I attended Stayin' Safe in the Smokies in September 2023, and loved it. The format is quite a bit different than other classes I've taken, where in this one it's more of a tour through some of the best motorcycling roads I've ever seen. The focus is on safer riding. Our class had 3 instructors riding with us, and everyone used either their in-helmet comms if you had them installed or you could plug in your own earphones to one of the classes units. This allowed the instructor to coach while you were riding. 2 of our 3 instructors were police motor officers and all 3 of them were outstanding riders and coaches.
In the 2 day class, each morning we started off with a briefing of what was going to happen, then we headed out as a group on the road. We had plenty of pre-arranged breaks and a lunch stop every day, and each one of those included some face-to-face instruction. Between days 1 and 2 we all stayed at the same hotel and had dinner together (all included in the price of the class/tour)
The coaching included instructors in the headsets talking about the safest lane position for each situation and why, what to watch for, what you should be thinking about in each situation, animal encounters, etc. It sounds basic especially if you've been riding for years, but I can assure you that you'll pick up safer riding habits in this class and have fun doing it. Days after the class I'm replaying some of the coaching in my head as I ride down the road. Most students were one-up on their bikes, but I attended with my wife as pillion in the class and I'm glad I did. If you ride with a passenger, you should train with a passenger.
Hats off to our instructors Mark, Terry, and Steve for putting on a great, professional class! read more