% of riders
1. Learn How to Ride With No Prior Experience
The MSF course is designed for the complete beginner.
You can come into the course with no experience and still learn how to ride a motorcycle.
They start from the most basic steps and slowly build you up to the point where you can do figure 8s, emergency braking, and slow-speed drills that even experienced riders struggle with.
2. Course Provided Motorcycles
Unless you have a cool friend, it could be costly to source a motorcycle to learn on. And what happens if you decide riding is not for you? You could be out a lot of money.
The MSF course provides the motorcycle for you to learn on.
What’s better, you can feel confident that the motorcycle is mechanically safe and made for beginners. Plus, it beats wrecking your friend’s bike after they so kindly offered to help you learn.
3. Fun and Exciting Experience
The MSF course was an absolute blast.
Every rider was sore, tired, and stiff as a board, yet we all had the same thought – we couldn’t wait to get back on the bikes.
The class consisted of all ages and backgrounds, people you would never expect to meet out in the world, yet by the end, we were all clapping and cheering for each other as we went through the drills.
4. Learn Life-Saving Skills
One of the best things about the MSF course doesn’t even happen on the range with the motorcycles, it’s in the classroom.
The course teaches you a host of life-saving skills for when you’re out on the road. Like lane position, awareness, how to handle objects on the road, and how to read other drivers. The list goes on.
Even after years of riding, I still use every lesson I learned in that classroom.
5. Guidance From Experienced Riders and Teachers
The MSF course is taught by instructors who have years of experience riding and teaching.
This sets you up to learn in the best way possible because they have seen it all and can help virtually any rider with any struggle.
When you are self-taught, not all the advice you receive is designed for your skill level, and not all of it is good advice.
With the MSF course, you are getting the advice that meets you at the beginner level, so you can build upon it.
6. Structured Learning Environment
Unlike self-teaching, the MSF course puts you in a structured environment to learn.
Instead of learning everything at once, you learn at an effective and proven pace, which lets you build upon the basic skills before moving on to the next steps.
The risk of crashing or making a dramatic mistake is way lower in the MSF course.
7. Immediate Feedback
As I said before, the MSF instructors have years of teaching experience and can provide immediate and helpful advice to help.
If you are learning on your own, you may not know what you are doing wrong or right. And the last thing you want to do is build bad habits at the foundation level.
8. Builds Foundational Skills
Speaking of foundation, the MSF course is a proven system for building foundational skills.
Yeah, the skills you learn in the course are for absolute beginners, but they also give you a good foundation to build more advanced skills.
The drills you do in the MSF course set you up to be an amazing rider because you learn about riding from the ground up.
9. Insurance Discounts
A side benefit to taking the MSF course is the Insurance discounts.
The MSF course is a state-recognized course and most insurance providers offer up to 10% discounts on insurance rates.
Regardless of how much the MSF course costs, it pays for itself because it builds lifelong riders who will realize more than enough insurance savings over their years of riding.
10. Grants Motorcycle License After Passing
Finally, the MSF course waives the DMV test and when you pass, you receive a certificate that you can then trade for a license at the DMV – no further testing required.
Advantages and Drawbacks of Self-Learning
Even though I think every rider should take the MSF course, many successful riders chose the self-learning route.
Whether you have a friend with a motorcycle or you decide to learn by yourself, there are advantages and challenges to learning to ride a motorcycle on your own.
Potential Benefits of Self-Learning
Although it is considerably riskier, there are some benefits to learning on your own.
1. Flexibility
Choosing the self-learning route comes with a certain level of flexibility.
You’re not on a time crunch, you can spend more time practicing any skill you struggle with.
You can also choose when you practice and what you practice on.
If you want to practice on a dirtbike or your friend’s Grom, you can do it. If you want to practice for 12 hours straight and have a Grease 2 montage, knock yourself out.
2. Lower Costs
Learning on your own can also be a lot cheaper than taking the MSF course.
Some courses cost $400 plus and for riders on a budget, that money could be spent on better gear or a bike.
And if you or a friend already have a motorcycle to practice on, you could essentially learn how to ride a motorcycle for the cost of getting a motorcycle license.
3. Can Be Just as Fun
Although the MSF course is a blast, you could have just as much fun learning on your own or with a friend.
Especially if someone has a camera. Actually, you should wear the camera, whats that saying about the cameraman having plot armor?
Drawbacks to Self-Learning
Unfortunately, self-learning also comes with a few drawbacks, which introduce a lot of added risks.
1. Higher Risks for Accidents
Self-learning introduces a lot of potential risks for a crash or worse.
While the MSF course uses low-powered motorcycles, self-learners can choose to learn on their friend’s R1.
What happens if you gas the throttle or drop your friend’s bike?
And unlike the MSF course, you’re most likely not learning on a closed course. Depending on where you practice, you could be restricted to learning in dangerous areas.
2. Potential to Learn Bad Habits
Even if you successfully learn how to ride, there is a good chance you pick up a few bad habits in the process.
And this doubles if you have a friend there coaching you. They may be able to get you riding, but they could also be teaching you skills that you should learn later on after you have a grasp of the basics.
With motorcycling, you have to walk before you run.
If you are a confident rider or have experienced friends, you can have success learning on your own. Just keep in mind some of the challenges mentioned above.
Recommended Resources for Self-Learners
If you do decide to learn on your own, you can still arm yourself with all the knowledge you can.
To help self-learners, I have a guide on how to learn to ride a motorcycle on your own.
But you can also learn a lot from YouTube videos. Here are some of the YouTube videos that helped me when I first started.
- SRKCycles – How to Ride a Motorcycle in 5 Minutes
- DanDantheFireman – Motorcycle Controls Overview
If you do decide to learn on your own, check out some of the steps in my guide on how to ride.