Skillz Days

A note on our attendees:

We've found that our attendees are some of the brightest and most dedicated riders in the motorcycle community. If you're looking for people to ride with, ours are some of the most safety-conscious and proficient riders that you'll find anywhere.

It turns out that everything I've read about Jeff and Skillz Days is true. It was an excellent day of learning and I highly recommend it even to those who have been riding for a while. After getting back into motorcycling this year, I've improved the most through Jeff's class. He worked with us on our individual goals and tailored the class to areas that needed the most improvement. Thanks Jeff!

-Toby

I'm the rider on the Ducati 848 in the pictures and I had an absolute great time yesterday with Jeff. Everyone should take this course.

-Jon

Thanks Jeff for what you do. Having under 400 miles in the saddle I have plenty to learn. You were able to give me the information I've been hoping for in a challenging and rewarding day. I feel that I'm on the right path to becoming the safest rider I can be. For what you charge, I think the class is a steal. Stoked that I was the only one who showed up yesterday so I had your undivided attention. It was also great meeting The Stig, Chris, Rimantas, and a number of other OC Moto members who cruised by after the noobie ride. Hope to see you again.

-Foobar

I took skillzday on saturday and I learn alot... Now looking forward skillzday 2-up.

-Eddie

Jeff rocks... and in case I haven't said it lately... thanks Jeff, I'm still alive!

-Dennis

Yea Jeff definitely knows his stuff, he's a huge asset to the motorcycle community! Thanks for all you do buddy!

-Sam

I'll pile on here! I credit Jeff with giving me tools to keep learning and that have kept me out of trouble for a couple years now.

-Chris

Very cool event, had lots of fun, gained knowledge and met some cool peeps. Thanks Jeff and crew. Yay! Dancing!

-Jedisurfer

Had a blast at Skillz Days with Jeff and the others who came out. Tons of knowledge, lots of practice, loads of fun - even if you're an experienced rider, Jeff's course offers you a perfect opportunity to refresh and rehone skills that you use (but may be using incorrectly) and strengthen skills that you don't use that often. Whether you're fresh out of MSF or you started riding before MSF existed, I'd suggest everyone here take the course...no matter how good you think you are (or aren't). I mean that wholeheartedly! I personally saw enormous improvement from all riders out there (observing skills competency and general comfort operating the bike, comparing where everyone started in the morning to how everyone was doing at the conclusion of the course). Skillz Days is always a day well spent! +1 to you Jeff.

-Shane

As the day progressed, I noticed the improvements in my form. Jeff runs a great program and is a fantastic coach. I know it gets recommended tons on the site, but it's for good reason. No matter how great you think you are on two wheels, there is always more to learn and improve upon.

-Ian

I finally had the time to take a skillzday with Jeff yesterday and I even rode all the way from San diego for it and it was definitely worth it! I can't recommend his class highly enough. We covered a lot of topics but the main areas I wanted to work on were throttle control, braking, and looking through turns. I was in luck because I was the only person in the class that day so I received a lot of personal attention and I instantly have more confidence in my riding and what my bike is capable of. I'm pretty sure i've learned some new skills that will save my life one day but hopefully i'll never have to find out! I hope to take another class in the near future! Thanks for all your help Jeff!

-Sosteezy

A Skillz Day will give you more proper, practical and technical riding knowledge than most riders learn in years! It truely is the cheapest yet most valuable performance upgrade you can buy for your bike/yourself. I have been riding since I was 4 years old (dirt bikes and cruisers). I switched to sportbikes in '07 and took a Skillz Day in '09. I know how to ride but Jeff (Snapshot) gave me the technical skills specific to sport bikes and how to 'listen' to the bike. I still use those skills on every ride. Once you do a skills day you will be far more prepared/confident to follow some experienced riders through some moderate canyon roads.

-Don

My ride this morning was quite different than my usual ride. I feel a difference in my body position (avoiding duck feet), my cornering is smoother, and I even had the opportunity to emergency brake on the freeway this morning... smoothly. My chicken strips are much smaller and I feel more comfortable leaning though I did scrape my foot yesterday toward the end of the cornering drill. Thanks to Jeff for a great day, glad I finally made it out to one of these! Totally helped my confidence since going down a few months back.

-Shortcut

so much fun! Thanks, Jeff, for a great day of skillz practice! I learned quite a bit and "tried" to keep my speed down for the most part. Nonetheless, I appreciate yours and the other instructors input and direction in making me a better rider.

-IslandGirl

As a newly returned rider, I found myself making a lot of costly mistakes, from simple things like 'Target Fixation' to not having the confidence to really lean/turn the bike. Often with disastrous results. That being said, Jeff took the time to teach me everything all over again, starting with many of the basics:

'Proper Throttle Control'
'Look/Lean/Turn'
'Looking/planning ahead' (High visual horizon)

Which in turn, led to more advanced skills, Swerving Techniques, Max Effort Braking, Body Placement/Movement. grip strength, 'Finding/using the Apex.

And many many more things that range from the seemingly mundane to the intensely complex.

He keeps the instruction simple, and applies them to REAL WORLD situations, to make it even MORE understandable.

I find myself being more in control, more relaxed, and having a better plan/layout for just about any situation.

I've learned my limits, and learned a great deal of my bikes' capabilities as well, which removes that 'panic' attack when a bad driver tries to ruin your day. I couldn't speak highly enough of this course, and how it has saved/changed my riding for the better.

-Ronn Hutchinson

"In fact, I practiced the "Smooth Braking Exercise" last night on the way home from a Skillz Day when a deer was in the road on Angeles Forest Highway on my way home. Worst conditions imaginable, exiting a turn, sporadic gravel.... and as I was braking I was saying in my head "Smooth on, smooth off"."

-Nick

Since I joined the site I've had the wonderful privilege of meeting and riding with a lot of you. There's really good advice by the wise and experienced members of this board, and I hope like myself other less experienced riders are soaking it up. With summer around the corner, I see a lot more riding time for all of us. Unfortunately, I'm starting to see a lot more negative riding situations, i.e. GMR, Ortega, etc... Do yourself a favor, block out a Sunday and take a Skillz Course with Jeff. This is a hands on, this is what you do in the canyons, Streets, coming off the freeway, etc... set of skills that you can put to work right away.

You'll do very practical hands on exercises that will help you reduce the risk of riding on the streets, canyons, etc. while improving your ability to ride better. All on your own bike.

I highly suggest it to all members, new and old, especially with Summer around the corner. Normally I'd consider this a shameless plug but given some of the recent posts, spending a Saturday to improve your skills and potentially save your life is well worth the time.

Don't pass up the opportunity to spend a day with someone who can make you a better rider. Oh, there's a bonus... It's actually quite fun! I can only speak for myself, but I can safely say that so far the best modification I've made to my bike was to modify my riding by learning from a coach with a vast amount of knowledge.

My bike actually feels different after the skills day. It will vary for others I'm sure, but for me it was a wake up call on some bad old habits I've been perpetuating since the 80's. There was a thread on here recently about not feeling right at times about riding... If you take the skillz course, that's one way of overcoming that fear, or at least adding to your arsenal to deal with it when it occurs.

-Andy

Lets not forget, this course is not a one time thing. You can take this course once a year, twice a year, ect. G-Ryder informed me she has taken the course over six times just to improve from the last time she took it. That will be my aim, to keep improving and having Jeff look for weaknesses to improve on! The more I work on me, the better I react when the time presents itself! I told myself, what better way to becoming a better rydur then by getting instruction, low and behold I found Jeff right in my transition from riding levels.... ITs ALL YOU JEFF, U are the way to my force... Kiss

Going to my track days I had some pre-confidence since what they taught me there was basically what Jeff had taught me in the beginning. (BTW my first track day was, "sign your life away, hop on this bike, and get on the track now and GO GO GO GO.. wheeeee!") Jeff teaches you the ways of our bikes, the mechanics, body position and the proper lines to take, on and off track. After the couple of trackdays I understood what all say, "take it to the track, its nothing like opening up that throttle and controlling around the track." I will always continue to be learning since I'm such a noob, there's nothing like experience, just natural ability does not substitute seat time. Thank you Jeff and hopefully I'll get my ass out to the skillz days one of these Sundays I think I forgot how to ride with the rain rideless weather.. LOL

I need to work on my "high" speed downshifting and braking, going to and around the corners. Matching RPMs etc..... see i forgot how to ride.

GUYS/GALS TAKE AT LEAST ONE SKILLZ DAY and YOU WILL SEE!!!

-Nancy

I've gotta chime in on this one also. I took my 2nd Skillz Days course last Sunday and I have to say it was better than the first time because I just built on my lessons from the first time. The exercises are perfectly laid out and Jeff knows EXACTLY how much you can handle and feeds it right to you without overloading. Geez it was fun! I felt like a track racer even though I was only doing 25mph around some fuzzy green balls in a parking lot. The formula is simple. Practice it slow and get it right. When you've got it right do it 1000 more times then step up a few mph. Skillz Days is proof that you don't need speed to have fun.

Could I have learned these lessons myself? Possibly but it would have taken a lot of years and saddle time. Why rob yourself of the joy for that long? Here's a guy who has years of saddle time and track experience and he wants to share it with you. Not only that but he's a pretty darned good photographer too Smiley

If you've never taken a Skillz Days course you should. You won't regret it. If you have taken one, take it again. You won't regret it even more (if that makes sense).

-Russ

It is not the same stuff as MSF. There is some overlap but it goes into much more detail. I like to say that MSF teaches you how to ride a motorcycle. Skillz Days teaches you how to ride a motorcycle well. MSF is a lot about you and the road. Skillz Days is ALL about you and the motorcycle. You'll really learn how to feel the bike and get to know what it's telling you. My comfort level increased tenfold after the first one.

I just came back from the skillz day today, and oh man was it awesome. I had so much fun. Jeff is an amazing teacher (not to mention a really cool guy), he definitely knows what he's doing, the class is laid out so well, you really get to know what your bike is doing and most importantly, HOW TO RIDE IT! I gained a lot more confidence in my bike and myself today, especially with shifting and turning. and I will definitely be going back to take another one. if you're open to learning and being a better, smarter and safer rider, this class is priceless.

THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO JEFF!

-Elaine

Wow. I am tired after this day. I can honestly say that since I started riding when I was a little kid, I have never learned so much in one day nor improved my ability to control my bike so quickly. Thanks, guys!

-Dean

Boy, had a blast today! My head hurts from thinking so much! Its 12:40 and I'm at work and my legs don't like me very much either. I will be taking another Skillz Day, Jeff!

-Norm

I think the best part of the class is taking the criteria we covered, and applying it in the real world. The little course we ran through the parking lot was interesting, but applying the concepts of smooth throttle delivery and smooth braking and cornering in the real world makes the class more valuable.

-stakks

Definitely a great skillz day!!!!! THE JEFFS WERE AWESOME!!! very good class to take, I highly recommended it to anybody that rides two wheels no matter what skill you are at. It definitely challenges you and teaches you a lot about yourself and what limits your bike can take. I almost got hit today by a stupid lady who turned on my lane as I as making a left on an off ramp..........thanks to this class I was able to move out of the way. I was told to look at my rearview mirrors more.....I know I should've been doing this already......but for some stupid reason I didn't. Anyway after that class I was looking EVERYWHERE in front of me behind me EVERYWHERE! Sooooooo When I saw that Biatch turning in to me I quickly moved..............The sad part was that the lady wasn't even aware of what she did, Shai went to her window and said "what are you thinking you almost killed her" all she said was "I'm sorry" GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

-XfridaX

Jeff is a very patient teacher and will help you become MUCH more comfortable with your bike. The stuff he teaches you can literally write down, get some cones or balls and practice in any parking lot and keep learning. Read book, read posts, WEAR all your gear you should get ASAP and have fun. it isn't a job, its a hobby. No one started off riding well but too many end up riding poorly because they think they do.

-A

I accidentally attended a kick-ass event. Learned a lot about leaning and turning and met some VERY cool peeps.

-TheX

I remember going to Jeff's Skillzday to help me get a lot more comfortable on my bike. My F3 died on me on the way and Jeff let me use his bike. A year later I picked up my R6 and once again used his Skillzday to help me feel a bit more comfortable on a newer and more powerful bike.

-lost nomad

Hit Jeff up when you need some more training after the MSF class. He has done wonders for me!!

-650 Cat

Keep an eye out for Jeff who hosts Skillzdays. Great for new, and even seasoned riders. Ride safe.

-Eric

Skillz days is the (fill in the blank)

ya well Skillz Days Rocks!!!

I had a blast and I feel incredibly more comfortable on a bike. Jeff you are an awesome instructor, and it is my intention to recommend all that I encounter to attend your courses.... I can't think of a better way to spend a sunday..... even in triple digit weather :). thanks again

-Aidan

Wait till you're driving down the road, and a situation pops up, and you handle it without so much as a flinch or concern. You'll realize that those skills saved you from a mistake, and THAT's when it'll REALLY hit'cha! You have just learned how to save yourself, and little else will upset your ride after that. Thanx yet again, for opening yet another set of eyes to the High Visual Horizon!!

-WreckZ

Skillzdays are cool. I went a few weeks ago and it was so worth the trip there. I looked forward to coming home and riding. Jeff is a nice guy who is able to really help with the little technical things I needed confidence on. I am looking forward to getting to go to another one soon.

-duc_girl

Best place for new and experienced rider to gain new skills.

-Ivan

Yeah, Jeff is the best of the best. I always direct people to him

-Flor

Look into attending Jeff's Skillzdays. Practice makes perfect and he's the best instructor ever!!

-islandgrrl

Lots of great pics Jeff!!! I even went on to take your advice for the track day and knocked a few seconds off my lap times!!! Thank you so much!!! Finally broke into the 1:30's at Willow yesterday. These times weren't consistent of course, but at least now I know it's possible for me. It's also because of: Jeff's LIGHT ON BARS - Finally figured out if I keep my weight off the bars, it was a lot easier to turn into 3, 5 and 9.

-Thundercat

I had only got onto the SV the week before for the first time and the ride to Irvine was my first ever freeway experience outside a cage....whilst i still have a long way to go and i'm always learning, if ever there was a skillz day success story, I am it. I take jeffs advice with me every time i put my ass in the saddle.

-Pete

I can learn in 2 days almost as much as you teach, (Jeff) in one skillz day. By the way I think your doing a great service to the biking public. I still need to get the wife out to one of your classes.

-low budget

Thank you Jeff! I was riding home from work today when I sort of consciously thought about what I was doing (in terms of throttle, braking, looking, etc). At 5 and 1/2 months, I consider myself a noob, but when I thought back to the days of late January when I first got my bike, I saw a world of difference. My throttle control was choppy and jagged, my braking sudden and unbalanced (ie too much rear brake), and I didn't look through the turn as much as I should. I'm thinking all this as I look and go through an S-bend, smoothly reduce throttle from positive input to negative without any jerkyness, tap the rear brake, and smoothly apply the front, then slowly release as I come to a stop. Once I pass the stop sign, slowly adding throttle, I realize that I learned most of this smoothness from Jeff's Skillz Days.

So I just wanted to throw a "thank you" out to Jeff, Arthur, and the others that helped for all their hard work and commitment to helping riders improve their skills. Riding is much more enjoyable for me, now that I'm smooth(er) on my bike, and I'm still going past 250 miles without hitting reserve. Now, granted I'm still no master. I occasionally find myself not looking far enough through a turn, or getting on the brakes too much, but it's a thing that takes much practice, and Skillz Days have laid out the foundation for my skills to grow upon with that practice. So keep up the good work, guys, and I look forward to many more trips down to Irvine .

-Big R

I too would like thank Jeff and his crew for all their work, help and support at the Skillz Day. I just wish I was better at names so that I could thank everyone personally. Also a big thanks to all the riders for making this noob feel welcome.

Again thanks,

-Hawk

Jeff- Great time yesterday was good to meet you. What you are doing is great your classes are an extension of MSF I think but definitely more advanced and more relaxed I like it and I think you are providing good knowledge to riders and if more people would do things like you do I think we would all live longer. Good job and God bless!!

-Ninjaboy USMC

Jeff has an entire drill just practicing braking. That is by far my favorite drill. It gives you confidence in your machine and lets you learn how effectively your machine can stop. You should try to attend the next one.

-Genki

Skillz days save lives.

-cbrfish

I went this Saturday with Jeff and Art and I appreciated the effort they put forth.. I personally think I need to get on the track to gain more from riding but the skill put forth in the day are valuable and important to have. Big Thanks to Art and Jeff for their efforts as well as to the guys takin' the pix!!

-Jason

Skillz days is great, now I get my full lean on in the canyons if I remember to tuck in my feet
Well worth the money, I never realize how much throttle control helps until after that class.

-Tony

Who can ever not get enough fundamental skills practice?

I'm a big proponent of Skillz Days and would encourage all riders to go thru it at least once.

+1 to Snapshot for making it affordable and accessible. It's one of those specialties that you can get thru OCMoto (although it's not exclusive to OCMoto) that just helps and enhances your riding abilities.

Thanks Snapshot for your time, effort, and relayed experiences during these sessions. Think I did like 5 of them, his approach isn't cookie cutter - if he get's a hold of your weaknesses (we all have them) he can help you work thru them.

And it's fun. Don't even think about it - just sign up.

-Andy

Honestly I attribute all my riding skill today to Jeff's teachings. Now I hope I don't go and do something dumb and embarrass him. Blah!

There's something like 30 years of riding experience packed into that brain and he knows how to put it together and teach it. Everyone can learn to be a good rider but it's a rare breed that can teach how to be a good rider.

I've taken more Skillz Days than I can count and benefited from additional 1 on 1 instruction. If there's another program out there that offers anywhere near as much valuable instruction for anywhere near the low price I've yet to hear about it. Skillz Days is to MSF as reading War and Peace is to Dick and Jane. They're just not in the same league.

-Russ

Once I have more time I am going to sign up for another of his classes. What I like about him is that he is direct and straight forward but not in a condescending way. He enjoys the teaching and coaching process and does not make it feel like a chore, it's obvious.

We remember those teachers in school, the ones that were dry and for whom teaching was a job, how much did you learn from those teachers versus the ones who knew how to deliver their material in a fun and interesting fashion?

-Agustin

I took my first Skillz Day on my Vespa, and like Russ said I know for a fact that what ever skill I have as a rider all comes from Jeff. after I got my big girl bike I took a second one, and even now when I run in to any situation that I'm unsure what to do I corner Jeff to find out.

You will never meet a teacher like Jeff who has as much information and will be as good at passing it along.

To this day I hear him in my helmet giving advice like "don't break in the turn! throttle on!"

It is and was the best 50 bucks I have ever spent.

-Shelly

When I meet Jeff for skills days I had less then 80 miles on the seat. I was scared sh!tless riding to the meetup spot. By the end of the day in 100 degree weather I rode home with so much more confidence. Nine months later with much more help with Jeff I am now proud to be on he OCMoto race team. I can carve the track as well as some of the seasoned riders. Any questions I have Jeff is the first person I ask. If he charged what MSF charges I would choose Jeff in a heart beat.

-Adi

Linda and I met Jeff about 4yrs ago(?) We've been to a couple Skillz Days, and sent a few his way!

I highly recommend Jeff to all I meet!
Thanks Jeff, I'd like to think you've not only helped me, but a few by proxy through me...

-DW

Pfft. I'd hate to think where I'd be without SkillzDays. Probably flattened by a car or tangled up on the side of the road. I'd be a menace to traffic. My confidence gets better and better as I continue to practice the skills Jeff taught me.

Thank you Jeff - you rock!

-LC

Jeff has helped me pinpoint my problem areas and shown me how to work on them. He offers good advice even after his class. I would say that my riding would not have improved as much as it has without the advice and feedback that I received during his class.

-A

He's helped me quite a bit. I even took the 2-up Skillz Day with Virginia's help (the Vi part of MaVi). If you feel that his advice and instructions aren't worth anything, then I guess you're already the best rider on the planet (more power to you!). If he has nothing to offer, then we're all just stupid idiots who have too much money to burn. I'm looking forward to Shelly's niece taking the 2-up day with him soon.

-JT

Having been riding motorcycles in some form or another since I was 4 years old, I took a great deal of information from just 1 Skillz Day. By the end of the day my bike and I had a stronger relationship and better communication. I was better able to understand what my bike was telling me and how to respond.

Thanks, Jeff.

-D

I was away from riding for almost 20 years (having and raising kids) when I decided to get back into the sport. Joined OCMoto and noticed the Skillz Days classes. I really wanted to have someone look at my riding technically and adjust me accordingly. I also wanted to do canyons but be able to make it out alive! Enter Jeff.
Eddiemon & I took his class - which I think I enjoyed it more than I should have - and left with much more confidence in myself! I even asked him if we could go thru some canyons together & he was right there with me!! JEFF, YOU'RE AN AWESOME INSTRUCTOR AND AWESOME PERSON!!! Thanks for possibly saving my life!!!

-Norm