Article: Safety Strategies - Rider Training

[VersysRider]

You can view the page at http://www.sporttouring.us/content.p...Rider-Training

[RIDEMYST]

Good article and good thoughts, Doug! -JEP-

[dlogston]

Point well taken, Mr. Westly.
As a Motorcycle Safety Foundation certified RiderCoach for the past 13 years, I sooooooo wish more experienced riders would sign up and complete the MSF's "Advanced RiderCourse - Sportbike Techniques" training. This challenging one day course (a civilian version of the rider training put together by Nick Ienatsch for the military) is designed for riders who already have lots of real-world time and mileage on their personal motorcycle, who desire to learn and practice more in-depth riding techniques.

Taken on a rider's own street-legal motorcycle (and by no means limited to sportbikes), the course is mostly riding, but there is some classroom work as well. Classroom activities use small group discussions and interactive activities to address personal risk levels and management strategies. The classroom session provides an opportunity to discuss options for cornering, braking, swerving and to improve one's visual perception to identify collision traps. On-cycle range exercises provide practice in cornering, braking, swerving and evading.
All good stuff and so seldom practiced by we "experienced" motorcyclists.

Doug L.

[Patmo]

This spring I took the 1-day Total Control class, level 1. I can not reccomend it highly enough! I have done track days with a couple of different groups, at a couple of different tracks, with instructors. I have been riding motorcycles since I was 18, that's almost 40 years now. I have read books on riding and watched videos. However, I learned more about what it actually takes to turn and control a motorcycle in this ONE DAY than I have learned in all that time. ONE day spent in a classroom and in a PARKING LOT has made me a much BETTER rider. Not necessarily a faster rider, but I can now ride with a much greater sense of control and comfort. It is my intention to retake the class again this fall, and follow it up with the level 2 class the next day. I cannot compare it to the MSF advanced class, because I have never experienced that class, but I will say that the Total Contol class was FAR BETTER than ANY track classes I have ever been to, even though I feel that after taking the class I could track ride much faster than I ever did before.
i know have a much fuller understanding of how and why a motorcycle turns, and how to control the bike to get it to do what I want it to.