Jimmy Lewis Off-Road Riding School Vendor Thread

• • 
    
  • 
    
  • April 7,8,9 2017 Danny LaPorte, Jimmy Lewis and Chris Blais have joined together to bring rally raid fans a Dakar-like experience in the deserts and dunes of Nevada and California. America’s three top Dakar competitors will teach navigation, tell stories and give you a rally type experience.
  • 4/15-4/16 2017 Series 1 – Off-Road Riding School Essential Skills Course, Pahrump, NV. Class Full, No Rentals, Waiting list. (Remember this is Easter Sunday)
  • 5/13-5/14 2016 Series 1 Off-Road Riding Essential Skills Course, Pahrump, NV. Class Full. (Remember this is Mother's Day)

Remember, We Have Rental Bikes Available For Most Classes



Links to some ride reports about the school:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=26483133&postcount=63

http://www.motorcyclejazz.com/Jimmy_Lewis_Offroad.htm ----From Motorcycle Jazz

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=779750 -- Great photos in this one.

http://rhinomotorcycleblogger.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/jimmy-lewis-off-road-riding-school-review/ -- rhino motorcycle Blogger

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=792419 -- one for the KLR 650 owners.


Yes, we do sand! And our riders are not crashing out of control. We teach confidence.

http://aitonsride.blogspot.com/2013/02/spode-daddy-gets-schooledjimmy-lewis.html?m=1 --Spode Daddy's take.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=569233http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=569233 -- this is the biggest thread with tons of info and comments. 39 pages and counting!

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=669594 -- From a bicycle rider to...



http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=969352

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37956 --A special ADV rider school where the famous KTM log hop took place.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=746910 -- one of our specialty schools on rally navigation.

Some of the most common questions we are asked and the answers:

"Will the class be too easy for me, I'm an intermediate level rider?"

We teach some very basic skills in the class and that is only because when you start making mistakes it is often in relation to the basic operation of the motorcycle, a basic skill that is preventing you from doing what you really want to do. The skills and drills that we teach are the same ones that I practice when I find my riding is needing a tune up and that happens a lot. All of our drills have increasing levels of difficulty and we have yet had a student feel they were not challenged at the class.

"Will the class be too advanced for me?"

We suggest that you are comfortable riding your motorcycle and operating the controls, but not a complete first timer. If you are a true beginner we suggest you take a MSF rider safety course or even better, one of the MSF Dirt Bike schools if you are just starting out. They do a great job of taking you from ground zero. If you like what you are getting into and want more, then come and see us next. If you have plenty of street experience and are new to dirt, we are a great next step and have plenty of experience working with riders just like you. We screen our students before signing them up to make sure that they are compatible with the class they are taking as not to get a rider in over their head.

"Do you only teach _________ (big bikes, ADV bikes, small bikes, racers) in your schools? Do you separate them?"

We have been teaching riding instruction since 1999 and teach to all types and abilities of riders. We have a system to keep similar abilities and types of bikes in the proper classes so the learning is maximized. Most of our drills are universal, meaning they can be done on any type of bike and by any rider, only separated by the dimension to which you can push them. Our drills are often imitated but in going to the school you get the professional real-time coaching that aids the learning and keeps the drill safe.

"I have a few bikes but I want to learn to ride my big bike better, what bike should I bring?"

We recommend you bring the smallest and lightest bike you have because you will learn more on it. When your bike is in balance, it acts like it weighs nothing. When it starts to get out of balance, the heavier ones quickly become more difficult to control. Riding and training on the lighter bike will allow you to push the drills farther without having the bike intimidate you. And anything you practice on the small bike can be transferred over to the large bike. With the coaching available, why not learn the most? But you can still come and train on the big bike, we don't discriminate.

"Being a racer you must just teach people to ride fast? I don't want to ride fast, I want to be safe."

We pride ourselves on a very good safety record and it comes from having an understanding of what each motorcycle is capable of doing and knowing the limits. Jimmy's racing background, along with his years of motorcycle testing gives him a unique understanding of these limits as well as being able to teach a wide range of skills without compromising his safety or the safety of the class. Sure we can teach fast but you'd be surprised how learning to be safe and ride in control (if not downright slow) puts you a lot farther ahead at the end of the day.

Feel free to post up with any questions you may have about the school or even general questions or riding advice and we'll give you our unique perspective on how we teach.

JIMMY LEWIS

Subscribed!

+1

Need to take this class this year. Looks fun and a great excuse for yet another road trip on the 990A

This is on my list for 2013!

Same here, either Feb or Mar '13

In case you want to get a JLR class for Christmas, we do gift certificates...

What a great gift. Better rider, safer rider!

JIMMY

I been wanting to take this course for months now... awesome to see a thread here. My only hold up has been the distance makes it tough. I sure hope I can swing this soon. If you ever do anything in the se I want to know about it!

taking jimmy's class is the best xmas or b-day gift, better yet, call it "investment".

for sure, i'll do another one, and 2013 sched looks good.

Here's what you should go practice this weekend!

This is one of the best drills we, or anyone else for that matter, teach. If you can do it without getting tired, you are doing something right!

Figure-8

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ig7IxOAXis0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

There's about 100 things going on in just turning. But we break it all down. In fact there are two distinctly different parts to the turn, initiating it and then controlling it. The figure-8 drill forces you to do everything right, and quickly at that!

Things to remember:

-Weight the outside footpeg.
-Shoulders and hips parallel with the handlebar.
-Minimal effort on the handlebar.
-Use the throttle to control speed, not the clutch.
-Speed determines lean angle and proper body position follows suit.

The next video will be on the big bike!

Do you rent bikes. If I take the class in 13, I'll be flying in.

Yes, we have rental bikes for 2013 classes.

We have KTM and Husaberg 400-570cc bikes and a couple of Yamaha and Suzuki 250cc bikes.

Ok...I'll ask. Any chance of an ADVrider member discount?

The classes look fantastic! Thanks for posting the info.

Nubs,

I'll PM you with our practice for that. We have done it in the past with groups and some from the ADV Rider forum. In reality 80% of our students are already members here and 100% are when they get home from the class.

It was a way for riding buddies to take the class together, really or in their minds keep the skill levels similar. But in reality we can do that better on our side from experience. Learning skills and riding ability are two different things and in our class the fastest rider in the group may be the one who has the hardest time with learning. Then after class the results are obvious.

JIMMY

I can't decide which bike I want to do a clinic on more... Wish I could bring both but I suspect I will want to ride the bike out.

One thing people don't talk about which I hate is riding on gravel. Not that I want to spend much of a learning session on it but I sure do want to figure out how to manage gravel roads with reasonable speed through the curves on the mountain forest roads around here.


Can I get a PM on the advrider info too?

I kinda wish I could spend a whole week with you since its so far for me and I need help across the board in two disciplines... dirt and adventure riding wirh my gs.


So when I am done I should be able to at least podium at Dakar right?

Podium at Dakar? No problem.

The answer to the gravel road is the same answer I give to most questions which revolves around the basic fundamentals of riding. First is that most riders ride out of balance (at least slightly) a majority of the time. And when you are out of balance the effects are amplified if the traction is compromised (gravel, sand, mud, snow). Second is that most riders compensate for the balance issue with speed or momentum. Add the fact that you are uncertain about the surface you are riding on and being tense or tight on the bike compounds the problems that are occurring. So in reality what is happening is a series of corrections, none of which are actually helping you to ride more relaxed, more in control and more efficiently. A lot of times you feel that you are not going fast enough (more speed would make you feel more balanced) and at the same time you don't feel comfortable slowing down (the out of balance shows its ugly head.)

OK, so in reality what we teach is recognizing a high level of balance and to have excellent control of the motorcycle through the throttle, clutch and brakes and using your balanced weight to control the bike and make it go where you want it to. Riding like this you rethink the braking points and then the lines you take when riding. You'll feel like you are going slower but in reality you'll be riding faster, mostly because of the far fewer mistakes that you make. And all this takes is practice once you get pointed in the right direction. It takes a full day of drills to put all the pieces together but after that it is all about practice and you can do that any time you are riding the motorcycle. Being in better control of the brakes and throttle only amplify the control you have on any surface.

As for the proper bike, the smaller the bike the more you will learn in the class as you can take the drills and push them farther without getting uncomfortable. Though we teach the same skill sets no matter the type pf bike in the beginning.

If you are riding out we have some smaller rental bikes you could use.

great insight. thnx

Jimmy I read your response on my phone right after you posted it and have been thinking on it over the holidays. I have to say that is precisely why I want to come and learn from you. That logical explanation hit home perfectly. I had been thinking what I really need is some drills to embed the right technique in my mind and muscle memory and I was thinking that's what I could get from your sessions. Your response confirmed what I was thinking I really needed was correct. Someone watching me and helping me do it and get it right and learn what "right" feels like is exactly what I think I need most.

I thought about what you said as I was out riding today. Just the concept of it being about good balance helped me tremendously in the gravel today. If you can help me with a forum post I am excited about finding a chance to come out and see what you can do for me in person!

I really want to thank you for sharing the information. You used PT Barnum's secret... give something away and people will buy from you until the cows come home. You gave away good solid useful advice and I am gonna find a way to come to your school and hopefully I can talk some people into coming with me.

Thanks again Jimmy.

Hey Jimmy,

I think at one time you had a "What is it like to follow Dakar" class, but do you ever have a navigation class?