HD Tactical

Curious on motorcycle riding class recommendations…

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  • RedcedarHunter

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    I’m looking to get my motorcycle endorsement and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on where to take a class? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

    I’m in Pensacola, FL.
     

    LowRiderRed

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    I’m looking to get my motorcycle endorsement and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on where to take a class? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

    I’m in Pensacola, FL.
    Pensacola Harley Davidson used to have a pretty good course. My wife got her cert there.
     

    RackinRay

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    Actually it is push left to go right, at speed. Turning is a lean with a push, unless at parking lot speed.

    Any good Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course is a good bet. I have lost touch locally, but was certified to teach the MSF course twice in my riding years.

    MSF courses start at beginning rider and most often have bikes for students. They also offer advance and other rider training.

    Look for their website.
     

    Welldoya

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    I believe there’s one at Pensacola State College. I’ve thought about taking it myself.
    It’s funny how things have turned around. You now need a special endorsement to ride a motorcycle. When I was coming up you could ride one with a learner’s permit.
    I believe there was a power limitation though.
    I had a ‘69 Honda CB175 I wish I still owned.
     

    Raven

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    Actually it is push left to go right, at speed. Turning is a lean with a push, unless at parking lot speed.

    Any good Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course is a good bet. I have lost touch locally, but was certified to teach the MSF course twice in my riding years.

    MSF courses start at beginning rider and most often have bikes for students. They also offer advance and other rider training.

    Look for their website.
    My course was an MSF course, and it saved my life with an 80 mph wheel deflection on I-5 about a month after the course. That was 1999. In 2012 a wheel deflection saved me and my current wife from going across the hood of a station wagon at 60mph on Hwy 90. I swerved so hard twice that I almost threw my wife off, but I avoided the collision. She still broke a leg, but it could have been far worse. Its a good idea to have a spouse go thru the course, too. Make sure they're paying attention, not just falling asleep on the sissy bar. I put about 15,000 miles a year on my bikes, and it's every month I'm using the skills MSF taught me over 20 years ago to save lives. My favorite skill to remember and practice is to actually turn your head and look thru the turn before turning.
     
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    Raven

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    I believe there’s one at Pensacola State College. I’ve thought about taking it myself.
    It’s funny how things have turned around. You now need a special endorsement to ride a motorcycle. When I was coming up you could ride one with a learner’s permit.
    I believe there was a power limitation though.
    I had a ‘69 Honda CB175 I wish I still owned.
    I got started on a late 70's Honda moped in high school, and then a 92 Honda Nighthawk 250 that I bought from a Sgt in the barracks who was going home... for $600, in 1999. I kick myself daily for selling it a month after my MSF course for $700. Can't find a decent 250 Nighthawk for my son to learn on now for anything less than $2,000. My learners permit covered me from my barracks to the MSF course and back, and that was it. I learned to shift that first morning of the course on the way to the course, and had my permit all of maybe 5 days before I had my license. There is a fast and steep learning curve.
     
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    Duckyou

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    In Baton Rouge, Louisiana the police department had a great basic class that was around $150.
     

    Duckyou

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    Actually it is push left to go right, at speed. Turning is a lean with a push, unless at parking lot speed.

    Any good Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course is a good bet. I have lost touch locally, but was certified to teach the MSF course twice in my riding years.

    MSF courses start at beginning rider and most often have bikes for students. They also offer advance and other rider training.

    Look for their website.

    I see people on the interstate fighting their bikes by turning right to go right.

    Other must know - bikes have a wet clutch and you should ride it. The engine running at higher revs gives you more stability.
     

    Welldoya

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    I got started on a late 70's Honda moped in high school, and then a 92 Honda Nighthawk 250 that I bought from a Sgt in the barracks who was going home... for $600, in 1999. I kick myself daily for selling it a month after my MSF course for $700. Can't find a decent 250 Nighthawk for my son to learn on now for anything less than $2,000. My learners permit covered me from my barracks to the MSF course and back, and that was it. I learned to shift that first morning of the course on the way to the course, and had my permit all of maybe 5 days before I had my license. There is a fast and steep learning curve.
    I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 18 because I lived in Turkey my junior and senior year in high school. Dad was in the USAF.
    We came back to the states in 1973 and I had very little money. I bought the ‘69 Honda CB175 for $200. Rode it to school and work for about 4 months then traded it in on a ‘67 Mustang. Financed $550 for a year.
    I was in Panama City a few years ago during Thunder Beach. I saw a bunch of vintage bikes under a tent on Hwy 98 so I stopped by.
    There were a bunch of ‘60s and ‘70s Hondas, Yamahas and Suzukis on display, mostly under 500cc.
    Started talking to a couple of guys and they had a club called “Panama City Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club”.
    He said they get together on weekends and go on rides. Buncha guys on 350s, 175s, 90s etc.
    That sounds fun as heck to me.
    I don’t know if the club is still in existence.
     

    M60Gunner

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    Agreed on the MSF course. Took mine in 1991. Rode dirt bikes growing up. Had lots of great bikes. Baddest one was a Honda NSR 400RR. Two stroke 400 with three exhaust pipes and an unreal power band which would smash your helmet in your face and/or lift the front wheel way too easy. The power helped me when I got hit as I layed down on the bike on its side I was able to maintain throttle and the rear wheel caught and brought the bike back up under me, right before I slid into a parked police car lol. We had to leave our bikes locked at the training site until we had our license. It was great, the first lesson was to push our bikes around the course, never ran out of gas lol. Just posed in the pic, which is why I did not have proper safety gear on.
     

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    Raven

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    I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 18 because I lived in Turkey my junior and senior year in high school. Dad was in the USAF.
    We came back to the states in 1973 and I had very little money. I bought the ‘69 Honda CB175 for $200. Rode it to school and work for about 4 months then traded it in on a ‘67 Mustang. Financed $550 for a year.
    I was in Panama City a few years ago during Thunder Beach. I saw a bunch of vintage bikes under a tent on Hwy 98 so I stopped by.
    There were a bunch of ‘60s and ‘70s Hondas, Yamahas and Suzukis on display, mostly under 500cc.
    Started talking to a couple of guys and they had a club called “Panama City Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club”.
    He said they get together on weekends and go on rides. Buncha guys on 350s, 175s, 90s etc.
    That sounds fun as heck to me.
    I don’t know if the club is still in existence.
    Never hurts to ride down there and just hang out. Soon enough they or somebody they know will find you.
     

    NavCorman

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    Check around at your local colleges for classes sponsored by various clubs . Most clubs have members that are certified instructors . When I was a member of the Emerald Coast SandDollar Club ( FWB but with members from surrounding counties ) we had skills classes at least once a month sometimes more in addition to our regular meetings . Head on a swivel, be safe .
     

    RidgeRunner

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    I believe there’s one at Pensacola State College. I’ve thought about taking it myself.
    It’s funny how things have turned around. You now need a special endorsement to ride a motorcycle. When I was coming up you could ride one with a learner’s permit.
    I believe there was a power limitation though.
    I had a ‘69 Honda CB175 I wish I still owned.
    Ha I had a CB175 also I believe it was called "scrambler" on/off road, not sure of year but 60'something , nice bike.
     

    Welldoya

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    A scrambler would have
    Ha I had a CB175 also I believe it was called "scrambler" on/off road, not sure of year but 60'something , nice bike.
    Ha I had a CB175 also I believe it was called "scrambler" on/off road, not sure of year but 60'something , nice bike.
    Ha I had a CB175 also I believe it was called "scrambler" on/off road, not sure of year but 60'something , nice bike.
    The scrambler would have probably been the CL175 with the upswept pipes. The CB175 was a street bike with the low, straight back pipes.
     

    RidgeRunner

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    It looked like this.
    once I googled it, I remember the differance.
     

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