Total Control ARC @ Road America

[TripperMike]

Thanks to a couple of "prominent" <cough><cough> forum members here, I decided to look into the Lee Parks Total Control riding clinic. Road America is one of their locations near the end of May. I'll be signing up and I'll be accompanied by my bestest riding bud, my wife. She won't be riding the clinic but since she does ride, hopefully they won't take offense to her listening in.

I've taken a couple of advanced riding classes in the past, but it's been a few years since the last one. Also this might be a great weekend to do some Cheeseland twisties early in the year.

I'm posting this up in case anyone else might have thought about doing the LPs clinic. But just so you know in advance, the ARC1 is conducted at the track, just not ON it. At first I was quite a bit disappointed at hearing this, but Dave (co-owner of Lee Parks TC) assured me it would be quite educational. Here's the # to make arrangements 888-982-8611. Everytime I have tried calling, no one answers, but rest assured someone will call back.

 

[Abercrombie FJR]

Sounds interesting! Were you planning on using the FJR?

I was trying to get time off to attend the Zalusky advanced Riding school in Rosemount Friday evening April 26th and then crash your tech day on the 27th. Still working on those plans.

 

[BikerGeek99]

Enjoy yourself! I took that back in the spring of 2009 up in Cuyahoga Falls (Cleveland-ish) and realized just how little I know about riding.

 

[Abercrombie FJR]

Sounds interesting! Were you planning on using the FJR?
I was trying to get time off to attend the Zalusky advanced Riding school in Rosemount Friday evening April 26th and then crash your tech day on the 27th. Still working on those plans.

Dang! My plan is foiled, the Zalusky school is full on the 26th.

 

[clocklaw]

I took Total Control I about 18 months ago and have Total Control II coming up next weekend (March 30th). Both classes offered in Nashville, I am looking forward to II, I sure did enjoy I on the FJR!

Enjoy!

 

[TripperMike]

Sounds interesting! Were you planning on using the FJR?
I was trying to get time off to attend the Zalusky advanced Riding school in Rosemount Friday evening April 26th and then crash your tech day on the 27th. Still working on those plans.

Dang! My plan is foiled, the Zalusky school is full on the 26th.

I am planning on doing it on the FJR, as it wouldn't seem right to ride anything else. It is afterall my main ride.

As you found out, Zaluskys (ZARS) fills up pretty quickly. Something to look forward to this summer though, she's planning on taking the group out to Road America this year. Or at least that's what one of her instructors shared with me last yr. I've ridden that track (DCTC) a few now and it's quite fun. Small with a bunch of crookedness to it.

If you were thinking you might still want to come down yet that Friday night before Tech Day, let me know.

I took Total Control I about 18 months ago and have Total Control II coming up next weekend (March 30th). Both classes offered in Nashville, I am looking forward to II, I sure did enjoy I on the FJR!
Enjoy!

So having taken ARC I yourself, was your's also done in the parking lot?

I should welcome any kind of training at this point anyways. After getting up close and personal with MO asphalt last Fall, I might need some coaching to get over my nerves in turns as it is.

Something else I should share with y'all (or ya'll), Dave did say that if I could convince at least 3 more of you to sign up for that day, we would each get 25 buckeroos refunded to us that day at the track. Not much, but it's something, a nice gesture at least.

 

[clocklaw]

Hey, is David teaching that class too, awesome, you will really enjoy it then. The training will be in a parking lot.

 

[TripperMike]

Hey, is David teaching that class too, awesome, you will really enjoy it then. The training will be in a parking lot.

David did say that he would not be one of the instructors there. He'll be working elsewheres that weekend.

Now that I'm nearly done putting the bike back together, I'm debating on whether or not to put the CT back on before or after the clinic.

Decisions, decisions.....

 

[carlson_mn]

If you're going to ride the FJR with a CT still after the course, it makes sense to use it during the ARC. Just be alright with everybody there to give you a hard time.

What are your thoughts on the CT and if it had anything to do with your MO crash?

 

[SacramentoMike]

I'll add a thumbs-up about the Lee Parks course. I took "Streetmasters" a few years ago and learned a LOT about cornering, primarily (in fact it was officially called "Streetmasters Advanced Cornering Workshop"). The main information I took away from that--good information--was how to enter and ride through a turn. The best line to take, where to position the motorcycle and where to be looking in relation to the corner, the apex, the center line, and so on. All very valuable and I recommend it.

Then I took "Total Control" and learned where to be on the motorcycle while taking those turns--how to lean, where to be looking, just how to position my body. The goal is to learn how to keep the bike as upright as possible through your turns to maximize traction and balance. I found it extremely valuable, and something I've used on every ride since. In fact, I've used (and thought about) the lessons from both of these courses on every single ride I've had since taking them. If you're wondering if this course will be helpful to your riding or a good value, it is.

I'll just add, you definitely want to take Total Control on your own--your main--bike. This isn't a racing course or one where you're at risk for a crash. A big parking lot is just fine for it.

 

[TripperMike]

If you're going to ride the FJR with a CT still after the course, it makes sense to use it during the ARC. Just be alright with everybody there to give you a hard time.
What are your thoughts on the CT and if it had anything to do with your MO crash?

I do still plan to do most of my riding with the CT, and so the three of us (me, myself & I) having been debating this very issue, quite heatedly too I might add. As it stands now, I will most likely go with the CT mounted. As SacMike just stated above, it is in a parking lot and speed won't be an issue. Commuted today on the bike (w/ BT mounted) and it felt a bit odd. Even considering not riding all winter, I just got so used to riding it with the CT on back.

I keep reflecting back to my lil' mishap in MO. The one thing that keeps coming back to me is as I was going down I distinctly remember yelling to myself in my head "Stupid! Stupid!". So in retrospect I am inclined to think it may have had more to do with rider error, though I don't know what it was, than it had to do with the CT.

Either way, I am hoping this course will help me get my head back into the game, and hopefully better than it was before.

 

[TripperMike]

Got the bike all ready to go for this weekend. Put on new PR3s and got my forks all back up to snuff <thanks to 101stpathfinder>.

Figuring on getting off of work a little early and then pick of the wife and head off. Looking like we'll arrive at the hotel around midnight and then up bright n early for a full day in the course. 7:30 - 5:30 I think I'll be beat by the end of the day. Saturday will be spent heading down to the south Chicago area for a couple hours and then back to Wisc for the evening. Sunday will be spent riding aimlessly in Wisc.

I'll let ya'll know if it was possible for me to learn anything.

 

[Bungie]

Money and time well spent.

I'm in for level 2 in August.

 

[TripperMike]

I have very little to say after having taken the class. But somehow I feel I still need to open my big mouth.

I came away from the end of the course feeling a bit disappointed. At the beginning of the day I thought it was going to be awesome, only three other riders had signed up. "Oh boy" I thought , there going to be a lot of repitition of these rider skill exercises. HA Somehow we still only managed 3 attempts at each exercise. This wasn't the first rider course I've taken, so perhaps I was just expecting too much of this one. Yes, I did come away with some techniques that I need to work on, but did I come away a much better rider? Doubtful. I'm sure I'll get better as I practise, but that would happen if I would have taken any course as a refresher.

I have to say though that what was worthwhile was being able to do most of those exercises with my wife as pillion. That was a benefit. She (and I) learned what was needed for the passanger and the pilot to ride as one. On more than one occassion during the remainder of our weekend outing, we would give one or the other a thumbs up after a curve.

Was it a waste of time and money? Not totally, but I will say never again will I do a course that only involves cones in a parking lot. Not unless it's something I set up in my cul-de-sac at the beginning of a riding season.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks for the honest appraisal of your experience...

 

[carlson_mn]

Nice review Mike, for me the best learning and practice involves getting out there and hitting the corners and simply focusing on picking a line and trying to maintain a good view point. Pretty simple theory, really....