FAQ

At CLASS, Reg Pridmore focuses on teaching you how to become a smoother safer and more confident rider with instruction on more effective braking, shifting, cornering and how to avoid some pitfalls that often occur as a result of bad habits (even those you might not know you have). Reg has a unique ability to explain his technique and riding philosophy in a way street riders of all abilities can understand and use. All he asks is that you come with a relaxed open mind and you’ll go away with new skills and knowledge that will make you a better rider. 

On the track with you, there will be 5 to 8 (depending on CLASS and track size for a ratio of no more than 5:1 – usually better) experienced and skilled instructors to observe and work with you to help you to grasp or improve the techniques and skills taught in the classroom.

We ask you to be at the track, ready to sign in at 7:30 am. You usually get between 7 and 9 sessions of track time and an equal amount of classroom instruction (approximately 20 minute rotations with the school being divided into two groups). The classroom instruction, along with ample time to practice (no pressure), in a relatively controlled and fun environment works to make you a better, more confident street rider. We finish riding at 4:30 and the program ends at about 5:00 pm.

Either one or two piece leathers are preferred (no chaps) or a Gore Tex, Cordura or Kevlar type of suit with armor (no Kevlar reinforced jeans), leather boots, leather gloves and a full faced helmet which is undamaged and 5 years or newer. Joe Rocket “Phoenix” or similar ultra lightweight or mesh suits are not acceptable.

You need to have fresh tires on a positively leak free bike with good brakes. Other than that, you need only disconnect your brake light and cover or remove your mirrors. We don’t require safety wire or coolant replacement.

Fresh means new. For safety reasons we require 95% tread life remaining. A lot of people ask how many miles they can have on their tires before we turn them away. We cannot judge a tire without seeing it. A racer can destroy a set of tires in less than 100 miles, where other people may have a riding style that allows them to get 5 to 10 thousand miles. But the constant heating and cooling of any tire causes the rubber to deteriorate, causing the contact with the road to become questionable and dangerous.

When you get on the track, you will find, as the day goes on, you will be demanding more and more out of your tires. Old rubber that’s been heated and cooled too many times will not give you the traction you may need. Some people actually get new tires for the track and save the old ones because they feel they still have some “street life” left in them. A new set of tires is cheap insurance when compared to a stay in the hospital. They could even save your life. If you have questions about whether or not your tires will pass tech, give us a call.

Our basic agenda is the same for each school day, but no two days are ever exactly the same. For one thing, after the first day on the track and in the classroom, you’re a different rider. The first day is a great starter, and as the afternoon goes on, people generally find things are really starting to click. For a lot of students the end of the first day leaves them wanting more.  More time to practice what you learned, more time to ask new questions as they come up, more time to “climb the ladder” and work on more advanced techniques than you did on the first day -and more time to ride on the racetrack.

CLASS rides rain or shine. Riding well in the rain requires smoothness, concentration and a relaxed, confident rider. If you can master these in the wet, you will find you have made tremendous gains when you get back to the dry. Students consistently tell us they learned more in the wet than they ever thought they would. Check out the “student feedback” for some enthusiastic rain school graduate reports!

We are often asked if a particular motorcycle would be allowed at school even though it’s not a sport bike. The answer is usually yes. We want you to become a better rider on your motorcycle, even if it is not as “track ready” as many of the street bikes out there today. Whether it’s a sport bike, a tourer, a dual sport or sometimes even a cruiser, you can become a better, more controlled street rider, and in the long run, that’s what CLASS is all about.

Yes we do.  If you have a group, let’s talk about putting together a deal for you and your friends. Email info@classrides.com or call us (805) 933-9936

Not at this time.

We can’t get you in until somebody cancels, but when schools fill so early, this happens a lot. People have all kinds of emergencies that pop up, and their space in a full school opens up. If you can be a little flexible, it really helps your chances of getting in, even in the final two weeks before the school. Even if you’re far down on the list, you still could get in because sometimes the other people on the waiting list have to drop off. Don’t be afraid to check back with us, but be sure to get on the waiting list!

No, we don’t teach beginners.  We ask that riders planning on attending CLASS be up to freeway speeds (at least 55-65) and be completely comfortable with their bike’s controls.  We figure that, on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being absolute beginner and 10 being racer), we teach from 3 to 10.  Honda has some great resources for new riders. In Southern California we can also recommend MRE (Motorcycle Rider Education) in Camarillo at (805) 389-5303. In addition, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation also provides beginners all over the US the basic foundation to get licensed. Check it out, and when you’re ready, come back for some CLASS…

We’ve been to track days too, and though there are similarities – like on-track sessions. We’ve observed there are a lot of riders out there who would really benefit from a few days at CLASS before going out and riding around on the edge of control at a track day.

First of all, we only run 2 groups – do the math, you get more track time! Plus at CLASS, we specialize in teaching riders better control and better technique.  And we’ve been doing it longer than anyone – we’ve gotten pretty good at what we do. That leads to better, safer, more confident and faster riders.  Going out and practicing your bad habits over and over can be a lot of fun – but also a big waste of time if a lot of riders end up crashing in the end – maybe even you.  It takes time to get the program back on track, especially if the track’s got oil on it or if somebody’s injured.  Meanwhile, you wait around. We think your time’s better spent learning better technique.

Our success rate and safety record are remarkable when you consider it’s become very rare to ever roll an ambulance, and not unusual to have a totally crash-free day.  That’s not a guarantee that it can’t happen, because accidents do happen. But the proof is when we get lots of repeat students that want to come out and ride where they know that there are skilled instructors riding with them, helping keep things under control, and working with them on the track.  It’s a lot of fun and made as safe as motorcycle track riding can be.  That’s worth a lot.

Each track has different costs (including the track rental fee) and availability which affects how much it costs to run the school. That affects how much we have to charge each student to make things work. But you can be sure, if the school is a standard school with A and B groups (you’ll find that listed on our calendar), the focus will be the same no matter the price of the school.