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Anyone done Ride Like a Pro Houston?

Joined
Sep 4, 2017
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Location
Katy, Republic of Texas
First Name
Nolan
I have been wanting/needing to do a course with my Goldwing to get more comfortable with low speed maneuvering. I actually have been wanting to do it since I started riding again 3 years ago.
I have done a lot of practice on my own doing what I have seen in videos, and had gotten pretty good on my 1100 Shadow, but still just don't have it down as well on the Goldwing.
I need somebody to give me tips and tell me how to improve.

I signed up for the Ride like a Pro Houston class that is this coming Saturday (4/17/21).

Anyone done this course recently? I am pretty sure I know what to expect from watching a bunch of their youtube videos, but personal stories would be nice as well.
Same for anyone that wants to join, the course in $175.
 
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I did it about 5 years ago on my Goldwing. I wrapped my crashbars with an old water hose as There is a possibility that you will drop the bike. I did riding the 360 turn. Rookie mistake of looking down, embarrased. Been meaning to go back as they will let you for free after you take the class. It was fun and a bit of a challenge.
 
404 error on your link.

I'd like to take a similar class but can't next weekend. Actually practiced slow speed in a parking lot this afternoon.
OK, link fixed. Forgot to close off the url link part.

They do a class monthly, so take a look at their other dates if you are wanting to do it.

I did it about 5 years ago on my Goldwing. I wrapped my crashbars with an old water hose as There is a possibility that you will drop the bike. I did riding the 360 turn. Rookie mistake of looking down, embarrased. Been meaning to go back as they will let you for free after you take the class. It was fun and a bit of a challenge.
Yea, read about doing that also with the crash bars. Mine has been dropped a few times (only once by me so far, and there are several scrapes on the bars on both sides).
I also read about them letting you go back and do practice riding for the next year.

I was trying to get my brother to come with me, but he says he does not see a need for it (yet he complements me on how well I ride, and told him it is because of my practicing the things taught in the RLAP videos).
 
I've taken it twice. My friends/coworkers run it. I've always left the class and felt like it was a good refresher of low speed skills.

The parking lot has plenty of space so if you're ever in a pattern and feel like you might dump the bike just ease out the clutch, give it gas, straighten the bike up and leave the pattern and try again.

I find folks who go too slow have a tougher time with the patterns.
 
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that sounds very similar to a course I took about 12 years ago in Roundrock. One of the best things I ever did. My confidence in cornering and evasive maneuvers, on what for me at the time was a "big bike" (nothing near the Goldwing) increased greatly, and saved my bacon a time or two.
 
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Well went and did it today. A little cool out this morning with cloudy skies, but no rain. Sun came out about 10 am and was pretty nice after that.

Class was pretty good. Instructors were helpful and sections were simple and build on each other.
There were a total of 9 in the class. 2 of them were riders with less than 1 year experience (one on a newer GS 1200, dropped it once in the off-set cone, the other on some Victory bike, not sure of the model, but looked brand new, did not drop it, but ran wide in everything, but was better by the end of class).
Me and one other guy seemed to get it from the get go (not that I was perfect by any means), and the rest of the class seemed to do OK at first, with most of them getting better by the end.
Only 3 biked dropped, the previous GS1200 (just a scuff on the front guard), a nice Harley (a CVO Limited?) doing the 4 way intersection that had no damage thanks to garden hose taped to the parts that touched, and a RS1150 (also on the 4 way intersection), he actually had some minor damage on the left side, mirror broke, mirror housing popped off, but he got it back on, and a few scuffs on the bar end and upper faring. He was laughing because he had dropped his bike on the right side 2 days ago and had the mirror housing pop off there too so knew how to get it back on quickly.

I do feel a lot better doing very tight turning, and am able to do full lock turns more comfortably now.
One thing I got is that I do have better low speed control if I sit more forward on my seat. I also need to quit fighting the bike and let it do its thing.
When I did the slow cone weave the first time, I felt very jerky and just did not seem to "flow' like it should.
One suggestion they gave was to try it in 2nd instead of 1st gear, and that did help quite a bit.
So by sitting a little more forward, loosening up a bit and using 2nd gear, I was doing much better on the slow cone by the end, and the rest of the exercises also improved with practice.
One of the last things we did was the figure 8, with a total of 4 bikes at once (2 instructors, 2 students). It is a little awkward being that close and having to trust the skills of the other rides as well as your own. Not all students did the multi bikes, just those they felt had done well alone.

A lot of the things in class were things I had picked up and practiced to some extent on my own in empty parking lots, but having further instruction and direction on how to improve, as well as just a set of eyes on you evaluating you was very helpful.
I will continue to do at least a monthly practice in empty parking lots, but may buy some small cones (or just cut tennis balls in half) to do some actual measured boundaries like I have been doing.
I may take them up on the option to go at the end of one of their other classes and do their course a few times as well, as well as just doing some of the small things every time I ride.

Overall it was a good course, and for me, I had "learned" a lot of their techniques and main areas of focus and practice routines watching their videos on youtube, but having a person there to watch (and push you) helps a lot.

I would say it is a good course for everyone to do at least once, to either teach you, refresh you, or maybe even break you of some old bad habits.

I am still going to try to get my brother to go do a class, even though he says he does not see a need for it.

And I hate having to post from facebook, but that is where they posted their video, and I have no idea how to download it and post it myself, or even just show the video here.

Me on the slow cone weave:

Figure 8:

Figure 8 with 4 bikes:
 
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Glad it worked out! I found the patterns easier to manage on my Harley than my current FJR. Low seat height and lower center of gravity helps out in those patterns.
 
Thanks for posting! I have been wanting to take a class like that since I got my Goldwing DCT.
 
Thanks for posting! I have been wanting to take a class like that since I got my Goldwing DCT.
Would be interesting to see how it does with a DCT.
A big part of low speed is clutch control, and with no clutch???

I actually have a bunch of "dash cam" video from my bike that I need to get unloaded to youtube.
Kinda boring, but if you ever wanted to see what the course is like, it is a view.
 
Would be interesting to see how it does with a DCT.
A big part of low speed is clutch control, and with no clutch???
It's surprisingly easy.

Little rear brake to keep the bike in tension and you're good to go.
 
Would be interesting to see how it does with a DCT.
A big part of low speed is clutch control, and with no clutch???

I actually have a bunch of "dash cam" video from my bike that I need to get unloaded to youtube.
Kinda boring, but if you ever wanted to see what the course is like, it is a view.
I am also curious how they would teach someone riding a DCT bike. I’m hoping that by the time I get around to taking such a class they’ll have some experience so the class can be beneficial.
 
It's surprisingly easy.

Little rear brake to keep the bike in tension and you're good to go.

With a clutch, I tend to try to keep my throttle constant, minimal brake change, and most with the clutch.

With a DTC, it would only be throttle and brake adjustment, just not sure which I would use more to adjust.
 
With a clutch, I tend to try to keep my throttle constant, minimal brake change, and most with the clutch.

With a DTC, it would only be throttle and brake adjustment, just not sure which I would use more to adjust.
Brake. Rear brake specifically.
 
I need to take it to a parking lot and practice that rear brake technique.
It's pretty easy. Just use the throttle and rear brake in conjunction to keep the bike "in tension" for low speed maneuvers.

It's a substitute for having a clutch lever in the friction zone.

Here is an example:

 
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