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In this session of the Motorcycle Mentor Podcast, I speak with Randy Smith, also known as Motosage. Randy explains why (even after riding for 30 years) he still takes a hands-on motorcycle riding class at the beginning of every riding season.I really enjoyed speaking with Randy. He shares some great riding tips and stories. I wish you could see the motorcycles in his garage. He has more than a few.
Listen to the podcast by clicking on the play button at the top of the page.
More specifically, in this session you’ll find out about:
- Who is Randy Smith, and why do his friends call him Motosage?
- Why Randy takes a hands-on riding class every year?
- How fast Randy has ridden a motorcycle?
- What’s Randy’s favorite motorcycle ride?
- What Randy thinks you should do, if you start thinking you’re an expert rider?
Resources and links mentioned in this session:
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Photos of our special guest: Randy Smith (Motosage)
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David and Randy, great podcast! I’m definitely going to take Randy’s advice and tips, such taking MSF and other rider courses each year.
I have a number of questions for Randy, but I’ll start with this one. As a new road rider at age 38 (I have a bit if dirt bike experience many years ago) I’ll definitely be taking the beginner riding course; how long (or how much experience) would you wait to take additional higher level courses?
Many MSF instructors would recommend that you have at least one or two riding seasons under your belt before taking the more advanced course. But in the last few years the Advanced Rider Course has been renamed Basic Rider Course 2. This is because the rider in Course 2 covers many of the same basic concepts and riding practices that is covered in the Basic Course 1, but you do it on your own motorcycle and not on one that is provided for you.
I had a friend who took the Basic Rider Course 1 at the beginning of the riding season and then later after she got her own bike and rode for just a little bit then took the Basic Rider Course 2 with me. This is because she took the Basic Course 1 with one of the small bikes they provided and then she got her own cruiser motorcycle which was much bigger and heavier and she felt uncomfortable maneuvering it, so I recommended that she take the Basic Rider Course 2 and familiarize herself with her own bike doing the same basic maneuvers that she did with the small one she first road in class.
So my advice is get your own bike, the one you plan on having for a while, then at any time after riding it for little while (to make sure you like it) take the Basic Rider Course 2 to familiarize yourself with your own bike doing the same basic maneuvers.
Randy (Motosage)
Hi David and Randy,
Thank you very much for this great podcast and interview.
I really liked the (first) last words on this interview about how important it is to never stop learning.
I am probably one of these riders who thinks they are on top of things and therefore should especially consider an anual training just to learn how much there is to learn. So thanks for the encouragement.
I personally think it is really essential to always be aware that you are taking a risk when motorbiking. Only when you are aware of the risks are you able to avoid them (or at least reduce them as much as possible) to always make it home safely.
Best regards,
Andy
Munich, Germany
@Andy,
I couldn’t agree with you more when you said,
“…it is really essential to always be aware that you are taking a risk when motorbiking. Only when you are aware of the risks are you able to avoid them.”
Hum, that might just be a topic for a future podcast.
David
Risk-taking is such an essential part of motorcycling that we all too often become indifferent to it, and that fact can make us take even more risk then we need to.
We should always be aware that what we do is risky and never take that risk for granted. It is for this reason that an entire section of the MSF course is dedicated to risk awareness and management. I find these lessons coming back to me as I ride my motorcycle behind my wife as she maneuvers her new motorcycle through traffic.
Randy (Motosage)
Randy, you are great and offer excellent advise….thnak you!
@RC
Randy was inspiring. His points resonated with me too.
David