Took the ERC today

[kbroderick]

...and thought it was quite worthwhile, even if I was told to slow down in the cornering exercises because I was using a "lot of lean angle" (pshaw...wasn't even scraping anything).

For those of you who haven't done it, it's similar to the BRC, with less pre-riding chitchat but a lot of the same exercises. I enjoyed it a bunch, even though we got a bit wet during a couple of exercises (and as much fun as riding in the wet can be, I'd rather be dry). I got to work on stuff I already knew but don't always do (particularly head turn and looking through turns), stuff that's probably good to practice but outside of what I usually work on (low-speed maneuverability, where I felt like I was cheating in a class full of Road Kings and other similar-sized bikes), and have a little fun scaring the instructors in cornering practice.

The highlight of my day was actually an error on my part, combined with a good recovery--I locked my front wheel in the emergency braking portion of the skills evaluation but recovered and still stopped, upright, four feet short of the required distance to not loose points.

So for those of you in Vermont who haven't done so already, check the schedule and find an ERC-Skills Plus class to sign up for; if you're not in Vermont, check into your state's offerings. It's not as fun as a trackday, but I'd have to say it's still good practice of a type I don't think most of us do often. The one caveat: they do check paperwork and inspections stickers at the start of class, so your bike needs to be fully legal.

[jcbell1007]

with any luck, I'll be teaching ERC by the end of the summer.

glad you had a good time.

[TTD]

I enjoyed it a bunch, even though we got a bit wet during a couple of exercises (and as much fun as riding in the wet can be, I'd rather be dry). ..........The highlight of my day was actually an error on my part, combined with a good recovery--I locked my front wheel in the emergency braking portion of the skills evaluation but recovered and still stopped, upright, four feet short of the required distance to not loose points.

It's a great feeling when you recover from a front wheel lockup.

It's probably one of the hardest things to do on a bike.

If the bike or pavement is angled, you're almost certain to have a sliding front tire kick out from under you.

If you're perpendicular and have a good feel to catch the slide early ... you can release and re-apply as you no doubt did.

And a wet day at the track is a great place to get this feel.

[Ken C]

The ERC is great for brushing up on things that a lot of people forget about and allow to get sloppy, like head turns.

Remember, there are FREE ERC slots for MA sport riders available through the MA RMV. Preferably sport riders who are on a permit and relatively new to the sport (statistics say these riders are the ones getting killed).

[Doc]

with any luck, I'll be teaching ERC by the end of the summer.

glad you had a good time.

Umm I am not even teaching it yet. You have to have a few BRC's under your belt and THEN you can teach the ERC. (NOOB) Where are you taking the Rider Coach class?

[MotoFreak]

Awesome Kevin! I took the ERC 2 years ago...it was great. Had a guy from the BMW MOA teach it. Never seen a K1200 piloted with such precision and dexterity at such low speeds!
I was riding with BlueEyes a week and a half ago, and we stopped at the Church parking lots for some low speed maneuvers. Def. something that one should practice every now and again (and I recommended that she take the ERC Course).

[Danno]

The ERC is great for brushing up on things that a lot of people forget about and allow to get sloppy, like head turns.

Remember, there are FREE ERC slots for MA sport riders available through the MA RMV. Preferably sport riders who are on a permit and relatively new to the sport (statistics say these riders are the ones getting killed).

When I took the ERC last year, 10 of the 12 riders were donig it to get their license. It's a faster and less costly way than the BRC *if* you've been riding your bike for a while on a permit.

I got some good pointers, but felt a whole lot more confident about my bike after driving over the 2x4s and doing the quick stops.