08/15/2022
Hi Coop,
I want to touch base concerning the training I had with Hagerstown Pro Rider on 8/13/22. First, thank you for your time and for working with me concerning the class. I was grateful for your flexibility. The class did not have participants and you allowed me to convert it to a private class. I didn’t have to miss training and was very grateful for that.
I have been looking to expand my skills by taking a class to build on the MSF Basic Rider Course that I took five years ago. Believe me when I tell you that I never considered ProRider a logical next step. The motorcycle rodeo/professional moto-officer riding skills are legendary and carry a mystique shared by few. Certainly, they were out of my reach.
As I left my house on Saturday morning, I was actually nervous. When I pulled into the training site, my flight or fight response flashed the, “ride right by and don’t look over” sign. I didn’t. We had a chance to talk and get to know each other and I was able to in no way calm down. Haha. You told me what we were going to do, you told me how we were going to start and that we would build on each skill.
You teach with a humble confidence. Your demonstrated skills are apparent, but you allowed me to ride my ride. The only expectation required of me was to pay attention, ask questions and listen to instruction. My current bike is my favorite bike, but its also the bike that I am least confident with for slow speed skills (tight turns, U-turns etc..). Your explanation of the seven critical skills needed to be proficient, were easy to understand and apply. In a short amount of time, I was experiencing a controlled nimbleness that I would never have thought I could experience on this bike. I wish that I could just type that 10 times and be done with this note. Haha! As you now know, I struggle to make a long story bearable.
By the end of our training, I had worked up to tight circles, figure 8’s and 90 degree turns from a stop. I found myself doing them on my strong side and my stronger side. I decided that these skills are not synonymous with having a weak side. To be honest, the only time I struggled was when I decided to get a little cocky and push myself a little faster and a little tighter. Just typing it makes me laugh. I was actually doing things I would never have previously attempted and even trying to push myself to improve the basic skill you literally just taught me. Haha, ridiculous! That, Sir, is a testament to the thought and quality instruction you offer.
I genuinely rode home feeling more like a motorcycle rider than I had felt at any other point in 91k miles of riding. Thanks for providing a fun experience of quality training.
Gratefully,
Paul C
Martinsburg, WV
