Intermediate Riding Clinic(with licensing option)

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

Because emergency stops can be scary due to the limited amount of traction you have and how much it would hurt to kiss the ground, very few riders practice quick braking and even less have the actual knowledge and skills to do it safely. During our Intermediate Riding Clinic, you will learn and practice the right technique to achieve short stops so you are prepared when you need to brake quickly and avoid a hazard

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

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 Intermediate Riding Clinic you will learn how to plan and follow proper lines on every corner of the road

Few activities in street riding can be as frustrating as having to make a low-speed, tight turn in a limited amount of space—especially if you don't know the technique. Fortunately, it is one of the easiest skills to learn. In fact, most riders are able to reduce their minimum turning diameter by 30 to 40 percent in as little as five minutes of practice!

Swerving around an obstacle at speed can be a life-saving technique but it requires skill and practice to avoid surpassing the available traction of your tires and crashing during the maneuver. During our Intermediate Riding Clinic, you will learn and practice the technique necessary to do it safely when the emergency arises

During our Intermediate Riding Clinic, you will learn how to put together the throttle control, vision, line selection and body position techniques to practice safe turns at road speeds during your everyday rides

The California Motorcyclist Safety Program 1 Day Premier Course(1DPC) offers experienced, unlicensed students the opportunity to achieve intermediate-level skills along with their motorcycle license.  This class is the Intermediate Riding Clinic(IRC) with an entry test that allows unlicensed students the opportunity to achieve intermediate-level skills along with their motorcycle license if they pass it. The entry test is given first thing. You will not be allowed into class, refunded or rescheduled if you do not pass the entry test, but you will be allowed to come back for a reduced fee as a standby student to a beginning class in order to have another opportunity to earn an M1 waiver

All motorcycles or scooters 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, and you will not be eligible to be refunded or rescheduled, though you will be eligible to come back as a standby student for a fee

• 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

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- specific 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 -specific and 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, street -specific and motorcycle -specific jacket required- durable leather or textile jacket
• Pants- Street -specific and motorcycle -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 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. 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 acceptable, even if they are motorcycle specific
• Prepare for the weather- We rarely cancel for rain, so be prepared! Bring plenty of snacks, water, sunscreen, sunglasses, rain gear

Students who attend this class to obtain their license will be required to demonstrate fundamental riding skills by passing an entry test consisting of the same riding evaluation that is given by the California DMV, including the 'lollipop' test. You may use one of our bikes to take the test, even if you are using your own bike for the rest of the class.

If you are not able to pass this entry test, the State requires us to drop you from the class and not continue to coach you, so it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that you take the beginning class if you have ANY doubt as to your ability to pass this test.

If you decide to take this class and are not able to pass the entry test, you may opt to pay a reduced fee to come back as a standby student in a beginning class on a different day instead. If you are cancelling your original class within the cancellation policy timeframe, you may exchange your registration in this class for a spot in one of our beginning classes

Please note: while there is NO guarantee you will pass the beginning class either, our unusually generous standby policy will give you plenty of time and opportunity to practice so you will have the best chance of earning a DMV skill test waiver if you put in the time and effort