I really enjoy how the staff are welcoming, supportive, empathetic, patient, and encourage everyone to improve. The instructors have a great sense of humor and put everyone at ease not only through jokes with the class but joking with each other. The whole environment has a sense of togetherness. 

Executing the tight circles and tight u-turns are the most challenging for me, which ultimately increased my riding abilities the most. I learned more about the capabilities of my motorcycle and myself, and that really increased my confidence as a rider. 

I love this class! It is a beneficial learning opportunity that is full of fun. Not only are the instructors really cool people, the attendees have a chance to meet other riders and make connections. I highly recommend every motorcycle rider to take this class, regardless if they have been riding for 1 year or 20 years. Each person learns something new about themselves as a rider and their bike which can be applied to the road. I intend to take this class multiple times over. Thank you, Hawthorne PD! 

• Everlee

July 15th, 2023

All of the skills taught in the class are imperative to have as a motorcyclist. The whole day was very well organized. We were able to spend plenty of time at each drill with our small groups. They did a great job of explaining the drills and gave pointers throughout. The officers were extremely patient and provided 1:1 direction/tips. 

Every drill that we went through helped level up my riding skills. It is a good reminder of what can be accomplished with clutch/throttle/body position.   

Thank you for offering this life saving training to the motorcycle community! It is incredibly valuable and I highly recommend it to all riders. 

• Allison

July 15, 2023

If you ride a motorcycle and live in Los Angeles, you HAVE to take this motorcycle training course. In this course you'll learn the techniques motor cops use in their day-to-day while patrolling the streets of Los Angeles - and it's FREE! You'll practice riding a motorcycle outside of your comfort zone in a supportive environment where you can ask questions and practice until you're comfortable. 

Performing the clover leaf pattern (the “Intersection”) while a motor cop followed me increased my peripheral vision and tested my breaking-point when riding under pressure. Adding to the pressure of being followed, being sandwiched by two motor cops on the clover leaf pattern was an eye opener because the lead motor cop would slow down to the point where I really had to stay on my friction point or be forced to put my foot down to keep from tipping over. It's exercises like these that expose my riding ability and ultimately help me become a better rider in the streets.

• Franco

Febuary 11th, 2023

I am writing to express my sincerest gratitude for the amazing program you have provided. Your dedication and expertise in teaching the art of riding has truly left an indelible impression on me.

The program was truly amazing and I had an incredible time learning new skills and techniques. The lessons were well thought out and the instructors were knowledgeable, patient, and extremely helpful. Their passion for riding was contagious, and I found myself eager to learn more every day. 

I am now a much better rider thanks to the Hawthorne PD and Ride to Live program. Your program has equipped me with the skills and confidence I need to take my riding to the next level, and for that, I am forever grateful.

Once again, thank you for your service and for keeping our community safe, and for your time and effort in creating this amazing program. I am truly honored to have been a part of it and will be recommending it to others in the future.

• Ahmad

Lt. Colquette,

Thanks again for the great training session by you and your team yesterday! I gained a lot more confidence on my 2004 R1150RT which I bought two years ago. Back then, I had tried to practice slow u-turns in the parking lot, but dropped the bike several times. I was hesitant to continue because it was heavy and hard to find passersby to help me pick up the bike. Up until now, I just rode it on long touring trips, but was always lacking confidence on the slow stuff. Well, yesterday boosted my confidence 100% on the RT. When I took the class with my small 1-cylinder G310R when I first started riding 2 years ago, and then a couple of times with my R1200GS, I was lucky to have not dropped them in the class. But with the R1150RT and being heavier and handling differently in slow turns, I did drop it several times in the morning. It helped knowing if I pushed myself and dropped the bike, motors would be there to help me pick it back up. By the end of the class, I was so much more confident with the RT. I knew better how much clutch and throttle to apply to keep the bike upright. This fundamental concepts made a huge impact on all the drills, especially the follow-the-motor drill in the continuous u-turns (with circles mixed in) during the afternoon, which I did successfully! I also greatly appreciated your lead-follow on pad 3. It was super helpful to watch your lines.

I was grinning all over by the end of the day!

Thanks again from a safety-conscious, new and aspiring rider! I will keep coming back as long as you will allow me, especially if there are last minute cancellations. A no-show is a huge disservice to your supremely valuable program!

Best,

Carl

Hi Steve,

Dustin and I want to thank you and all of your fellow motor officers and staff for the course today.    You all provided us with very valuable information.  Everyone was extremely helpful and supportive.  I believe that as riders we can never train and practice too much.   

We didn’t make a cash donation but the first thing I did when I got back home was donate $100 online.  

Be well and stay safe,

Dean and Dustin

Good afternoon, Lt. Colquette.

Just wanted to say thanks again to you and the team from the various South Bay Police Depts. for hosting me in your class on Saturday; it really brought my riding, awareness, and confidence up several levels.

I've been using the techniques I'd learned immediately along with the awareness and riding "tips" conveyed throughout the course.

I was very impressed with how the course was planned and executed. The entire organization of the course was great, including the structure, pacing, exercises, as well as the casual nature in which we were able to interface with your colleagues —very rare in my normal day-to-day and really critical to absorbing the skills and making it all super FUN!

I hope it's ok to sign up again down the road as a refresher —I'm sure I will glean more once I've had the chance to practice over the next few months.

Thanks again and very well done.

Best regards,

Dave

Thank you!! I absolutely loved the class!!!

I learned so much but need lots more practice 😂😂😂

I just signed up for the June 5th class. I'm telling everyone I know they need to do it.

You guys are amazing!!!

- April

Thank you sir. BTW, I’ve read the background about the origins of this class. It is quite emotional. I sincerely appreciate you and all involved to make this happen. I do not doubt grave injury and fatalities have and will be avoided as a result of this endeavor.

Thanks again and have a good day.

- Sergio

Good morning Lt. Colquette,

Thank you very much for all your efforts putting together the Ride to Live MC training Saturday, April 17, 2021 and every month. I feel your pain and frustration when the class is not full and the registered riders do not keep their word. I was thrilled to finally attend and complete the training - I enjoyed it and learned much! I’m sure the lessons learned will pay dividends during my MC travel to Maine, Florida and then home starting next month. Please pass on my thanks and appreciation to the other instructors and staff for all their efforts, hard work and mentoring. Also give a special “thank you” to officer Anthony Barlin for his follow-up emails and efforts. I appreciate it.

I feel blessed and am thankful to have had the opportunity to participate in the “Stop the Bleed” training and believe it is very valuable – I just hope I never have to use the skills, but I am prepared. Please thank the medical team for a job well done!

Blessings,

Wayne

Good afternoon Officer Ti!

Thank you again for the Ride to Live course training. It was extremely fun and wonderfully beneficial!

Your team was professional, entertaining, and exceedingly knowledgeable.

I really appreciate what you all are doing for the motorcycle community and I hope this continues to grow!
 
Please add me to the upcoming Canyon Ride if you can and any other upcoming events that you may have 

Thank you again!

Lt Goetz,

This is probably the wrong place to post this but hope that it is instructive to all my classmates. I'm the rider of the bat-outta-hell, floorboard scraping, black Victory Cross Country Tour in Ride To Live X.

Just 2 days after our class, I was commuting to work on the 210 westbound, splitting lanes as usual between the carpool and #1 lane. The sun is at my back at that hour so it makes rearview mirrors all but useless. Having gone without my commuter cup of coffee so I could ride, I'm trying to keep my head in the game, and sure enough a red Nissan 300Z decides he didn't want to be in the carpool lane anymore and started coming across the double yellow into the #1 lane. I saw him as soon as his front wheels started turning and slammed on the brakes. Now, riding on painted lines and Bott's Dots is not recommended in practice and emergency braking on them should be avoided at all costs. However, thanks to the skills practiced in the hard braking exercise, I knew I could trust the ABS to bring my speed down quickly and in a straight line. I was able to maneuver to the right into the #1 lane following the Z's bumper and came to a stop directly behind him with 6" to spare. 

I know that the skills taught and repetition of practice saved me from an expensive and likely painful incident. Regardless who is at fault, the rider always gets the short end of the stick.

Thank you again for such an excellent program.

George
Patriot Guard Rider Inland Empire

TAKE THIS COURSE!

This is by far the best training course I have taken, MSF included. The officers provide you with the tools needed to become a safe and proficient rider. We had sport bikes, cruisers, and touring bikes in our class, and the fundamentals taught applied to all. 

Rich

Lietenant Goetz, 

I wanted to thank you again for putting together such a well organized canyon riding course this past weekend.  I realize this was a tremendous amount of work for you to plan, organize and get approved.  It's amazing how just a few minor adjustments and knowledge can help cure bad habits that I didn't even know I had.   
The ability to see you demo the techniques live, then immediately be able to practice them on the road is priceless.  One can read books, and maybe interrpret the proper form correctly, sometimes getting it right, and well, sometimes not.  a live demo with the ability to ask questions to clarify is 100 X more effective, and accurate, to say the least.   

We are all very blessed and fortunate to have had this opportunity and the class has made riding the canyons so much more 'fun' for me, especially coming downhill.  I always have dreaded the 'downhill' portion, but on Saturday I was actually have fun with it.   

Thank you again, and if room allows, I would like to take the slow manuevering class again on my new bike.  I took it initially on my older bike and have now upgraded and have  not yet mastered the new higher center of gravity and new wide body that I ride.  I know I can, but if you ever have room in the original class I would love to have the opportunity to repeat it.   

I also looked up the Streetmasters course you suggested, it looks really good as well.  I plan to take that as soon as their new schedule for 2017 comes out.   

Thank you again for your passion and dedication.   

Dear Chief Fager,
I wanted to send a quick note of thanks for the innovative Ride to Live program your Department provides. What an amazing way to honor your fallen motor officers, provide outreach from your department and save lives by building skills on two wheels. It was an honor to meet Mr. and Mrs. Luna, and everyone of your officers were outstanding in every way. Sincere thanks to Lt. Goetz for delivering such a solid program, and to you for providing an amazing outreach to the community at large, with Ride to Live.
Sincere thanks

Lt. Goetz,
  I just wanted to take a minute to thank you and your crew for the amazing class! It wasn't untill I had to do a uturn there that i realized, i can't do a uturn. So now every other saturday, a few of us who were in the class get together ( with some friends ) and practice. I can proudly say i can almost do a uturn now ;). We've tried to take as much of the knowledge and insight from the class and help others. We have definitely seen improvement in those who have come to our practices ( myself included)! 
 As a matter of fact, the 30 by 30 actually save me a few days ago. I ride with a group called th southern cruiser riding club. We're more of a lunch group with a riding problem! Well one of the bikers in front of me decided he wanted to cut in front of me to enter into a parking lot. If not for the fundamentals of the 30 x 30, i would've hit him! 
I had a question. What would it take to bring the class idea to san diego? Im not asking for you and your instructor to come down, but to have a group here that does something similiar? 

Thanks again,

Lt. Ti Goetz,

I am a believer of your class that it has and it will continue to save many more lives of motorcycle riders.  Your class made me a much better and confident rider at the end of the class.
I am much more alert of my surrounding because I am constantly scanning and not focused on one point.  
I believe that these skills and good habits will definitely help me to become a rider with good judgement who has the skills to get out of bad situations alive.

The lesson that I learned from Ride To Live is priceless...you can't put price to someone's life.  I will continue to make regular monthly contribution to Ride To Live program.
I am very grateful to be part of this program.

P.S.  I am looking forward to "Ride to Live 2"

Thank you

Lt.,
It was a great day of training.  If I can put together 30 folks from various chapters of the Southern Cruisers Riding Club, I'll contact you and see about doing a class.  In the meantime I am encouraging them to bookmark your site and sign up on the waiting list.  As a 40 year  rider I learned things I didn't know and honed some skills that I had.  I've already seen my shortcomings in a little skid on a high speed short runway off ramp the other night.  Like Mr. Dixon said during training....more front brake!  In addition to the great training, the hospitality and the interaction with the officers was a win win.  Should you ever need a volunteer for the day, feel free to contact me.  If I'm off work, I'm in.
thanks again,

Lt Goetz,

This is probably the wrong place to post this but hope that it is instructive to all my classmates. I'm the rider of the bat-outta-hell, floorboard scraping, black Victory Cross Country Tour in Ride To Live X.

Just 2 days after our class, I was commuting to work on the 210 westbound, splitting lanes as usual between the carpool and #1 lane. The sun is at my back at that hour so it makes rearview mirrors all but useless. Having gone without my commuter cup of coffee so I could ride, I'm trying to keep my head in the game, and sure enough a red Nissan 300Z decides he didn't want to be in the carpool lane anymore and started coming across the double yellow into the #1 lane. I saw him as soon as his front wheels started turning and slammed on the brakes. Now, riding on painted lines and Bott's Dots is not recommended in practice and emergency braking on them should be avoided at all costs. However, thanks to the skills practiced in the hard braking exercise, I knew I could trust the ABS to bring my speed down quickly and in a straight line. I was able to maneuver to the right into the #1 lane following the Z's bumper and came to a stop directly behind him with 6" to spare. 

I know that the skills taught and repetition of practice saved me from an expensive and likely painful incident. Regardless who is at fault, the rider always gets the short end of the stick.

Thank you again for such an excellent program.

To the chief of Police Hawthorne, 

I was fortunate enough over the weekend to attend the Ride To Live program put on by your Motor Officers. Superlatives are never an eloquent description but I'll use one, Fantastic! I am a rider with well over 35 years experience and I came away with a much better set of skills (to be worked on no doubt) than I arrived with. Your Motor Officers are the epitome of skilled motorcyclists. Better yet, they have developed a training method that in one day can impart skills that I haven't gained in all these years of riding. I read motorcycle media, I practice my riding skills, I think about what I should be doing and still they were able to make me a better motorcyclist in on training session. Ti and the rest of the instructors treated us as riders they wanted to make better, not as yahoos that needed to be corrected. Their point about fallen officers was also quite relevant to the days training. Your officers could not have been more professional while being approachable also. Along with the excellent training, this was certainly the most impressive community outreach from a law enforcement community that I have been witness to. As a result of our interactions during training I have added respect for the Hawthorne PD in particular and the Men and Women in Blue in general. Thanks does not suffice to convey my appreciation but I want to tell you and all of your Officers, THANKS! The life they save might be mine.