I’m an MSF RiderCoach!

Well, I made it! I passed MSF’s RiderCoach 63 hour course to coach the BRC Basic Rider Course. Our class specifically took about a month or 3 weekends of Friday 5-10p, Saturday 8-5, Sunday 8-5 classes with our last weekend of coaching new riders in an actual BRC class with 12 new riders. It was definitely a difficult course and I was the only female in my class with the exception of our RiderCoach assistant, so no stress, right?! I always feel like women have to work extra hard to prove ourselves in any male dominated area. Luckily, I did it.

Let me tell ya, if you ever plan on taking this course, study study study and familiarize yourself with the details of your bike and pay attention to the details of riding, too. I started riding when I was 10 years old, so I did this backwards because it’s second nature to just get on a bike and ride. To know the intimate details of clutch, throttle and braking is more than action. It’s the basic fundamental knowledge of riding & relearning it this way has been so much better than the way I learned!

My 8 year old brother taught me how to ride by showing me the throttle while the clutch and brakes were an afterthought. Prepare for the disaster. lol Yeah, I rode around the property in one speed and when you don’t know the brake location, throttles tend to get rolled on harder and when it came time to stop... all I knew was panic and roll harder on that throttle. In the end, I flew like Supergir! It was not so graceful as I slid on my stomach across the red clay soil and rocks while the bike ran into the barbed wire fence. Yep! A good MSF class would have been good before that ride but it was not available in my grandparents backyard and my little brother was definitely no RiderCoach! I learned I could fly! lol

Fast forward to the past month, MSF RiderCoach means more than some cool discounts, it’s about helping others safely learn the basic fundamentals in a positive environment while assessing and giving valuable coaching on progress.

Now, it’s time to wait for more background checks into my driving history and fingerprinting for the DPS (or DMV for others) before we are approved to be considered driving instructors and another written test and riding test with DPS. The cost is different for everyone so check with your state, but average classes start at $100 with some at $495. In my case, the school will refund my tuition after coaching two classes. Some places that are training schools will even pay you to go to school and all lodging and food. I wish I knew that ahead of this journey!

In my case, I went solo and had no job or school, so this was on my own, including the lodging and food, gas. It wasn’t cheap but it was my goal so I’m happy. Also, once I passed, I’ve been offered numerous jobs working for other schools and a potential Harley Davidson opportunity ahead! HD is the closest school to me and I’ve heard they pay better than other schools, so that’s a huge plus. HD requires 9 days of their own training classes and with Covid, they’ve made these classes online. I’m sure they’ll change when Covid is over but we’ll see.

To wrap this up, if you want to become an MSF RiderCoach, study the RiderCoach book as soon as you get it, the range cards, and study your pre-course questions! There’s tons of studying but if I can do it, you can too. Be ready for lots of hours on your feet, riding, learning those fundamentals and even what type of coach you’ll be. Wear sunscreen, a hat and stay hydrated! In my case, I wore long sleeve SPF shirts, riding gloves, DOT approved helmet, jeans, my TCX riding high tops, and on those cool mornings, I added my mesh Lined jacket.

Best decision ever to remain around bikes and help others. Wish me luck, I coach my first class with an assistant in the next couple months. I can’t wait!