Response to some "My Ride Chicago Experience" e-mails...

It seems a lot of you are interested in what type of motorcycle I have. The answer is sad but simple... I don't have one yet.

I probably won't get a bike until early spring. I have a list of contenders but I want to see them all up close and personal before I narrow it down. The front runner I suppose... is the Honda Shadow VLX...

I also had a few e-mails about the State test and about Illinois Helmet laws. Let me take the helmet question first... as I understand it... there are only TWO states remaining that do NOT have helmet laws.... Illinois and Utah. Which seems really odd to me since Illinois is so strict about other things. And the lack of a helmet law certainly doesn't mean that I'm not going to wear one.

With regard to the state test.... A non-motorcycle rider e-mailed me indicating that the State test looks too easy. I imagine some find the test easy... but I'd bet that most find it difficult/challenging... I don't think it's a coincidence that of my group of 6 that there were only two first timers. Not to mention the fact that the test form has a space for it to indicate how many times you've taken the test before. I wonder if I'm in the minority of people who've passed on their first try. That said... you are more than welcome to try the test yourself and let me know what you think.

Some of you have asked me if anyone got hurt, wiped out, dumped the bike, etc. The answer, thankfully, is no.

Some have mentioned that this is one hell of a business.... I agree! If you stop for a second and think about the fact that RC has taught over 1,000 students. A little rough math suggests that 1000*295 = $295,000. The 14 bikes at let's say $3,500 a piece with taxes and shit would cost... $49,000. Minus other expenses like office rent, maintenance of the bikes, fees to the United Center (or whoever) for using that parking lot, the rental of the two sheds and a porta-potty and you're STILL looking in the ballpark of $200,000 in profit! Not a bad little business indeed!

By the way, I found an article about RC & MRS located here. It mentions that Brad is indeed a co-owner of Ride-Chicago... I wonder if that means that Chris is a co-owner too.

My Ride Chicago Experience
Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV & Part V

END OF LINE

Hurricane Jeanne at Epcot

Minnesota trooper writes 205 mph speeding ticket

WABASHA, Minn. (AP) — With a State Patrol airplane overhead, a Stillwater motorcyclist hit the throttle and possibly set the informal record for the fastest speeding ticket in Minnesota history: 205 mph.

On Saturday afternoon, State Patrol pilot Al Loney was flying near Wabasha, in southeastern Minnesota on the Wisconsin border, watching two motorcyclists racing along U.S. Highway 61.

When one of the riders shot forward, Loney was ready with his stopwatch. He clicked it once when the motorcycle reached a white marker on the road and again a quarter-mile later. The watch read 4.39 seconds, which Loney calculated to be 205 mph.


Read the full articles here and here.

My Ride Chicago Experience Posted in 5 Parts

While the blog lists things with the newest first, make sure you read this in the correct order....

Don't start with Part 5.

Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V & Response to E-mails

My Ride Chicago Experience: Part V - Test Day

Thursday: 9/24/2004: Test Day!
Location: 185 S Damen (Damen & Monroe)

You can tell when the day's off to a lousy start when you're out the door and it's STILL dark outside! I HATE that... (unless I'm on my way to Disney or something)

I arrived at the Ride-Chicago range at 6:38am. I was surprised to see that not only was Brad there, but the bikes were all out and there were about 6-8 people already practicing in the range.

I met with Brad, gave him my $40 testing fee and he had me fill out 2 pieces of paperwork. One was the actual test form

Unfortunately the bike I rode over the weekend was already taken so I decided to hop on a Honda Rebel and give it a whirl... but after attempting one U-Turn.. I knew it wasn't going to work out. Not because it's a bad bike or anything (in fact I may buy one as my first bike) but because I didn't have time to get used to it for the test. I wanted to use the bike I rode during the class because I already "KNOW" that bike.

I told Brad that this bike wasn't going to work and he asked me which bike I wanted. I told him I wanted the Kawasaki... in fact I told him I wanted the one who's license plate ended in 715. He called some people back in and I was able to get the bike I wanted. Thanks Brad!

After driving around for a bit I began to wonder why we weren't practicing the ACTUAL test. We were practicing the skills on the range but not in the test box. Once most people were done practicing, I went to the end of the range and decided to practice on the actual test box. I hadn't used this box before, we were on the other side over the weekend.

I was able to try all 4 parts twice and was going to try round three when I heard Brad call my name. I made my way over to him. He said... "The testers are here now... Don't use the test boxes...." He further explained that it's just like the driver's range test... if you are caught practicing on the actual test zone/area on test day they can refuse to test you. I thanked him for telling me and went back to practicing in the range. I got my practice in anyway!

About 10 minutes later I saw that Brad and one of the testers were making their way down to the test box I was just using and the testing began. I decided my practice was over and I wanted to watch the test being performed. The way I felt at the time there wasn't anything I could have done at that point to improve anyway.... watching others being tested would either ease my stress or make it worse.... either way... it would ALL be over soon!

When the second tester from the Secretary of State's office made his way to the test box that I practiced on Sunday afternoon, I was added to the first group of 6 to test with him.

I was 4th out of 6.

The 5 of us talked as we watched #1 do his test.... I found out that of the 6 of us only 2 of us were 1st Timers. "I'm destined to fail my first time." I kept thinking.

As we watched the 2nd person go, we immediately noticed some errors and I said..."Well if they pass him, I KNOW that I can pass this test!" Because the guy screwed up the U-Turn and skipped a cone in the swerve.

When he was done we did a Thumbs up/Thumbs down to get his results. He gave a thumbs down.... he failed.

Needless to say, my blood pressure was pretty high at this point. I was #4 and #3 had just started.

At this point Brad came over from the other side and asked how things were here. We told him that #1 Passed and #2 failed.

#6 told Brad and I that this tester was a "Jag-off" and he failed him last week. "Oh great." I said.... just what I needed to hear!

"You can turn your bike off if you want" Brad mentioned.

"No... I'm next." My voice pretty much whispered.

I told Brad and #6 about my dreams this week. Or as King Théoden said in "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers", "Dark have been my dreams of late"........ I've had dreams the past 4 nights about taking the test and in every one of them I failed.

He told me to relax and offered me gum. I declined.

About a minute later #3 was complete... he passed. It was my turn... there was NO backing out now! My heart was pounding as hard as ever... My throat became very dry and I was as stressed as hell.

I pulled my bike over to the first "T" starting point. If it wasn't over soon I was sure to collapse. lol

After our pleasant good mornings and how are you doing's he asked...

"Are you nervous?"

"Ummmm... YES!" then I told him my dream story. He patted me on the back of my left shoulder and said "You're going to do just fine!"

You can lose a total of 10 points total in all 4 parts, if you exceed 10 points you fail. You also will instantly fail if you drop the bike or pop a wheelie. Putting your foot down for balance is 5 points, hitting your first cone is 3 points, your second is five points. Going outside the lines will cost you points too but I don't recall how many. For parts 1 & 2 you only have ONE chance to do it. I'll explain about 3 & 4 in a bit.



The State of Illinois Motorcycle License Test Part 1:

From the starting point, ride up the course, making a sharp left turn through the lines without touching the lines or putting your foot down. Continue around the far side of the course, making a smooth, non-skidding stop with your front tire inside the box. These exercises test the rider’s ability to start smooth, negotiate a sharp left turn and come to a smooth stop in a designated area.

The tester explained to me what I needed to do for part 1 and asked if I had any questions. "No."

"Relax.... take a deep breath."

I complied....

"Start when ever you're ready."

I took a breath and began Part 1. I nailed it PERFECTLY! Not a single deduction! I was feeling a smidge better but I knew that the REAL HARD ONE WAS NEXT!!



The State of Illinois Motorcycle License Test Part 2:

From the starting point, weave to the left of the first dot and right of the second. Continue weaving past the dots without touching the dots or putting your foot down. Ride to the far side of the course and make a right U-turn in the U-turn box. The turn must be made within 20 feet. These exercises test the rider's ability to balance and control the cycle and the ability to perform a U-turn.

As you can certainly tell... this is the HARD one. This is the one that my boss fucked up on and failed when he tried it years ago. Again, the tester explained what I needed to do and asked me if I had any questions. I was so nervous, I was almost to the point of shaking... this was the MAKE IT OR BREAK IT of the test....

"Start when ever you're ready."

I pulled away and time seemed to slow down. I was able to maneuver around EVERY cone with out missing or hitting any. I approached the 90 degree right turn and nailed it without a hitch. My heart raced as I approached the dreaded U-Turn. I concentrated, gave it some gas when I needed to and stopped exactly where I needed to stop. If there was ever a moment to yell "YES!!!!" that was the time... but at that point my mouth was so dry I couldn't.

The tester approached me and said.... "Very good." and we moved on to Part 3.



The State of Illinois Motorcycle License Test Part 3:

From the starting point, ride through the "timing chute" at approximately 15 mph When your front tire reaches the end of the chute, bring your cycle to a stop as safely and quickly as possible. (At 15 mph you should stop in at least 13 feet.) This tests the rider's ability to bring the cycle to a sudden stop.

You get 2 tries with this one if you don't get up to the proper speed. Since the starting "T" is on an incline you really need to gun it to make it up to the proper speed by the line.

At the starting "T" I took a deep breath and gunned it.... as soon as I hit the line I engaged the front and rear brake as hard as I could without locking them up..... another reason I wanted to use THAT specific bike. Zero deductions. It didn't take him long to come over and describe part 4....



The State of Illinois Motorcycle License Test Part 4:

From the starting point, ride through the chute at approximately 15 mph When your front tire reaches the end of the chute, swerve to the right or left to avoid the red obstacle line and then cut back in without crossing or touching the red sidelines. This evaluates the rider's ability to avoid obstacles by swerving right or left.

You also get 2 tries with this one if you don't get up to the proper speed. Since the starting "T" is on an incline again... you really need to gun it to make it up to the proper speed by the line.

He explained that it was my choice to go right or left, stay away from the blue lines and stop near the end of the box... I didn't have to stop inside the box (I already knew that... it would require emergency braking if I had to and we already did that exercise)

He waved me to begin so I gunned it. I decided to go left so I counter-steered to the left. I stopped the bike just where I should have.

The tester stood about 6 feet behind me and he wasn't coming up yet. I just sat there on the bike thinking... "He didn't take that long with the first 3.... Hmmmmmmm"

He walked up to me and said... "Congratulations… You Passed!"

I shook his hand and said Thank you! He signed and stamped the paper I needed to turn into the DMV and I was on my way. Happier than a pig in shit! Not only did I pass... I didn't lose a SINGLE POINT!!

I rode to where I saw Brad and he said.. "Way to go... you ACED it!, I knew you could do it!"

"I couldn't have done it without you."

"You did the riding... all I did was show you the right way."

"And without that, I certainly would be here right now.... thank you." I shook his hand.

I rode to where bikes are parked, flipped the kill switch, turned the key off, kicked down the kick stand and dismounted the bike, the good ol' Kawasaki. The first motorcycle I had ever ridden.

I headed to my Blazer and drove to the DMV to get my new M endorsement. What a day!

Final Thoughts: I couldn't have asked for 3 more beautiful days for the range days. I really lucked out with the weather! Before you even ask... YES... I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Ride-Chicago! I couldn't have asked for better teachers than Brad & Chris. They both had a teaching style that instilled confidence which led me to push myself to do things I never thought I could do. (counter-steering for one... it's scary as hell that first time.)

If you have the desire to learn how to ride a motorcycle, don't wait. Sign up ASAP or one day you'll wake up a 50 year old and say... I wish I would have done that years ago. For me... I have no regrets... I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

http://www.ride-chicago.com

On to Response to E-Mails

My Ride Chicago Experience: Part IV - Range Day Two

Sunday’s Class 9/18/2004: Riding Day Two
Location: 185 S Damen (Damen & Monroe)

Again, I arrived early... first in fact. After a bit of time Brad arrived. I helped Chris set up the chairs while the European dude helped him remove the bikes from the big sheds. Soon after I noticed that someone busted the lock on the porta-potty and vandalized it. The vandal also shit all over the seat! Bunch of savages in this town!

After everyone arrived, we quickly realized that our class of 12 was now down to 9! 3 people didn’t show up for Sunday!

Luckily, I was able to use the same bike I rode on Saturday. The class began with several laps around the course clockwise & reverse. It was quite fun and relaxing. I hopped on the bike, started it up and took off like an old pro. I could have done that ALL day!

After the relaxing warm up it was back to business. Some of today’s exercises included...

Riding over obstacles: Steps: first, throttle up, stand up, release throttle, go over object at 90-degree angle, and sit down once you go over it.

• Slow speed maneuvers such as U-Turns, right angle turns, S-Turns, and counter-balance techniques.
• Signal and shoulder checks before a lane change.
• Higher speed maneuvers such as swerving and emergency braking.
• Minimum-distance stops using both brakes while simultaneously disengaging the clutch and downshifting
• Collision-avoidance swerving

The day ended with about 90 minutes of practicing the State of Illinois test.

I was so damn fatigued by the time we started practicing for the test, I wasn't exactly doing my best work. In part 1 I probably aced it 10 out of the 20 times. Part 2 was another story... I only did it error free twice! I did very well in parts 3 & 4 so I wasn't worried about those. My main concern is getting past part 2 of the test. I'm feeling very confident about parts 3 & 4 and somewhat confident about part 1.

At 2:30 the class was over. Brad handed each of us our Certificate of Completion, shook our hands and gave us the info we needed for the test.

I grabbed a soda from my cooler and headed home. I was in some serious pain. I ached everywhere. It’s like every muscle in my body had gotten a work out and still being sick didn’t help any.

As I write this on Wednesday evening, I’m feeling a lot better, though I do have a cough and sore throat. Everything else from the weekend “work out” is back to normal. I’m fully prepared to go downtown in the morning for the test…. But I’m betting that I’m going to fail it the first time. Wish me luck!

On to Part V

My Ride Chicago Experience: Part III - Range Day One

Saturday’s Class 9/18/2004: Riding Day One
Location: 185 S Damen (Damen & Monroe)

Friday during the day I had sore throat, stuffy nose and a fever. If I didn't go to the range.... I wouldn't get my money back so it was important that I felt better.... so Friday at work I took Dayquil, cough drops, drank lots of orange juice and had chicken soup from Panera Bread for lunch. By early afternoon, my fever was gone but the sore throat remained.

After work, I skipped dinner and went to bed at like 6pm. I slept 12 hours to 6am... like I said… I did NOT feel good!

I woke up feeling better than Friday but still a super bad sore throat.

I got ready and headed downtown.

The drive there was pretty simple. I took the Tri-State Tollway to the Kennedy and got off on Madison Street heading West. From there Damen was about a mile and a half up. At Damen, I turned left and the lot is on the right side just past the United Center.

I got there like an hour early (first one there)... they said when we took the classroom part to.... BE ON TIME.... NO EXCEPTIONS! So I listened to some shit on my iPod and waited for people to get there.

I don’t know who this is but the pic shows the sheds the bikes are kept in and note the Porta-Potty on the right, It’ll come into play later.

The class started with 13 people.... 10 of them were older than me (I'm 32) and the other 2 were right around my age. The class included 2 women (one in her 40's and one probably 35)

When Chris & Brad (the 2 guys that run the school) got there they pulled out a bike for everyone. It looked like they had a total of 14 bikes.



There were 2 Dirt Bikes... this is a pic of an actual one... (both looked pretty much identical)



There were about 5 Honda Rebels...



…and about 6 Modified Kawasaki Eliminators....


The 14th bike was a Honda Nighthawk but it wasn't used because the key is missing.

Everyone geared up. I noticed that all the helmets that they provide are now full-face, that's another reason I was glad I brought my own. The majority of the class used RC's helmets and gloves.

When it came time to assign everyone a bike, Brad assigned them…. You... take that one... you take this one. Before I knew it, all of the Honda Rebels (the one I planned on using) WERE GONE! When it came to me, he pointed me to a Dirt Bike. I said... "Is this the bike I'm gonna have to ride?" He replied, "Yes." So I asked... "Can I ride this one (Kawasaki cruiser) instead? This is just like the kind of bike I'm going to buy." He said "No problem." and I got to use the Kawasaki Eliminator.... just like this guy here....



Finally we were down to business!

At the beginning, it was easy....

• Proper way to mount a bike
• Proper way to dismount a bike
• The pre-ride inspection
• Start up procedure

Finally.... we got to turn them on!

After that it was straddle walking the bike to get a feel for its weight.

Then we could play with first gear and the clutch.... These are called Friction Zone exercises. Release the clutch slowly till it just starts to move then squeeze the clutch back in. That taught us where the clutch starts to engage the engine.

After a while we learned the basic skills of balancing and braking.

Then we brought up our feet so we could begin riding on the pegs.

Once we all were okay with riding on the pegs we learned about acceleration and deceleration and we got to ride in first gear for a bit until they said stop then straddle walk the bike around the curve and do it again....

Within 2 hours, one guy who was having a difficult time.... left and went home! Now there were 12 people....

At noon it was time for lunch... as I mentioned in Part II, they ordered all of us pizza (Domino's) because we agreed to allow them to merge the classes to 9am-2pm. Because I felt like crap and I didn't want to risk any lactose issues due to the cheese... not to mention the fact that I fucking hate Domino's pizza anyway... I didn't eat. I drank TONS of water. My throat still hurt a lot and the cold water helped it.

Then we began an exercise that I dreaded. It's the Counter-Steering exercise. After it was demonstrated to us, this guy Lou and I looked at each other and said.... "This isn't going to be good!"

The concept of Counter Steering is really scary because it's not natural…. to me anyway.

Let me try to explain a second.... When you're riding your bicycle and you want to turn LEFT you steer your bike to the LEFT... You basically push the RIGHT handle bar away (and pull the LEFT handle bar towards you) to force the tire to turn left. Ya with me so far?

Well in Counter Steering on a motorcycle, it's just the opposite. If I want to turn RIGHT, I need to push the RIGHT side away from me! That forces the motorcycle into a lean to the RIGHT and away you turn. The phenomenon is called Gyroscopic Precession. This is what happens when a lateral force is applied to the axis of a spinning gyroscope. Fucking hard to understand.

Okay.... so we all get back on our bikes... the demo is over... it's our turn.... he asks me if I want to go first.... I said NO!!.... he picked someone else. (Thank god) So I get all ready... I make sure that my helmet is on extra tight, I make sure my gloves are on tight... I button up my long sleeve shirt all the way..... basically I'm preparing myself for hitting the ground.... I'm positive that I'm gonna fall while attempting this exercise.

I felt a bit better after watching the first few people do the exercise with out wiping out. Before I knew it, it was my turn. I got the “go” from Chris and raced down the range. As soon as I got to the cones I pressed on the left handlebar… sure as shit, the bike leaned (and turned) to the left. Well... fuckin-a, I guess counter-steering DOES work!

The rest of the day soon became a blur with proper way to slow before corners, cone swerves, gear shifting, downshifting and the like.

When the class ended I was tired, sweaty, achy and thirsty. But ya know what? I had also ridden a motorcycle for my first time ever!

I said my goodbyes to the Chris & Brad and headed home. I still felt like shit so I ended up going to bed early…. I kept wondering what Sunday had in store!

On to Part IV

My Ride Chicago Experience: Part II - Classroom

Wednesday’s Class 9/15/2004: Classroom
Location: 5215 N Ravenswood (Ravenswood and Foster)

I left work at 3:30pm, went home and got my stuff ready for class. The drive took me a while (near and hour and a half) due to the weather (thunderstorms). Class started at 6PM but my goal was to get there by 5:30PM. Thank god for my trusty GPS because the directions I printed out sucked! I made it there right at 5:30.

I walked to the door of the office building and tried to open it… in typical Chicago fashion, it was locked. So I looked around and found an apartment style button system which would buzz the proper suite. Within seconds of hitting the button for Ride-Chicago the door began to buzz and in I went.

I noted that their suite began with a “2” so I headed right up the stairs and looked for an office. I saw the Ride-Chicago office but my focus was on the men’s bathroom because after 90 minutes in the car, I needed to take a piss! I checked the door and it was locked. I assumed it was occupied. I walked into the Ride-Chicago office and the second student to arrive was talking to a man at a desk. I asked him about the bathroom and of course... you need a key to use it. So… finally after emptying my bladder of the 20 ounces Sierra Mist I drank on the ride in I was set to talk with the man at the desk. He introduced himself as Brad and asked for my Driver’s License and Motorcycle Permit. He made copies of both and asked me how I wanted to pay. The choices were Cash or Credit Card. I handed him $300 in cash and he returned a $5.

He then pointed me in the direction of the classroom, which was about 10 feet away from the office.

Once the class started filling up our classroom instructor introduced himself as Chris. He had us go around the room and introduce ourselves, list any prior experience on a motorcycle and the reason you were taking the class. I’m pretty sure there were 13 people in the class.

I was picked to go first. What I basically said was… “I’m Craig, the only thing I’ve ridden is a Honda scooter about 10 years ago. Riding a motorcycle is something I’ve wanted to do for about the past 10 years. My daughter just turned 10… so I bet you can figure out why it didn’t happen.” The class laughed.

Some of the other reasons the other students brought up were “I just bought a bike and want to learn how to ride.” A woman in her mid 40’s said “I’ve always ridden on the back of a motorcycle… I think it’s time to move to the front seat.”

Each of us had to fill out some paperwork. Included were like 3 liability forms which basically said that if we got hurt in the range, we couldn't sue Ride-Chicago, its agents, the United Center, etc... pretty standard stuff, and quite expected.

The class started with a 50 minute video. Before Chris left the room he told us that there were two errors in the video and wanted us to look for them.

The video was pretty pathetic. It looked like it was produced by and for surfer dudes in California. I’m pretty sure we ALL noticed both errors… the video clearly tells us to only use the front brake and never the rear and how to safely ride between lanes of traffic in stop-and-go rush hour (a practice that’s legal in California but not here in Illinois) My advice to Brad & Chris... get a NEW video.

After the video we went through a binder containing a standard Motorcycle Operator’s Manual, which was very similar to the State of Illinois one. For $295 I kind of expected to be able to keep the binder but they apparently reuse them after every class.

Also included were over 100 questions on 4 pages. Chris had us divide up by table to find the answers. “You guys find answers to 1-5”, “You two 6-10” etc.

Then we went around and answered them aloud. We read the question and the answer we found. When we were done with Page 1 we moved on to pages 2, 3 & 4.

Since there were only 2 of us at the table I was at, and because I was seated to the left side, I ended up with the odd #’s and the European dude next to me got one question less on each page with the even numbers.

All the questions I answered were correct…. I can’t say the same about some of the other answers given but Chris was helpful and didn’t embarrass anybody. He also explained each answer and tried to make sure everyone understood. In some cases even using a model motorcycle so we could visualize exactly what was meant.

That process took over 3 hours. After a break Chris asked us who was signed up for the 7:00am-12:00pm class and who was signed up for the 12:30pm-5:30pm class for the range. Since there was only 14 of us he wanted to merge the two classes together to a 9:00am-2:00pm class. At first there were scheduling problems with others and it sounded like the two classes would remain separate.

After another break he offered to buy us all pizza on Saturday if we agreed to merge the two classes. As it turned out, there was only one remaining student who couldn't do it. They asked him if he could do the range portion the next weekend. He agreed. It didn't matter to me, in fact I was happy because it was 2 hours later.... but if I were one of the people who it did matter to... I would have been pissed!

After that it was test time… That‘s right… a test. I wasn’t aware there was going to be a test. I mean shit… we already had to pass the State test in order to get the Motorcycle permit! No big deal but it WAS 50 questions!

Chris assured us that any passing grade would do. Meaning even a “D” will pass. That meant we could get 20 wrong out of the 50. A piece of cake!

The questions were easy anyway. There were like 40 Multiple choice and 10 “Match the Motorcycle part to its correct name”

I was the second one done with the test. I turned it in to Chris and he told me to go to the office to pick out a free T-Shirt. (It's not really free... you get a shirt with your paid tuition.) He said we could leave if we wanted or come back into the classroom if we wanted to see our grade on it. I grabbed a shirt and headed back to the class.

He said “Way to go” and showed me the test. I got 3 wrong. It was an “A”. He asked me if I wanted to see which ones I got wrong… I said sure and looked at the 3 questions… one was a percentage of alcohol related accidents (I think I said 45% and the answer was 50%), another was about covering the clutch when stopped at an intersection and I don’t remember what the last one was. I handed the test back to Chris, shook his hand and said… “See ya on Saturday!” I was on the road home at about 10:30pm.

On to Part III

My Ride Chicago Experience: Part I - Preparation

In Illinois if one wants to learn how to ride a motorcycle and acquire the skills needed to pass the state's M test you have the choice of the free Illinois Cycle Rider Safety Training Program or now in the past few years, a couple private schools.

But why would someone pay $300 or even more to take private classes when there is a free option available?

Good question! It's all about supply and demand. It's hard as hell to get into the free program. If you don't sign up on the very DAY registration opens (mid-March) you will NOT be able to snag a spot in the class because the ENTIRE program for the ENTIRE year is booked up for the ENTIRE state of Illinois within 24 hours!! Then you have to waste every weekend by going up to a class location to see if someone doesn't show up so you can get in as a stand by. This might take several weekends to do since the people who were lucky enough to get a spot in the class know EXACTLY how hard it is to get into it... so.... unless they're dead or they've moved you're pretty much screwed!

I researched two private options. Ride-Chicago (RC) and Motorcycle Riding School (MRS) Both have classrooms in Chicago and both of their ranges use a United Center parking lot. Ride Chicago costs $295 + $40 for the first "M" test ($20 for any more attempts) while Motorcycle Riding School costs $375 with the first two "M" test attempts included.

MRS has been around since 2001 and has trained over 1,500 students. RC has been around since 2003 and has taught over 1,000.

I can't say that money wasn't a factor in this but it wasn't the deciding factor. I looked and looked for a review of either of the schools online but came up empty. That's part of the reason I'm writing this detailed account of my experience. Now... thanks to the power of the internet, a simple google search of Ride-Chicago or Ride Chicago pulls up my review on the very first results page!

Since I found no reviews, I based my choice mainly on the websites and the information they provided...

• The price was cheaper.

• I liked the fact that RC offered 1 on 1 instruction if needed, whereas MRS didn't. I figured there was a chance I'd need it.

• I liked that RC included pictures so I had some idea of what bikes they used and what the class looked like. After all, I did go to the local Honda dealership to play with the Rebel.

• Before I decided to buy my own helmet I liked the fact that RC's pics showed people in open face helmets while MRS said they provided all students with a full-face helmet. I wasn't sure if I'd be comfortable in a full-face helmet.

After some consideration, I decided to enroll in RC on their website and I picked the next open class which was one week later.

The Preparation: Things you need to know
Website: www.ride-chicago.com

Class Price: $295.00 (Using their facility & motorcycle. To take the State test is an additional $40)

Students must attend all classes. Missing or being late will automatically disqualify you.

Items you need to bring…

For the Classroom
• Your Driver's License
• Your Motorcycle Permit

For the Range
• Long denim pants
• Long sleeve shirt or jacket
• Over the ankle boots
• Sunglasses/glasses

To get the Illinois State Motorcycle Permit, download the study guide here and go to your local Illinois DMV to take the written test for it. The test was 15 questions and you can get up to 3 wrong and still pass. For the record…. I got 100%

My Preparation: Things I did to get ready before the class…

Gloves: Ride-Chicago provides gloves for those that don't have them but I decided to buy my own. Gloves was the easiest of the three items I wanted to buy for the class. While up in Harvard visiting Dave & Kay I stopped in at Harvard Motorsports. You can visit their very crappy website here.

I looked through their selection of gloves. It ranged from a really cheap $10 pair to over $100 for racing gloves, which I suspect were made to match the color & design of ones helmet. I decided on a $30 pair of Olympia’s. They’ve got reflective things on the knuckles and gel padding. I tried Medium which fit well but they were too tight in the pinky, so I decided on Large which was perfect on all fingers and just a tad too long in the thumb. I guess I’m right between sizes.

Boots: So… what the hell do I do about Boots? The last time I bought boots I was…. You know… come to think of it… I’ve NEVER bought myself a pair of boots! That must mean that the last time I had boots they were snow boots and I was in school! I forced Valerie to accompany me to Payless Shoes to buy a pair of work boots that would do the job until I find myself (and can afford) REAL motorcycle boots. We bought Stanley Steel Toe Work Boot - $29.99

In order to get used to boots again after a LOOOOONG hiatus, I wore them to work and on errands n shit and decided that they were too heavy for me. While Valerie & I were checking out the new Wal-Mart in Palatine (Dundee Road) a pair of Brahma Boots caught my eye. They were lighter and somewhat gym shoe like… even though they DO have steel toes. Anyway… they were like $21 so we bought them. The next day Valerie was able to return the ones from Payless, so all worked out in the end.

Helmet: Based on the pictures at Ride-Chicago’s website (all open-face) and the fact that I thought a full face helmet might be somewhat claustrophobic as a first helmet, I decided to look for an open-face helmet. Since going up to Harvard on Friday’s was becoming a routine on, Sept 10th, I decided to check out Harvard Motorsports for their selection.


The only open face helmet they sell is Bell’s Tourlite SC It's both DOT and SNELL approved. After trying it on in the store for a bit I decided to spend the $99 and buy it.

After wearing it a little more on Friday night and a bit on Saturday I learned to regret my buying decision. This wasn’t the helmet for me. I wanted to return the helmet the next day but they were closed Sunday & Monday.

As the new week started and time was drawing short, I had to make a decision. Buy a new helmet or wait to see if I can return the Bell helmet first?

First I had to find a helmet that I liked based strictly on style. Basically a 3/4 Helmet without the Bell’s cheek smushers.

Based on research on the internet I quickly found the HJC CS-5 which is also both DOT and SNELL approved. Also available in Wine.

Monday during lunch from work I called about 10 places locally to find out who had it in stock so I can try it on and buy it. No luck… call after call they either didn’t carry the HJC line or they didn’t have any of the CS-5’s in stock.

Since the CS-5 only cost $62.99, I decided to order it at http://www.helmetshop.com and hope for the best.

Now I know that it’s not really a good idea to buy a helmet without trying it on first but based on my size for the Bell helmet and comparing Bell’s & HJC’s sizing charts I decided to take the chance… time was short anyway. They told me I should get it by Wednesday.
After work Tuesday, again, I headed up to Harvard (I should have bought it locally dammit!) After a 90 minute drive up I headed to the store. They weren’t originally going to give me a refund for the helmet… they gave me some crap about returning a “used” helmet, but in the end… they decided that it was better to take it back than it was to piss off a new motorcycle rider.

The HJC helmet arrived the next day and it fit perfectly! So I was all set for class!

You should also note that Ride-Chicago does supply helmets (and gloves) but I didn't want to stick my head (and hands) into something that others have sweated heavily into.

Okay… Class Time!! On to Part II

3 years later...

This whole blog thing...

... was easier when I was unemployed!

I've been keeping busy. I've been at my new job for about 3 1/2 months now.

Alyssa is beginning phase one of braces and just began 5th grade. Nicholas is now in 2nd grade and hasn't been feeling to well the last couple days. (fever n shit)

For the past several Fridays I've been driving up to Harvard to visit Dave & Kay. It's nice to be able to get away from it all and head up into the country. They live in a subdivision called Shadow Creek. The neighborhood isn't complete yet... they've still got construction going on... but I expect them to be done by spring.

Since the evenings have been nice and cool, we've sat on their patio and Dave & I have enjoyed a few cigars. No, I haven't started smoking again... but when I'm up there I do have a few stogies while enjoying the evening.

Because the kids aren't in the car and I don't have to listen to my nagging wife... on the way back home I've always tried to beat my previous time. Last night.... I wasn't able to break my previous record of 53 minutes because I got pulled over by a McHenry County Sheriff. 74 in a 55. I've never been pulled over by a teenie-bopper before... I'm telling you... this girl "Deputy" looked like she was on a "Take your daughter to work day!"

I consider myself lucky because had she driven my way about 2 minutes earlier.... the ticket would have been much worse... I was driving around 90 mph. And before you start giving me crap about speeding let me point out that at 1:30am on Route 14 heading south Between Harvard & Crystal Lake is COMPLETELY dead. I wasn't putting anyone at risk except myself. I wasn't driving reckless.. just quickly. Anyway... the ticket will cost me $75... but it will really cost me $105 to opt for the supervision & traffic school. It's the first ticket I've gotten since 1994!!!! It's been 10 years! I gave this little girl playing cop my AAA card (doubles as a bond card) so I could keep my license. I'll be needing to keep that for Wednesday.

I haven't mentioned it yet on the blog but for those of you who want an update on my Bell's Palsy... it's getting better... slowly but surely. My right eyebrow is moving quite a bit now and I have some more movement of the right side of my face. I'm in no pain now but back 2 months ago I had a very localized pain in the back of my head. It hurt extremely bad... to the point that the pain woke me up in the middle of the night and I had a hard time sleeping for a couple weeks. It concerned me so I went back to the ER and had a Cat Scan of my head. The doctors found no problems. The pain was the pinched nerve which caused the issue in the first place.

Valerie's birthday is coming up on the 21st. Which is the same day that the Star Wars Trilogy FINALLY comes out on DVD!

More later...

Pup shoots man, saves litter mates

I told this story to Kay and she thought I was joking!

Read the whole article here.

Apple announces the new iMac...

It looks pretty cool... Check it out here.