If you’re getting a motorcycle license in the United States, you’ll most likely have heard of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (or “MSF”).
If you haven’t – it’s an organization dedicated to teaching safe motorcycle riding, and odds are that you’ll be taking the Basic Riding Course as a step towards getting your license.
But there’s a great way to prepare yourself even BEFORE enrolling in the Basic Riding Course – with the MSF online course “MSF Basic eCourse.”
In this blog post, you’ll learn:
- What you’ll get with the MSF Basic ECourse
- Why it’s worth the asking price
- Where you can get started
What the MSF Basic eCourse covers
The Basic ECourse is supposed to serve as an introduction to motorcycling and a supplement for the ordinary Basic Rider Course, and covers lessons such as:
- The different types of motorcycles
- Motorcycle controls and equipment
- Safety gear like helmets, body armor, and boots
- How to prepare for when you take the Basic Rider Course.
With that in mind, it’s not intended to replace a motorcycle license or an endorsement, nor is it a substitute for the Basic Rider Course.
In fact, the Basic eCourse only covers 12 of the 16 sections in the BRC Rider Handbook.
Therefore, think of it as more of a supplement or preparation course for the Basic Rider Course.
The course takes roughly 3 hours to complete and mainly consists of voice-over narration and slides.
Sometimes, you get videos that show you, e.g., how to change gears to something as thorough as how to do a T-CLOCS inspection [see image below], but for the most part, the course is mostly voice-over narration and slides.
At the end of each section, there’s a knowledge exam in the form of 10 multiple-choice questions or “True or False” questions to test you on what you’ve learned.
To advance to the next section, you must score at least 85%.
You can retake these exams as many times as you want to (even after you’ve passed them).
However, there’s no big final exam at the end of the e-course – although you do get the option to print out a certificate of completion.
NOTE: If you’re taking the Basic eCourse (or any other MSF e-course) as a requirement for enrolling in a hands-on training class, the course completion certificate must have been issued no more than 30 days before the class starts.
Luckily, if you do need to retake the Basic ECourse, it’s 100% free.
Why it’s worth the price
The MSF Basic eCourse isn’t essential, nor is it going to teach you everything you need to know about riding a motorcycle.
Also, the asking price of $19.99 might seem a little steep for some.
So why am I still recommending it?
1. Lifetime access
If $19.99 sounds like a lot of money for an e-course, consider this:
Once you’ve paid the price, the course is yours forever. That means you can watch the slides, the videos and take the exams as much as you want.
2. You can take the course anywhere – even OUTSIDE of the United States
Even though the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is an American-based organization, this e-course still contains valuable information even if you’re outside of the United States.
I live on the other side of “the pond,” and I got a lot of value out of it.
Just keep in mind that laws may vary from country to country.
3. Spanish language support
¿Hablas español? If so, you should know you can take the MSF Basic eCourse in Spanish.
Not only do you have the option to watch the videos with Spanish subtitles, but you can also toggle to have the voice-overs in Spanish in the “Settings” menu in the lower right corner of the screen.
How and where to get started with the MSF Basic eCourse
If you’re looking for a good preparation course for the MSF Basic Rider Course, the Basic eCourse is a fine place to begin.
To get started, all you have to do is head over to MSF-USA.org today and fill out the sign-up form.
