I get where she's coming from with that. I had the same thought before I took my MSF class.

However, in my case? Made a stupid mistake which resulted in a severe loss of confidence in myself. Also add in about $1,000 to fix said stupid mistake had me second guessing just about everything I did when I was on the bike. Was focusing so much on my screwups and every little thing that I wasn't getting too far in learning by myself (granted, was by myself, didn't have anyone with me to teach/help so the fact you're helping her gives her a leg up).

But when it comes to the MSF courses? Something to be said about a little 50cc Honda that's dinged up and dented and someone teaching you what and what not to do to build back the confidence. Beginner or seasoned you're all starting from square one in those courses. From walking it through a parking lot all the way too "Go in a circle at 30mph around these cones and we're gonna throw a 2x4 in your path from time to time".

Nothing wrong with having a basic understanding before the course, but at the same time you don't need to be Evel Knievel going into it either.

 

When I got my license back in '81 there was no MSF course (at least not that I knew of). I did have several years of experience riding dirt bikes though, and that training saved my hide a couple of times over the years in the days before ABS. I learned how to control a bike in a slide from years of dirt riding.

 

One of the examples shown in the MSF class I took was to see all the guys who rode down the wrong street to get to the dealership (dead end during MSF classes), and they couldn’t manage a U-turn on a 2-lane road. The instructors would stop the class so we could watch them duck walk a 3-point turn, and point out how embarrassing it was to not be able to make that turn.