Basic Rider Course 2 Skills Practice/Experienced Rider Course

[RickJ]

Thanks to 53Driver, I finally found this course offering. It is described as "this program is for licensed riders with experience on the road and comfort with their skills and motorcycles. You will use YOUR motorcycle for this course.

This course is intended to improve skills such as slow speed control, cornering judgment, and emergency control and procedures, as well as attempting to eliminate some of the bad habits picked up through on-road riding. This course allows for practice of controls with a passenger, so bring your second rider!"

Why am I telling you?? Well, the course needs a total of 8 enrollees (max 12) and we need MORE. It is given typically on a Saturday, 5 hours. THIS IS FOR A COURSE IN GROTON NY. So any of you NY riders might want to join me. I assure you my motives arte selfish, they won't do it for fewer than 8!!!

Here is a link to the site, Basically you need a
Valid NYS Motorcycle License Required!
•Your bike must be legal, inspected, insured, and in good operating order. A short safety inspection will be given at the beginning of the course.
•Timely arrival for all sessions. Students arriving late will not be permitted to continue the program.
•DOT approved helmet. Helmets are available for loan if needed.
•Eye Protection
•Long Sleeve Jacket
•Sturdy Long Pants
•Full Fingered Gloves
•Sturdy Over the Ankle Footwear

I know you guys are ALL perfect riders and don't need this, but I only have about 25000 miles riding and 8 years...(9? 10?) so please just register for my sake! It costs $125.
The website is:
http://firstmsp.com/

Or just email your interest to :

info@firstmsp.com

The date is TBD when enough people register.

[VStarRider]

I am interested. Do I email them to demonstrate that interest, or are you coordinating a group and then going to email request a date?

[VStarRider]

I will share this on the VStar forum to see if I can drum up some more support.

[RickJ]

I am interested. Do I email them to demonstrate that interest, or are you coordinating a group and then going to email request a date?

Just reply through the email address I posted...they will do everything and let each of us know when. If anyone is travelling through cooperstown, I'm happy to be an espresso/potty stop and go as a group.

[53driver]

RickJ,
I'm very happy you found a course, and I really believe that you, and any others, will have a an absolute blast during those 5 hours.
The BRC2 is a great way for you and your bike to bond in a controlled environment.
It's a course I REALLY like teaching because there seem to be so many "aha!" moments as the riders figure things out for themselves.

I'm hoping it's the BRC2(Updated) as that one has a couple of cooler exercises, but either, way, it will be great.

If you have a group arriving from afar, make sure the coaches know to start a bit later (some places start at 0700!!??!!) so everyone can arrive, get the paperwork done, get some coffee and get ready for a great day of serious fun!

Cheers,
Steve

PS - I'm amazed they haven't filled courses....I always had 12 students and 4 alternates for every one of these I did in PA.

[VStarRider]

Just reply through the email address I posted...they will do everything and let each of us know when. If anyone is travelling through cooperstown, I'm happy to be an espresso/potty stop and go as a group.

Okay, thanks. I emailed them last night. As soon as I can log in to the Star Bike Forums (been awhile since I logged in; forgot my password and am awaiting a reply), I will create a post about this potential class.

[VStarRider]

RickJ,
I'm very happy you found a course, and I really believe that you, and any others, will have a an absolute blast during those 5 hours.
The BRC2 is a great way for you and your bike to bond in a controlled environment.
It's a course I REALLY like teaching because there seem to be so many "aha!" moments as the riders figure things out for themselves.

I'm hoping it's the BRC2(Updated) as that one has a couple of cooler exercises, but either, way, it will be great.

If you have a group arriving from afar, make sure the coaches know to start a bit later (some places start at 0700!!??!!) so everyone can arrive, get the paperwork done, get some coffee and get ready for a great day of serious fun!

Cheers,
Steve

PS - I'm amazed they haven't filled courses....I always had 12 students and 4 alternates for every one of these I did in PA.

I called them two years ago for a course and it was the same deal - only one class offered all summer because they struggle to fill classes. I am guessing part of the reason is that Groton is a pretty remote location, with Binghamton as the nearest large city (still 60 miles away). It will be a 90 mile ride for me, coming from the Rochester area.

[RickJ]

I called them two years ago for a course and it was the same deal - only one class offered all summer because they struggle to fill classes. I am guessing part of the reason is that Groton is a pretty remote location, with Binghamton as the nearest large city (still 60 miles away). It will be a 90 mile ride for me, coming from the Rochester area.

hope you can make it and I hope they can set-up a class. BTW It will be NOON, not 7AM!

[stillridin]

As good as "parking lot" training is, track riding is the best means to drastically improve skill, confidence and comfort levels for experienced riders. And now that all your brains have gone "racer mode", forget all that... there is one provider of track days for regular street riders. Tony's Track Days has partnered with Riding in the Zone (RITZ).

http://www.tonystrackdays.com/catego...-track-day.htm
http://www.ridinginthezone.com/non-s...ider-training/

Other track day organizers may claim to do track events for "all levels" but it's BS unless they have separate days for non-sport riders. "Sport" oriented days are too often a farm system for filling racing grids, a means for existing racers to get less expensive test/tune/seat time, plus provide cashflow for some current/ex-racers. Must be a good gig getting paid for dawdling around and telling the punters in the slow group the basics while getting to get in some hot laps with your buddies in the fast group.

I live in Ontario Canada and trekking down to NH or MA for a one day event is not on. I have been advocating non-sportbike track days with track day providers and bike industry types up here for at least a decade and can't even get them to put in an honest effort, beyond paternalistic, basic follow the instructor sessions. Then you're expected to go out with all the squids and MotoGP wanna-be's.

I did regular track days/schools for most of the past decade, and until a month ago, my bike before the F6B was an '06 CBR600RR. Great bike, but now that I'm not doing a dozen trackdays per year, the F6B fits my street riding needs better. For the last two years I rented the local road course for a few hours so my wife and I could ride track as we pleased. At first she was skeptical that just riding around a track with no distractions and being given specific coaching pointers would make her street riding experience better. Now she looks forward to going to the track as it's BIG FUN to learn/push your personal limits a bit, and after she is so much more comfortable and capable on the street, even though we are going the same street speeds as ever.

So if you want to have a big boost in capability and to support a good idea these organizers willing to risk doing something different, check it out. I have never been to a Tony's Trackday, and am in no way connected to it or RITZ, but I wish the track day organizers up here would do this.

[53driver]

I agree that "non-sportbike" track days are a great way to learn and smooth out skills and be introduced to new ones - especially braking skills - to polish over time.
I'm actively researching a Level 3 Class for myself and I fully intend to use those links you provided, StillRidin - thanks much.

But I'd like to clarify a few things if I may:

Those track day objectives are not contained in the BRC2.
The BRC2 is designed to get you, your bike and if desired, your passenger in a slow moving, controlled environment, to really get to know each other and introduce advanced skill sets, muscle memory drills, etc. The BRC2 is designed to be taken within 60 days of the BRC.
The Advanced Rider Course (formerly the Military SportBike Course) is also to be taken shortly after a BRC. Again, these are considered Level 2 classes and are quite intricate given the space constraints of a 120'x220' giant box....also cost considerably less than a Level 3 class.

All these "parking lot drill sessions" (I say that proudly because I can challenge anyone to their limits in a parking lot scenario - including myself) introduce concepts and begin the comprehension necessary for a rider to realize just how much they do not know and gives them a chance to accept that there is a whole other level of riding beyond the Basic Licensing course. If that rider feels compelled to continue their education and chooses to take a Level 3 class which often includes track time and is considerably more expensive, they are not inundated with new concepts at the same time as the speed a track will afford them.

Step by step learning.....

And I've had many sport-bike riders (who I'm sure had never been to a track day!) encounter "serious" issues in parking lot drills. It was quite humorous after all their pomp & bragging about their skills during the Introductions......

Great dialogue gents!