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Lee Parks' Total Control Riding Course - 30 Jul 2016

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    Lee Parks' Total Control Riding Course - 30 Jul 2016

    On Friday evening after Charmayne’s band camp show, I left for Walton Kentucky via the slab as it was already getting too dark for roads I did not know. Since it was already starting to rain in Dayton, I threw my rain gear on and arrived in Cincinnati mostly dry. However, I suddenly met a very thick and drenching wall of rain when I crossed the bridge into Kentucky causing everyone to slow down and four way flashers to come on. Of course, this is not a fun sight for a bike and so I nervously watched my mirrors until I made it by the traffic. The tires definitely proved their worth and I checked into the hotel just up the road from the course.

    The next morning I rode out to find out where the facility was and verified the start time. I then found some decent roads that let me kill off enough time to enjoy the area. At 1pm, the class started though we were not sure we would have a full class as seven people signed up but only two of us were there on time (me on my 550 and the other on a Ducati Panigale). Two more showed up from Tennessee as class started - a young lady on a BMW GS650 while her 62 year old dad rode a BMW GS850. We then learned one canceled a few weeks back, another had a motorcycle accident on the Wednesday prior, and the third never bothered to call and cancel until one of the instructors called him just as class was starting. Fortunately, this helped us get a lot more riding time than we expected.

    After telling each of us to reduce the amount of air in our tires by a couple of pounds, they started with a couple of module sessions (introduction, throttle control, trailbraking). We then practiced those sessions where they expected us to be smooth enough to not move the suspension. This alternating classroom and riding pattern continued for sessions on body position and line selection. We each received several runs for each direction using various patterns. Each session also included a drill performed either inside (falling to the sides) or out (sitting on the bike while in the cornering position and the bike leaned over held by the rest of us). The last session combined all of the lessons, except for the trail braking, using a figure 8 that was a lot better than any MSF course used. We also discussed suspension settings but could not modify anybody’s bikes as no one really had an easily adjustable configuration. However, I need to reinstall my cartridge emulators into these 650 forks

    The class definitely helped my riding almost immediately as the ride home the next day was much smoother and faster than any of my previous rides in that area. I also learned it’s a lot of hard work to ride that way as my legs hurt after about 50 miles.

    I highly recommend this class to everyone. In my case, the instructor is a four time national champion who took the class after his first championship and busted collarbone. He explained he wished he had taken the course before he won his first one as it taught him so much more than he ever learned in those races.

    Here's a short video of one of my go-a-rounds during the last session

    Last edited by cowboyup3371; 08-02-2016, 12:14 AM.
    sigpic
    Cowboy Up or Quit. - Run Free Lou and Rest in Peace

    1981 GS550T - My First
    1981 GS550L - My Eldest Daughter's
    2007 GSF1250SA Bandit - My touring bike

    Sit tall in the saddle Hold your head up high
    Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky and live like you ain't afraid to die
    and don't be scared, just enjoy your ride - Chris Ledoux, "The Ride"

    #2
    Walton seems like an out of the way place for the course. I lived there for a year off Rt 42 many years ago. Some nice riding down there and south. I was using a friend's old old Triumph Bonnie 650 at the time. Back then I think one of the bridges was the old metal grate type. Made for an interesting ride over the Ohio River on the old school tires. I'm sure all those bridges over that area have been updated and replaced. I-75/I-71 was always a challenge on the bike in am/pm traffic with it's curves, steeper grades and of on/off ramps.

    BTW, I couldn't get your video to work?

    Comment


      #3
      "showing off for the cameras"...haha
      Even better having that low of a ratio of students to instructor.
      2@ \'78 GS1000

      Comment


        #4
        The video loaded for me. Photobucket must be a huge program, or my seven year old system is just struggling! Glad you got some new skillz!
        Roger

        Current rides
        1983 GS 850G
        2003 FJR 1300A
        Gone but not forgotten 1985 Rebel 250, 1991 XT225, 2004 KLR650, 1981 GS850G, 1982 GS1100GL, 2002 DL1000, 2005 KLR650, 2003 KLX400

        Comment


          #5
          It's an awesome course every rider should take. It greatly increases your margin of safety.

          It takes a few months for the new information and skills to really sink in, replace your bad habits, and become natural. The neat thing about the LP instruction is that they teach you to self-coach -- you come out knowing what it looks and feels like to get it right so you can correct yourself during your everyday riding.

          When I took it, the class was full, and the one criticism I had was how severely limited our course time was -- we spent WAAAY too much time waiting in line and not nearly enough time practicing. Sounds like you actually got lucky with all the no-shows.

          I would strongly recommend getting in on a follow-up coaching session a month or two later. I'm not sure if they even still do this, but basically it's an open, free-form practice day with an LP coach or two present so you can really work on nailing the skills after you've had some real-world practice.

          The other recommendation is to make sure your bike is 100%. New tires, running perfectly, no electrical issues, etc. I took the course on my V-Strom DL1000, which had some nasty, jerky off-idle throttle control problems at the time -- later found out the throttle position sensor was failing. One of their ironclad rules is "no bitching about your bike", so I just sucked it up and did my best. On the street, I could just throttle around the problem, but it got in the way during the course. I probably should have taken the course on my GS850G, with its buttery-smooth carburetion.
          1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
          2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
          2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
          Eat more venison.

          Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

          Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

          SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

          Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

          Comment


            #6


            The above link ("direct link" on the PB page) took me directly to the video without waiting 60 sec for Photobucket to fail to finish loading.

            Looks good.... now faster!

            I should look into that refresher course Brian mentioned. I've probably forgotten something important.
            Dogma
            --
            O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you! - David

            Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep insights can be winnowed from deep nonsense. - Carl Sagan

            --
            '80 GS850 GLT
            '80 GS1000 GT
            '01 ZRX1200R

            How to get a "What's New" feed without the Vortex, and without permanently quitting the Vortex

            Comment


              #7
              I'd love to find that course around here. We took the MSF in 2005. If I remember correctly, it was July. Sitting in line on a running bike cooking in the sun was the worst part. The best part was that my wife, one of six women to start the course, was the only woman to pass it! Several guys dropped out as well though.
              Roger

              Current rides
              1983 GS 850G
              2003 FJR 1300A
              Gone but not forgotten 1985 Rebel 250, 1991 XT225, 2004 KLR650, 1981 GS850G, 1982 GS1100GL, 2002 DL1000, 2005 KLR650, 2003 KLX400

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Burque73 View Post
                I'd love to find that course around here. We took the MSF in 2005. If I remember correctly, it was July. Sitting in line on a running bike cooking in the sun was the worst part. The best part was that my wife, one of six women to start the course, was the only woman to pass it! Several guys dropped out as well though.

                According to the Total Control site, http://totalcontroltraining.net/HTML/Schedule.html, it's available in Gilbert AZ in October and December of this year.
                sigpic
                Cowboy Up or Quit. - Run Free Lou and Rest in Peace

                1981 GS550T - My First
                1981 GS550L - My Eldest Daughter's
                2007 GSF1250SA Bandit - My touring bike

                Sit tall in the saddle Hold your head up high
                Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky and live like you ain't afraid to die
                and don't be scared, just enjoy your ride - Chris Ledoux, "The Ride"

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by lurch12_2000 View Post
                  Walton seems like an out of the way place for the course. I lived there for a year off Rt 42 many years ago. Some nice riding down there and south. I was using a friend's old old Triumph Bonnie 650 at the time. Back then I think one of the bridges was the old metal grate type. Made for an interesting ride over the Ohio River on the old school tires. I'm sure all those bridges over that area have been updated and replaced. I-75/I-71 was always a challenge on the bike in am/pm traffic with it's curves, steeper grades and of on/off ramps.

                  BTW, I couldn't get your video to work?
                  I only had the option of Indianapolis or Walton with the exception of Lee Parks himself being in Cleveland in June. Unfortunately that was the same weekend as Brown County so I was not ready for it.

                  Thanks Dale for adding the extra link

                  Brian, are you referring to the Level II course? It's been pretty hard to find very often though it seems to be in Illinois next month.
                  Last edited by cowboyup3371; 08-02-2016, 07:57 PM.
                  sigpic
                  Cowboy Up or Quit. - Run Free Lou and Rest in Peace

                  1981 GS550T - My First
                  1981 GS550L - My Eldest Daughter's
                  2007 GSF1250SA Bandit - My touring bike

                  Sit tall in the saddle Hold your head up high
                  Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky and live like you ain't afraid to die
                  and don't be scared, just enjoy your ride - Chris Ledoux, "The Ride"

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by cowboyup3371 View Post
                    Brian, are you referring to the Level II course? It's been pretty hard to find very often though it seems to be in Illinois next month.
                    No, I was referring to what they call a "Skills Day". Unfortunately, there are only a few on the schedule, and they're in Canada:


                    I think I took the course in.... 2010? That sounds about right. Anyway, at that time, they often had an optional skills day scheduled the day after the course. For an extra $75-$100 (I forget the actual price, but it was something like that) you could basically wear yourself out on the circles all day with a coach there to answer questions and give you feedback. Looks like they don't do the skills day much anymore.

                    If you have the book, there are clear instructions for setting up your own practice circle if you can get access to a chunk of pavement.


                    As far as Level 2, I believe you'll want to give yourself some time and miles for the lessons of Level 1 to sink in before signing up for Level 2. As I mentioned, it took a few months and a lot of riding for everything to start clicking and begin to smooth out for me after level 1. I haven't taken the Level 2 course, although it's on my "to-do ASAP" list.
                    1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                    2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                    2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                    Eat more venison.

                    Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                    Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

                    SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

                    Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by cowboyup3371 View Post
                      According to the Total Control site, http://totalcontroltraining.net/HTML/Schedule.html, it's available in Gilbert AZ in October and December of this year.
                      Marked as a favorite. I'll keep an eye on the upcoming dates an locations. Maybe 2017 will have something a little closer.
                      Thank you
                      Roger

                      Current rides
                      1983 GS 850G
                      2003 FJR 1300A
                      Gone but not forgotten 1985 Rebel 250, 1991 XT225, 2004 KLR650, 1981 GS850G, 1982 GS1100GL, 2002 DL1000, 2005 KLR650, 2003 KLX400

                      Comment

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