The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) is an American national,
not-for-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization, founded in 1973, and sponsored by the U.S. manufacturers and distributors of BMW, BRP,
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
,
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
,
Kawasaki
Kawasaki ( ja, 川崎, Kawasaki, river peninsula, links=no) may refer to:
Places
*Kawasaki, Kanagawa, a Japanese city
**Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, a ward in Kawasaki, Kanagawa
**Kawasaki City Todoroki Arena
**Kawasaki Stadium, a multi-sport stadium
*K ...
,
KTM
KTM AG (Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, formerly KTM Sportmotorcycle AG) is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and sports car manufacturer owned by Pierer Mobility AG and the Indian manufacturer Bajaj Auto. It was formed in 1992 but traces ...
Indian Motorcycle
Indian Motorcycle (or ''Indian'') is an American brand of motorcycles owned and produced by American automotive manufacturer Polaris Inc.Yamaha
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruisin ...
s. The MSF maintains rider training curricula used in most states for novice and experienced riders.
The MSF fosters a "ride safe" attitude, and promotes lifelong learning for motorcyclists. It also participates in government relations, motorcycle safety research, public awareness campaigns, and technical assistance to state training and licensing programs.
Courses
MSF is a developer of comprehensive, research-based rider education and training curricula designed to develop or advance motorcyclists' riding skills.
, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has published 28 RiderCourses for current or prospective motorcyclists. MSF offers several courses via
iTunes U
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,000 ...
including "An Adventure in Motorcycle Physics", "Dr. Ray's Street Strategies", "Dr. Ray's Guide to Group Riding" and "Dr. Ray's Seasoned Rider".
MSF administers courses directly in Colorado, New Mexico, New York, and West Virginia and directly operates training sites called MSF Campuses in Troy, Ohio and Alpharetta, Georgia. However, in most states courses are administered by state agencies (i.e. Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety) or state university or community college networks that use MSF's curricula. Individual training sites may be public, as through technical colleges, or private organizations. Thirty-one states use the MSF tests for licensing, and 41 states use the MSF motorcycle operator manual. In 45 states, these local training sites are certified by MSF.
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
,
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and W ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
,
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
, and
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...
states use non MSF-developed curricula. All fifty states have rider training programs.
MSF is recognized by most state departments of transportation in the U.S. Successful completion of MSF's ''Basic "RiderCourse"'' usually replaces a state's riding exam, and may also replace the written exam, to receive a motorcycle operator's endorsement or license. Some insurance companies also offer discounts to those who have passed an MSF course. All United States military personnel are required to graduate from an MSF course to ride a motorcycle either on or off base.
Team Oregon dispute
A 2006 lawsuit by the MSF over alleged
intellectual property infringement
An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator ...
by the Team Oregon Rider Safety Program was settled in 2008. Team Oregon is a motorcycle training program run by the
Oregon Department of Transportation
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is a department of the state government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for systems of transportation. It was first established in 1969. It had been preceded by the Oregon State Highway Dep ...
and
Oregon State University
Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degree ...
. In the settlement, Team Oregon was granted permission to use MSF materials provided a statement of MSF
copyright
A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...
ownership was included. Team Oregon also agreed to only market its materials in Oregon, as in the past, and will still deny that the agreed upon acknowledgment of copyright is needed. Team Oregon claimed victory in the settlement, in that no payments were required and they may continue to use the training materials, while the MSF said the settlement was the same as one they had offered in 2006.
Underlying the dispute was the question of whether programs like Team Oregon, or Idaho's Skills Training Advantage for Riders (STAR), were free to develop their own training programs, specifically in response to the contention by the state programs that the MSF had made changes in their course that weakened it, making it easier to pass while putting riders at greater risk. Idaho's training manager had expected to be named in the suit along with Team Oregon, due to their similarity to Team Oregon.