msf course, should I take it?

Question

Hello everyone,
I am going buy a motorcycle shortly. My question is: should I take the msf course. What is the benefit of it?

First of all, let's talk about money. I checked progressive.com yesterday. If I took the msf course, the insurance is $167/year. Without the msf, it's going be $184. Basically, the difference is $17/year. Since the msf costs $250, it's going to take me more than 10 years to get the money back. So in an economics sense, it's a loss.

About the road test waiver, I don't know about you guys, but here, road tests are free the first two times. And I think I can pass it the first time just by learning from my friends.

So would anyone please tell me why I should take the course?
Thank you,

Answer 1

You will have read the others by now and they all advise you to take it. Note the number of responses with extra points (thumbs up) added. The issue isn't controversial...

Even if your math was correct (somebody pointed out the error), a break-even of 10 years is not achievable if you don't survive 10 years!

I road a bike for 15 years (without even having an accident) and I still learned a lot when I finally took the class.

If you don't have a license then you probably are not (legally) able to test drive a bike. Would you buy a car without test driving it? But if you take (and pass) the class, there is usually no driving test required. So you get the license, learn a lot about biking, and can have an edge when shopping for the bike. A sale critter can spot an absolute newbie instantly. With the class, you might fool the sale critter for a few crucial minutes. Every bit helps and you could potentially recover the price of the class in the price of the bike.

Do you know how to stop suddenly at slow speeds? How about driving in grooved pavement (like when a road is being resurfaced)? Is lane splitting legal? Is it a good idea? Is there ever a good reason to lay a bike down in an emergency situation? Why or why not? How do you handle a dog chasing your bike in a residential area? What else do you not yet know that could learn in this class?

Take the class.

Answer 2

The insurance paid by MSF would be relatively expensive. Our club hosts speed and non-speed events throughout the year, and the non-speed events (Poker Run, etc) still cost us around $800 for a single day event. This is for discounted insurance, because we hold multiple events, and have never had a claim against us. Because the MSF courses are held on private property not owned by MSF, the insurance needs to cover not only the bikes, lawsuits by riders, damage done by riders -- it also needs to cover lawsuits against MSF, its teachers, and also whoever owns the land. If it's a parking lot of a major business, this could mean insurance to cover millions in damages. Our club events usually had at least 300 riders - so cost for insurance per rider was ammotized out to a paltry $2.66 per rider. Even if the MSF gets an absolutely smokin' deal on their insurance, they are still paying near the $500 per course (three days). Split between 15 riders at most, that's $34 per rider. However, I don't think their insurance could be that cheap - I'll bet the number is nearer $75 per rider. Next, they need to pay their employees. There's one (and sometimes two) employees the first day, then at least 2 and sometimes 3 on the second and third days. Rider coaches get paid about $30 an hour. So, $450 per coach per class. Figuring a minimum of two coaches at $900, and a maximum of 15 riders in a class, that's $60 per rider to pay the coaches. If there's 3 coaches for the last 2 days (more realistic), then add another $300.00, for a total of $80 per rider. Next is all the administrative fees - the MSF foundation main office, its workers, the advertising and everything else. At a raw and absolute bare bones minimum, you can add another $50 per rider for this stuff. The amount is probably closer to $100 per. So, the minimum MSF pays per rider is $185, but more realistically the number would be closer to $255. I guess that's why they're able to keep their non-profit status - even when they're supported by most of the motorcycle manufacturers. My honest guess is that the $$ we pay for the class don't even come close to what the actual costs per rider are - it's the donations of BMW, BRP, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Piaggio, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory and Yamaha that keep the price under the $500 mark.

Answer 3

the results of not taking the course....

bike stuck in the side of a car...

but your lucky & dont get hurt (no lost time at work or hospital bills)

bikes insured and the damage of $2000 only costs you $500(but you can sue the guy that caused the accident & get that back in 2 years time)

Bike is in the repairers for 2 weeks ( you can catch the bus to work & back, & you didnt want to go out on the weekend anyway)

helmet still looks new.. Only a couple of scratches..( still better safe than sorry.. only $700 for a new one)

All up the saving of $250 on the msf course isnt looking bad (even with all the hassle)

BUT WAIT... time is money..... youve lost 2 hours a day travelling, a few hours getting a new helmet, a few hours getting the insurance sorted, 2 days sueing the guy for the extra costs,

& on the day of the accident when your pride & joy got bent, you spent the time at the police station filling out the report & sorting tow trucks and a lift back home....(those tickets in you pocket for the show/ football final you bought were wasted...

Think id spring for the course... who knows if you dont, that first accident may KILL you.....

Answer 4

A good reason to take the course:
I've been riding for 18 years, they will be able to teach you better than I. They will teach you things I probably don't even know. They will not teach you all the bad habits you will pick up from your friends.

Road test might be thought of as "free", but how much do you pay for a learner's permit? Test is included in that cost. No permit needed if you learned at the course.

Answer 5

Absolutely take the course. I think it would benefit people who never ride, to take the course (they'd learn how to look out for motorcycle riders and what we have to deal with when sharing the road with cars and trucks).

The stuff they teach you in that class isn't just common sense. They are skills and tips for people who ride, on how to handle a bike and avoid an accident. Do's and Don'ts that may save your life or someone elses. Ya can't put a price on that. ☺

Answer 6

You have your priorities backwards - take the MSF first, then after that buy your bike. It's not about recovering your tuition fee, it's about possibly saving your life/staying alive. Here's a very useful website you might check out - it also deals with engine size vs. horsepower with a comprehensive list of motorcycle brands and models.

http://www.wyndfeather.com/learn/motorcycle.htm

I hope you use your brains instead of your ego to make the decision. Good luck

Answer 7

I went thru the course this past year it can give you more knowledge about riding and also lets you get on a bike to learn how to do u turns as well as other things that your friends might not know iI felt it was worth every penny and i walked away with a little more knowledge about street riding
but the choice is up to you

Answer 8

I absolutely think you should take it. If you have never owned or ridden a bike before, they will teach you things you need to know and how to react in emergency situations. That 250 you spend on the course end up saving your life down the road.

Answer 9

I think u should. As for the reason I can't speak clearly. I advise u to get on a site called bikerkiss to ask for help. There are many motorcyclists there. Maybe someone had the same question when they bought their bike.

Answer 10

yes you should take it. it's free in pennsylvania and saves me about $75.00 per year. but more importantly, it teaches you the safe way to ride. friends may have been riding unsafely for many years and never have had an accident, but will teach you the improper way to ride.
$250.00 is a pretty cheap cost for learning a safe way to ride and could save your life.
people pay upwards of $500.00 for a top of the line helmet, but avoiding an accident is better than taking your chances with a device that might not save your life.