Product Description
This all-new and expanded second edition of The Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Guide to Motorcycling Excellence is the most authoritative book ever published on safe riding techniques and strategies for current and pro… More >>
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Guide to Motorcycling Excellence: Skills, Knowledge, and Strategies for Riding Right
Written by Tools on July 29th, 2010 in Motorcycle.
Tags: Excellence, Foundation's, Guide, Knowledge, Motorcycle, Motorcycling, Riding, Right, safety, Skills, Strategies
MOTORCYCLING EXCELLENCE is perhaps the best nuts-and-bolts primer on motorcycle riding yet published. It covers the subject thoroughly, a single source for knowledge and wisdom in the basics. It addresses attitude, basic skills, controls, gear, safety inspections, night and group riding, streetb strategies, off-road techniques . . . the gamut of essentials. Plus the basics of training, from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, official authors of the book.
Most people, perhaps 90% of road users, consider motorcycles as ‘just other vehicles.’ They aren’t. Motorcycles are as different from four-and-more wheelers as swimming is from walking, as reading is from watching TV. Learning to operate a motorcycle safely and well is as difficult, but as challenging and rewarding as, say, learning to fly, scuba dive or climb mountains–and survive. Like those other unforgiving pursuits, do it right or risk serious consequences. Motorcycling is an honest trade: incompetence, inattention or bad luck can kill or maim in seconds. That’s where this book shines, in identifying and hammering home the essentials.
Expert contributors–a ‘who’s-who’ of experience: Nick Ienatsch on picking the right bike, World MotoGP champion on safety gear and bike control, Paul Thede on suspension, AMA 250 champion Rich Oliver on stopping, Erik Buell on bike geometry, Reg Pridmore on the need for smoothness, Keith Code on counter-steering, World MotoGP champion Freddie Spencer on trail braking.
Why read this book? Complex, high-risk activities demand study and practice at all experience levels. In an era in which school-student driver training has been discontinued and the road IQ of most car drivers is at flat-worm level, riders are at risk and must defend themselves. Every ride is a learning experience. This book will enhance the first, high-risk 50,000 miles in every rider’s life (thus it’s an ideal gift for offspring). And the next 250,000 miles for experienced riders.
The illustrations and photographs are lavish and excellent. The appendices–MSF training, proper bike inspection, and a glossary–are thorough and well done. There are omissions, though, whence the loss of a review ’star:’ e.g. tire compromise between wear and stiction (which is not yet intuitive for many riders), the availability of waterproof linings such as Goretex for gear. The editing, too, lacks polish–too many passages are prolix and rambling instead of being tight and tough. The message gets through, anyway.
Rating: 4 / 5
I’ve always advocated that there are two types of people on motorcycles: riders and accidents waiting to happen. If you are taking the time to look into proper rider education, I congratulate you on your decision to become one of the former. This book contains priceless information for riders. There really is no good substitute for knowledge and practice; and this book is an excellent source of knowledge. And take my word for it, this is the best book on the market. But, if you have not already done so, I’d STRONGLY recommend taking at least one of the MSF’s courses as well. The second critical part of the equation I mentioned before is practice. And the supervised drills offered in the MSF courses are second to none for low speed practice. I’ve taken two myself in addition to owning this book. Having both the classes and the book for reference has been extremely helpful, to say the least.
To summarize, this is a book that belongs on every motorcyclist’s bookshelf. I’d also recommend taking the classes. With those resources, you will find motorcycling more enjoyable as well as safer. It’s saved my skin more then once, and I’d say that I’ve gotten at least a ten fold return for my time and money. And it’s better then needing “First Aid for Bad Riders”, “101 Ways to Fall Off Your Bike Gracefully” or “An Idiot’s Guide to Compound Fractures” on your shelf. You will be an exponentially better rider if you buy this book, study its contents, and practice its techniques.
Rating: 5 / 5
If you ride a motorcycle, you need this book. Period. Buy it now, get it, read it, and commit what it says to reflex-memory – it can literally save your life. It is not, however, a substitute for taking one of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s 3-day beginner motorcycling courses.
If you are concerned with becoming a better (safer) rider, I recommend you do the following: get this book and read it. Enroll and take the MSF course (they provide helmets and motorcycles and it’s cheap). Re-read this book. Practice what you have learned in class and read in this book on an ongoing basis. If you do the above (and always wear a helmet), you will reduce the chances of accident and injury. Yes, motorcycling is more dangerous than riding in a “cage” (that’s a car, for you non-motorcyclists). But, with proper training and safety equipment, you can improve your odds significantly.
Just do it.
Rating: 5 / 5
After taking the MSF course I bought this book and others as a follow-up. My main disappointment with the MSF Guide to Motorcycling Excellence is that it little farther than the booklet that came with the course.
The information contained in the book is obviously valuable and correct (given that MSF are the subject matter experts on motorcycle safety) but there is not a lot of depth to the material in the book. It is written in a push button manner lacking sufficient exmplanations of the “why” of the techniques it describes.
If you are looking for a simple to read, basic guide to motorcycle safety this book is probably for you. If you know nothing about motorcycling then this is a good (if a bit expensive start).
If you want to learn more, are detailed oriented, or need to really understand something before you can apply it, I would recommend looking for one of the other books on motorcycling that are available.
Rating: 3 / 5
If you are one of the thousands of new (and older) bike riders out there, do yourself a BIG favor and read this book! It is hands-down the best on motorcycle safety. It describes, in detail, situations in which you’ll find yourself in city traffic or open roads where you will need to make split-second decisions to save your butt! I have ridden bikes for 40 years and I have learned things in this book that I hope will allow me to ride another 40! Buy it, read it, and follow the great tips on riding safely.
Rating: 5 / 5