Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: driver education, motorcycle safety center, minnesota motorcycle safety center

Question
I just took a basic rider course, but feel I now know just enough to hurt myself.  Can you recommend any good books or videos that I might pick up to learn how to become a better rider?

Answer
EXCELLENT question. I can already tell you'll be a good rider just from the fact that you're asking it!

First: read "How to Ride a Motorcycle; A Rider's Guide to Strategy, Safety, and Skill Development." This is my second book. I lay out strategies and exercises you can use after graduating the BRC to help you evolve as a rider and do it in the safest way possible. You won't regret reading this book.

After that, read Proficient Motorcycling and A Twist of the Wrist I. After that, find the ones that look interesting to you and start picking them up one by one. There are also numerous Web sites that offer great safety information.

Here is my list of recommended reading and viewing (in alphabetical order):

Books:
Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motorcycles (Holmstrom)
How to Ride a Motorcycle (Hahn)
More Proficient Motorcycling (Hough)
Motorcycle Track Day Handbook (Larson)
MSF Guide to Motorcycling Excellence (MSF)
Police Rider’s Handbook to Better Motorcycling (UK Police Foundation)
Pro Motocross and Off-Road Riding Techniques (Bales/Semics)
Proficient Motorcycling (Hough)
Ride Hard, Ride Smart (Hahn)
Smooth Riding the Pridmore Way (Pridmore)
Sport Riding Techniques (Ienatsch)
Total Control (Parks)
Twist of the Wrist (Code)
Twist of the Wrist II (Code)

Web Sites:
California Superbike School (www.superbikeschool.com)
Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center (www.motorcyclesafety.org)
Master Strategy Group (www.msgroup.org)
Motorcycle Safety Foundation (www.msf-usa.org)
Survival Skills (www.survivalskills.clara.net/rskills.htm)
Total Motorcycle Web Site (www.totalmotorcycle.com)
Web Bike World (www.webbikeworld.com)

Videos:
Street Smarts Volumes 1, 2, and 3 (Winters/West)
A Twist of the Wrist (Code)
Ride Like A Pro (Palladino)
Surviving the Mean Streets (Palladino)

Good luck and have fun! Stay in touch and shoot me questions whenever you're stuck on something!

Pat