Intermediate Riding Clinic pricing?

[chickenfried]

Interested in taking more classes this year. Went to two superbike coach classes, the alameda sheriff's course, and a TH track day with clinics between sessions last spring/summer.

Checked out IRC course. Pricing gives me pause. Compared to other classes I've taken the $value doesn't seem to be there.

3 hours of range exercises for $275 and I'm using my own bike. Their own beginner program was $258. They gave me a bike to beat up on, ~10 hours of range time, and 10 hours of class time.

I'm looking for reasons to attend this vs one of the trackday provider novice programs, law enforcement programs, or superbike coach.

 

[self_moto]

I think IRC gives you fundamentals/framework which you can apply to progress you skill. I know it’s pricy, but I think it’s worth it.

Trackday novice will be focusing mostly on track riding, you can try to apply this knowledge to streets (which is totally doable), but might require a bit longer time to work it through. Lookup Ken Hill podcasts, he explains a lot of technique, but I think without proper fundamentals it might be a bit hard to process and apply. I would definitely suggest to go to track day, after you do IRC.

Law enforcment(I guess you’re talking about alameda sheriff courses?) - useful to practice you controls, a lot of clutch and brake work, but on slower speeds)

Didn’t try Superbike coach, though

 

[motomania2007]

I teach a lot of different riding courses and have taken a lot more riding courses.

The most important course I know of is the IRC.

Hands down, without a question.

It teaches vision fundamentals better than any other course.

 

[Caddywumpus]

It's $270 in San Jose/Livermore.

Also 20% off if you took the MTC with them

 

[dittoalex]

$F

 

[Heywood]

Interested in taking more classes this year. Went to two superbike coach classes, the alameda sheriff's course, and a TH track day with clinics between sessions last spring/summer.

Checked out IRC course. Pricing gives me pause. Compared to other classes I've taken the $value doesn't seem to be there.

3 hours of range exercises for $275 and I'm using my own bike. Their own beginner program was $258. They gave me a bike to beat up on, ~10 hours of range time, and 10 hours of class time.

I'm looking for reasons to attend this vs one of the trackday provider novice programs, law enforcement programs, or superbike coach.

I'd like to hear your take on the Alameda Sheriff's course. I'm signed up for it in May but like you also considering the IRC. The Sheriffs course from the description sounds pretty good but what's your thoughts on it?

 

[splat]

If price is a big deal sign up for the free class with the Hawthorne PD down in Los Angeles. Take a beautiful costal ride down the day before, do the free class, take a beautiful ride home.

 

[fubar929]

I'm looking for reasons to attend this vs one of the trackday provider novice programs, law enforcement programs, or superbike coach.

8 hours at the track beats 3 hours in a parking lot, IMHO. Track days and track schools did more to improve my riding than any parking-lot course. A good track program will teach you about lines, braking, shifting, body position, weight transfer, lean angle, traction, vision/reference points, concentration, etc. and it will do so at speeds you're likely to encounter in the real world. Plus, riding at the track is just a Hell of a lot more fun that riding in a parking lot.

 

[NoneMoreBlack]

I'd like to hear your take on the Alameda Sheriff's course. I'm signed up for it in May but like you also considering the IRC. The Sheriffs course from the description sounds pretty good but what's your thoughts on it?

I've done the Alameda Sheriff course. It's awesome, very good instruction and overall a well operated class. It primarily focuses on low speed, gymkhana-esque kinds of stuff, with some medium speed slalom and brake exercises thrown in.

 

[motomania2007]

8 hours at the track beats 3 hours in a parking lot, IMHO. Track days and track schools did more to improve my riding than any parking-lot course. A good track program will teach you about lines, braking, shifting, body position, weight transfer, lean angle, traction, vision/reference points, concentration, etc. and it will do so at speeds you're likely to encounter in the real world. Plus, riding at the track is just a Hell of a lot more fun that riding in a parking lot.

It is a lot less intimidating to learn those skills at lower speeds in a parking lot, than on a track.

Tracks are very intimidating and track speeds are even more intimidating to many riders, if not most riders. Further, most riders are not interested in knee dragging and/or ride cruisers and other non-sportbikes and do not believe the track is for them.

The IRC and ARC address all of these issues AND teach those skills you describe above, and more.

Don't misunderstand me, I am not saying track days and track based training is not good. I think they are great. They are just not for everyone and everyone needs the additional riding skills.

 

[Climber]

Group rides, especially ones with sufficient number of people at your own level are also a good way to improve your skills.

One note, if the instruction is to 'just keep up', don't do it.

 

[fubar929]

It is a lot less intimidating to learn those skills at lower speeds in a parking lot, than on a track.

The counterpoint to this is that it's much more difficult to take skills learned at a parking lot pace and apply them at real world speeds. Being comfortable practicing a skill at 15mph doesn't automatically translate into being comfortable deploying it when speeds are, literally, 5X faster.

Tracks are very intimidating and track speeds are even more intimidating to many riders, if not most riders.

Speeds in the novice programs I've attended or taught at weren't much higher than Bay Area freeway speeds. I have seen students who were petrified of the track and, quite literally, wouldn't go above 50mph no matter how much help they received. Those people are the exception rather than the rule. Almost everyone gets over their jitters after a few follow-the-leader laps, ends up having the time of their life, and learns some real world skills at real world speeds.

They are just not for everyone and everyone needs the additional riding skills.

I can definitely agree with that! Still, if the IRC is really $275 for 3 hours of instruction it seems like a relatively poor value. Zoom Zoom's Novice School at Thunderhill East only costs $190 and their Road Rider 2.0 program (parking lot + 2 on-track sessions) is $150 at Sonoma Raceway...

 

[scotinexcile]

Take the Z2 rider 2.0 course then move on to the Rich Oliver Mystery School. Then the Rick School with Ken Hill or the YCRS school worth every penny

 

[chickenfried]

It was great. Max of ten students in the class but get frequent flakes. So we had 6 in our class with two instructors, former moto officers. It focused mainly on low speed maneuvering. At the end they have an eliminator course, tough but fun with those big ass police motorcycles. $50 rental for an old Kawasaki KZ1000,. The other people had a lot more experience than I. But they still enjoyed the class.

I'd like to hear your take on the Alameda Sheriff's course. I'm signed up for it in May but like you also considering the IRC. The Sheriffs course from the description sounds pretty good but what's your thoughts on it?

Exactly...

I can definitely agree with that! Still, if the IRC is really $275 for 3 hours of instruction it seems like a relatively poor value. Zoom Zoom's Novice School at Thunderhill East only costs $190 and their Road Rider 2.0 program (parking lot + 2 on-track sessions) is $150 at Sonoma Raceway...

 

[295566]

For that price you can get practically an entire weekend (2 days) at THill on the track. I'm sure the IRC teaches you some good stuff, but value for money just isn't there, IMO.

 

[chickenfried]

Realized the 3 hours is probably a typo on the school's site think it's actually 8 hours...

 

[Caddywumpus]

Yes. 8 hours

 

[self_moto]

Realized the 3 hours is probably a typo on the school's site think it's actually 8 hours...

yeah, you're on parking lot pretty much whole day (besides lunch, and few classroom (~10-20 mins) sessions).

As for arguments about parking vs street vs track speeds - IRC obviously not getting to street speeds, but I think on braking exercises we were getting to high 30s (not sure if we got to 40s though), but not the speed what's important, but actually techniques they're showing (if you can not perform smooth operations of brakes on 30 mph, how are you going to achieve it when you're going 130mph for turn 1 on Thunderhill?), and their feedback on your execution - you wouldn't be able to gauge your's technique (at least not at this level), maybe you have an experienced friend who can help with that.

So, my suggestion would be definitely get and IRC, more often than not I remember IRC which I had couple years ago, and definitely want to repeat IRC or get ARC, but they happen like 3 times/year in here

 

[motomania2007]

I can definitely agree with that! Still, if the IRC is really $275 for 3 hours of instruction it seems like a relatively poor value. ...

Don't know where you got "3 hours of instruction" from as it is a 6+ hour class.

I have taken many many classes and the IRC is one of the best bangs for the buck classes out there.

I am doing the RR 2.0 class this coming weekend at Sonoma so I will know more about it.

 

[motomania2007]

yeah, you're on parking lot pretty much whole day (besides lunch, and few classroom (~10-20 mins) sessions).

As for arguments about parking vs street vs track speeds - IRC obviously not getting to street speeds, but I think on braking exercises we were getting to high 30s (not sure if we got to 40s though), but not the speed what's important, but actually techniques they're showing (if you can not perform smooth operations of brakes on 30 mph, how are you going to achieve it when you're going 130mph for turn 1 on Thunderhill?), and their feedback on your execution - you wouldn't be able to gauge your's technique (at least not at this level), maybe you have an experienced friend who can help with that.

So, my suggestion would be definitely get and IRC, more often than not I remember IRC which I had couple years ago, and definitely want to repeat IRC or get ARC, but they happen like 3 times/year in here

ARC is offered by 2 wheel safety training several times a year.