So I'm a new rider, and I did take the MSF course, but I'm sure there will be some unexpected lessons as I gain experience.  What should I know, that at this point, I wouldn't think to ask?
 

Just realize that no one in a car can see you, EVER, and your riding experience will be so much better. That and ride within your abilities.

If you have friends that ride and are a lot faster then you I suggest you not try to keep up with them. Just ride at your own pace and you should be fine.

Never under-estimate the bike.
 
When in doubt, gas out.

Alot of people in Idaho who get hurt or die on bikes seem to do so in corners. Really important to develop good cornering habits. Most important is to remember to slow down before the corner, because you cant really touch the brakes in a corner. Hitting the brakes stands the bike up straight and doing that in a corner means that you will either high side crash or just ride right off the road.
 
Alot of new riders panic in a corner and hit the brakes and wreck hard. So at first, always slow down a bit and gradually practice your counter steering and leans, and after a while you will be good in corners, flying around them.
 
Then comes the second danger, over confidence. I see alot of guys get a little confidence and then taking corners too fast, and then wrecking or going too wide in corners and colliding with cars or other bikes coming the other direction. Save the high speed corners for track days, keep it safe and sane and live to ride another day.
 
Also, take good care of your chain. Read up on how to check and adjust. A new chain will stretch by 1,400 miles and ususally needs to be tightened. Failure to do so can cause a chain to break, and get caught in the back wheel and lock it up, throwing you. also makes sure to clean it and then re lube very often. I clean and lube my chain after each gas fillup. My chains last a very long time as a result.
 
also, visually check your tires before each ride. Look for punctures, things sticking out of it and wear marks. If you see a chord, replace the tire asap.
 
Also check oil at least once a week, and also look for leaks on the ground before starting it.
 
Have fun, and do not try to follow faster riders yet. Alto of those guys wreck badly and corners are just as fun at slower speeds.

Always look far ahead and where you want to go. A beginner mistake is to look at the road too close, right in front of the bike. And if you see an obstacle you do not want to hit (like a tree), don't keep looking at it it. It will produce a magical pulling force.. 
ALways assume other cars are driven by brainless zombies who are out to kill you.

In one of the forum folders someone posted "Twist of the Wrist 2". It is a bit corny, but has some excellent information. If you have not seen it I would recommend you do. I had a quick look and could not find it. When I watched it I had trouble finding it too. Maybe a moderator can make it a sticky in this folder. It seems like the logical place for it.

In one of the forum folders someone posted "Twist of the Wrist 2". It is a bit corny, but has some excellent information. If you have not seen it I would recommend you do. I had a quick look and could not find it. When I watched it I had trouble finding it too. Maybe a moderator can make it a sticky in this folder. It seems like the logical place for it.

Nice, thanks for the tip. I am going to watch it now.

haha, I just watched it. You are right, man-o-man is it ever corny ! But once you get over it it does have some good info. Good stuff.

I agree 100%. It is too bad it is not a better written story with better acting, but the technical info is spot on and it is really worth watching.

i'm in the middle of watching it and yea the acting is so bad lol. But very good info. I'm still new to riding and I never knew a lot of what was said.

I watched it and thought it was good, the bad acting just made it more entertaining

The most important thing to pack extra on a long trip is Underwear.

Eye fixation is a big NO-NO, you go where your looking, so if you see something you need to avoid, don't stare at it!
Check out YouTube videos on counter steering, and then practice it.
Assume that everybody in a car is literally trying to kill you! That guy in front, is going to brake check you, that car to your left/right, is going to cut you off, the guy behind you will ram into you.
Be Careful entering intersections, people pull out like maniacs!
If its legal in your state to lane-split, don't go 90 in bumper to bumper traffic and again watch out lane-splitting at intersections.
Don't try to keep up with faster riders.
you can gas out of danger faster than you can brake from danger, USUALLY.
And the usual, know how much gas you have in your tank, tire air pressure, chain slack, chain lubed up, brake lights working, turn signals working, horn working...
well your horn is prolly not really going to get the attention of other cagers.
DON'T FORGET TO CANCEL YOUR TURN SIGNALS AFTER YOU ACTIVATE THEM!!!

As a new rider what I learned the hard way was to control the slow speed with the clutch AND throttle and NOT the throttle alone.
 
Going up my slightly sloped driveway to pull into the garage the bike naturally slowed down due to the slope ... I twisted my right wrist to give it some gas and ended up shooting onto the front lawn. No damage done but a very important lesson I learned that day.
 
Be mindful of that effect ... for me the slow speed control is the area to concentrate on ... turning included. Go out on some empty roads & parking lots if you can and practice, practice, practice!!! Can't stress that enough as a newbie mistake on a bike could be your last.

Re slow speed control, checkout "Ride Like a Pro" video. Lots of good info and drills.
 
https://www.ridelikeapro.com

Yeah, just spent some quality time with some sketchy acting in order to learn ALOT! Thanks for the recommendation of Twist the wrist II. I am just glad that alot of moutain biking knowledge transfers back to the bike. Looking forward to my MSF course 3 weeks!

DON'T FORGET TO CANCEL YOUR TURN SIGNALS AFTER YOU ACTIVATE THEM!!!

Pisses me off and pains me every time I see my dad change into the left lane, still with his right blinker on. Rookie riders man. ;-| 
Jokes: When in doubt wheelie out! That's my saying.