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[Jerry/MD]

I'm seriously considering taking the Ride Like a Pro course here in Maryland. But...I'm a bit concerned about using my bike. Has anybody else completed this course and did you protect your bike against damage?

[Widows Son]

Did the ride Like a Pro Houston a few months ago. Yes a scarey thought, but I'll tell you, if you can't do it in a course, how do you expect to do a slow speed manuver in the street - such as when my buds decide to do a u-turn when they missed a turn.

Here's the thing SOMEONE will likely drop a bike - they expect that so that they can demonstrate how to pick the bike up whihc is a great lesson in itself).

I had to face my demons. And what I mean by that is you will never be able to commit to the course and its learnings fully unless you're willing to press yourself mentally. If the fear of dropping is always going to be in the back of your head throughout the course, you'll never let yourself go beyond the mental boundaries - I know, I was there and it ain't easy.

What I did to prep my bike - it was more to bring peace of mind rather than true protection - was to take a garden house and rap the engine guard and saddle bag guard in about the place you would anticipate it would hit the ground. I also removed the saddlebags.

I didn't drop the bike (whew) but was not sure i was pushing my boundaries - until the end when doing the figure eight. What was a was a real rush was when there was a police bike infront of me and one behind me - picture 3 bikes almost bfender to fender going in a circle, where i knew if I screwed up, the whole thing would collapse.

I was , in the begining, thinking it was the bike having trouble. One of the officers asked to use my bike and WOW - I couldn't belive the demo he did with my CVO. All the students luaghed and looked at me and said it wasn't me!. He did say the 110 has more torque

Do it - it was the best thing i did - just prepare yourself mentally so you get the best value you can from the class.

[grc]

Considering the prices Harley charges for CVO painted parts, I'd probably rent a bike for the day.


Jerry

[1sharprdkg]

I would probably use my wifes Road King instead of my SEUC!   

[JCZ]

Jerry I've been down to LA to Mark's (Ironhorse on this forum) course, Ride Like A Pro West Coast and my wife joined me.

The first time we flew down and used his rental bikes.....which are retired law enforcement Kawasakis.  Those bikes had been dropped many, many times but the up side to renting one of those is that you don't have to worry about dropping it at all.

The second time we went down, we rode our bikes down.  Now I have a titanium hip and titanium in my left leg, left arm, left jaw, etc.   That's another story but my main concern wasn't so much my bike.  It was only one exercise.....a u-turn to the left from a dead stop, keeping the bars turned all the way to the fork stop.  It's really harder than it sounds, if you keep the bike turned to the fork stop.  You have to start from a dead stop with the bike leaned to the left and my main fear was what if I fall and my left hip or leg end up under the bike and I cause some serious damage to my already damaged parts.  

And now it's time to actually do this exercise................................sure enough, my SEEG went down (in front of many members of this forum.....we went down as a group).  But I really paid close attention when earlier that morning Mark showed us how to fall off (and away) from a bike when it's going down at slow speed.  Sure enough, I stayed on my feet an stepped away as instructed earlier.  You could hear the group all suck air.  I was just damn happy I didn't get hurt.  

The 04 and 05 SEEGs set really low.  It just kind of stopped on the floorboard support brackets and the very bottom curve of the crash bar and didn't go any further.

Third time we went down, I didn't drop mine but my wife some how got her sleeve tangled in her Kuryakn throttle rocker.....the bike shot out from under her and she went down.  The bike kept going and actually slid a bit when it hit the ground.  She ended up with a couple broken ribs and her bike only had minor scratches on the underneath side of the leg fairings and the bottom bends of the front and rear crash bars.  No damage to her mirrors, inner or outter fairing, nothing up on top.  Oh yea, it also folded her highway peg in towards the leg fairing.  Loosened it and spun it back out where it belonged.

So we've both gone down and both been very, very fortunate that no serious damage was done to either of our bikes

Having said that.....all three times we've been down there, we saw many other participants use their bike (including lots of CVOs) and none of them went down nor dropped theirs.

Just remember to take off anything that you can......saddlebags, leg fairings, tour pack, passenger pillion, etc.  You can also think about wrapping the bottom bend of your crash bars with a 1' piece of heater hose or some such.  The foam insulation will not do much good and don't know that you can find a garden hose with a large enough inside diameter.  What ever you end up using, use plenty of tape so that it doesn't bust loose if you do drop it.  You'll be fine.

As an alternative, Ride Like A Pro West Coast is the only Ride Like A Pro that has a rental fleet.  You could fly into LAX (Los Angeles) airport and Mark will pick you up there.....take you to the course (on the back side of the runways) for the class and then return you to the airport after the class.

[JCZ]

I finish my post and look back up to see Jerry and 1shrprdkg's responses and laugh.  Come on guys....where's the challenge......the thrill of adventure......or the agony of defeat.      

I can tell you that once you do it on your own bike (CVO) there is a real sense of accomplishment.

[DDavidson]

I rented because I wanted to push myself harder than I would have on my own bike for the first time.

Went by the DMV last Monday and decided to try the test on the Road Glide. Amazed by how simple it was to do the circle from both directions, but not surprised. Mark teaches what you need to know and I continually think about the instruction.

I now have no problems with practicing on my own bike. I still need improvement to meet my goals.

[bandit]

I'm the president of our local chapter and we provide
every season-start a safety-training with prof.-teachers
and bike-enthusiasts. You should always use your own
bike: handling, brakes, abs, riding position and at least the
weight, which makes the differences to a rental.

It's a mental thing, if HD and/or CVO or BMW, each part
you damage hurts. But if you survive a dangerous situation
only with some damage on your own bike, than it was
more than worth!!!

take a look:

[Gecko]

Nope, I'd rent something (only time I'd get that optional damage waiver) or buy something already on its last legs that I wouldn't feel bad about finishing off (i.e. old Goldwing or Japanese standard).  The point of the course is to keep my SERK off the pavement; I'd rather practice that on something else.  Afterward I'd try the same things with it, just not the first time.

[JCZ]

I'm the president of our local chapter and we provide
every season-start a safety-training with prof.-teachers
and bike-enthusiasts. You should always use your own
bike: handling, brakes, abs, riding position and at least the
weight, which makes the differences to a rental.

It's a mental thing, if HD and/or CVO or BMW, each part
you damage hurts. But if you survive a dangerous situation
only with some damage on your own bike, than it was
more than worth!!!

take a look:

Huge difference between what's in that video (basic riding skills) and Ride Like A Pro course.  You take the Ride Like A Pro course, you may rethink your comment above.

[Jerry/MD]

Huge difference between what's in that video (basic riding skills) and Ride Like A Pro course.  You take the Ride Like A Pro course, you may rethink your comment above.

JCZ,
Could you explain a bit more? I have the Ride Like a Pro DVD and book. I've also done some practicing on my own. I have yet to attempt any of the extreme 'floorboard scrapping' turns which I assume will be a part of this course.

[JCZ]

The purpose of the course isn't to teach you to ride around on your floorboards and while you may get to that point with some practice....it's not the intent and you probably will not be scraping floorboards at the training.

It's what I refer to as parking lot riding.....tight manuvers at very slow speeds (where in the video above their riding at faster speeds) and a number of the exercises that you will learn are with the forks turned all the way to the fork stops and still in control of your bike.

You'll get to a point where you're totally comfortable with making a u-turn in an 18' circle instead of a 22' circle, for instance.  I call it parking lot riding because most people can manuver a bike at speed (as indicated in the video above) while a lot fewer can do the same at slow speeds in tight quarters.  It's those slow speeds, tight areas or nearly stopped and then something all of a sudden.............causes many riders to drop their bikes.  You will learn how to become proficient at those kinds of manuvers and keep control of your bike.  And, like any skill.......the more you practice, the better you get.  Some take to it more naturally than others but everybody can become good if they practice.

Maybe Mark can lean in here and explain some of this.

I have three of the Ride Like A Pro videos......correction, HAD.....who ever I loaned them to I would appreciate it if you would return them......there's a waiting list to borrow them.  Anyway, as many times as I watched them, when we went to the class Mark pointed out so many things that I was doing wrong that I had no idea I was doing wrong.  And the two consecutive times that I've gone he can still point things out to me.  The training is just money very well spent.....probably more worth it than any mod on your bike.  After all, what is your bike or your life worth?    And I'd be liying if I didn't say the class was actually fun, also.  At least Mark's classes......."and it looks like this!"... http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=61608.0 

[Jerry/MD]

The purpose of the course isn't to teach you to ride around on your floorboards and while you may get to that point with some practice....it's not the intent and you probably will not be scraping floorboards at the training.

It's what I refer to as parking lot riding.....tight manuvers at very slow speeds (where in the video above their riding at faster speeds) and a number of the exercises that you will learn are with the forks turned all the way to the fork stops and still in control of your bike.

You'll get to a point where you're totally comfortable with making a u-turn in an 18' circle instead of a 22' circle, for instance.  I call it parking lot riding because most people can manuver a bike at speed (as indicated in the video above) while a lot fewer can do the same at slow speeds in tight quarters.  It's those slow speeds, tight areas or nearly stopped and then something all of a sudden.............causes many riders to drop their bikes.  You will learn how to become proficient at those kinds of manuvers and keep control of your bike.  And, like any skill.......the more you practice, the better you get.  Some take to it more naturally than others but everybody can become good if they practice.

Maybe Mark can lean in here and explain some of this.

I have three of the Ride Like A Pro videos......correction, HAD.....who ever I loaned them to I would appreciate it if you would return them......there's a waiting list to borrow them.  Anyway, as many times as I watched them, when we went to the class Mark pointed out so many things that I was doing wrong that I had no idea I was doing wrong.  And the two consecutive times that I've gone he can still point things out to me.  The training is just money very well spent.....probably more worth it than any mod on your bike.  After all, what is your bike or your life worth?    And I'd be liying if I didn't say the class was actually fun, also.  At least Mark's classes......."and it looks like this!"... http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=61608.0 

JCZ,
Great, thanks for explaining. Sounds like the course is geared for the 'normal' rider who wants to improve his skills. That suits my needs.

I guess if you have the desire to learn the true motor cop maneuvers that would require more extensive training and practice.

Jerry

[JCZ]

JCZ,
Great, thanks for explaining. Sounds like the course is geared for the 'normal' rider who wants to improve his skills. That suits my needs.

I guess if you have the desire to learn the true motor cop maneuvers that would require more extensive training and practice.

Jerry

Yes there is a more extensive motor officer course however, you have to complete the basic RLAP course first and I believe that he requires more miles under your belt than the 2k that they ask for you to have before you take the RLAP.  And, I can only assume, the instructor wants to be sure that you have the basic skills first before they try to take you to the next level.

[erniezap]

I've taken it twice, both times with my CVO ElectraGlide