Who It's For
In today's age of high horsepower superbikes, large displacement cruisers and super heavyweight tourers, riding skills are more important than ever for safe, fun motorcycling. Unfortunately for experienced riders, there is a large gap between on-road enhanced riding courses and the many racetrack schools around the country. This is because the on-road schools give you a great opportunity for learning how to manage the dangerous environment of the road, but are not so good for practicing the fine art of machine control. Similarly the race schools can help with machine control, it's just that the track can be a very scary place if all you want to do is ride on the road.
The Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic (Total Control ARC) has a solution for those experienced riders who want to be able to further enhance their skills in a controlled environment with expert instruction.
Who Teaches It
The Total Control System was devised by Chief instructor Lee Parks who had been racing for 25 years and won the 2001 G.M.D. Computrack National Endurance Series Championship in the Lightweight class. He also finished 2nd in the 1994 AMA 125GP national championship in its exhibition year. He spent five years as the editor and chief test rider of Motorcycle Consumer News where he road tested every new street motorcycle available in the U.S. and became one of the top performance-testing journalists in the world. Lee's staff of personally trained instructors are located all over the U.S. and Europe and bring with them an impressive list of riding and teaching credentials. Lee is now the president of Lee Parks Design, a motorcycle gear and accessory manufacturer. In the UK, Total Control Advanced Riding Clinics are delivered by Duncan MacKillop and Penny Glover, both of whom have a wealth of experience in advanced rider training .
How It Works
Part of the reason for the programme's success is the dynamic classroom training, which includes both theory and application of the Total Control ARC techniques. By including a basic analysis of vehicular dynamics, riders get a clear understanding of how their actions affect their bikes.
The range portion of the training is done on a large area of tarmac, where each of the skills are individually broken down and practiced. Working on only one skill at a time is the fastest way to make consistent riding improvements. The beauty of doing it this way is that the student is never asked to make a huge "leap of faith" in any one area. Each skill is built up in small increments until the desired result is achieved. This allows for high confidence and never gets too scary. In fact, cornering speeds never go above 25 mph. While this may seem slow, in a tight enough corner, 25 mph is very, very fast. Combined with a strategic "building block" formula for integrating the individual skills into a complete riding package, the Total Control ARC enables riders to learn faster and easier than ever before. Equally important, all the Total Control ARC skills are taught with their direct applications for road riding. After all, knowing how to do something is of little value if you don't understand when and where to use it.
What It Covers
Cornering technique is the primary focus of the Total Control ARC. Individual skills include corner entry, line selection, body position and corner exit. There are slightly different versions of these depending on the type of bike ridden, but all follow the same philosophical principals that are taught in the course. Throttle control and throttle/brake transitions are also covered in great detail.
What It Costs
The cost for the standard eight-hour Total Control ARC is £225, which includes a workbook with explanations and examples of the techniques and concepts covered in the course. The price includes a light lunch and refreshments throughout the day.
Requirements
All students must provide their own motorcycle or scooter and have at least one year or 3,000 miles of riding experience since passing their test. The motorcycle or scooter should be in proper working order including cooling and charging systems with a battery that is in good condition. The motorcycle should be fully road legal, taxed and insured and have a current MOT. Evidence of all documentation must be shown before the start of the course. Protective gear is required for all students, which includes an approved helmet (full-face recommended), motorcycle jacket and trousers, gloves and boots that cover the ankles. Jeans and fingerless gloves are not allowed, but Kevlar jeans will be accepted. Absolutely no race tyres or race compound tyres allowed regardless if they are road legal.
When and Where
If you're interested in attending a Total Control ARC, all the planned class dates are detailed in the course schedule. Just click on the link for the class you would like to attend and secure your place.
Total Control courses are carried out at our impressive 150m x 60m tarmac training range located just outside Lower Quinton, a few miles south of Stratford on Avon in Warwickshire.
Classes are of either 6 or 12 students and are filled on a strictly first-come, first-served basis (see course schedule for details). Due to demand, we hope to be setting up new locations in other parts of the country, so if you live in an area not yet covered, drop us an e-mail and let us know where you are. Training school principals should contact us if you are interested in setting up a new location in your area.
The Total Control ARC's Promises
The Total Control ARC is committed to making you a better and safer rider and in doing so makes these promises:
- Specific, measurable improvement in your riding. No matter what skill level you are now, the Total Control ARC will make a recognizable difference in your ability to control your bike.
- Better understanding of how your bike works. You will appreciate, how what you do affects your bike's ability to maintain traction and control
- The ability to self-diagnose riding problems in the future. While it's great to be able to ride better in front of a skilled coach, it's equally important to be able to coach yourself when you detect a riding problem in the future. There are enough support materials in our package to help make sure you won't forget what you learned during your training.
- High teacher-to-student ratio. Classes are of either 6 or 12 students and each class is divided in groups with never more than six students per instructor for lots of individual attention and support.
- Friendly, professional service. The Total Control ARC instructors are highly trained and carefully handpicked for their teaching abilities and friendly dispositions. Your experience at the Total Control ARC will be a positive one.
