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I'm sorry you've had so much trouble with your local MSF course. Most MSF courses are very good, but sometimes you can get difficult teachers...

Fortunately, there are other things you can do to try and prepare better.

Below is my standard response for newer riders, to help build skills and confidence as you embark on an amazing adventure:

Advice to New Riders

Motorcycling can be a lifelong passion, but you have to be smart about it and remain ever vigilant.

The training mentioned below is mostly US-based, but there are similar courses around the world, and most of the books/videos will apply no matter which side of the road you happen to ride on.

My best advice for newer riders: understand that motorcycling is a skill, and focused training and proper practice can make you a better, smoother, safer rider.

Experienced riders understand the Fundamental Truth of riding: Motorcycles aren't automatically dangerous (despite what naysayers will repeat ad nauseam), but they are quite unforgiving of mistakes.

Every rider has to know their own skill level (regardless of the bike they're riding), but it's sometimes hard to know just where that skill level is. And even harder to learn how to raise that skill level without putting yourself and others at serious risk.

As a kid, you didn't just jump on a bicycle and head directly out into the busy street, did you? I imagine you were given a small starter bicycle, maybe with training wheels, and you rode around the driveway or backyard until you got better at balancing, steering, and stopping. Then the training wheels came off, and you graduated to bigger bicycles as your skills grew.

Motorcycling is much the same. Start small, build your skills and your confidence, then progress as your time, experience, and budget allows. Most of that has to be done on the bike, of course, but there are several good resources that you can use during the down time to help improve your understanding of motorcycle physics and best riding practices.

And when you are riding, your entire attention should be focused on the ride. No distractions, no stressing about work or family or relationships or life. And no riding impaired under any substance, legal, illegal, or otherwise. You have to focus 100% of your energy on the road. Remember, your #1 goal is to make it safely to your destination, no matter what the road throws at you.

Side note: When you're out on the road, legal Right of Way means nothing if it means that you get hit by some idiot who's not paying attention. Being legally right is for courtrooms afterwards, whereas simply recognizing and avoiding the dangerous situation before it happens is a much better way of staying safe.

It bears repeating that ATGATT should be your normal mode right from the beginning. This brings us to another Fundamental Truth about riding: Pavement hurts, but with the right gear, you can walk away relatively unscathed. Remember, it's much easier to repair/replace a broken motorcycle than a broken person...

But it's better not to crash, obviously, which is where skills training comes in.

Focused, professional training from a qualified instructor is always worth your time and effort. Having a skilled professional trainer watch you from outside and critique your style is invaluable in reaching that next skill level, and in building confidence.

Even after 4 decades and around 600,000 miles on two wheels, I still take regular training courses and track days, still read up on riding skills and accident avoidance, and still "practice" on every single ride. It's what keeps you safe out there.

On a side note, ABS is a great thing to have on a motorcycle. It just sits there unobtrusively, unless you need it during an emergency braking situation when it kicks in and can easily save your ass. Like ATGATT, it can be the difference that lets you walk or ride away from an incident.

The MSF offers their Basic Rider Course and Advanced Rider Course, which are well worth the small time and money commitments. Some riders might already be at that point, or beyond, so they'd be looking towards developing more advanced riding skills, as mentioned below.

Riders of any skill level can start with reading things like Twist of the Wrist I & II by Keith Code, Smooth Riding - the Pridmore Way by Reg Pridmore, and Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well, More Proficient Motorcycling: Mastering the Ride, & Street Rider's Guide: Street Strategies for Motorcyclists by David Hough.

Many of the ideas and techniques explained above can be practiced locally. Just find a large empty parking lot if you're in the city, or a lonely side road if you're out in the country, and try to recreate what the books are telling you.

And if you're interested in doing much longer rides, you should read Don Arthur's excellent Fatigue and Motorcycle Touring, which I re-read before every extended multi-day ride.

Then continue with the Twist of the Wrist I & II videos (can also be found on YouTube).

And don't forget some helpful websites, such as The Pace, The Pace 2.0, The Fine Art of Braking, and TrackDoD Novice Group Orientation.

That will set you up for a skills-based track day such as Ride Smart, where the point isn't to "win" or to "put a knee down" but rather to expand your riding skill set by practicing all the above ideas in a safe and controlled environment, with immediate feedback from qualified instructors.

You can also look at instructor-based training, such as Lee Parks Total Control program. And there are a few other places that offer one-on-one training as well.

Skills-based track days and private training can be found all over the country, if only you search for such things.

And when you're done perusing all of the above information, then sit down and watch On Any Sunday, On Any Sunday 2, and On Any Sunday, The Next Chapter

.

That should keep you busy for a while.

And remember to enjoy the ride...

Check out Doubletake mirrors, they make a few types but the Adventures would probably fit you best.

They use RAM mount components so you can move them wherever you want. If they still aren't wide enough, adding extenders should be more than enough for any bike.

Also, since the RAM balls are rubber, I find the mirrors wobble very slightly from vibrations rather than buzz, which means there's next to no blurring from engine vibrations.

If you're in the US here's where I bought mine.

If I can see the bike and I'm not worried about someone walking by to steal the helmet, I'll leave it on the bike. If I'm by myself and I'll have space to put the helmet on an empty chair or on a bigger table, I'll bring it inside. Otherwise I'll lock it up.

I used a gun lock like this for a while: https://www.amazon.com/FSDC-California-approved-Keyed-Cable-Lock/dp/B010IBDS04

Then I upgraded to this which has the advantage of being able to lock up my jacket as well: https://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-8417D-Python-Keyed/dp/B000XTPNZK

I highly recommend the Python lock. It's not super high security, but it packs up really small and it's super easy to use.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Or if you want to know how to fix/maintain/repair specific issues, buy the specific service manual for your bike. You can get the one from the manufacturer, which are usually around $100, or get the Haynes or Clymer manual, which are usually $25-$40. It certainly doesn't hurt to have both.

My bike has a helmet lock but without a D-ring it doesn't really work well. I bought a steel coiled cable sort of like this. I can lock my helmet to the bike lock and rest it on the seat. Typically though I take it in with me whenever I can.

I live in a small area though and can by 99% sure my helmet would be fine locked on the seat or even if I just left it hanging unlocked on my handlebars, but I don't feel comfortable doing that.

You can buy them as an attachment. But I'm not sure the reason it's not standard.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0965045072/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So that link got me the book... Even though it says DVD

We broke it while adjusting the float on my 03 CRF 230. I don't see it as part of any carb rebuild kits.

Unless it's just not shown in the picture

It would be bad if you weren't apprehensive. Your fear is a good sign that you respect the inherent dangers of motorcycling . I was in a somewhat similar situation - this time last year I was set on getting into motorcycling when I ran into the statistic that one is 30 times more likely to die on a bike that in a car. I got spooked. I did some research and after reading David Hough's book, Proficient Motorcycling I was confident that "it is possible to reduce the risks of motorcycling to an acceptable level through skill and knowledge", as Hough states in the introduction. But you really have to study the risks (through books like Hough's) and develop the skills and habits to avoid them.

I ended up starting on a 2014 Honda CB500F. I'm glad I didn't start on a 250, but there was one occasion where a bigger bike would have gotten me in trouble. You should be fine on a 650. Just be careful; don't throw yourself out there in situations that will require a skill set you haven't yet developed. Read books like Hough's so you know what's coming at you and the stupid things you should avoid.