A couple of my riding buddies with cruisers asked me if I would be interested in doing a course at the Cayuga racetrack entitled "Surviving the Streets -Advanced Riding Course for Touring Bikes and Cruisers"

Since I have a Suzuki Bandit, I thought that it would not be geared toward my ride. However, I also thought "What the heck: it can't hurt!"

Flashback to my 2010 season and why I needed to take a rider training course - any course...

A guy reversed out of his driveway at about 40 km/h onto the road, straight into me. His tailpipe sliced open my boot, sock, and some of my foot. My toes were bent back almost to the breaking point, and my right hip slammed into the rear portion of his pick-up bed as I was trying to swerve out of the way. My bike was totalled.

So I bought the Bandit and went for a ride out to Port Perry. It was raining and I hit an oily spot on the road, and wiped out. Fun times...

This past off season was a long one and I was terrified of getting out there. So I signed up for the course.

My key goal was to build a relationship with this Bandit of mine. In a sense you could say I wanted to get to know the machine; I have all the specs memorized, but that tells me nothing of the handling potential. I needed rider knowledge and skill which weren't coming to me through trial and error.

My wish list going into the advanced rider training course was as follows:

1) how much lean do I have

2) what should my speed be in a corner

3) how do I approach a corner

4) how do I handle coming out of one corner and immediately go into another

5) if I come out of a curve and there is an obstacle, what do I do

6) what are my braking capabilities: ratio of front and back brake use, etc.

7) gearing down quickly, without locking up the wheels: everyone and their mother has a story about this one!

The following is what I took away from this course:

1) holy heck, can that bandit lean! I mean, really, really LEAN... and I was soooooooo ok with that!

2) I now know how to visually prepare for and enter a curve, and then another curve in the opposite direction. I learned how to properly position myself and the bike for a successful curve - and a successful curve is a fun curve!

3) swerving to avoid an obstacle and then doing an emergency stop - the proper sequence of moves to safely accomplish this manoeuvre

4) I am now comfortable with emergency braking and the way it feels physically to stop very quickly: a little daunting at first, but with practice it gets fun real quick. And my stopping on a yellow light is much smoother.

Also, my approach to stop signs is much better. I don't start slowing down half a kilometre away anymore!

5) gearing down quickly can be done in a very smooth manner, and if done properly I won't lock up that rear tire.

I have found that when I get out there with guys who have been riding for 10+ years they all have advice to give. The problem is that this advice is simply what they have picked up along the way. So while some of their advice is sound, a rider training course like this opens your eyes to the fact that these guys don't have a clue about some things. Let's not forget that advanced rider courses did not exist until recently, so there was a real need for authoritative sources of training.

I had an hour ride home from the course on Sunday evening and I immediately noticed a difference in my skill with the Bandit. The confidence boost was amazing.

I am now excited, not nervous, when I think of going for a ride. That in itself makes me a safer rider on the road - for myself as well as for others.

I intend to take this course again in the future. I got so much out of it and I know that if I do it again there will be even more nuggets to take home.

But for now this rider is signing up for another course: "Intro to Track".

For those of you out there thinking "race track - well that's not for me", look at it this way: it's simply 3 kilometres of road laid out in curves and straights instead of a small square parking lot. There are no potholes, over-filled potholes, sand or debris to throw you off. You have lots of room to focus on what you are doing rather than the typical course with far too many riders crammed together such that you ultimately focus on them as well.

Another huge bonus - one instructor to four students maximum. That's a ratio that rocks! It's much more hands on than any course I have ever done. The instructors focus on where you need to improve and you do it at your own pace. Also, they provide positive feedback on what you get right - they build your confidence. To me it shows that they have respect for what you want to accomplish and they respect that you are investing hard earned dollars in your chosen sport.

If you are looking for way to tie that adventurous spirit of yours to your awesome ride this course is a fantastic way to do it.

I invested in a good bike. I invested in proper gear. I took this course and invested in me.

We haven't stopped talking about it. I'm even trying to get a few of the folks at work to sign up.

- Susanna Downey

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I had the opportunity to attend and observe the "Survivng the Streets" cruiser rider training event by Platinum Powersports at Cayuga Speedway on May 21st. All the people who attended the event appeared to benefit enormously from the experience, especially the two who came with me, who are relatively inexperienced riders. It was easy to see how their confidence and control improved during the sessions.

The event was well organized with definitive sections addressing various aspects of bike control including cornering safely, braking and riding in groups. I thoroughly recommend this event and am sure both novice and more experienced riders would all find something of benefit by attending it.

- Mike Partridge ACIB, President Walridge Motors Limited

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The course was an absolute blast and I loved every minute of it! I was a little nervous coming into the course as cornering was not my favourite thing, and I would avoid twisty roads at all costs. Sitting in the lounge before the course talking about what was going to take place on the course, I have to admit my palms were getting sweaty, and the only thing running through my mind was "please don't let me drop the bike" and how am I going to make it round the track after seeing the map on the wall with the hair pin bends.

So needless to say when we first headed out my knees were probably shaking, but the instructor told us what exactly we were going to do and for some reason , not sure if it was the fact that I felt safe on the track, I actually listened to everything that Chris ( I think was his name) told us, and thought about what was said in the riders meeting.

And we were off... first lap was a bit of a white knuckle ride as I got used to the fact that my bike could actually lean without falling over, and that heck if I leaned, it would actually make it turn easier! I learned that I could even control how I went round corners and even  use my throttle to steer and adjust how I was going round the corner. I actually began to enjoy the corners, and really felt disappointed when I saw the black checker flag telling us to come off.

After the course we headed up north for the weekend and set out to find as many twisty roads as possible. To my delight, I actually found myself looking forward to the corners instead of dreading them and tensing up. So for me this course was the best money I have ever spent. I feel more confident and actually can enjoy the ride without wondering when the next corner is going to be.

The course taught me skills that I really didn't believe I would ever be able to master or feel confident doing, in a safe environment with no worries about other cars and no pressure, we were lead at the pace we wanted to go at, and never once  did I feel any pressure to ride faster. The instructors were great.. plenty of encouragement and help... answered all of my questions no matter how crazy they were. I Think the line I will always remember from this course, which I know I say to myself constantly " Check your makeup in the mirror" Love it!

Thanks again...It was a blast!

- Julie Weber