Team Pro-Motion Members Forum

[LauroG]

TPM’s PT Personal Training Review

My thoughts on this, and only my own opinions – somebody else might like or dislike things that are different from my likes and dislikes.

I like instruction! When I want to learn something I rather have somebody teaching me the right way then trying to figure it out all on my own.

My background: I have been riding on the dirt since I was 10 years old and on the street since I was 18 (21 years of street riding now) and on the track for the past two years. This year I started racing with Wera as well as riding the track. I got two track days done in 2007 and 17 track days in 2008. So far this year 2 track days (PT days with TPM) and one wera race weekend.

As I mentioned to people/friends I was taking PT with tpm, some people said right away it would be a waste of money and why do it. You could learn what you need to learn by just riding on the track. Some people thought that I was hoping to be a super fast track star after taking doing PT.

Maybe that’s their expectations or disappointments with instruction or track schools. People either expecting too much and getting disappointed, or thinking they just don’t have anything to learn from a school or other people.

For me I could do lots of track days and not learn enough. The first half of 2008 I was kinda just going through the motions and sometimes even getting worse. Ya ever have days that just nothing seems to work on the track? The 2nd half of 2008 I started seeing lots of improvement. Something started just clicking in and I started getting better at my riding and less timid. A bad habit from being a street rider for so long – you have to watch out for every car and give people lots of room!

I knew this year I wanted to work on some of my bad habits and get some help. I already did art basic and art level 2 with mark last year. Level 2 helped some but I wanted more instruction. Riding with a coach at calabogie last year and getting some 1 on 1 help really improved my riding (thanks Kenny!)

When I read about PT I thought sounds pretty good. I get a personal coach for the entire day. So I booked in a day. I think it was marc who talked me into doing two days back to back for a price break and I took it.

I’m pretty easy going. Going into PT I really was gonna be happy if I could come away with 1 thing that I did better in my riding. 2 things would be a bonus but not needed! Just let me improve one area of my riding and I would be happy. If your thinking of taking PT or any riding school – try not to have your expectations too high. It will be easier on you and you will have a better time.

PT went like this, Saturday morning was a bit hectic. PT was supposed to be with glen but two of us were taking PT together so we had Glenn and Dave as instructors. The morning was a bit hectic since Glenn seems to be the go to guy for any problems. So we got off to a slow start.

Once we got into a classroom Glenn went over what we expected from PT and his knowledge and thoughts or racing and riding motorcycles. Going over lines and why riders and racers do what they do on the track. Was hard to keep track of time but seemed like we spent an hour or more just sitting and talking. Almost seemed like at first we weren’t gonna get a lot of track time in. That was a mistake in thinking that as I actually got way too much track time.

First time out on the track we followed Glenn with Dave trailing behind us for a session. Then got back in and talked in the classroom for a session. Went back out on the track again and then back into classroom to talk more about our riding. We started splitting up and over the weekend I worked a lot with dave just one on one.

We worked on different things. Between lines, braking and body position (something I still need work on). I followed some sessions and I got followed some sessions with a talk after about how the sessions went. Sunday We worked on single things for entire sessions. For me it was breaking on a single turn over and over. As Sunday went on we would work on any area that needed attention. Sunday morning we also went out with glenn on the track in a car and went over cones and why the track was set up the way it was and why the lines were as they were.

All through Saturday once we got started riding we rode EVERY session for a bit. We rode red, and then stayed for white and then rode blue (1 triple session) and then we stopped riding in white because I think we were going a bit fast for the white group.

After that we rode red and blue sessions. I think I got in 14 sessions on Saturday. Had I known that I might not have done back to back PT days as Sunday I was starting to lag and suffer in the afternoon. Man my legs were killing me!

Through the weekend it was also kinda hard after a while to remember what group I was out in and got wrist slapped twice from inside passing in red, and dave once for inside passing (but I followed him also).

I got the personal attention to my riding I wanted on the track and did improve over last year. I was on thunderbolt 7 track days last year. This was the first time back to the track since the winter but my lap times come down 5-7 secs since last years thunderbolt days. My lines are better, my braking is better (damn if I could just get my body position better!) but I got my two things I improved on and that’s money well spent for me. Not to mention I got enough track time in two days to be 3-4 regular track days! Was nice freedom to go out in more then just 1 session per rotation!

Dave also kept in touch with me after the track weekend (it helps to feed your coaches!) and gave me some more things to read and went over some riding tips in emails. So the PT didn’t stop with just the trackdays (for me at least!). And I know next time I’m at the track with dave I will be riding with him a lap or two to see how I’m doing.

So overall a happy customer and money worth it for me. Thanks Dave and Glenn!
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WERA #659
TPM Blue Group

[breeze]

thats great..... i cant wait to do my art 3.. but with your advise it will be a one day weekend.
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B. BALL #323 Black Group
www.metricdevilmoto.com
06 R6 - race bike
08 GSXR 750- track bike

[DavidZ]

Gene,

Thank you for the kind words, I had a lot of fun working with you guys during the school. I really did start to see a real difference in your riding over the course of the two days. You definitely had a good foundation to start building on and I felt the instruction was more the finer points of riding and how to put everything together. I have taken quite a few schools and I agree with you that the ones I learned the most from were the ones I received the most one-on-one attention. What is the sense of learning a lot of classroom material if you can't start applying it.

The class doesn't stop now. I hope you enjoy reading the materials I sent you on reference points because next weekend there will be on track tests and drills to help in this area.

You definitely have the right attitude and were a pleasure to work with. Now that you have a feel for working, next time we ride every session

Dave


Edit: Breeze don't discount taking the class for two days. The first day is a lot of classroom and information and drills. The second day gives an opportunity to really focus on your individual needs, we only go as hard as you want to go.
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Team Pro-Motion Coach #79
CCS & WERA EX#79

Team Pro-motion, Turner Landscaping, Speedwerks, Vortex, Pirelli, Rob Allen Unlimited

2005 SV650
2008 GSXR750

I Ride Flat Out!

[MitchellP]

I'm already signed up for NJMP on 5/23. What is the best way to get a hold of Glen/Dave to potentially set this up for that date or a future one?

Two days in a row can be hard for me to manage some times (I have young kids). Am I better off waiting and scheduling a two day?

Thanks in advance!

[DavidZ]

[OConnorJ]

[Glen]

You guys write nice things! Dave Z and I have so much fun seeing other people get this sport. It sometimes take time. I think that the two day school is so productive. I understand why Code does two and three day camps. I myself knew that it takes time to fully understand even one new thing. I witnessed incredible improvement and what a gift to an instructor who's passion is to see this. The feedback is super good but the reality is you are a much more confident rider who now understands how to continually improve upon yourself. Given the right tools and to be shown how to use them, puts all the power in the right hands... YOU!

Thanks for taking my school and for being a great student!

Glen
AMA #96 (97-00)
CCS #946 (91-03)
old fast guy (03-09)