Safety Courses - What would you recommend?

[fuzion]

i just completed the 2nd or 3 days at centennial and i've learned an amazing amount

by the end of the day, the instructors had put up cones to simulate city driving so it we could go free for all and see what it would actually be like... that definately helps your confidence

[UJelly]

Just started doing the riding from Learning Curves @ Seneca! Today was the first riding day.

They teach amazing! Never went on a motorcycle before or even came near one!

I now know throttle/clutch control/ leaning/push steering.

I would highly recommend them!!

Some students could not grasp the throttle/clutch control so the helpers took them on the side and taught them.

By the time we did our last exercise, the students that were having trouble before were now riding with us. So that tells you something

[ungrateful_son]

My wife and I took the course at Sheridan (Brampton) 2 years ago. As you said, it's very close to home - it was also a very good course. Great teachers. Great environment. Highly recommended.

[BlackCrowe13]

For those out in the Kitch/Waterloo area... Or willing to make the trek as I did from Brampton....
OMSA all the way... I took their course last year loved it. Pointed 2 people to them, they both loved it as well. The restest for free as well.

[SexyNinja]

I did my course at Humber 2 years ago and I really enjoyed the experience, they were very friendly and helpful. They took me from never been on a Motorcycle in my life, to being on my way to become a competent rider.

Bike: They use (used?) a 250cc cruiser that was quite beginner friendly.

I did my course at Humber as well and had a great experience! I took the course in late May this year and I went from not knowing how to start a motorcycle to almost hitting 1K on my Ninja! If you live in East Brampton then Humber is really close n easy to get to.

The instructors were so helpful and didn't make me feel like an idiot when I did something wrong. They were always kidding around and it just felt like a weekend of fun instead of a weekend of learning. They paid a lot of attention on students that needed more help but they were pretty good at looking after everyone in the group. Each group had 20 people and 4 instructors so there's always someone available to help.

I don't know what the success rate is but out of our group, we had 9 people who were new riders (never been on a bike before) and all of us ended up passing. There were 2 other classes that were going on beside us and one had a 100% pass rate while the other had 3 students fail (out of 20). They do offer retest but there is a fee.

I tried getting into RTI but I called in mid May and they were booked until Mid July...with Humber I got in right away. So if you are leaning towards RTI you should book it pretty soon!

OH I almost forgot the most important part! A snack truck comes during our first break in the morning and an icecream truck comes during the second break in the afternoon The Iceburg is to die for!

[Zaneris]

I did my course at Humber as well and had a great experience! I took the course in late May this year and I went from not knowing how to start a motorcycle to almost hitting 1K on my Ninja! If you live in East Brampton then Humber is really close n easy to get to.

The instructors were so helpful and didn't make me feel like an idiot when I did something wrong. They were always kidding around and it just felt like a weekend of fun instead of a weekend of learning. They paid a lot of attention on students that needed more help but they were pretty good at looking after everyone in the group. Each group had 20 people and 4 instructors so there's always someone available to help.

I don't know what the success rate is but out of our group, we had 9 people who were new riders (never been on a bike before) and all of us ended up passing. There were 2 other classes that were going on beside us and one had a 100% pass rate while the other had 3 students fail (out of 20). They do offer retest but there is a fee.

I tried getting into RTI but I called in mid May and they were booked until Mid July...with Humber I got in right away. So if you are leaning towards RTI you should book it pretty soon!

OH I almost forgot the most important part! A snack truck comes during our first break in the morning and an icecream truck comes during the second break in the afternoon The Iceburg is to die for!

I forgot about the snack truck!

Definitely the most important part of the review and I completely forgot about it, lol

[Mr_JOE]

I just completed my course with Learning Curves at Seneca this passed weekend (25-27). It was an amazing experience!

Instructors were very enthusiastic and you could tell were passionate about riding. During the course you could always ask an instructor to help explain or coach you through an exercise.

This was my first time on a motorcycle and I successfully passed the course. Even when I understood and performed what was taught, I was constantly told where I could improve and praised when I did something well.

I highly recommend this course to all, especially those new to motorcycling.

[beattie]

I just finished taking the course at Sheridan Brampton this past weekend and it was amazing. I went from never ever being on a bike, to learning a lot to get me on my way. The instructors were great and definitely knew what they were talking about. I was having trouble with one portion of the course and they went out of their way to allow me to practice a little more until i felt comfortable. Their personal experiences plus laid back attitude was a great combination for learning and made the weekend a blast.

I would recommend the course at Sheridan to any and everyone!!

[S_D]

All the accredited course are great. I did mine at Humber and have only good things to say about it. I have heard the same from every other course so you cant go wrong. However, if Im not mistaken, and correct me if I am, but humber is the only course that uses the 250cc Yamaha Virago while the other courses use a 125 cc bike.

[Rotten_Ronnie]

All the accredited course are great. I did mine at Humber and have only good things to say about it. I have heard the same from every other course so you cant go wrong. However, if Im not mistaken, and correct me if I am, but humber is the only course that uses the 250cc Yamaha Virago while the other courses use a 125 cc bike.

Learning Curves has a few bikes larger than 125cc, the Honda Rebel 250cc being one of them, although if you saw the CBR125R challenge at Mosport this past July, 125cc is no limit at all. :P

RTI has a variety of larger bikes as well.

[nojzx7]

Learning Curves has a few bikes larger than 125cc, the Honda Rebel 250cc being one of them, although if you saw the CBR125R challenge at Mosport this past July, 125cc is no limit at all. :P

RTI has a variety of larger bikes as well.

+1

RTI has a variety of motorcycles to choose from. Friend went there a few weeks back and loved the fact that he can hop on a variety of bikes! He said there were cbr 125s, dirt bikes and a few others he can't remember.

[superzvenomz]

Just did the sheridan course this weekend and it was great, i went from not knowing how to ride, to being able to ride on the street next day. The instructors are very funny and friendly and like to have a good time, made us to exercise that were very helpful to me in riding. Defnitly recomend the course

[Pedagogue]

As promised, since I am the original poster I will update everyone on my experience. Well I decided to go with RTI. The deciding factors were cost, free retest (if needed) and their stellar reputation. I just completed my M-1 exit course this week. It was an excellent experience. I can't stop saying enough great things about the instructors and the way the course was structured. There were a variety of motorcycles to choose from (e.g. cbr 125, small cruisers, Yamaha TW200, etc.) The instructors taught a variety of things which helped you operate a motorcycle safely. They also went through a variety of emergency situations. The instructors took safety seriously and at no time did I feel unsafe during riding. I had never ridden a motorcycle in my life and was able to pass the skills evaluation at the end of the course. If you listened to what they were saying the test was manageable. The instructors spent time with students and were always willing to give constructive criticism to make you a better rider. If you are looking for a great school to take your M-1 exit choose RTI. Just a great experience all round. I would like to thank those of you who PM'd me and gave me advice along the way. I'm happy that I now have my M-2. The next step is to get a motorcycle.

P.S. If you are a taller guy/gal (6ft and above) stay off the Honda CBR 125s

[fergie.g]

This is going to be my first post so I thought I would make it worth while. I just did the course this past weekend with Learning Curves and had a really great experience. The instructors were really helpful and hands on with all the exercises. The instructors I had were Ginny, Julian, Yazmin and Willie.

There were a lot of things I did not know, i.e. feathering the throttle, that were very helpful and I am going to keep practicing it until I can get them down pat on my bike before hitting the streets. You can really take away a lot if you just do the course at any one of the aforementioned posts but I think with Learning Curves you get that personal tutoring feel because if they saw you having difficulty they will give you proper feedback and how to correct yourself.

Overall a really great experience and had a fun time. I just passed (the last exercise of the test really messed me up, 8 points lost!) but I really learnt a lot. I will surely come out for the group rides when my M2 becomes valid in late September.

Ferdinand G.

[Rally Guy]

Another Learning Curves graduate here. I chose them for three reasons...

1. Location: Seneca Newnham is easy to get to and I was very familiar with the location since I play hockey there regularly

2. Discount provided by being a member of GTAM.

3. Rotten Ronnie's help. When I had a scary first rain ride - Ronnie jumped in and offered a reassuring, insighful and very helpful post here on GTAM. I thought to myself - I want to support the firm that's got that kind of guy associated with them.

I took the course this weekend and it was awesome. Despite having 2000kms+ on my M1, 25 years of mountain bike racing (O-cup expert class at the highest level) and 20 years of competitive rallying (2001 OPRC Division championship), I still learned a ton!

With one instructor being a dual sport keener (like me), another with F2000 experience, the third having the friendliest teaching style in the world (Don!), and the forth being a super friendly and insighful blonde hottie ( he he he) I could relate to every instructor.

When I quickly picked up on a technique - they'd offer me tips to take it to the next level. When I struggled they took extra time. They left me alone to push my own limits so they could focus on those needing extra attention and I think that's only fair. Of cousre having 3-4 instructors for a class of 12 made for an incredible ratio and there was no shortage of instruction.

And when some clown with way more ego than skill dropped thier pristine Ninja 250, they all showed tremendous restraint and professionalism about it. I'd have been much less calm. ; )

All in all - an excellent crew, a great course and much fun.

Highly recommended.

RK