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

• 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 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 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 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, footwear that is 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