Anyone have a reccomendation? I've always wanted a bike to tinker with, and would like to nock my course out now.

I'm east of Houston by a good bit, so what side doesn't really matter in the end

When I did the safety course years ago, the Harley store at 290 and 1960 had a class. Not sure if it is still offered there but surely you can find a course closer to home.

I'd strongly recommend being comfortable on a bike before you take the class. I had already been riding a few years before I took the class and it was very easy.

There were a lot of folks that took the class before learning to ride, hoping they would learn in class. Don't do that!

If east of Houston try the San Jacinto Community college or Lee community colleges.

Oh, if you've never ridden, don't wait to take the class. It will still be valuable.

Harley Mancuso 290 and Clear Lake have the course. One day, bring your own bike for people that have basic knowledge or the two day and use (wreck) their bike course for beginners.

Stubbs has the same thing off Telephone Rd.

One day is like 250 and it will get you the insurance discount as well as the certificate to get the "M" on your DL.

Depending how far east you are, there is also the Beaumont Harley that I am sure has the course. It seems to be a pretty big location.

You can take it virtually right now:

"Motorcycles are dangerous. You can do everything right and someone else will still kill you"

THE END

NRH ag 10 said:

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I took the MSF with no experience other than a few minutes on a 125 MX bike. It was fine. If you can ride a bicycle and know how to drive a manual car you should be ok.

It absolutely does not get you ready for riding on the street.

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This. Take your Basic Riders Course, get your license, and get a bike. Get a few months of experience, and take an advanced riders course. Get a few more months of experience, and then do a track day with trainers.

I've been riding for 11 years, and I just did my first track day today. I learned so much! It is a huge skill and confidence builder. And you don't need to be on a sport bike. I was on my wife's Super Tenere and had a great experience.

Track days are the freaking best! Wish I'd done more before switching to dirt.

I've worked as a volunteer firet responder many times over the last decade.... I do know what the worst case looks like.


Thank you to everyone!

They're booked up on class days I could take for quite a while.

Honestly, the basic courses are all about the same, so I wouldn't sweat which one you go to. Find one that has an opening that fits you and go for it.

The difference comes in the advanced courses. I took a class last year through ProRider, which is run around the country and taught by motor cop instructors. It's a great class, especially for low speed control, evasive maneuvers, and accident avoidance.

Track day training is also different. Learning the limits of you and your bike and how to manage brakes, acceleration, and lean angle at those limits will give you a great deal of confidence in yourself and your bike, and it will teach you how much of a margin you can have while riding safely on the street. Track day will also get you to unlearn some of the things that you are taught regarding braking, turning and accelerating in the basic course. They teach you some things in the basic course to get you easily and safely on the road, but that are less efficient than other skills that work with your motorcycle the way it is designed.

I definitely want to take the basic and more advanced courses. I doubt I will ever ride a sports bike, but the skills from a track I could see being useful.

I'm hoping to get the basic course out of the way, and find myself a small-ish cruiser that I can learn to work om and maintain myself, eventually make a few changes in to the bike I'd like to have( which is not over the top anyway). I figure I'm going to lay it down at some point, buying a new bike is just not realistic or wise.

I definitely wouldn't buy a new bike at first either, but don't go into it with the attitude that you're going to lay it down. While it may well happen, it doesn't have to. Attitude affects you a lot as a rider. If you have the mindset that you are going to wreck, then chances are you will. Also, pro tip: you should never lay your bike down. Pretty much anyone who tells you "I had to lay my bike down" doesn't understand traction or braking. By laying the bike down you give up any chance to brake or steer to avoidance, and you've just become a bystander to a situation you should be trying to control.

Buy a used bike because your idea of what you want out of a bike will change once you start riding. Things that you think look cool on a bike will turn out to be uncomfortable and ridiculous, you will change riding styles, you will want a bigger/smaller bike, etc. I started out on a mid sized cruiser, had a couple of Harleys, and then bought an adventure bike a few years ago. I found it was more comfortable and capable for long distance touring than any cruiser ever was. Now I'm on a slightly smaller sport touring bike. Keep an open mind about bikes. If I had, I'd have given up my Harleys years earlier and had a whole lot of different experiences.