In preparation for my podcast interview with Jon DelVecchio, I took the online version of his Cornering Confidence course, which closely follows the structure and content of his well-known book of the same name (reviewed by Ron Davis in the October 2018 BMW Owners News). MOA members will also recognize Jon from his articles published in ON and his riding skill clinics at rallies and other events. It had been a while since my last reading of his book, and I had yet to investigate his website, corneringconfidence.com. There I found a host of resources, including assorted online courses, podcast recordings, and links to his YouTube channel, Facebook page, Instagram, and newsletter, all of which contain even more quality material. One of the online courses immediately caught my eye with its MOA logo. It turns out this one—normally $49.99—is free to MOA members with the simple email submission of a membership card snapshot, which returns a code to zero out the purchase price. Sold! (if you can call it that).
While the online course curriculum will be familiar to anyone who has studied Jon’s book, the interactive multimedia version offers a significantly enriched experience. Before I get to that aspect, let me attest to learning something new from simply reviewing ostensibly “old” material. Jon’s work is certainly not unique in this regard; the same thing has happened when I’ve reread other books and rewatched videos. I just want to acknowledge this phenomenon now, in case you’re thinking there’s no point in returning to something (you think) you’ve covered previously. Although Jon does an extremely good job of streamlining his lessons to facilitate learning and remembering, they’re still densely packed with valuable details—too many to cement in one’s mind during a single pass. I found myself checking back to see if this or that gem was contained in the book, since I couldn’t recall it being in there. Virtually all such investigations impugned my limited recall; I clearly needed a refresher if I was to regain a granular understanding of his secondary points. At the same time, my vivid memory of his primary points was a testament to the book’s pedagogically sophisticated focus.
Like the book, the online course showcases Jon’s chops as a professional educator (he’s a high school teacher with years of experience as an MSF instructor). He knows how to break down a topic into readily digestible bite-sized pieces and present them methodically in a systematic progression, using efficient, succinct language. The twelve topical chapter headings come right from the book, as do many of the pictures, bullet points, and graphic illustrations. However, Jon’s spoken commentary on these visuals supplies an auditory component absent from the printed page, and the little frame in the corner showing him talking increases the interpersonal engagement factor, which boosts an audience’s attention and responsiveness. Modern educators know their students possess different learning styles and needs; some are more visual learners while others respond better to auditory input. Providing both mediums, with each reinforcing the other, maximizes the number of students absorbing and retaining the messages taught. Now add the video demonstrations possible online, and the potential for learning jumps even higher.
Production values are perfectly adequate, but not flashy or cutting edge. Jon produced this material before consumer electronics/software allowed the highly polished videographic feats found on YouTube and social media today. He’s a one-man show with a camera, tripod, and basic webpage construction capabilities. You’ll see no drone footage, exotic special effects, or elaborate scene designs. This is fine, as it keeps viewers focused on the content instead of fancy cinematography. That said, he does a very good job illustrating his points with clear, easily understandable images, both still and in-motion. His best known teachings—“kiss the mirror” body positioning and “secret weapon” trail-braking—really come to life onscreen, along with a wealth of other riding wisdom.
As you’d expect, Jon deliberately zooms in on the necessary and essential ingredients of cornering confidence, yet he also manages to address many related elements vital to good riding in general. No, this isn’t a comprehensive soup-to-nuts encyclopedia on piloting a motorcycle, but it’s not just a few tasty morsels, either. Rather, this is the entrée it seems many riders hunger for most, given the prevalence of anxiety and confusion surrounding how best to approach curves on two wheels. Cornering lack-of-confidence is the issue about which I’ve heard other riders express the greatest concern—something I can relate to first-hand.
Those 12 chapters mentioned earlier are subdivided into 109 lesson presentations, mostly three-to-five minutes in length, so it’s easy to pace your movement through the material without committing big chunks of time. In fact, it’s far, far better to take in a bit, then go actively practice it, before moving on. The experiential component is indispensable in both grasping the concepts thoroughly, and in developing the all-important muscle memory necessary for real-life implementation. The absolute worst thing you could do with this course is go through it in just a few sittings, wrongly thinking you’ll carry away its teachings in some meaningful way.
Lessons are followed by very brief quizzes, with explanations of the correct answers. While there’s no pressure to perform (you can retake or skip these checkpoints) and the answers are often comically obvious, there’s something about this process that prompts a little extra concentration and involvement (can you get a perfect score?), and the review of key points helps them stick in memory. Printable summary pages and practice recommendations are included to help with this, too. Once you register for the course, periodic automated email reminders help you keep up the good work and not let too much time pass between learning sessions. Take enough time to digest and practice, but not so much that you lose track of the sequence. Finally, there’s a convenient built-in discussion feature on the course screens, which will relay questions or comments to Jon for his response.
By now, you’ve realized this account gives away almost nothing about the specific contents of Jon’s online course. That’s because I want you to go check it all out for yourself—FOR FREE! My goal here was to describe the course’s features, not lay out its substance. The value of rider education cannot be overstated; it makes us safer, more proficient motorcyclists who can derive even greater joy from our beloved avocation. You can benefit from Cornering Confidence without trailering your bike to a training facility, paying an instructor big bucks, or blocking out a weekend. What excuse could you possibly have left?
