Hi All,
About a year ago, I returned to riding after a 13 year hiatus and on impulse bought a very lightly used 2013 R1200RT with only 5400 miles. It is the dream bike I had been pining over for those 13 years. I tried to do it smartly and took some private riding lessons as a refresher and since have put about 6,000 miles in the last 11 months. I love the bike and I love riding it but before I got too overconfident, I felt it was a good time to take some more real training...the RT is a little top heavy and my slow speed maneuvering needed some help.
This past Saturday, I took MotoMark1's Maximum Control 1 day long class in Burlington, NC (https://www.motomark1.com/coarse/2-wheel-coarse-10/). This class was perfect for me and the timing could not have been better. I highly recommend it for any rider that needs a brush up on slow speed bike handling. The class is predominantly cone drills, mixed in with breaks to review and critique video taken during the drills. The instruction starts with basic in line cone weaving while the instructors provide feedback and correction through the helmet intercom, progressing through offset cone weaving and ending with about 20 foot tight circles. The day ended with an incredible confidence booster "follow the leader" exercise doing turns, weaves, circles and direction changes that I could have never done a mere 6 hrs earlier!
The instructors were supremely experienced, have obviously been doing this a very long time and very personable. At one point we had more instructors and helpers than students all supervising the various drills. To top it off, they include a pretty savory and healthy lunch of chicken kabobs, salad and pita bread. Given the emphasis on clutch control, expect your left hand to get a workout!
I will be practicing what I learned over the next few months (my RT and NC weather affords me the luxury of year round riding) and plan on taking the level 2 class at some point.
In summary, I highly recommend this course and if you are anywhere close, MotoMark1 can help arrange lodging discounts nearby if you want to make a weekend of it and take both level 1 and 2 over two days. Last but not least....many thanks to the MBWMOA Paul B scholarship fund who helped defer the cost of the class!!!
Gary B
Chapel Hill, NC
About a year ago, I returned to riding after a 13 year hiatus and on impulse bought a very lightly used 2013 R1200RT with only 5400 miles. It is the dream bike I had been pining over for those 13 years. I tried to do it smartly and took some private riding lessons as a refresher and since have put about 6,000 miles in the last 11 months. I love the bike and I love riding it but before I got too overconfident, I felt it was a good time to take some more real training...the RT is a little top heavy and my slow speed maneuvering needed some help.
This past Saturday, I took MotoMark1's Maximum Control 1 day long class in Burlington, NC (https://www.motomark1.com/coarse/2-wheel-coarse-10/). This class was perfect for me and the timing could not have been better. I highly recommend it for any rider that needs a brush up on slow speed bike handling. The class is predominantly cone drills, mixed in with breaks to review and critique video taken during the drills. The instruction starts with basic in line cone weaving while the instructors provide feedback and correction through the helmet intercom, progressing through offset cone weaving and ending with about 20 foot tight circles. The day ended with an incredible confidence booster "follow the leader" exercise doing turns, weaves, circles and direction changes that I could have never done a mere 6 hrs earlier!
The instructors were supremely experienced, have obviously been doing this a very long time and very personable. At one point we had more instructors and helpers than students all supervising the various drills. To top it off, they include a pretty savory and healthy lunch of chicken kabobs, salad and pita bread. Given the emphasis on clutch control, expect your left hand to get a workout!
I will be practicing what I learned over the next few months (my RT and NC weather affords me the luxury of year round riding) and plan on taking the level 2 class at some point.
In summary, I highly recommend this course and if you are anywhere close, MotoMark1 can help arrange lodging discounts nearby if you want to make a weekend of it and take both level 1 and 2 over two days. Last but not least....many thanks to the MBWMOA Paul B scholarship fund who helped defer the cost of the class!!!
Gary B
Chapel Hill, NC