April 2004

Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course
(Then and Now)
By Liza Albright

I originally took the MSF course in Virginia (where I grew up) and then again in Maryland a few years ago. There was about a 15-year gap between the courses and it was interesting to see the changes that were made over the years in the curriculum.

When I first took the course, they taught me to “cover” my clutch and rear brake. Basically, “covering” means that you lightly rest your fingers on the clutch and lightly rest your foot on the rear brake lever (without actually applying them). The purpose of this is to reduce reaction time. Apparently, a study showed that you lose several seconds “reaching” for (instead of “covering”) these controls. This seemed reasonable to me, but it was a really hard thing to train myself to do. I eventually learned to do it and it became second nature.

Once I took the course again in Maryland, they had eliminated this from the curriculum. When I asked about it, I was told that this technique would wear my clutch and brake out much faster, which also made sense (since you could be lightly applying them during the “covering” process without realizing it). Breaking the habit was just as hard as getting into the habit. However, I find myself wondering if it was a good habit to kick. I think I would rather have some extra wear and tear on my bike if it means saving reaction time, and thus, saving myself or someone else. You be the judge.

One of the most important skills you need to master is the frustrating art of getting the bike from stop to start on a steep hill without rolling backwards or stalling. For those of you who are new to riding, the easiest way to learn this is to go to a parking lot that is empty and find a hill. Ride about 1/2 way up and stop. Keep your right foot on the rear brake lever and slowly let it out while you roll on the throttle and release the clutch. It will take lots of practice, and you will stall out over and over, but it is time well spent. There is nothing worse than being in a tough spot in traffic with angry drivers behind you. For some reason, this skill set was removed for the MSF curriculum, at least when I took the course in Maryland.

During the Virginia MSF course, we had to ride over a one foot round log. Thank god the instructors did not tell us about it in advance, and thank god it was NOT on the test, but it was pretty intense. I remember just rolling on the throttle and praying I would not break my neck. When I approached the log, I did what the instructors told me and stood up on my foot pegs (with knees bent), pulled up on the handlebars, and went over the darn thing like it was nothing. I could not believe it. I don’t know if I would suggest practicing this, and it’s easy to see why MSF does not teach it anymore, but it’s good to know how to deal with a log in the road (or some other large object). If you should encounter something in the road, rise up off you seat a bit and pull up on the handlebars as your front tire comes in contact with the object you are riding over. This should help soften the impact.

Disclaimer: This article was meant only as a source of information to its readers, and not as professional advice. Capitol Cruisers is held harmless for any potential “miss information” or “miss understanding” that a reader may have with regard to this article. Capitol Cruisers strongly suggests that riders obtain advice from a professional motorcycle instructor or through a safety course, such as the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course prior to engaging in motorcycle riding. For more information on the MSF course, go to www.msf-usa.org or call 1-800-446-9227.

Donna Leigh Bliss Chapter Director

Cruising with Donna

True or False?

1. Riding in a group can be safer than riding alone.


2. Riding in a group can be less safe than riding alone.

The correct answer for both questions is True!

You may wonder how it is possible that two seemingly contradictory statements can both be true. Yet, if you think about the circumstances of each riding condition, you can see how this is possible. Conventional wisdom says that riding in a group can be safer than riding alone because a group has a larger mass and is more visible to drivers of other vehicles. Yet, the very thing that can help create this safer environment (being surrounded by other motorcycles) also contains the seeds for introducing new risks to those riding in a group compared to someone riding alone (being surrounded by other motorcycles).

Many of you have heard that there was an accident between Monique and Gaby during the Luck O’ the Irish ride on March 20. Both are experienced and safety-conscious riders. Neither was riding recklessly.

Yet, a unique set of circumstances caused them to collide and go down. Fortunately, the damage was not severe to either of the riders or their motorcycles. Still, it’s hard to describe the feeling of watching two of your friends go down in front of you.

What had started out as a fabulous ride by the eight of us turned into something that no one could have anticipated. Yet, as women who love to ride motorcycles, we choose to take risks every time we ride, for what might have been a minor fender bender in a car, can cause serious injury to us. Because of these risks, we have to be vigilant about safety.

I am asking all members of the Capitol Cruisers to make a commitment to safety by helping develop safety guidelines for group rides. I am asking that each member send me at least one guideline by April 30. These guidelines will be addressed before each group ride-regardless of the riding levels of the participants. Safety is too important to assume that just because someone has lots of riding experience that she is immune from risk.

I am also asking all members to consider writing an article on some aspect of safety that can be included in the newsletter each month. Liza did a great job with her article last month and her article on the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course in this issue.

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