Rider Reviews of The Rider's Workshop
John Weicht
I have had both the benefit and pleasure of riding with Jim Ford numerous times over the last several years, and have come to appreciate the unique gifts that Jim possesses within the world of motorcycling. I've never seen him consult a road map, whether just out for a day ride or when a destination is being pursued during a multi-day outing. In short, his knowledge of roads, even when hundreds of miles from his home area, is impressive and nothing short of incredible. I think he has a GPS receiver hard wired to his brain.
On one of Jim's group rides to northern Georgia, which I still refer to as "The Awakening," my riding skills, confidence, and enjoyment were raised to new levels. I have over 30 years of riding experience and nearly 300k miles on BMWs, including six years as an MSF instructor, but until I watched Jim smoothly disappear up a curvy mountain road on that ride, I hadn't realized that street bikes could actually corner like that.
During the next several days of that ride all throughout the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, I managed to stick close to Jim and tried my best to emulate his style of cornering lines and smoothness. Not going through the racer-like actions of sliding off the seat and sticking out a knee, Jim simply
stayed put and allowed his bike to flow effortlessly. My shifting and braking actions seemed clumsy by comparison, as the only indication I ever had of Jim's shifting was when a wisp of smoke would sometimes exit his bike's exhaust after a downshift. If his brake light had been disconnected I would have no indication of his braking action - no hint of jerkiness or sudden weight transfers. Andiencing lean angles that I didn't even know I was capable of but yet was confident and comfortable executing. Best of all, I was having an absolute blast! My riding enjoyment has increased substantially as I know I am a better, more confident rider after sharing time on the road with Jim.
Oh yeah, he always knows the best places to eat along the route, too!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS and ANSWERS
About The Rider's Workshop