Weather

Manitoba Motorcycle Safety Course

Manitoba Motorcycle Safety Course


We are looking to put together a special Winnipeg Report on the Manitoba Motorcycle Training Course. If you've taken this course, and have an interest in sharing your experience, please make a comment below. We may use your comments in our story.

In time we'd like to hear more about this course, how it's promoted and it's instructors. 

Thanks.
Kevin F.
Winnipeg Report


48 comments:

  1. Anonymous says:

    This is a joke. My wife took it and she still cannot ride a bike. But, she did get a beginners license! How? The course is just a cash grab. It won't teach you to ride a bike safely on the streets. I don't know how these "so called" instructors can sleep at night!

  1. Miles_Jay-227 says:

    I bought an older small (200cc Kawasaki) street-bike first, (a year ahead of time), and I practiced for about 15 hours through the period before I took the 21 hour course. I highly suggest practicing until you can ride & shift well before taking this mandatory course.

    Now, I realized now that I made a BIG mistake taking the 21 hour. The "In-Class" portion is completely useless. Stuff like, watch for pedestrians, don't drink & drive, and "here's a motorcycle" - this is the brake, this is the clutch, yadda, yadda, yadda. It's for morons who probably won't get their license anyway. Complete waste of most participants time.

    I took the 21 hr. because there's the promotion of the 21 hour to get a "rebate" of $200.00 if you pass and get your license... Well, this is a total SCAM! 95% of the participants DO NOT get the $200.00 rebate. Because to get it, you need to pass a 1st test, then move on to passing a 2nd, "VERY," challenging test. Out of like almost 30 people in my class I doubt if 4 people actually received the $200.00 rebate. I saw 2 get it, and they were long-time riders with years of experience on motorcycles.

    Also, test-day is rain or shine... so you might be doing these tests in pouring rain. Good Luck.

    Overall this course is a bad version of an American Course they use all the videos from. It's really thrown together, and if you do want a Motorcycle License, then buy a bike, and learn to ride on a farm or private property ahead of time and only take that 8 hr.

  1. Jermaine Licombe says:

    I took the 21 hr. course and it's terrible, and ridiculously OVER-PRICED. They do not teach you how to be safe in traffic, it's just general riding junk that most people who've been on a dirt-bike can already do, (mainly SLOW riding around pylons for hours).

    The biggest issue is all of the twits who have NEVER been on a bike. 25% of these people (in my class) couldn't do it to save their life! Two people were sent home, (one limping).

    I mean COME ON create a friggin beginners course and get these pathetic hazards off of the REAL training course. Most of which never even had proper gear. Seriously, one guy was wearing gardening gloves, and another was wearing flippin mountain bike gloves.

    Anyway, I agree with the previous poster, you'll likely NEVER get tat $200 rebate. The weekend I did it was hotter than hell, and after sitting in line-ups breathing in engine fumes for 2 days, you're so sickly and exhausted you can barely pass the "basic" test. And, holy crap - if it was raining For-Get-It!!!

    The course is 100% nothing more than a total cash-grab (they're probably making $200,000 a month off this) and I wouldn't put it past the money grabbing MPIC ass-hats to create a mandatory Scooter Course in the near future as well.

    If you want your MC lic. then buy a bike, practice your butt-off and do the 8 hr. thing. The 21 hr. is beyond idiotic IMHO!

  1. Martin204 says:

    I really would love to get my motorcycle license and buy a nice bike. But, this stupid MPIC monopoly and their gouging for insurance premiums & course fees is holding me back. It's just beyond stupid how expensive they've gone and made this!

    Because, if I get this right... you need to buy "approved" gear in order to take the "mandatory" courses /tests etc. So...

    - Motorcycle Jacket $250.00
    - Motorcycle Boots $150.00
    - Motorcycle Gloves $49.00
    - MPIC Knowledge Test $10.00
    - Motorcycle Safety Course $430.00
    - License test $45.00

    Sub-TOTAL = $889.00
    PST & GST = $1,004.67

    Alright, that is just INSANE!!! And, I still don't have a bike. Once I buy a bike, (I'd love a Honda CBR 500) the monthly insurance will cost me $325.00!

    Listen up MPIC, people have ALWAYS purchased motorcycles and driven them to SAVE money! They're cheaper to buy than cars, and they get like 100 miles to a gallon! But the way MPIC have destroyed this hobby, who the hell wants to get involved anymore for the most basic reasons???

  1. Anonymous says:

    Getting your motorbike license in Manitoba is a total waste of time & money. Plus, the drivers here SUCK and you'll probably get killed, (they; never signal, run stop-signs, run red-lights, speed stupidly, pass illegally, text while driving, on the phone while driving, etc...). Manitoba has some of the worst drivers in Canada! Do you really want to be on a bike here? Do you really want to pay 10x the national average for motorbike insurance??? Come on, this is a no brainier, this commie-scum govt. should just ban motorbikes here already.

  1. Jerry_Todd339 says:

    Just saw this feed on DIGG... Yeah, I took the course in 2010. I took the 21 hr. Basically full of people who couldn't ride. So, you sit, and sit, and wait in lines of bikes spewing exhaust into your face till you feel like puking. The exercises are 90% slow (riding the clutch in 1st). Bloody boring and stupid. Teaches you nadda about being on a bike on the streets. The instructors are mostly pretty full of themselves too. The female teaching in my group was a real ass-hat! Basically this course is shit. They need to scrap it and let a private company take it over so it's done right!

  1. James says:

    The course is crap. My girlfriend took it and totally lost interest in wanting to ride because the instructors were such tools. Who the hell implemented this garbage? The NDP???

  1. Anonymous says:

    I took the course in 2008 to be able to get my class 6. Some of it was good (for me then). But, looking back, in my opinion it really won't help you ride any better or safer.

    You need to take a real motorcycle course like the ones offered privately. I took one with my buddy in Richmond BC at RoadCraft. We did awesome training for two days we tackled in-town traffic as well as open roads and highways..

    The Manitoba course is nothing much more than an over-priced government money grab. They should really shut it down and let a private company do something more valuable.

  1. Anonymous says:

    The road test is different from what you'll learn in the courses through Manitoba Safety Services. Be careful. You will fail your road test if you do what they preach to you at the course. Get clear on what to do prior to the road test. Get a private instructor beforehand as well.

    The MSS course doesn't cover proper: lane changing, traffic turns, or tire track driving details. The course is all about basic simple bike control. But, most students do not have much, so the classes are very long & drawn out (as poor students dominate the course - crashing, stalling and spilling their bikes). It's a total shit-fest... terrible for anyone who can already somewhat handle a bike. The line-ups waiting to do exercises can be long and highly unproductive. Especially if it's raining or wickedly hot out. That part SUCKS.

    The bikes they have there, (mostly TW200 Yamaha's and 125 Honda CBR's), are beat to hell. They are dropped & crashed so much, some have leaking tanks, broken blinkers, and most have severely worn rear brakes. I woman student I spoke to said she had no rear brakes on her bike at all!

    My other issue is you will do your Class 6 learner in GDL in the final hours of the actual course, (so you're totally exhausted and very nervous as well). Not the ideal test conditions. Many riders stall, drive poorly and some will fail the base-test to get a learners permit. 90% will not receive the rebate of $200.00. That part I particularly didn't like. It's "as if" the course test is designed advantageously in MPIC's favor as to NOT give back the highly-promoted rebates. To get the $200 you have to do a "special" difficult skill challenging braking & swerving test - that most students will never be able to pass. It's almost ridiculous why they have this included.

    My other beef is with the instructors... Only a few are kind and "True" teachers who have good communication skills. The others couldn't teach a dog to bark. They're pompous and extremely full of themselves. Several of the both Male & Female teachers are "not" fit to be teaching anything. Barking and shouting at already nervous riders (many of which have zero skill to begin with). It's a real shame that this is being conducted as a "Safety Course."

    Overall, the course is run & taught terribly.

  1. Tommythe Z-man says:

    Agree with most posters here. I took the 21 hr. a few years ago and it was crap. Waited in lines behind shitty drivers for horrible amounts of time. Rode most of it in the rain too, and wound-up with a wicked cold and then a fucking ear infection from being soaked cause of the fucking rain. The ear infection left me with a middle ear issue that gave me dizziness for 3 monts and so I never even rode that year anyhow. Fucking CRAP! I hear that Saskachewan's street bike safety course is waaaaaay better. I hated it here. Fucking MPIC monopoly shit. What a joke.

  1. Anonymous says:

    Hi, wow had no idea so many people would trash this course. I was one of about eigt or nine women who took this course and found it pretty good. I thought it was pricey but the comment about buying all the approved gear was not entirely correct when it came to costs. The gear we had to wear had to be approved by the instructors. ..no one went out and bought specific expensive gear. We all had dot approved helmets which are mandatory but as long as we had boots that covered the ankles, decent gloves thicker pants such as jeans and a good jacket it was fine. I do agree that a couple of the women who passed should not have...they crashed their bikes and I was nervous to be around them. I drove a scooter for three years and this really helped me in the fact that I had better control and more "street sense". The instructors were not full of themselves, they were teaching people how to handle a bike, not be there for encouragement. The test to pass at the end for the possible rebate I thought was not that hard. A lot of people passed including me, if you didn't pass maybe you should not be riding a bike. In saying that it was freezing on both mornings but hey, if you are going to ride it will be hot, cold and wet at times . That is the whole point of the course and I think that was taken into account during testing. I do agree it is a little too pricey for the course but it might deter some people from being out on the streets if they shouldn't be there in the first place.

  1. Anonymous says:

    In response to "Anonymous" above...

    I'm a Winnipeg school teacher and I too took the course last year. And, while I agree with you that the instructors were very lax about the gear, (one guy in my class had a trashed jean jacket, and construction boots, with Canadian Tire mechanix gloves), I did think that my instructors were a little bit pompous. The lady instructor in my group literally yelled at the riders if they made even the slightest error. I thought that was quite excessive. The man teaching hardly said a word to anyone. It was totally out of balance.

    I rode dirt-bikes a lot as a kid and I (personally) found the "Challenge" test at the end to be WAY beyond what ought to be legitimate to receive that $200.00 rebate. I passed and received it. But, only 2 others in my entire group made it. All were riders (like you) of scooters for several years.

    I think MPIC should explain this fact. Basically, if you do not have years of experience on a motorcycle you very likely will NOT receive that $200.00 rebate.

    People are taking this course (the 21 hr.) "expecting" that if they 'pass' the test, and get their license - they will receive the $200.00. This is NOT the case. MPIC needs to write into the course mandate that "Only those who can pass the basic riding test as well as, a more challenging riding skills test will receive the $200.00 rebate."

    So, I do not entirely agree with you that the $200.00 can be easily returned to students. Because it most certainly cannot for the majority who take the course. Also, rain or shine, you MUST do the test, and there are NO re-tests. For a $200.00 rebate, I do believe that the 2nd "Challenge" test should be able to be taken up to 3 times to receive back that $200.00.

    MPIC has made riding a motorcycle a major hurdle for most citizens of this Province, (through financial weight). False advertising of the 21 hour course doesn't help with the process.

    I'd highly suggest that anyone wanting a motorcycle license NEEDS to pre-train for at min. 50 hours prior to going in for the MPIC course. And, I would NOT suggest taking that 21 hour. Just do the 8 hour.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I just finished the 21 hour course at the Manitoba Safety Services centre on Notre Dame ave. After reading all the negative comments, I thought I should jump in here. Usually when people decide to go write a review online, it's because they have something to complain about.

    I can't say enough about the course. It was a good challenge, and there is no way I could have learned all those things on my own. The exercises really help your skills with reaction at various speeds, and especially slow riding.

    The test to get the 6L was extremely easy. After that, I did the 2nd test which was for the $200 rebate. I completed this test with no points against me. Perfect score. I think most people in my group actually passed this test, despite what everyone is saying on this website.

    I had absolutely no motorcycle experience prior to the course. The only relevant experience I had was being able to drive standard. Once again, can't say enough about the course. Instructors were great. It's not their job to blow smoke up your A**. It's to identify your weak areas and tell you what to improve. Of course they are yelling at you. It's nothing personal. It's only because it's a loud environment. Money well spent!!! Even if you don't receive the rebate.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I'm having difficulty deciding what to do based on these comments. My wife and I (30 years old) are interested in getting our licenses for casual riding, and she's interested in a scooter. We both drive standard, and I have some off road bike experience but she has zero bike experience. I would think slow speed exercises would be perfect for her (and probably good for me too, though 21 hours is probably more than I need).

    Do I take her to the 8 hour course or the 21?
    Do I try and get her on a dirt bike beforehand, or let the instructors teach her from scratch?

    I feel like a lot of people who are complaining are riders with some experience and they were annoyed at having to ride slow or be in a class with total beginners. However, I am worried that there isn't enough emphasis on actual road safety skills once you learn how to operate the bike competently. It would be awesome if they would take you on the road for some real-world riding.

    so women- I'm especially interested in hearing your experiences, good or bad! 21 hour course or 8 hour course for a complete beginner?

  1. Anonymous says:

    I completed the course this past weekend, no previous riding experience. The only thing I had to buy was a helmet. I wore 6" work boots that I've had for years, leather work gloves from Costco and an old leather jacket.

    The instructors were excellent. The 4 hour classroom instruction was a bit dry, but a basic refresher in road safety. The outdoor instruction was progressive and thorough. The 6M license only allows you to operate on a closed course, so going out onto St James street or Notre Dame isn't legal. This course preps you for the learner permit. The drills prepare you for basic riding on day 1. Day 2 was more interesting, where hard braking (straight line and on a curve), evasive manoeuvres and changing lanes is covered. I appreciated day 2 a lot, gave me some insight into safety prior to hitting the road. The instructors explained and demonstrated what to do before you got out to do it. A couple of them yelled at the riders, especially for not shoulder checking, but it is noisy and they need to be heard. I did not find it offensive. There were a few students who dropped their bikes and the instructors were right there to help them.

    The 1st test is pretty easy for the 6L. The second one is a bit more effort, but nothing that you didn't do over and over in the drills. I passed it with no problem. These are all skills you should know and I don't agree with all of the complaints. All I had to do to pass this course was pay attention and put in an effort to learn. Good value for $430, bonus if you get the rebate.

  1. Thomas Gangueun says:

    How could anyone think $430 (plus taxes) was cheap to get a motorcycle license through a Government monopoly run safety course? If it's done by the Government, (as a monopoly), then why isn't it FREE? And, just exactly why aren't any other 'private' businesses allowed to teach a motorcycle course, like in the United States? Private companies would likely do it wayyyy better than it being done in the Governments hands!

  1. Anonymous says:

    I also had a negative experience with the "21 hour" - mandatory to get a class 6L.

    There were issues with everything from the instructors making the novices nervous, to ending the class almost a full hour early every evening.

    The group I went through was large, which meant a lot of waiting and a lot of small/short runs - and not nearly enough uninterrupted practice (without danger of running into the back of another motorcycle, or having an instructor yell at me).

    The "discount" offer is a joke, especially for novices, and should either be applied across the board if you complete the class or eliminated.

    The cost doesn't justify the services offered; I don't feel as if I learned anything useful, and I still have no real road experience.

    I'm just $400+ poorer.


  1. Anonymous says:

    My friend, brother and I took the 21 hour course last year. We enjoyed it, 90% of our class passed and got the rebate. We found it informative for people who have no riding experience.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I have been driving a motorcycle for 35 years and I have a lot of experience in riding in all types of conditions, be it wind, rain, and even lite snow. My wife decided that she would like to get her license. So she took the written test at MPI and had to signed up for this so-called safety course. My wife has never driven any type of motorcycle before, so she is total green (a NOVICE). There are 2 options: an 8 hour course - cost $300.00 or a 21 hour course - cost $430.00. I had her sign up for the 21 hours course. On their site it says the course goes on "rain or shine". BUT where does the "SAFETY" come in when you put novice riders on motorcycles for the first time in weather like Winnipeg had this past Saturday & Sunday (June 28 & 29/14) with winds gusting up to 90 kmh and driving rain and down pours, where as of Sunday night 24 municipalities in Southern Manitoba declared a state of emergency. I am applaud at this organization and there total lack of SAFETY. How can they even call themselves a Safety course. My wife got hurt when a gust blew the bike and she kept it from falling. She told me that the course pylons kept blowing away. Needless to say she did not pass thier test. This so-called safety course is a total JOKE and a total money grab. They should have some type of guide lines for weather conditions and when to postpone a class which they DO NOT have that I know of because if they did then this weekends course would have been moved. But because they are "in bed" with MPI I don't think there is any other course that you can take. Good luck to others and pray for descent weather.

  1. Jay says:

    My wife and I attended the 21 hour weekday course from June 30 to July 4. We are both new riders at 30 and 32 years old. I came in with about 5 hours of experience with dual sport bikes in a slow off-road setting, 15 years of driving stick, lots of sledding, etc. My wife had about an hour and a half of experience with an automatic 70cc pit bike. She is NOT an adventurous, mechanically inclined/athletically inclined person, and she comes from a home that didn't promote adventurous activities. She's driven a quad a couple times, can drive stick (although not with much confidence) and is still a novice/casual bicycle rider. In other words, she was VERY green and nervous and I was pretty confident. We were both able to pass the license AND rebate tests with ease, although she was shocked she did so well. I managed a perfect score, and she only received two marks against her out of the allowed ten, and those marks were for going a bit slower than perfect, being a more conservative rider. Everyone out of the 11 people in our class passed the licensing test, and I *think* 7 people passed the rebate test(?). Two of the others were so so close to passing the rebate test but nerves got the better of them and they made a couple big-point mistakes (swerving in the wrong direction, etc). Everyone in my class was came away capable of operating a bike, but like anything, they have varying degrees of skill/natural ability.
    Anyways, here are my observations:
    -We lucked out with a small class and good weather. Do yourself a favor if you are a new rider and take the weeknight course, not the weekend course. You will have more time to digest what you are learning and have a better chance at some good weather.
    -We really liked our instructors. Three out of four are very outgoing and knowledgeable, one was quieter but gives good and clear direction when he speaks.. All were friendly! My wife is very sensitive to being yelled at and she was never offended. It’s a loud environment.
    -They will go out of their way to provide extra help if you need it, just ask!
    -The bikes operated fine. People saying they’re too beat up to operate are wrong.
    -The in-class portion was a worthwhile ‘reality check’ of riding on roads. The point is to get you to THINK in a way that will keep you alive. Check your ego and pay attention.
    -There is a LOT of material to cover. This course can teach a complete novice to ride in 15 hours. It did just that with my wife and another 16 y/o girl with no riding experience. It was ‘easy’ for me, very intense for my wife. We both succeeded, we both had fun.
    -If you are an “experienced” rider and couldn’t pass the rebate test, you’re not as good as you think you are. This course should only cost an experienced rider $230 as the rebate should be easy for you if you pay attention and practice what they are teaching.
    -The course ran from 5:20’ish to 9:00pm each night with chatting afterwards, not 6 to 10. We feel we got our money’s worth and went home sore, tired, and grinning.
    -Course-appropriate gear is cheap. $30 boots from Walmart, a jean jacket, mechanics gloves, and a DOT Canadian Tire helmet are really all that’s necessary. If you can’t afford that, maybe this isn’t for you?
    -to make things easier for complete novice, ask a friend to teach you to drive stick, or ride an offroad bike somewhere.
    -We both learned how to ride motorcycles from the ground up. Before the course I didn't think I would want to ride on the street, now I know its something I want to work towards. The course gave us confidence. My wife is more tentative, but has expressed interest in off-peak riding where she can work on her areas of weakness and went from "I'm never going to use this skill" to "I actually miss motorcycling". As a guy who loves motorized things, you can imagine how excited I am to hear that! If you can go in with a 'I want to have fun and learn something' attitude, I believe you will do well.

  1. Anonymous says:

    Can someone tell me what the two tests are?

  1. Anonymous says:

    Anonymous
    July 8, 2014 at 10:26 AM
    "Can someone tell me what the two tests are?"

    what, and spoil all the fun?? :)

    There is a test for your learners license and a test for the rebate.

    the tests include: starting from a stop, controlling your bike through a series of turns at up to 20-25kmh using push-steering(staying within the lines), stopping within an allotted space, emergency stop in a curve, and swerving in an indicated direction.
    Its nothing you didn't do many times during the course.

  1. Anonymous says:

    Dont understand peoples complaints. Sure $430 is expensive. Before GDL came out people were heading out on the streets with 0 experience on 600 plus cc bikes. This "safety" course is far from being taught the safe way to ride, but it is meant for beginners with no riding experience to learn the basics of the many techniques required to ride a motorcycle. It is up to you after you pass to continue to develope those techniques to make you a better and safer rider. Do you expect them to send out rookies with 0 exp out onto st.james and be able to navigate through rush hour. Thats why theres a 8hr course for experienced riders.
    Suck it up do the course, pass and youre on your way.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I did not like this course (21 hr.). It was not teaching me how to ride on the street at all. No safety about being in traffic or anything. It was great if I were to only ride in sealed off parking lots forever, but otherwise it's a TOTAL robbery of my hard-earned money. Only 2 people out of our entire group got their rebate. I am NOT impressed. Also, I feel that some of the comments on here are trolls for MPIC. Especially the one who said almost everybody in his group got the $200.00 rebate. I totally cal B.S. on that.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I took the 21 hour course 3 years ago, having no previous experience with Motorcycles. The course taught me how to use the Brakes, throttle and clutch simultaneously, which helped me ride on the Street. I passed both tests with no Problems and got the Rebate. For me it was $400 well spent.

  1. Anonymous says:

    Not a troll for mpi, but my class last year had 95% pass their rebate test. If you pay attention in the class you'll pass both tests with ease. I took the 21hr course because it amounts to less cost with more time to know what the skills test will be like. I do agree that it should be cheaper to offset the high insurance coverage. Well worth the $230 after the rebate.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I took the 21 hour course a week and a half ago and I have zero experience riding motorcycles or manual transmission.
    Don't let these other negative people turn you away from taking the course. THe instructors can be hard on you at times, but they are only doing it because they want you to improve, not because they just want to be a-holes.
    The course slowly progresses adding onto existing knowledge while re-inforcing past knowledge.
    It can be pretty hot with all the gear on, but they do have frequent water and bathroom breaks so there is nothing to worry about.
    As long as you pay attention, practice properly, and ask for pointers on areas that you are struggling in you will do fine.
    As for these people complaining about not getting the rebate. They are the ones who shouldn't be on the roads. Like I said I had ZERO experience and I passed it easily with no points against me. I actually did better on the rebate test than I did on the licensing one.
    It was $450 well invested and I'd spend it again in a heartbeat.

  1. Anonymous says:

    This is a great course. I passed all tests, got my 6L and rebate by paying attention, practice during class and asking questions.

  1. Anonymous says:

    Sounds like not everyone gets the same standard of instructors and evaluators. That, in itself, is an institutional problem within SSM. On the positive side, it seems like the course has improved over the seasons base on the post dates above.

    I'm on the 8-hour course starting tonight. As I mentally prepare, I do appreciate the feedback posted here. Especially the details on what led to success on the course and the overview of the test at the end.

    Good luck to all.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I also had to jump on here with all the negative comments. I completed the 21 hour course with rebate and I would recommend it to everyone. I had no riding experience before hand. I learned so much that I wouldn't have been able to do on my own and the instructors were consistent and kind. The skills tests aren't a surprise at the end. You know exactly what you'll have to do because you've done it all weekend. My entire class passed. Even if I didn't get the rebate; with the quality of instructors I had, and the stuff we got on the second riding day, I would take the 21 hour course anyway. I felt much more prepared after the second day than the first.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I just finished this course. I agree that the classroom part was a bit dry. However, the rest of it is really good. They try hard to teach you how to control your bike. If you can't control your bike on low speed, obviously you won't be able to do it on high speed. They provided constructive feedback and instructors were very friendly. They have to yell because once you put your helmet on you can't hear well and when there are 14 bikes running around you, it's really loud and you won't hear anything unless somebody is yelling. If you are that sensitive that yelling offends you, you might want to reconsider driving/riding all together. People on the street not only will yell at you, but also will honk and swear! The final test is not easy, but not a surprise either. It's what you have done during the course over and over. Money well spent.

  1. Anonymous says:

    tip for riders who have yet to take the course- especially females: use the dual sport (dirt bike style) and 'standard' bikes instead of the cruiser-style bikes. They feel more like a bicycle and have wider handlebars giving you more leverage. imo they are more confidence-inspiring than the cruiser-style bikes, and will likely be more intuitive to ride slowly. They have dual sports with shorter shocks on them for shorter people. sit on a few different bikes before picking one to stick with for the rest of the course.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I took the 21 hour course last year and found it invlauable as a novice rider. However it does not prep you for real road riding. I undestand we need to get out and ride and gain experience with our bikes, however more intermediate and advanced training courses ar required. Saskatchewan is offering an experienced rider tsining course on the rcmp track. If mpi wants to charge us such high insurance rates maybe they should give us more options to get better training and subsequent discounts on our insurance for taking this training. Most accidents are due to driver inexperience . So provide the opportunity to take intermediate to advance motorcycle courses!!!!! If mpi is not willing to provide such training contract it out to a private company. BC, AB, ON have such courses!

  1. Anonymous says:

    I am 54 years old and had no experience prior to taking the 21 hr MSF course.
    I found the course to be very efficient and the instructors to be very helpful. I passed both components of the testing, including the skills test and found it to be quite fair. There was nothing asked of you that hadn't been covered and practised in class.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I think all the comments here that are negative are hilarious!

    I took this course 2 weeks ago and it was amazing !

    If you know your shit then take the 8 hr one and stop whining.
    I took the 21 hr one and I HAVE NEVER DRIVEN A BIKE BEFORE AND I LEARNED ON STICK OVER 10 YEARS AGO so i don't even remember how to drive stick. NEVER been on a scooter or anything.

    The teachers were amazing - not yelling just talking above the noise but they were very helpful with the comments and if you just listened to them you got words of encouragement and praise they were super!

    I loved that we had riders that were slow--- i think a huge thing i had to learn was clutch control and since we did it so well in class im a pro now. anyone can go fast the trick is having slow speed control it makes you a better rider.

    I passed my course on the first try and i went to the 2nd part..... I HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU ALL THINK THAT IT WAS HARD?!?!?

    it was everything they taught in class and simple -- i passed and got my rebate as well as more then half of my class.
    ...you know who didnt pass.... all you squids and some older people who didnt handle the bike well to begin with....

    if anyone is reading this just realize this - your life is worth more then $430 just pay it once learn everything you can and it WILL make you safer and more aware of other bikers on the road. If you hate it then so what you could spend $400 on worse things like a tv that doesn't do anything but make you lazy sitting in front of it.
    and most people should pass the test unless they really shouldn't be on the road.... if not re test...then spend years riding the streets and forget about the $500 you "wasted"

  1. Anonymous says:

    Took the 8 hour course. All the instructors were great. Went in with little to no bike experience and came out feeling like I could easily ride a bike in traffic.

    Ignore all the comments from 2 years ago saying the course is garbage. Clearly they have worked out the kinks by now and everything is as it should be.

    I actually had a considerable amount of fun and learned a lot.

  1. Anonymous says:

    Just finished the gearing up course this weekend and I learned a lot! I had to come back and write this as I was apprehensive after reading some of the other comments. I'm guessing those complaining were those that can't be taught. We were warned that motorcycling isn't for everyone...

    The three instructors were fantastic and funny. We had a small group of only 13 people (we were told it's normally two groups of about 10-14 people each). All of us passed. It sounds like only the two weakest students didn't get their rebates. I'd highly recommend the gearing up as opposed to the basic course, I felt so much more confident after day two than I did on day one.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I took this the 21 hour coarse last summer and loved it! As a kid I rode little hondas around the farm, so I was familiar with handeling a bike, a small one anyway. I had never driven on highways or in traffic, so I was a little nervous starting.
    But what this coarse taught me, was how to handle a bike in slow motion, steering around pillions over and over again untill I could do it without putting my feet on the ground :-). How to make 90 degree turns, up hill! swerving quickly to avoid things on the road, emergency stopping etc. etc. and etc. this coarse was exactly what i needed to build up my skills so I could be ready and be confident on the roads at any speeds, and in any dangerous unseen situation. Hats off to the teachers! They did a great job! Worth every penny! Fyi...I passed both tests and got my 200 bucks back������ my husband bought me an Indian Scout, and I've been riding all summer, highways, winnipeg city! I love it, and its defenitly because of the skills this coarse has taught me.

  1. Anonymous says:

    Hi, what can I expect for the Basic motorcycle course (8 Hour). sort of like a list of what you actually do. thanks.

  1. Anonymous says:

    I just took the 8 hour course. I literally had 0 riding experience going into this. IF you've ridden a bicycle, you can get your license...the 8-hour course was fun, but even this was a little bit of a drag. I cant imagine the 21 hour course.....seriously, you are wasting time if you take the 21 hour course, something money cant buy. during the course, you will learn everything...literally. AS for the test, its almost impossible to fail. you dont need to shift gears for the TEST...so easy. Instructor on my side was great, dont know about other group.

  1. Anonymous says:

    If anyone is still reading these comments to learn more about this course, I'll leave mine...
    I took the 21 hour course with zero experience. I had a tough time with parts, and at times felt very frustrated. However, over the course of the evenings, I learned a lot, and I loved it. I stuck with it, and was very proud of the skills I gained. The instructors I had were fantastic - patient and helpful and kept our course moving well.
    Ultimately, I failed the test - and this was because I'm a newbie, I was not confident enough in my skills, and I knew immediately when I disqualified myself.
    I think this course is excellent - it gets the ready riders on the road, and it pauses the ones like me who either need more time, or need to reconsider if this is something they want to pursue. This was money well spent, in my opinion - even though I "failed", I learned a lot and had a great time.

  1. Anonymous says:

    This course is geared very heavily towards having control of the bike through any scenario. Majority is slow riding because riding at speed is very easy (higher speed means more balance on a bike). You will learn controls, controlling the bike at slow speed, obstacle avoidance, braking, etc. These skills easily transitioned for me on the road. What you will not learn and something that is missing is things like lane choices, avoiding panic responses, etc. I would agree that the course is a drag if you have experience but if you don't have experience this will be invaluable.

  1. Anonymous says:

    This course is geared very heavily towards having control of the bike through any scenario. Majority is slow riding because riding at speed is very easy (higher speed means more balance on a bike). You will learn controls, controlling the bike at slow speed, obstacle avoidance, braking, etc. These skills easily transitioned for me on the road. What you will not learn and something that is missing is things like lane choices, avoiding panic responses, etc. I would agree that the course is a drag if you have experience but if you don't have experience this will be invaluable.

  1. Unknown says:

    I took the course 4 years ago. I never had motorcycle experience. Passed both test with flying colors . The trick as pay attention. And if you failed the rebate test . You shouldn't be driving a bike then .

  1. James jones says:

    You have a very nice layout for your blog. i want it to use on my site too ,    bizsafe level 2

  1. Anonymous says:

    Hi-I took the course in the summer of 2016-well i should say i took it twice-I did not have any experience on a motorcycle-total beginner-I took the 2 day course and the instructors were not patient-they yelled more than they spoke-the pace was the hurry up and wait-not much room for individual teaching or questions-no acknowledgment that people learn differently-I had a mishap and walked away-I found the 2 day course too compacted-too stressful being yelled at -I re-took the course over the 5 evenings-i found the shorter sessions more beneficial-got my beginners - I am a firm believer in the safety courses however-i do believe smaller classes and different types of beginners classes would be beneficial-having no experience is different than having experience on dirt bikes, riding on the farm etc -

  1. Anonymous says:

    I wish the course was more helpful but CFB Shilo is the best location for this. its not in some random parking lot and there is a lot more room. You don't have people walking in front of you or bothering you.

  1. Unknown says:

    Hi, I was just reading your post. I intend to do the same, buy a bike first and practice in an open parking lot. Now the question is, are "M" holders can legally do that somewhere in the city?

    I would appreciate you response to give me some tips

Leave a Reply

Winnipeg Report on YouTube

Ad