MSF

Motorcycle Riding on Poor Road Surfaces – Motorcycle Safety Foundation

  POOR ROAD SURFACES A public highway is an unpredictable place. Even familiar stretches can seem like a foreign land at times. Conditions can change from day to day, depending upon weather, road use, or other unpredictable factors. When it comes to surfaces on new or unfamiliar roads you must be prepared and ready for anything. You never know what surprises lurk around yonder bend. Sound knowledge combined with a good riding strategy is essential for handling some common poor roadway surface conditions that you should be prepared to encounter. Loose Surfaces/Debris: Reduce speed to create a margin of safety…
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MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION POSTS TIP SHEET HELPING RIDERS BECOME MORE VISIBLE TO MOTORISTS

IRVINE, Calif., - “I never saw him” is something heard all too often at the scene of a motorcycle crash. To help riders stand out in traffic and compensate for inattentive car drivers, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has posted a new tip sheet and public service announcement called “Pretend You Are Invisible.” “Motorcyclists should pretend they are invisible to car drivers,” said Ken Glaser, MSF’s director of special projects. “If you assume others on the road can’t see you on a motorcycle, you will tend to ride in a hyper-aware mindset and notice much more detail of your surroundings. Pretending you…
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MSF BASIC RIDERCOURSE LAUNCHES NEW PHASE IN RIDER TRAINING

Kansas Site First to Coach with Updated Curriculum OVERLAND PARK, KA – The next phase in motorcycle rider training launched in a Kansas suburb over the weekend. Johnson County Community College became the first site to use the updated Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse that now includes online training, greater emphasis on rider behavior, and additional focus on emergency responses in real-world traffic. A student receives instruction from an MSF RiderCoach, during MSF’s first-ever, updated Basic RiderCourse, taught over the weekend at the Johnson County Community College motorcycle safety-training site in Overland Park, Kansas. One of the major revisions to…
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MULTIPLE CONTINENTS REPRESENTED AT 2013 MSF/IFZ INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SAFETY CONFERENCE

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 5, 2013 – The 2013 Motorcycle Safety Foundation/ifz International Motorcycle Safety Conference saw four continents, 23 countries and 39 US States, plus the District of Columbia, represented as motorcycle safety experts came together to share ideas and research data in an effort to improve motorcycling safety. The first safety conference of its kind in the United States since 2006, IMSC was held October 16 and 17 and coincided with the inaugural American International Motorcycle Expo, October 16 through 20, in Orlando, Fla. Titled “The Human Element: The Way Forward,” the conference was jointly sponsored by the MSF and…
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MSF DEBUTS RIDING TIPS MOBILE APP

MSF’s “Dr. Jim’s Riding Tips” Available on iTunes for iPhones, iPads IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 18, 2013 – In another move intended to help make the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's safety tips and practical strategies even more accessible to riders, the MSF has released its first official educational app on iTunes for use with iPhones and iPads. Titled “Dr. Jim’s Riding Tips,” the app uses existing MSF self-paced safety lessons to help current motorcycle owners improve their riding skills, and is priced at $1.99 on iTunes. The app features Dr. James Heideman - MSF’s director of licensing programs - and incorporates Heideman’s 10-video series,…
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ATV SAFETY INSTITUTE AND MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE DO THE RIDE THING VIDEO CONTEST WINNERS

Youth Across Country Earn Cash for Public Service Announcements IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 18, 2013 – Young riders across America used their creativity and video skills to produce public service announcements and be in the running to win a total of $8,500 in this year's Do the Ride Thing competition. Fifteen-year-old Jacob Sestak of Prague, Okla., won the $2,500 Grand Prize in the fourth annual contest to promote safe and responsible riding, sponsored by the ATV Safety Institute, Motorcycle Safety Foundation and Right Rider Access Fund. Sestak's video stressed the importance of safety while using ATVs in agricultural work. “I am…
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MSF BASIC ECOURSE OFFERS CONVENIENT ONLINE TRAINING FOR POTENTIAL AND CURRENT MOTORCYCLISTS

  MSF Basic eCourse Available in Conjunction with Hands-On Basic RiderCourse or as Stand-Alone Rider Education   IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 14, 2013 – Designed to promote lifelong learning in a convenient, informative online format, the new Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic eCourse is now available for $19.99 on MSF’s homepage. The highly interactive three-hour MSF Basic eCourse incorporates photos, graphics, video and more to provide participants with the basics of motorcycling with emphasis on personal safety and responsibility. The MSF Basic eCourse can be completed on its own as a stand-alone program or it can be taken in conjunction with the…
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THIRD MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION IBOOK TARGETS PROSPECTIVE MOTORCYCLISTS, THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES

  MSF’s “Rider Choices” Now Available on iTunes   IRVINE, Calif., May 22, 2013 – The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has launched its third iBook on Apple’s iTunes as part of an ongoing effort to promote motorcyclist safety on the roadways to a broader riding and non-riding audience.   Released exclusively for iPads, “Rider Choices” specifically addresses the questions and concerns of prospective motorcyclists, their families and friends. The interactive 32-page “Rider Choices” iBook is priced at just 99 cents.   “At MSF, we believe ‘Rider Choices’ is the smartest way to consider motorcycling or to help someone else consider riding,”…
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MSF PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO ELIMINATING MOTORCYCLIST CRASHES, INJURIES AND FATALITIES

  New Report Supports Need for More Research, Rider Training and Driver Awareness Initiatives to Increase Motorcyclist Safety   IRVINE, Calif., April 24, 2013 – In response to a preliminary report released today by the Governors Highway Safety Association that indicates motorcyclist deaths are projected to increase in 2012, Tim Buche, president and chief executive officer of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, said, “The numbers released today are a somber reminder that motorcyclist safety should be everyone's responsibility. Each of us must do our part in making good decisions on the road so we can eliminate these needless and tragic motorcycle…
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MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION’S NEWEST IBOOK DESIGNED TO HELP INCREASE MOTORCYCLIST AWARENESS

  MSF’s “Intersection: Sharing the Road” Available on Apple’s iBooks and iTunes IRVINE, Calif., March 28, 2013 – In its latest effort to reach current and prospective motorcyclists and all other roadway users, and to promote an overall safer traffic mix, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has launched its newest iBook, “Intersection: Sharing the Road.” Available exclusively for iPads, the 32-page iBook costs just 99 cents and is accessible to users in 32 countries.   Created with the iBooks Author application, “Intersection: Sharing the Road” is a beautifully designed, multi-touch book filled with interactive diagrams, photos, and videos. Readers simply tap…
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MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION RELEASES “MOTORCYCLE PILOT” VIDEO

New Public Service Announcement Compares Piloting an Airplane to Riding a Motorcycle  IRVINE, Calif., February 2013 – What do airplanes and motorcycles have in common? More than you may think, according to instructor pilot and motorcyclist Major James Boddy. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation® has released a new public service announcement featuring Major Boddy, in which he cites the many parallels between taking to the air and taking to the road. Some of the common themes mentioned are the importance of training, pre-flight/pre-ride inspection, wearing the proper safety gear, and maintaining awareness of one's surroundings. "Major Boddy trains fighter pilots and…
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2013 IFZ/MSF INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SAFETY CONFERENCE IN FLORIDA

Variety of Motorcycle Safety Presentations to be Considered for October Event IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 16, 2013 – The Motorcycle Safety Foundation, along with its co-sponsor, the ifz (Institute for Motorcycle Safety), located in Essen, Germany, has issued an official call for papers to be considered for presentation at the upcoming International Motorcycle Safety Conference, titled “The Human Element: The Way Forward.” The U.S.-based safety conference will be held Oct. 16 – 17, 2013, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., in conjunction with the debut of the American International Motorcycle Expo. Interested presenters should submit abstracts of their…
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MSF to Host Two International Motorcyclist Safety Conferences in Fall of 2013

IRVINE, CA – The Motorcycle Safety Foundation will hold two MSF International Motorcyclist Safety Conferences in an effort to further the non-profit organization’s goal of creating and supporting motorcyclists of good riding character and, ultimately, saving lives. Although both conferences are scheduled for the Fall of 2013, the exact dates and locations of the U.S. conferences will be announced at a later date.   Both MSF conferences will have a decidedly scientific focus, with heavy emphasis placed on the successful delivery of safety training and improved student outcomes. MSF’s own Dr. Sherry Williams will present results from the Safety Renewal…
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Motorcycle Safety Foundation to Release Innovative Rider Training Standards Paper

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 22, 2012 – In an effort to further improve and refine its rider training programs, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation will release the complete peer-reviewed paper titled, “The Standards Concept for a Rider Education and Training System,” authored by Dr. Jim Heideman, MSF’s director of licensing programs, on Aug. 24, 2012. Dr. Heideman previewed this paper via an executive summary and follow-up discussion at the Second Annual MSF International Rider Education Training System Conference, held at Eastern Kentucky University this past May. “The MSF’s mission is to create a comprehensive and relevant rider education and training system,” said…
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Motorcycle Safety Foundation to Unveil Preliminary Findings at VTTI’s Third International Symposium on Naturalistic Driving

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 20, 2012 – The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is honored to have been invited to participate in the upcoming Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s Third International Symposium on Driving Research, held Aug. 27 – 30, 2012, at VTTI’s facility in Blacksburg, Va. Hosted by VTTI’s National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, the two-day symposium has assembled a group of specially selected experts who specialize in the field of naturalistic driving research. According to VTTI, scheduled speakers include esteemed experts from Finland, Australia and Sweden, and multi-national participating companies include Toyota, Nissan and Ford. Finally, globally recognized agencies supporting…
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Second Annual MSF International Rider Education Training System Conference

Hundreds of Motorcycle Training Professionals Gather for Second Annual MSF International Rider Education Training System Conference   IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 20, 2012 – The Motorcycle Safety Foundation recently brought together more than 300 members of the training community to further its goal of continuous improvement in providing the very best way to be safe on a motorcycle, particularly for new riders. The participants represented 44 states and five countries in the Second Annual MSF International Rider Education Training System Conference, held at Eastern Kentucky University in May. Additional support for the IRETS conference included three military program coordinators and 22…
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