Advanced Riding Clinic I

Name: Advanced Riding Clinic I
Brand: Bay Area Motorcycle Training
Price: 450.0 USD
Availability: InStock

Who Is It For

Whether you want to become a more proficient and safer rider on the street—or a faster rider on the track—mastering advanced riding techniques is crucial and should not be postponed until it is too late. Unfortunately, most advanced riding courses in the country are only offered in high-speed racetrack environments. The fear of crashing at high speeds and the pressure of other riders flying by are too intimidating to most motorcyclists so they never take this important step forward.

During our Advanced Riding Clinics, every drill is performed one at a time, and at street-legal speeds, in a controlled environment. After each run, you will receive professional, concise coaching on the specific skills you need to work on to transform your riding. From cruisers to sportbikes, all types of motorcycles and riding styles are welcome to attend.

This course is based on Lee Parks' best selling book Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques. It is highly recommended that you read it before your class.

Am I Ready For the ARC?

Because of the advanced cornering skills and techniques that we teach during ARC, it is important that riders who take this course arrive with a solid riding foundation in order to make the most out of the class. The best way to assess if you are ready for ARC is by responding to these other three important questions:Do you feel confident and relaxed riding through a curvy road, at regular road speeds?Do you feel confident in your ability to swerve around an unexpected obstacle, at road speeds?Do you feel confident in your ability to make your motorcycle stop in a very short distance during an emergency?If you answered YES to the three questions above, then ARC is for you and you will enjoy it greatly! However, if you responded NO to any of the questions above, you should consider the Total Control Intermediate Riding Clinic as the next step in your riding education.

What It Covers

Traction Management

There are so many different factors that affect traction, from cornering and acceleration forces to the design of the tires and the weight of the bike; riding a motorcycle is really an exercise in traction management. The purpose of nearly every skill taught in our Advanced Riding Clinic is to help you understand what traction is, how it works and how to effectively use the limited amounts of traction available on a motorcycle

Throttle Control

The single most important control on your motorcycle is the throttle. This is because—beyond speed and acceleration—it applies forces to so many aspects of your bike's handling including traction, suspension, weight transfer, steering, stability, and ground clearance. Knowing how to skillfully apply the throttle is one of the major distinctions between good riders and great riders

Mental State

You know what it is like when you are 'in the zone', everything just seems to flow, one corner seamlessly blending into the next, and you are always in the right place on the road. You also know when you are not in the zone, because everything seems to go wrong, the ride is harsh and jerky, cars take a swipe at you and it just feels like you are having a generally bad day. During our Advanced Riding Clinic, you will learn how fear and concentration can have such a profound effect on your riding and what simple steps you can take to ensure you have a perfect ride every time

Vision

Vision is, without a doubt, the most fundamental skill for proper riding. The majority of decisions made while riding are based on information coming in through your eyes. The main reason for vision being so critical is thatyou go where you lookbut even experienced racers struggle with maintaining proper vision through the corners. At Total Control you will learn why riders go where they look and how you can use your eyes to your advantage and safety during every ride

Line Selection

Unlike cars, motorcycles can take a lot of different lines through a particular corner. Some of these lines will help you make a safe and serene progression through the bends, while others will ruin your perfect ride! During our Advanced Riding Clinic you will learn exactly how to plan and follow proper lines on every corner of the road

Body Position

No matter what you ride, the way you position your body on your motorcycle has a profound impact on how it will handle during a corner and also determines how much physical effort you will need to control it. Our Advanced Riding Clinic uses a ten step technology to ensure you achieve the right body position—every time. We call it a technology rather than just a bunch of tips, because ALL the ten steps combine to give you consistent results

Suspension Setup

Having the right suspension setup is one of the keys to riding fast and safely. No matter which shock or fork you have, they all require proper adjustment to work to their maximum potential. The knowledge about how your suspension works—and how to properly adjust it and maintain it—will work together with proper riding skills to improve your overall ability to manage traction

Who Teaches It

Chief instructor Lee Parks has been racing for 25 years and won the 2001 G.M.D. Computrack National Endurance Series Championship in the Lightweight class. He also finished 2nd in the 1994 AMA 125GP national championship in its exhibition year. He spent five years as the editor and chief test rider of Motorcycle Consumer News where he road tested every new street motorcycle available in the U.S. and became one of the top performance-testing journalists in the world. Lee's staff of personally trained instructors are located all over the U.S. and Europe and bring with them an impressive list of riding and teaching credentials. Lee is now the president of Lee Parks Design, a motorcycle gear and accessory manufacturer

How It Works

Part of the reason for the program's success is the dynamic classroom training, which includes both theory and application of the Total Control ARC techniques. By including a basic analysis of vehicular dynamics, riders get a clear understanding of how their actions affect their bikes. For instance, in the suspension portion of the class, riders learn how to analyze the effectiveness of their suspension and how to set it up for maximum control and comfort.The range portion of the training is done in a large parking lot or skidpad where each of the skills are individually broken down and practiced. Working on only one skill at a time is the fastest way to make consistent riding improvements. The beauty of doing it this way is that the student is never asked to make a huge "leap of faith" in any one area. Each skill is built up in small two-mph increments until the desired result is achieved. This allows for high confidence and never gets too scary. In fact, cornering speeds never go above 25 mph. While this may seem slow, in a tight enough corner, 25 is very, very fast. Combined with a strategic "building block" formula for integrating the individual skills into a complete riding package, the Total Control ARC enables riders to learn faster and easier than ever before. Equally important, all the Total Control ARC skills are taught with their direct applications for street riding. After all, knowing how to do something is of little value if you don't understand when and where to use it.

Requirements

3,000 street miles

Sign our private vehicle and personal waiver

Requirements for your bike

Motorcycles must be in proper working order, including cooling and charging systems, and a battery that is in good condition. It will be inspected by an instructor prior to class. Your bike should be able to perform satisfactorily in hot weather and not overheat while stopped with the motor running. Motorcycles that do not meet the minimum safety requirements will not be permitted in class

Oil- Proper oil level
Brakes- Must be in good working order
Coolant- Liquid cooled bikes must have proper coolant level
Charging System- A relatively new battery is highly recommended since you will be starting the bike frequently
Tires- Must have a minimum tread of 3mm. Air pressure will be checked before the class starts. Absolutely NO race, race compound tires or car tires regardless of whether they are DOT approved

Requirements for you

Clothing labeled as ‘motorcycle’ does not always meet our requirements, since it is often a reference to motorcycle ’style’ instead of the fit and protection we are required to have you wear. PROTECTIVE street motorcycle gear is always acceptable for taking our class, but gear that is motorcycle style is almost never protective, and so is almost never acceptable. Gear as described in the book Total Control is always acceptable. You will NOT be allowed into class with inadequate gear or the same gear used in the beginning classes

Helmet- Dot- approved helmet. Full face helmets are VERY strongly recommended. Personal helmets are subject to inspection for DOT-compliance and to make sure that they are in good working condition
Eye protection- Face shield, goggles or some form of sun-/eyeglasses. They may be tinted or clear. Ordinary prescription glasses may be worn
Gloves- must be street-motorcycle specific, durable leather, full finger and cannot be open on the back of the hand. Mechanics gloves, batting gloves, off-road motorcycle gloves, leather dress gloves, ski gloves, or work gloves will NOT be accepted
Jacket- Armored, motorcycle-specific jacket required- durable leather or textile jacket
Pants- Motorcycle street- specific pants are strongly recommended. Kevlar jeans, chaps, racing leathers, durable long jeans, motor cross pants or textile are OK. Pants must cover all of the leg when seated on the motorcycle with feet up on the foot pegs - no skin/socks, etc. showing. Denim jeans or anything made of durable, rugged material, such as protective work pants will be accepted. We will not allow you to ride in stretch pants or stretch fabric (including jeggings), or ANY pants with rips, tears, or any sort of holes, no matter the material
Boots- Only sturdy, over-the-ankle, snug fitting, reinforced footwear that supports the ankle and provides good traction will be accepted. Most laced and tied hiking boots or high tops will do as long as they fit snugly around the ankle with thick, padded/reinforced material so that your ankle bone cannot be felt. They must also be laced up so the sides are snug against the foot/ankle in order to provide ankle support. High tops or boots that merely cover the ankle and/or are worn in such a way that does not provide ankle support will NOT be accepted(ie: Chuck Taylor high tops, Uggs, cowboy boots, boots with elastic on the ankle, high tops that are loosely tied, etc.). Boots with high heels are NOT recommended, even if they are motorcycle boots
Prepare for the weather- We rarely cancel for rain, so be prepared! Bring plenty of snacks, water, sunscreen, sunglasses, rain gear