The Advanced Motorcycle Skills Course

[two-bit cowboy]

1975, Nellis AFB, Las Vegas. I bought my first bike, a Honda 550 Super Sport 4-into-1. Went to get my Air Force decal for the bike and discovered I couldn't ride on base till I'd taken the motorcycle safety course.

The base had an agreement with the 'Vegas Metro Motor Officers to teach the course. What an eye-opener. We didn't get near the hands-on time the OP describes, but the shock value of the Officer's stories and accompanying, graphic photos sure made an impression.

Put 14,000 miles on the 550 then bought a second-year-on-the-market Wing. Added crash bars and a king-queen seat -- no bags or fairing. What a machine. Then the 'Force decided I needed a year-long vacation in Korea.

Right back to 'Vegas and a shiny red 1979 Honda 250 enduro. Put 18,000 miles on that one in a little more than a year. After a third kidney surgery to correct a birth defect the docs told me to give up the bike or I'd lose the kidney. That was more painful than the surgeries had been. I still have the kidney, but, man, have I missed riding all these years.

Keep 'em upright,

Bob

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Not street riding, but riding motocross we'd always wear a velcro kidney belt. Not for protection of anything, we were of course invincible , but we found that we could ride faster and longer with less fatigue.

 

[Harley Fan]

Cap't Steve, I jumped for joy when I read your first post!

I too resumed riding, after a 26 year break, in 2006, when I bought a pristine, low miles 2006 Dyna FXD. I racked up 68k on that guy- commuting, cruising, and a trip a year. (You betcha! Dyna's will tour!)

Now, I own this sleeper- a 2001 FXDX Superglide Sport. I acquired this from an old friend in TX who had to give up riding due to health. Now this looks stock, but ol' Ray couldn't leave it alone- big bore kit, SE heads, cams, 44mm SE carb, Baker DD6 tranny... it's been on the dyno at 98hp/103 ft. lbs. torque.

I'm 64, and I did not seek out this missile, but I'm loving it. Rode it to work today. She's old, but meticulously maintained.

Steve, the Dyna, a more modest of Harley's models? The frame and suspension traces its design to Eric Buell's FXR, one of the finest.

So, this bike is now proxy for the '55 Chevy street machine I never had!

 

[mrrick]

The MSF Basic and Experienced rider course is the best money you'll ever spend on a motorcycle.

Absolutely true. I took the basic course some years ago, in AZ, then you don't have to take the DMV test, and you get a discount on insurance.

 

[Capt Steve]

Gotta love those Dyna's...

Harley Fan - nice bike! Mine is just Stage One tuned but it scoots. I put the Vance and Hines 2 into 1 Propipe, Screaming Eagle High Performance air cleaner and followed up with the V&H Fuelpak FP3 Tuner. Once I got the proper fuel map flashed it really woke up. Helps a lot that it only weighs a little under 700# wet {but that was a lot humping it around the class}.

I do a fair amount of touring on mine as well. The original owner put on the Memphis Shades Batwing Fairing, Sundowner cruising seat and Leather Lyke Bags and Top Case. I've made a dozen 400+ mile rides in the last year and a number of them with my bride on the back. The bags are a little smallish compared to the big boy HD bags but we can manage 4 days trips with everything we need.

Here is a shot of the bike my bride took a couple of weeks ago when we were at Arches National Park:

 

[wingriderz]

Hey lets get all the forum members on a ride this year