Larry Grodsky's Stayin safe course

[jackinthebox4]

Has anyone taken this course?

I'm between this and Keith Code's class.

Any help?

[garry]

What are you looking to get out of a course? I know people that have done both.

[Nice Rumble]

I took his course a year and a half before he was killed and highly recommend it. If you want to learn how to become a safer rider on the street and to try to reduce the risks then definately take the course. Codes schools I believe lean more toward the track but obviously have crossover applications.
I can still hear him talking in my ear whenever I ride and put to use what he taught me. Invaluable!

Rest in peace larry.

[squeezer]

I never took the full course, but I did a three hour mini-course with Larry several years ago.  It only took three hours to make me a better rider and I still practice the things he told me.  The riders who currently teach his course were taught by him and I would imagine it would be a very valuable experience.

The other posters are right, though.  If that's your choice, it's a matter of what do you want to learn?  The Stayin' Safe course will teach you different stuff than you'll learn from Code's.  They even teach different ways of choosing your line through corners, one focused on safety and vision and one focused on achieving top speed on the straight following the corner.  Do you want to invest in your street skills or track skills?

[jschmidt]

These two courses are nothing alike. Both have cultish followings. IMHO, neither is the best of their respective breeds. What are you aiming to get?

[garry]

"Staying Safe" teaches techniques to stay safe on the street. It is NOT about riding fast, in fact, you may be riding slower than you normally do on the street.

The Code schools are about how to hustle a bike around a racetrack.

Completely different goals.

[GRN]

These two courses are nothing alike. Both have cultish followings. IMHO, neither is the best of their respective breeds. What are you aiming to get?

So, IYO, which ones are... and why?

[jackinthebox4]

thanks for all the responses.

as a vfr owner, I'd really like to be both good on the street, and better at the track.

I really feel that, on a bike, speed is life.  being really good at cornering is the imperative.

fast on the straights is okay, but the real trick is being safe, feeling comfortable leaned over in a turn when you're too hot, either purposefully or accidentally.

Consequently, I may need both.  However, I'm kinda leaning to Keith.

[dinolee]

Consequently, I may need both.  However, I'm kinda leaning to Keith.

Where are you located?  I would recommend looking into Pridmore's (either Jason or Reg) classes too.  Or if you've got the bucks and want a vacation to Vegas, look into Freddie Spencer's.

I haven't taken a CSS course, but my riding style doesn't really jibe with the dogma they teach.

[tshelver]

I've done Code through Level 4.  And while the training takes place (mostly) on a track, it is very applicable to skills used on the street.

Code's course is more about bike handling skills, but a lot of emphasis is put on vision and so on.

I'd like to do the Stayin' Safe course as well some time, but it's more about riding strategies and awareness from what I can see.  

There are also books that cover both areas.

When I came back from Code Level 1 and 2, my ex-wife went riding with me and at the end of the ride she said that she could feel the improvement almost immediately.  I was riding much more smoothly and confidently, and she felt a lot safer.  That a virtual non-rider (she had done the BRC course, and rode about 3 times a year) could feel that from the back seat of a Concours tells me that Code's course is very applicable to street riding.

Levels 3 and 4 are probably less applicable to street riding, as that is where they concentrate on moving around on the bike, working with the cornering / lean bike, quick-flicks, side to side transitions and so on.

Some time in the future I'd like to do Freddie Spencer's school, which I hear is excellent, and possibly Jimmy Lewis' offroad course.

But I must admit to being very impressed with the Code course. The sessions are well run, Keith is absolutely enthusiastic about things, and both the classroom and track sessions show years of experience and careful thought.
There is a distinct emphasis on safety, and not overriding your skills: even relative newbies or average cruiser riders seem to manage with the format and pace.

IMHO, you takes your money, and you takes your pick.  Any of the top courses of whatever type are all well worth the money and time.

[jschmidt]

Where are you located?  I would recommend looking into Pridmore's (either Jason or Reg) classes too.  Or if you've got the bucks and want a vacation to Vegas, look into Freddie Spencer's.

I haven't taken a CSS course, but my riding style doesn't really jibe with the dogma they teach.

I agree with these track choices. For street riding, I recommend Total Control Advanced Rider Clinic. The idea is to learn to ride better. Grodsky's (RIP) package is long on touring and short on content. Its for hobbyists.

[GRN]

I wasn't that impressed with the TCARC... some of that may have been the provider, and most was the choppy curriculum, I saw very few folks take much away from that class. I'm going to read a lot more before I decide where to throw $'s... the Stayin' Safe course is an interesting format and might make for a nice long weekend away someday... when all my $ isn't being sucked up by daycare  

[keltwolf]

I did a scaled down version of Stayin Safe in WV. I'm glad I did it, but if you've done an ERC, this shows you just a little bit more. It teaches lines thru curves, blind hill lines, etc. It's basically common sense street riding. The instructor for our group had to tell me to scale back the pace a bit, and I'm not the fastest guy on the block.

I am hoping to do the Code class soon, and feel that would be more helpful. If you know about sight lines, tar snakes, and making yourself visible, I'd skip the Stayin Safe and do the cornering schools instead.

[jackinthebox4]

I wasn't that impressed with the TCARC... some of that may have been the provider, and most was the choppy curriculum, I saw very few folks take much away from that class. I'm going to read a lot more before I decide where to throw $'s... the Stayin' Safe course is an interesting format and might make for a nice long weekend away someday... when all my $ isn't being sucked up by daycare  

HA!  wait til you're paying tuition.  
But hey, just think of it as if you're just renting the money.


thanks for the advice, everyone.

I have taken the ERC and ARC.  
the issue is really feeling comfortable leaned over in a sharp turn.
I guess the Code/Spencer/Pridmore schools do that.
and that's what I need.
 

[jschmidt]

That's exactly what Total Control is for and if that's where you are, you may be wasting money on a track school. I think TC is a great prep for a track day or track school. That's why I brought it to my school.

Of your roadracing school list, all are popular. I've always heard great things about the Spencer school.