All courses are conducted at the school’s dedicated dirt track facility in Prather, California. Regardless of skill, the Mystery School has a course for anyone age 8 or older.

1/14 Private Training Day
1/15 Private Training Day
1/16 Private Training Day
1/18 Learn To Ride Off-Road Course
1/19 Off-Road Challenge Course
1/23-26 Pro Camp
2/22-23 Kids Ride and Wrench Camp
3/7 7 Private Training Day
3/8 Learn To Ride Off-Road Course
3/9-Road Challenge Course
3/12-13 POST Motorcycle Officer Update Course
3/15-16 Fun Camp
3/28 Private Training Day
3/29-30 Fun Camp
3/2-3 POST Motorcycle Officer Update Course
4/5-6 Kids Ride and Wrench Camp
4/11 Private Training Day
4/16Practice & Skill Reinforcement Day
4/18 Learn To Ride Off-Road Course
4/19 Off-Road Challenge Course
4/23-24 POST Motorcycle Officer Update Course
4/26-27 Fun Camp
5/2 Private Training Day
5/3-4 Fun Camp
5/8-29 Kids Ride and Wrench Advanced Weekly Camp
5/10 Learn To Ride Off-Road Course
5/13-14 POST Motorcycle Officer Update Course
5/17-18 Fun Camp
5/31- 6/1 Kids Ride and Wrench Camp
6/7 Learn To Ride Off-Road Course
6/8 Off-Road Challenge Course
6/9-10 Kids Ride and Wrench Summer Camp
6/12-13 Kids Ride and Wrench Summer Camp
6/16-17 Kids Ride and Wrench Summer Camp
6/19-20 Kids Ride and Wrench Summer Camp
6/23-24 Advanced Kids Ride and Wrench Summer Camp

For more info, call (559) 855-3089, Text (559) 970-1928, e-mail info@richoliver.net, or visit www.richoliver.net

The post Rich Oliver’s Mystery School Releases 2025 Spring & Summer Schedule appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

RideHVMC is proud to bring Ducati REVS, an unparalleled track experience, back to Chuckwalla Valley Raceway on January 13th. Set against the backdrop of Southern California’s renowned desert circuit, this exclusive event invites motorcycle enthusiasts of all levels to enhance their skills and immerse themselves in the Ducati culture.

Participants will benefit from personalized professional coaching from experienced instructors, tailored riding drills, and feedback to improve both confidence and technique. Whether you’re a seasoned racer or a first-time track rider, the event provides a supportive environment to experience what your Ducati is capable of.

Event highlights include:

Top-Tier Curriculum and Instruction: Gain invaluable track tips, techniques, and critiques from a team of professional coaches for every level rider including classroom between each session.

VIP Experiences: Engage with MotoAmerica champion Josh Herrin and rising star Kayla Yaakov through Q&A sessions and one-on-one advice as well as veteran coaches Jake Zemke and Jason Pridmore.

Ducati Hospitality: The event features catered lunches, and a relaxed paddock atmosphere. Participants will also receive unique Ducati REVS SoCal merchandise.

“Ducati REVS SoCal is more than a track day—it’s an experience for riders to push their limits, refine their skills, and build connections within the riding community,” said Corey Alexander, Ducati REVS SoCal event coordinator, Rahal Ducati MotoAmerica Racer, and RideHVMC co-founder.

Riders of all motorcycle brands are welcome to join, with a focus on safety, progression, and camaraderie. Space is limited, and riders are encouraged to reserve their spots early. Visit ducatirevssocal.com to learn more and secure your place on the track.

About RideHVMC

RideHVMC specializes in providing elite motorcycle experiences, focusing on rider development, safety, and community through professionally curated track events, instruction, motorcycle storage, and rentals.

The post Ducati REVS SoCal Returning to Chuckwalla Raceway January 13th appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

The post Team Hammer Advanced Riding School Graduates 62 Students At Daytona appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

This list includes 105 opportunities to ride your motorcycles at races, schools, and track days during the month of October in North America.

Motorcycle track days, riding schools, and races are posted under the Event Calendar tab on the home page of this website, or you can access the Event Calendar for October 2024 directly by clicking HERE.

Once on the Event Calendar page, you can search for the event you are looking for by its date.

When you click on the event you want to attend you should find a link to the website and/or email address of the host organization, a link to the website of the host venue, the physical address of the host venue, a Google map to the host venue, and buttons to add the event and its information to your calendar application.

To have your motorcycle racing or riding event added to the Event Calendar on this website and published in the print edition of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine, submit your calendar and contact information via the contact page on this website or by clicking HERE.

10/1                 HER Track Day Track Days, Willow Springs International Raceway, Rosamond, CA

10/2                 Pineview Run Two Wheel Wednesday Track Days, Pineview Run Auto & Country Club, LaFayette, NY

10/2                 Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ (Advanced)

10/3-4             Yamaha Champions Riding School, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA

10/4-5             American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Springfield, IL

10/4-5             ARL Track Days And High Performance Riding Academy, Atlantic Motorsport Park, Mill Village, NS

10/5                ASMA Track Days and Advanced Rider Training, The Podium Club at Attesa, Casa Grande, AZ

10/5                 Central Illinois Mini Moto Series (Minis), Mid-State Kart Club, Mechanicsburg, IL

10/5                 Sandy Hook Mini Moto Road Race Series (Minis), Sandy Hook Speedway, Street, MD

10/5-6            ASMA Series, The Podium Club at Attesa, Casa Grande, AZ

10/5-6             Carters@thetrack Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA

10/5-6             Evolve GT School and Track Days, Atlanta Motorsports Park, Dawsonville, GA

10/5-6             Evolve GT School and Track Days, NCBike, Garysburg, NC

10/5-6             Fast Line Track Days, NCM Motorsports Park, Bowling Green, KY

10/5-6             Fasttrax Motorcycle Performance Track Days, Nelson Ledges Road Course, Garrettsville, OH

10/5-6             JP43 Training School, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

10/5-6             Motogladiator Series, NCBike, Garysburg, NC

10/5-6             Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Fun Camp)

10/5-6             RideSmart Motorcycle School, G2 Motorsports Park, Anna, TX

10/5-6             Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL

10/5-6             Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Grattan Raceway, Belding, MI

10/5-6             TrackXperience Track Days, Spring Mountain Motorsports Resort, Pahrump, NV

10/5-7             Jennings GP Track Days & Novice Schools, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL

10/6                 Florida Trackdays, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL

10/6                 John Long’s Longevity Racing School, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL

10/6                 MotoCorsa Track Days, Portland International Raceway, Portland, OR

10/6                 Rocky Mountain Mini Moto Series (Minis), SBR Motorsports Park, Calhan, CO

10/6                 Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA

10/6-7             American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Springfield, IL

10/6-7             Evolve GT School and Track Days, Summit Point Motorsports Park, Summit Point, WV

10/7                 HardNoX Track Dayz, Area 27, Oliver, BC

10/7                 Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

10/7                 SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA

10/8-9             Yamaha Champions Riding School, Inde Motorsports Ranch, Willcox, AZ

10/9                 Pineview Run Two Wheel Wednesday Track Days, Pineview Run Auto & Country Club, LaFayette, NY

10/10-11          California Superbike School, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV

10/10-13         (Bridgestone) AHRMA American Historic Racing Series, Barber Vintage Festival, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL

10/10-13         Western Sidecars Series, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL

10/11               N2 Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

10/11               Westwood Motorcycle Racing Club School & Track Days, Mission Raceway Park, Mission, BC

10/11-12          American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Harrington, DE

10/12               Sandia Motorcycle Roadracing Inc. (SMRI) Schools And Track Days, Sandia Motorsports Park (currently named Suika Circuit), Albuquerque, NM

10/12-13         2Fast Motorcycle Track Days & Instruction, Oregon Raceway Park, Grass Valley, OR

10/12-13         California Superbike School, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV

10/12-13         Evolve GT School and Track Days, Polecat Training Center, Fayetteville, TN

10/12-13         N2 Track Days, Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw, SC

10/12-13         NorthWest Mini Moto & Endurance Challenge (Minis), Tri City Kart Club, Richland, WA

10/12-13         Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Fun Camp)

10/12-13         Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

10/12-13         RideSmart Motorcycle School, MSR Houston, Angleton, TX

10/12-13         Ruts to Racelines Track Days, NCBike, Garysburg, NC

10/12-13         South Florida MiniGP Series (Minis), Herrin Compound, Dublin GA

10/12-13         TrackXperience Track Days, Willow Springs Int’l Raceway, Rosamond, CA

10/12-13         WMRC Series (Canada), Mission Raceway Park, Mission, BC

10/13               3:16 Superbike Camp, Harris Hill Raceway, San Marcos, TX

10/13               DMVminiGP Series (Minis), United Karting Raceway, Hanover, MD

10/13               SMRI Series, Sandia Motorsports Park (currently named Suika Circuit), Albuquerque, NM

10/13-14         American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Harrington, DE

10/13-14         SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA

10/14               Fun Track Dayz, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA

10/14               Let’s Ride Track Days, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA

10/14-15         Cyclesmith Track Days (formerly known as Tony’s Track Days), NCBike, Garysburg, NC

10/15-16         California Superbike School, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, CA

10/16               Pineview Run Two Wheel Wednesday Track Days, Pineview Run Auto & Country Club, LaFayette, NY

10/16-17         JP43 Training School, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

10/16-17         Racers Edge Track Days and Private Coaching Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

10/16-17         Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (POST Motorcycle Officer Update Course)

10/17               Team Hammer Advanced Riding School & Pro Practice, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL

10/17-18         CLASS Motorcycle School with 3x AMA Superbike Champion Reg Pridmore, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA

10/17-20          41st Annual ASRA Race of Champions/AMA Sanctioned ASRA National Sprint Series/National Endurance/Team Challenge Series/National Vintage/Outlaw Bagger Series/Southeast Roadracing Championship, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL

10/17-20         51st WERA Grand Nationals Finals (GNF)/National Challenge, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL

10/18               N2/WERA Endurance Series, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL

10/18               Jennings GP Track Days & Novice Schools, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL

10/18-20         CVMA 2024-2025 Winter Series, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

10/18-20         LegionSBK Series, High Plains Raceway, Deer Trail, CO

10/19               Sandy Hook Mini Moto Road Race Series (Minis), Sandy Hook Speedway, Street, MD

10/19-20         2 Wheels Track Days, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA

10/19-20         2WTD Mini Racing (Minis), Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA

10/19-20         HART Rider Training/Motorcycle Lapping Days, Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Hallett, OK

10/19-20         Inde Motorsports Ranch (IMR) Riders Club Track Days, Inde Motorsports Ranch, Willcox, AZ

10/19-20         N2 Track Days, Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, PA

10/19-21         Jennings GP Track Days & Novice Schools, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL

10/19-21         Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA

10/20               XCEL Trackdays Track Days, Arizona Motorsports Park, Litchfield Park, AZ

10/21               Aprilia Racers Days Track Day/Demo Program, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA

10/21               CLASS Motorcycle School with 3x AMA Superbike Champion Reg Pridmore, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA

10/21               Moto Forza Trackdays, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

10/21               Penguin Roadracing School, Daytona International Speedway (Ducati Revs), Daytona Beach, FL

10/21               Yamaha Champions Riding School, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA

10/24-25          Yamaha Champions Riding School, NCBike Garysburg, NC

10/24-27         Colin Edwards’ Texas Tornado Boot Camp (Dirt Track School), Montgomery, TX

10/25-27         Apex Assassins Track Days, The Podium Club at Attesa, Casa Grande, AZ

10/25-27         Brake Free Track Time Track Days, The Podium Club at Attesa, Casa Grande, AZ

10/25-27         CMRA Series, Eagles Canyon Raceway, Decatur, TX

10/25-27         Legion Moto Trackdays, The Podium Club at Attesa, Casa Grande, AZ

10/26               Southeast Mini Moto Series and Track Days (Minis), Barber Proving Grounds, Birmingham, AL

10/26-27         California Superbike School, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA

10/26-27         N2 Track Days, NCBike, Garysburg, NC

10/26-27         Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Fun Camp)

10/26-27         Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Talladega Gran Prix Raceway, Munford, AL

10/27-28         SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA

10/28               Tactical Motorcycle Dynamics Track Days, Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT

10/28-29         California Superbike School, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA

10/28-29          Yamaha Champions Riding School, NCBike Garysburg, NC (ChampGrad)

The post Where To Ride In October: Track Days, Schools, And Races appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

This list includes 163 opportunities to ride your motorcycles at races, schools, and track days during the month of September in North America.

Motorcycle track days, riding schools, and races are posted under the Event Calendar tab on the home page of this website, or you can access the Event Calendar for September 2024 directly by clicking HERE.

Once on the Event Calendar page, you can search for the event you are looking for by its date.

When you click on the event you want to attend you should find a link to the website and/or email address of the host organization, a link to the website of the host venue, the physical address of the host venue, a Google map to the host venue, and buttons to add the event and its information to your calendar application.

To have your motorcycle racing or riding event added to the Event Calendar on this website and published in the print edition of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine, submit your calendar and contact information via the contact page on this website or by clicking HERE.

9/1                   (Progressive) AMA Pro American Flat Track (AFT), Springfield Mile II, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL

9/1                   Team Pro-Motion Track Days & Schools, Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA

9/1-2               JP43 Training School, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA

9/1-2               Let’s Ride Track Days, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA

9/1-3               Track Time Track Days, Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, WA

9/2                   Legion Moto Trackdays, High Plains Raceway, Deer Trail, CO

9/2                   USCRA Road Racing Series (Vintage), New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH

9/2                   Westwood Motorcycle Racing Club School & Track Days, Mission Raceway Park, Mission, BC

9/2                   ZARS Advanced Riding Schools & Track Days, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, MN

9/2-3               Mid-Ohio School’s Performance Track Riding School, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, OH

9/4                   Pineview Run Two Wheel Wednesday Track Days, Pineview Run Auto & Country Club, LaFayette, NY

9/6                   2Fast Motorcycle Track Days & Instruction, Portland International Raceway, Portland, OR

9/6                   AHRMA Academy of Roadracing, Track Days & Ed Bargy Advanced Track Riding Technique, Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, PA

9/6                   ARL Track Days, Atlantic Motorsport Park, Mill Village, NS

9/6                   HardNoX Track Dayz, Rocky Mountain Motorsports, Carstairs, AB

9/6                   Legion Moto Trackdays, Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, CO

9/6                   Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI

9/6-8               (Bridgestone) AHRMA American Historic Racing Series, Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, PA

9/6-8               CMRA Series, Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Hallett, OK

9/6-8               OMRRA Series, Portland International Raceway, Portland, OR

9/6-8               SOAR Series (Canada), Grand Bend Motorplex, Grand Bend, ON

9/6-8               WMRRA Series, Portland International Raceway, Portland, OR

9/7                   ASMA Track Days and Advanced Rider Training, Arroyo Seco Raceway, Deming, NM

9/7                   Central Illinois Mini Moto Series/ Central Illinois Mini Moto Track Days (Minis), Mid-State Kart Club, Mechanicsburg, IL

9/7                   Rocky Mountain Mini Moto Series (Minis), Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, CO

9/7-8               2 Wheels Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

9/7-8               2WTD Mini Racing (Minis), Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

9/7-8               ARL Series (Canada), Atlantic Motorsport Park, Mill Village, NS

9/7-8               ASMA Series, Arroyo Seco Raceway, Deming, NM

9/7-8               EMRA Series (Canada), Gimli Motorsports Park, Gimli, MB

9/7-8               Evolve GT School and Track Days, Atlanta Motorsports Park, Dawsonville, GA

9/7-8               Fasttrax Motorcycle Performance Track Days, Nelson Ledges Road Course, Garrettsville, OH

9/7-8               FIM Mini Cup USA Championship Series, VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, VA

9/7-8               Fishtail Riding School, Canaan Motor Club, Canaan, NH

9/7-8               Inde Motorsports Ranch (IMR) Riders Club Track Days, Inde Motorsports Ranch, Willcox, AZ

9/7-8               JP43 Training School, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

9/7-8               LegionSBK Series, Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, CO

9/7-8               Motorheads Track Attacks Track Days, Rad Torque Raceway, Edmonton, AB

9/7-8               N2 Track Days, Summit Point Motorsports Park, Summit Point, WV

9/7-8               Pacific Track Time Track Days, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA

9/7-8               PanAmerican Superbike Series, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL

9/7-8               RideSmart Motorcycle School, Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX

9/7-8               Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Blackhawk Farms Raceway, S. Beloit, IL

9/7-8               WERA National Challenge Co-Sanctioned by AMA/WERA Sportsman Series Atlantic Coastal Region, Summit Point Motorsports Park, Summit Point, WV

9/7-8               Z² Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA

9/8                   Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA

9/8                   UtahSBA Supermoto/Mini Series, Utah Motorsports Campus Kart Track, Grantsville, UT

9/8-9               Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

9/8-9               SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA

9/9                   MotoCorsa Track Days, Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, WA

9/9-10             Precision Track Days, Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw, SC

9/10                 California Superbike School, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA

9/10-11            Yamaha Champions Riding School, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

9/11                 Pineview Run Two Wheel Wednesday Track Days, Pineview Run Auto & Country Club, LaFayette, NY

9/11-12            California Superbike School, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA

9/12                 2Fast Motorcycle Track Days & Instruction, Pacific Raceways, Kent, WA

9/12                 Riders Choice Lapping Days, Shannonville Motorsport Park, Shannonville, ON

9/12                 Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

9/13                 Apex Track Days, Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT

9/13                 Edmonton Motorcycle Roadracing Association (EMRA) Track Days, Rad Torque Raceway, Edmonton, AB (Track Night)

9/13                 Evolve GT School and Track Days, Ozarks International Raceway, Gravois Mills, MO

9/13                 Tactical Motorcycle Dynamics Track Days, Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT

9/13-15           EMRA Series, Rad Torque Raceway, Edmonton, AB

9/13-15           MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Series, Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX

9/13-15           VRRA Series (Vintage Canada), Shannonville Motorsport Park, Shannonville, ON

9/14                 (Progressive) AMA Pro American Flat Track (AFT), Lake Ozark Short Track, Eldon, MO

9/14                 SFLminiGP (South Florida MiniGP) Rider Development Days (Minis), Anderson Racepark, Palmetto, FL

9/14-15           AMA Sanctioned ASRA National Endurance/Team Challenge Series/Mid-West Roadracing Championship Series, Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, IL

9/14-15           Apex Assassins Track Days, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV

9/14-15           California Superbike School, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA

9/14-15           Evolve GT School and Track Days, NCBike, Garysburg, NC

9/14-15           Fast Line Track Days, NCM Motorsports Park, Bowling Green, KY

9/14-15            N2 Track Days, Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, PA

9/14-15           South Florida MiniGP Series (Minis), Anderson Racepark, Palmetto, FL

9/14-15           UtahSBA Series, Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT

9/15                 ASM Motosport Advanced Riding Course And Trackdays, Sanair Super Speedway, St-Pie, QC

9/15                 Brake Free Track Time Track Days, Arizona Motorsports Park, Litchfield Park, AZ

9/15                 Legion Moto Trackdays, Pueblo Motorsports Park, Pueblo, CO

9/15                 Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA

9/16                 2Fast Motorcycle Track Days & Instruction, Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, WA

9/16                 Evolve GT School and Track Days, Summit Point Motorsports Park, Summit Point, WV

9/16                 Fun Track Dayz, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA

9/16                 Performance Riding Experience (PRE) Track Days, VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, VA

9/16-17           California Superbike School, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA

9/16-17           Riders Club Track Days, Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, PA

9/18                 Motovid.com All Levels Motorcycle Track Days/Performance Riding Clinics, Blackhawk Farms Raceway, S. Beloit, IL

9/18                 Pineview Run Two Wheel Wednesday Track Days, Pineview Run Auto & Country Club, LaFayette, NY

9/18-19           Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (POST Motorcycle Officer Update Course)

9/18-19           Shannonville Motorsport Park Motorcycle Lapping Days, Shannonville Motorsport Park, Shannonville, ON

9/18-19           Track Time Track Days, Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, WA

9/18-19           Yamaha Champions Riding School, MotorSport Ranch, Cresson, TX

9/20                 2Fast Motorcycle Track Days & Instruction, Pacific Raceways, Kent, WA

9/20                 Penguin Roadracing School, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH

9/20-21           Evolve GT School and Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

9/20-21           MotoGladiator Series, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

9/20-22           CRA (Central Roadracing Association) Series, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, MN

9/20-22           NJMiniGP (Minis) Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

9/20-22           WMRRA Series, Pacific Raceways, Kent, WA

9/21                 Central Illinois Mini Moto Track Days (Minis), Mid-State Kart Club, Dawson, IL

9/21                 Ed Bargy Advanced Riding and Racing School, Roebling Road Raceway, Bloomingdale, GA

9/21                 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Learn To Ride Off-Road Course)

9/21                 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI

9/21                 Sandia Motorcycle Roadracing Inc. (SMRI) Schools And Track Days, Sandia Motorsports Park (currently named Suika Circuit), Albuquerque, NM

9/21                 Sandy Hook Mini Moto Road Race Series (Minis), Sandy Hook Speedway, Street, MD

9/21                 Southeast Mini Moto Series/Track Days (Minis), Lamar County Speedway, Barnesville, GA

9/21                 TrackAddix/Ducati Omaha Racing Series, Motorsports Park Hastings, Hastings, NE

9/21-22           California Superbike School, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA

9/21-22           Evolve GT School and Track Days, Polecat Training Center, Fayetteville, TN

9/21-22           NEMRR Series, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH

9/21-22           Pacific Track Time Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA

9/21-22           Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Grattan Raceway, Belding, MI

9/21-22           Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Talladega Gran Prix Raceway, Munford, AL

9/21-22           TrackXperience Track Days, Willow Springs International Raceway, Rosamond, CA

9/21-23           Jennings GP Track Days & Novice Schools, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL

9/21-24           Pro 6 Cycle Inc. Track Days, Calabogie Motorsports Park, Calabogie, ON

9/22                 Compact Octane Track Days, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA

9/22                 Florida Trackdays, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL

9/22                 John Long’s Longevity Racing School, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL

9/22                 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Off-Road Challenge Course)

9/22                 Rocky Mountain Mini Moto Series (Minis), Grand Junction Motor Speedway, Grand Junction, CO

9/22                 SMRI Series, Sandia Motorsports Park (currently named Suika Circuit), Albuquerque, NM

9/22                 Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA

9/22                 TrackAddix/Ducati Omaha Track Days, Motorsports Park Hastings, Hastings, NE

9/22                 XCEL Trackdays Track Days, Arizona Motorsports Park, Litchfield Park, AZ

9/22-23           Optimum Performance Rider Training Track Days, Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, WA

9/22-23           SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA

9/23                 Carters@thetrack Track Days, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA

9/23                 Motovid.com All Levels Motorcycle Track Days/Performance Riding Clinics, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI

9/23                 Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

9/23-24           Fishtail Riding School, Club Motorsports, Tamworth, NH

9/24-25           Yamaha Champions Riding School, Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw, SC

9/25                 Pineview Run Two Wheel Wednesday Track Days, Pineview Run Auto & Country Club, LaFayette, NY

9/26                 Riders Choice Lapping Days, Shannonville Motorsport Park, Shannonville, ON

9/27                 ARL Track Days, Atlantic Motorsport Park, Mill Village, NS

9/27                 Carters@thetrack Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA

9/27                 Fasttrax Motorcycle Performance Track Days, Nelson Ledges Road Course, Garrettsville, OH

9/27                 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI

9/27-28           NOLA Riding Academy Motorcycle Training and Track Days, NOLA Motorsports Park, Avondale, LA

9/27-29           LegionSBK Series, Motorsports Park Hastings, Hastings, NE

9/27-29           MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Series, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

9/27-29           SOAR Series (Canada), Grand Bend Motorplex, Grand Bend, ON

9/28                 2WTD Mini Racing (Minis), Apex Racing Center, Perris, CA

9/28                 Apex Track Days, Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT

9/28                 Sandy Hook Mini Moto Track Days (Minis), Sandy Hook Speedway, Street, MD

9/28-29           AFM Series, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA

9/28-29           ARL Series (Canada), Atlantic Motorsport Park, Mill Village, NS

9/28-29           Cyclesmith Track Days (formerly known as Tony’s Track Days), Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Thompson, CT

9/28-29           HART Rider Training/Motorcycle Lapping Days, Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Hallett, OK

9/28-29           MRA Series/MRA New Racer School & Super Street Racing Days, High Plains Raceway, Deer Trail, CO

9/28-29           N2 Track Days, NCBike, Garysburg, NC

9/28-29           Performance Riding Experience (PRE) Track Days, Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw, SC

9/28-29           Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Kids Ride and Wrench Camp)

9/28-29           Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Autobahn Country Club, Joliet, IL

9/28-29           WERA Sportsman Series North Central Region, Nelson Ledges Road Course, Garrettsville, OH

9/28-29           ZARS Advanced Riding Schools & Track Days, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, MN

9/29                 Team Pro-Motion Track Days & Schools, Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA

9/29                 UtahSBA Supermoto/Mini Series, Utah Motorsports Campus Kart Track, Grantsville, UT

9/29-30           2Fast Motorcycle Track Days & Instruction, Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, WA

9/29-30           Precision Track Days, Roebling Road Raceway, Bloomingdale, GA

9/30                 Aprilia Racers Days Track Day/Demo Program, New Jersey Motorsport Park, Millville, NJ

9/30                 N2 Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

9/30                 Yamaha Champions Riding School, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

9/30-10/1        Z² Track Days, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, CA

The post Where To Ride In September: Track Days, Schools, And Races appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

By Nick Ienatsch

Riders!

Enjoy Motorcycles Forever!

This Is The Key To Long-Term Motorcycling Happiness.   
 

Well trained riders have more fun riding motorcycles for longer.  

The vast majority of motorcycle road racing champions contemplate quitting the sport at some time in their careers. Injury and losing prompt those contemplations. But rather than become another ex-racer, they work harder on their craft. Quitting due to injury is self-explanatory. Pain and expense lead the list of reasons, but embarrassment and family pressure and a loss of points must be added in. Getting beaten is the second reason racers quit and it can be put more simply: Losing isn’t fun.

My Point

Apply this to our entire industry. Crashing is usually tougher on street riders than racers, and not having fun on your new motorcycle prompts you to leave it in the garage. One crash or six months of hardly riding lead to a “showroom condition, selling with riding gear” advertisement in the local want ads.
 

My Experience

Expert rider training changes all this. Whether it’s an hour spent talking with a championship-winning racer around a track map or enrolling in a school that teaches riding at the highest level, this expert advice and approach is the game changer. It’s the industry grower.

How about this for an industry motto: Don’t quit, get expert training.

Expert rider training is the shortcut past the crashes that might teach you a lot if you continue to ride. The problem with learning through trial and error is that the errors can be quite difficult to deal with in this sport. This is not waterskiing. Failing to make a cut behind the boat doesn’t compare with failing to make the downhill right-hand corner with a truck in the oncoming lane. “If you’re not crashing, you’re not learning” is BS!

Expert rider training will help you identify the steps that lead to a crash, the mistakes that finally add up to a loss of traction. The experience of the instructors is passed on to you, allowing you to skip over all the mistakes the instructors have made and seen. It’s a great shortcut.

Don’t Forget Fun

Expert rider training makes riding more fun. Suddenly, and I mean suddenly, improvements are rapid; you can run with your friends on the way to breakfast. That new fast motorcycle becomes a joy to ride rather than sheer terror. You learn to ride your old “pile of crap” quite rapidly and safely. Touring in the rain is no big deal, and when you visit the Alps on a rented BMW you are always in the lead group. You start to think about trackdays and even racing. Your expert-based knowledge seeps into your riding group and all ships rise. Riding is more fun because expert training brings you bike control and a technical approach to this often overly emotional sport.

 
Maybe I’m Wrong

The solution could be antilock brakes. Linked brakes. Traction control. Power modes. Better tires. Improved suspension. But wait… We have all that. What we need to add to all this incredible technological hardware is the rider software, the expert’s approach pre-ride and during the ride. Not just the physical skills used to manage traction and direction, but the focused all-in mental habits that the best bring to their motorcycling. The bikes and tires are getting better and the rider isn’t keeping up. Proper advanced training brings the rider up to the level of the modern motorcycle.

Maybe another motto:​ Rider training keeps riders riding.

You And Yours

Maybe I’m writing this to you, maybe to your brother or neighbor. I’m speaking directly to these people:

1.) The person who came into our sport and found it too difficult or too scary after their initial foray at a new-rider school. Additional training helps solve those mysteries, making riding more comfortable in all situations.

2.) Someone who doesn’t have time to ride anymore—a euphemism for “riding isn’t fun.” Riders who are hooked on motorcycling will always find time to ride.

3.) Riders who are done with the sport and are selling the bike and all their gear. In other words, these riders fell in love with the sport. They bought the bike, the Rossi replica helmet, extra oil filters, and changed the pipe and turn signals. But now they’re done. They are quitting a pastime that captivated them at some point in their lives.

4.) Motorcycle industry workers who don’t ride. They got in this industry because of their two-wheeled passion but now, due to injury/expense/embarrassment or not having fun because they couldn’t safely keep up with their friends, they are just going through the motions at work without the passion of riding. A love of motorcycle riding makes this the best industry in the world, but without that love it’s just another job.

5.) Rider coaches who are burned out. Boost your enthusiasm by attending an advanced school. Your enthusiasm is an important concern to the industry because you are often the first motorcycle professional a new rider will meet, and your love of riding will be contagious while your burned-out attitude will be another reason your students don’t ride after class. Rekindle your love of the sport with an advanced school.

6.) Track riders or road racers who have hit a plateau in their lap times and enjoyment. When you try to go quicker, you run off the asphalt, yet there are riders on the same bike and tires who are going consistently faster. “Why go beat around the track doing the same thing next year?” you ask yourself. Easy to become an ex-rider at that point, but a visit to an advanced riding school will give you a toolbox full of new techniques and approaches. Time at a school will make you faster safer, with increased understanding of how and why.
 

To Be Exact

The fun and safety leave this sport when the motorcycle is poorly ridden. Think of it this way: The motorcycle is designed to work with certain inputs at certain moments by expert development riders working with expert development engineers. If the owner of that motorcycle is riding the bike differently, the bike doesn’t work as well. The faster the owner tries to ride, the larger these discrepancies become. The owner is working with the best advice they have heard or read. Some examples of the poor advice I have seen:

1.) An uncle who has ridden slowly for 40 years will advise “use the rear brake only.” Please don’t listen to your uncle.

2.) A forum writer who lives in Nebraska and rides a Rebel 250 will tell you trail-braking is not necessary. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet, especially on forums.

3.) A rider who races but crashes too often will tell you to “flick that thing in there.” Obviously his simplified view of proper corner technique is serving him well. Right?

4.) A passionate rider who really cares but doesn’t have the background posts “training” videos on the internet and advises downshifting for corners and not braking. Passion does not equal knowledge.

5.) You hear, “Power through the corner.” Not every corner.

6.) You read, “You should be accelerating or braking.” What about between those two?

7.) “When in doubt, gas it.” Not always.

8.) “To tighten your line, accelerate.” Dead wrong.

9.) “Don’t use the brakes at lean angle.” One hundred-percent wrong.

10.) “Don’t touch the rear brake.” Wrong again.

11.) You’re convinced that all you need is more seat time, more laps, and that “practice makes perfect.” However, the best rider coaches know that “practice makes permanent,” so riding more miles with poor technique is not the path to improvement, it’s only the path to grooving your mistakes.

12.) You believe that the rider you are now is the rider you will always be. Wrong! Expert-level riding is logical, explainable, and learnable. The expert coaches in this country have enormous faith in every rider’s ability to learn advanced techniques.

Help Fix Two Other Issues

Students who attend advanced training schools are hit with how seriously good riders take their riding. Not only does this message come through loud and clear from the instructors, but the entire class is extremely intent on riding better. They are also hit with the safety of a racetrack when compared to the street. This helps with two vital issues:

1.) Speed choices on the street. A rider who has been to a track-based school and seen what “fast” really means looks at the immovable objects surrounding most public roads and curbs their street speed accordingly.

2.) Alcohol involvement. An advanced riding school stresses the vital importance of rider inputs and approaches in terms of safety, so drinking alcohol before or during a ride becomes as intelligent as riding blindfolded. Alcohol is involved in 25-to-50 percent of motorcycle accidents (depending upon whose stats you read) but riders with advanced training become focused on eliminating anything that is so sure to cause an error.

Riding advice is everywhere but know this: At the limit, which could be setting your personal best lap time at the track or entering a downhill, blind corner in the rain on a road you’ve never seen before, the rider’s actions must be precise and accurate. Poor technique based on flawed advice gets painful when the pace is up or the traction is down. In those moments, expert-level riding instruction will equip you for survival and triumph.

Notice that I haven’t written, “Expert riding instruction will prevent you from crashing again.” That’s the goal of every professional riding instructor, but not a guarantee. But here is a guarantee: If you crash after expert riding instruction, you will get up off the ground knowing what went wrong. You will be able to review the pre-crash action and form a plan to not repeat that series of actions. That keeps riders in the sport.

Expert riding instruction equips riders with the tools and outlook to continue to coach themselves into a constantly improving rider or racer. These students become technical riders rather than emotional riders. Their initial fascination with motorcycles grows into a lifelong passion because they stay healthy.
 

Summary

The American motorcycle industry isn’t growing and there are many opinions as to why. Blame is going to video games, millennials, a risk-free society, and not enough beginner bikes. But here is my provable belief: Motorcycling in America isn’t growing because riders don’t get the advanced training necessary early in their riding careers. To put this in our earlier parlance: The new riders aren’t riding the bikes as the bikes are designed to be ridden. That’s simply not much fun—scary, in fact.

ChampSchool is working to evolve rider training in America. We ask that the industry join us in pushing riders toward advanced training, whether through promotions like the free driving school you get when you buy a Mercedes-Benz AMG vehicle, or continued support of schools who provide the necessary curriculum to make riders consistently safer.

The information is out there, and it is the job of the motorcycle industry to get riders into these programs. We can guarantee our long-term future by developing expert riders early in their riding careers.

Join us by pushing yourself, your friends, and any rider you know to increase the safety and enjoyment of motorcycling by taking advanced riding instruction from a source you trust. Well-taught advanced instruction has never failed to make riders safer and happier—and faster, if you care about that. Safe, happy riders grow our industry.

If you haven’t had advanced riding instruction, you don’t know how truly amazing riding a motorcycle can be. Yep, I mean that.

How about this motto on every motorcycle classified-ad site: Don’t sell your bike and quit, get trained.

The post Is The Key To Long-Term Motorcycling Happiness Rider Training? appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

To get more information about the California Superbike School or to sign up, go to https://superbikeschool.com/ or call 800-530-3350.

The post Video: Discussing The Remaining 2024 California Superbike School Schedule appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

In 2023, eligible MotoAmerica racers seeking extra track time ahead of the races at COTA signed up to ride in the RideSmart Motorcycle School at COTA, which was no problem.

But with the Advanced riding group at the event filling up, MotoAmerica racers started signing up to ride in lower-level groups, including Novice, which was a problem.

This year, RideSmart is going out of its way to create extra space at its COTA event by ordering more time from the track and offering it to MotoAmerica racers. In fact, the track will be hot from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with MotoAmerica racers receiving six dedicated 20-minute sessions each day they sign up for.

Interested MotoAmerica racers should go to www.ridesmart.info, create a profile, pick which day or days they want to ride (September 7 or 8 or both), pick “MotoAmerica Licensed Session,” and be ready to provide your AMA or MotoAmerica license number. Participants will also be asked to provide their MotoAmerica race license during registration at the track.

MotoAmerica testing restrictions will still apply to racers participating in this event.

The post Space Still Available For RideSmart’s MotoAmerica-Only Sessions At COTA appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

Ride On Motorcycle Training LLC (Ride On) will offer ChampStreet by Yamaha Champions Riding School at select Denver locations.

For the first time in the US, the Yamaha Champions Riding School (YCRS) has certified an outside motorcycle training organization to offer the popular ChampStreet program designed to drastically improve the safety and enjoyment of street riders.

ChampStreet is designed for street riders of all levels. The same “champions habits” apply to all students, whether commuters, tourers or weekend canyon riders; there are just differing degrees of application.

This curriculum is derived from the famed ChampSchool program offered around the United States and scaled to an eight-hour class designed to dramatically increase motorcycle control at real-world speeds. This is the same program taught to the United States Marine Corps in the USMC Level Three CRS training, and in ChampPD, the high-speed CRS training for police officers.

Yamaha Champions Riding School-certified Coach Jim Wilson (owner of Ride On) and YCRS senior instructor Mark Schellinger will launch the Ride On ChampStreet program to Denver area motorcycle riders later this month.

The first date for this class is Saturday, August 31 at the CODE 303 Douglas County Law Enforcement Track. The class size is limited to 16 students.

For more information about the course and to register, go to https://rideontraining.com/courses/champstreet-course 

About Ride On Motorcycle Training

With shared customer service and quality values, Ride On is sponsored by two of Denver’s premier motorcycle dealerships, Fay Myers Motorcycle World and BMW of Denver. Ride On is also proud to be partnered with Yamaha Champions Riding School, Aurora Public Schools, CODE 303 Douglas County Emergency Vehicle Operation Training Center, and Thunder Valley Motocross Park. Ride On has multiple locations in the metro Denver area, with instructors certified by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and the Colorado Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST) Program.

To learn about Ride On Motorcycle Training, our training locations, courses offered and more:

Visit our website: https://RideOnTraining.com , Call: (303) 838-2427, or email: press@rideontraining.com

About Yamaha Champions Riding School

Yamaha Champions Riding School is the nation’s premier motorcycle training program. YCRS is the evolution of the Freddie Spencer High-Performance Riding School and is led by racer, author, and former right-hand man of Spencer, Nick Ienatsch. YCRS uses “Champions Habits” to teach all riders the skills and techniques used by the top riders in the world to go faster, stay safer, or both while concentrating on the way in which modern motorcycles are designed to be ridden. YCRS is dedicated to making all motorcycle riders safer and more in control of their riding, regardless of their type of riding.

For more information visit http://www.champschool.com

The post Ride On Motorcycle Training Offering ChampStreet Program In Colorado appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

Riding motorcycles has always been inherently dangerous. Although safety has improved with better tires, suspension, traction control, and riding gear, the laws of physics still apply when things go wrong. Be it on the track, street, or dirt, fellow riders are often are the first ones to arrive on scene when somebody crashes. And since emergency medical professional may not always be nearby, there are steps rider can take to improve the situation, or at least attempt to prevent further injury until paramedics arrive.

As a career firefighter/paramedic, an AFM racer, and an instructor with a track-day provider, my fellow instructors and recognized the need to develop simple approaches to being more than just bystanders–and actually assist in a emergency medical response.

Even though we developed our approaches for track-day situations, they can also apply to your street or trail riding. The goal is to get the injured rider stabilized, initiate basic life support, and have them ready for transport as soon as possible in order to maximize their overall outcome. In the emergency medicine world, we have a goal called The Golden Hour–getting a trauma victim to definitive care within one hour of the injury. Following these steps before paramedics arrive can shorten the on-scene time for the injured rider, increasing their chance of survival. Keep in mind the physician’s Hippocratic Oath of “first, do no harm,” which is important because many injuries to crash victims actually occur after the initial incident; we want to minimize the chance of further injury. 

The first step is to understand and assess the initial scene and plan an approach. There are three priorities when dealing with a downed rider, with the first priority being you. You need to make sure you are safe and that your bike is located in an area where the both of you do not end up becoming bowling pins should another rider come through, grab a handful of brakes, and crash into you. Target-fixation is a real thing, and it is not uncommon for riders to be distracted and crash themselves when approaching an incident. Walk backwards towards the incident if you must, or have a fellow rider watch for traffic, but make sure your safety comes first.

The second priority is making sure your fellow riders and bystanders do not become part of the incident. And the third priority is the downed rider; this may sound callous, but it is there for good reason–to make sure you do not expand the incident, creating more injuries and diverting medical resources from the initial accident.

As you approach the downed rider, you can gain perspective of the potential injuries by looking at their position, the damage to the motorcycle, and the damage to any trackside objects that may have been hit (“furniture,” as some Irish road racers would call it). The rider’s position combined with the collateral damage of the incident will tell you the “Mechanism of Injury,” a medical term to indicate what probable injuries may have occurred. For example, if a rider low-sides and takes a header into the tire wall, the Mechanism of Injury would tell us we could expect head and neck injuries.

As we approach the rider, we want to look at their movements, which can give you an indication of injuries. Are they favoring an arm or a leg, are they moaning, are they moving in a rational manor, or are they disoriented and asking repetitive questions?  Most riders, especially newer ones, will lie on the ground for a moment to collect themselves; experienced riders and racers will often jump up and look at their bike to see how damaged it is, even when they have sustained injuries. Many racers have experience with injuries, so the shock factor is not so high following a crash.

If you are an instructor at a track-day event, make eye contact with a cornerworker and let them know what resources you need. This is where it is important to know what hand signals are used at each track so you can communicate the need for a red flag and/or an ambulance, or if there is oil on the track. Having a good relationship with track staff is essential during an unexpected event. 

Once we make contact with the injured rider, we typically will not move them. The rare occasions when we will move a rider is if their airway is compromised or if further injury will occur from their current position; but most of the time, we do not move a downed rider.

Next, we follow the basics of Airway, Breathing, and Circulation, or “ABCs.”  For our purposes we are just assessing to see how well the rider is managing their airway and how effective their breathing is. There are really only two occasions where we will immediately remove a rider’s helmet–if their airway is blocked in some manner, or if they are vomiting. This is a very delicate procedure, as you can cause further neck injury when removing a helmet if it is not done correctly.  That being said, a neck injury is irrelevant if the person dies from not being able to breath. This is one of those exercises you want to practice beforehand. With a quick internet search, you can find a number of online tutorials on how to properly remove an injured rider’s helmet.

The circulation piece for our purposes is basically looking at their skin signs; the big red flag is if they are pale and sweaty. When you are in full leathers lying in the dirt at Buttonwillow Raceway in the middle of August, even a healthy person will be sweaty, but a combination of someone looking pale with profuse sweating can be in indication that the person is going into shock.

The next step is to assess their mental status or “Level of Consciousness;” this is done by asking four basic questions, “What’s your name? What happened? Where are you? What is the date?” If they answer all four questions correctly, we have determined that they are “alert and oriented times four.” This is important to relay to paramedics when they arrive. This line of questioning is used universally among emergency medical personnel, so they will immediately understand what you are telling them.

If you are dealing with a disoriented rider, this can be one of the more challenging scenarios. First, this is an indication of a head injury, which is bad. Secondly, they are rarely cooperative, so you can expect erratic and even combative behavior, repetitive questioning, strange requests, denial of any injury, and most of the time they are going to insist on taking their gear off regardless of what you tell them. We do not want to restrain people in this situation, we want to do our best to calm them down and keep them from injuring themselves further.

Dealing with non-head-injury situations can be easier; our goal with these riders is to simply stabilize their injuries. This is typically done by holding the injured appendage in the position you found it. If you can feel a pulse at the wrist or ankle, great, this tells you that whatever fracture they may have has not severed or blocked an artery. Stabilizing an injury goes the same for head, neck, and back injuries. With this situation we want to hold the person’s helmet in the position we found them, assuming their chin is not pressed against their chest and blocking their airway. Let the injured rider know what you are doing; our goal is to prevent movement of the head that can further injure their spine. Imagine a bowling bowl attached to the end of a broomstick; moving that bowling ball is going to have an immediate effect on that stick, and we want to keep them both from moving. This can be done by kneeling down by the rider’s head and placing your hands on each side of their helmet; this is referred to as “holding c-spine.”  Make sure you are comfortable because you are going to be there for a while.  Once you hold an injury in place whether it is an arm, leg, or head, you do not let go until you can hand it off to a paramedic.

Bleeding injuries are another challenge. In these situations we want to apply direct pressure to the area to stop the bleeding. If the wound continues to bleed, you can attempt to elevate the appendage above the level of the heart, but this must be done with care to ensure you are not moving the arm or leg in a manner that will injure the rider.

Should it occur, the worst-case scenario is when a rider is in cardiac arrest. We often assume this is from a traumatic injury from a crash, but of the few I have encountered at the racetrack the majority were the result of medical conditions such as a stroke or heart attack. Regardless, if you are trained in CPR, which you really should be for a lot of reasons, you can begin resuscitation efforts. And whether you are trained in CPR or not, it is critical that you get help on the way immediately. 

Now that we have done what we can for our fellow rider, we are going to hand them off to the arriving paramedics. The paramedics do not need a long story as to what happened, and they will likely blow you off if they feel you are distracting them from the rider, so your simple goal is to tell them who the rider is, their age, their level of consciousness, extent of their injuries and what you have done.  For example, “This is John, he is 36 years old, alert and oriented times three, complaining of left leg pain, it appears his leg is broken at the ankle, we have held his leg in place and kept his head from moving by holding c-spine since he isn’t able to answer all of our questions and we’re worried about a head injury.”  The paramedic will thank you and let you know if they want you to keep holding the leg and the head. With this information, the paramedics have a head start on their patient assessment, reducing their on-scene time and you have prevented further injury by stabilizing John.  Great job!

Ultimately, a rider critically injured in a motorcycle crash needs definitive care from a surgeon. Your goals are to maximize the rider’s chance of both survival and to minimize injury. Utilizing basic life support skills, you can give riders that chance. I hope this has been helpful. Be safe and always ride with the best gear available!

About the author: Clive Savacool has been an AFM racer and a riding instructor with Carters@theTrack since 2008 on the west coast; he won an AFM Expert-class championship in 2019. Savacool has competed in several professional races including the 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Savacool’s experience in the fire service began in 1996 in the San Francisco Bay Area and he recently left the position of Fire Chief for the City of South Lake Tahoe to be CEO of the software company LogRx. For more information on rider first aid, Clive can be contacted at savacool71@gmail.com

The post Rider First Aid: When A Rider Crashes appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.