"Never twist the throttle with your ego” are the words of seasoned rider and Coach Mel Aquino, a mantra that he lives by. He believes that even the best coaches need to refine their proficiency to advance. He may be an expert in his pitch but only recently Coach Mel Aquino joined the Motorcycle Riding Safety Training (MRST) initiated by the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and was awarded Best Rider of their Batch. He considers the training reawakening of sorts, rewarding and grueling as he recounts 16 days of intensive sessions. The early mornings and exhausting commutes to and from the training venue were an obligatory charge as Coach Mel remarks but it was his absence from his school (Mel Aquino’s Yamaha Offroad Training Camp) that left him contemplating about his duty as a mentor and the longing for fresh and crucial insights for the sport that he so reveres. The recently concluded training conveyed his trail with Tim Coleman, who runs a Trial and Enduro Training School in Australia, and Chris Birch’s Adventure Motorcycle and Enduro Bike Training who also has a riding school in New Zealand. Coach Mel relates that the knowledge derived from two great coaches is more than just a syllabus, which he intends to infuse with his own method. For a coach who has mounted innumerable motocross clinics, attending a one day lateral motocross clinic conducted by the Americas Moto Association AMA Riders was an experience he likens to a kid going in a candy store.
For Coach Mel Aquino riding is striking a balance and he wields his bike with a distinct steadiness that keeps him moving as he takes his learners along for a ride.
Mel Aquino’s Yamaha Offroad Training Camp, accepts students who wants to enroll Trail Riding Module and Basic Offroad Training Course. Php5,500 inclusive of Motorcycle Yamaha XTZ125, basic gears, track fee, certificate. Class Stars at 8am till 4pm, daily.
