Texas Motorcycle Safety course

What is Total Control and why is it a good thing for Texas riders? Total Control is a motorcycle training course created by Lee Parks that takes you a few steps farther than the Basic Rider Course (BRC) offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

In the past everyone has been required to take the Basic Rider Course in order to get their license. It is two days of training that I still believe is a fantastic foundation upon which to build good riding habits. Even people who have several years of riding experience have told me that the BRC has helped improve their riding. The unfortunate thing about the BRC for experienced riders is it starts at the bare minimum of riding and is a two day commitment. Most experienced riders do not need a training session on clutch and throttle control, power walking a motorcycle is not challenging to a rider who commutes to work daily on his Harley.

The good news for Texas riders is Total Control is not just coming to Texas it is being adopted by the State as a licensing course. Some estimates state that 60% of the motorcyclists on the road do not have a motorcycle endorsement. Some of these people “think” they know how to ride but in a difficult situation they panic and become a sad statistic on the dangers of riding a motorcycle. Total Control is a one day class performed on your own motorcycle that will soon be available in TX to experienced riders in order to get their motorcycle license.

If you are reading this and say, “Great, where do I sign up?” first do a realistic self assessment. Total Control in TX starts with a riding test. This is a course for people who know how to ride, if you do not pass the initial assessment you are done for the day and you and the rider coach will have a heart to heart talk about the advantages of the Basic Riders Course. But if you do pass the initial riding assessment be prepared to learn some new skills.

I just took the Total Control course in preparation for becoming certified to teach it and I left the day a better rider than when I walked in. Because Total Control is built for experienced riders there is no duck walking a motorcycle across the parking lot, riders jump quickly in to the deeper ends of the pool. It is about 40% class time and 60% riding time, conducted on your own motorcycle, one written exam and multiple riding evaluation points through out the day. Every skill taught builds upon the prior and before long you are dragging hard parts of the motorcycle in order to get through some of the exercises.

Overall the Total Control class was a lot of fun and I left a better ride than I arrived. I am excited that this is being adopted by the State for licensing requirements. So, if you have been riding a while but never got you license, got a ticket and don’t want to sit in Defensive Driving or you just want to become a better rider, Total Control os for you. If you are from Texas keep watching RiderGroups to see when this course is available in your area.