I took the Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic Level 1 offered through Sharp Riding courses. Lee Parks designed the program, and it's really taking off in the US, it's even the official safety course now in a couple states. He takes principles from the track and adapts them to keeping smooth and safe on the road. Learned SO FREAKIN MUCH. Never did a track day, I found the idea a little intimidating up until recently, and I'm definitely not mechanically inclined as far as track prepping my own bike (both of those have changed, but now I'm in a financial rut lol).
So that's another option too. All kinds of bikes show up, from cruisers to massive sport touring bikes to supersports, etc, etc.
Also, I'm discouraged at the people recommending you to stay clear of group rides. I think that's nonsense. Riding on your own can more easily result in mistakes, bad habits, etc, because, if you're like me and have never ridden before your first bike, you have no idea what you're supposed to learn lol.
The advice, imo, should be that riding in large groups and/or groups of riders who don't know is what can get dangerous.
I recommend meeting 10min or so before the ride, and going over the hand signals and expected riding behaviours that safe groups follow, getting everyone on the same page, determine your lead and sweep and the rest of your order, etc. There is a good thread somewhere on this forum that has detailed instructions for group rides taken from some safety course or something. You said as the new rider you'd fall back... but a lot of guidelines recommend the lead bike be the slowest/newest rider lol. Once the group gets to know each other, and the route is known, the slow bikes can fall to the back and catch up at intersections (if the group is making a turn) or stop signs. You don't want a new rider at the back in case s/he runs into problems, and no one is there to help.
Once you've been riding for a couple years you'll grow wary of several warning signs, the ones you put up in here, that have people "misinterpreting" your post.
1 - comparing racing cars to riding a bike.
2 - comparing bicycles to motorcycles.
----> You can be a world class pianist, doesn't mean you can play a guitar. They're not the same, don't fool yourself into thinking you will have the skills you need on a motorcycle carry over from other types of vehicles.
3 - Assuming you will "catch on quickly". You need to learn what to watch for, how to react, when to react, etc. The only way to "catch on" to those things is by fudging up, which can be fatal as we all know. So experienced riders (and I don't mean some blowhard who's been riding for 10 years but who's never invested the time in a course, trackdays, books, spent time with instructors or other riders who have done those things and then thinks he knows it all because he's comfortable in his bad habits) or courses, track days, etc are where you really learn how to ride, and not just be comfortable tugging on the throttle.
I live North West of Toronto, near Hillsburgh, and know a lot of fun roads in this area quite well. I also like riding a whole heck of a lot and frequently ride across the city for group rides or to ride with friends. Sounds like you'd be the kind of guy I could ride with, so count me in.
