Where can you learn to ride a motorcycle in the United States? It’s something that a lot of people have been asking. Motorcycling has been growing in popularity over the past few years. If you have always wanted to join in the fun and excitement, then you will need to learn how to do it safely. We have previously written on the minimum ages for driving motorcycles in various States across the U.S. You can refer to that article to find out whether you or your child can start learning. So, where can you learn how to drive a motorcycle?
Find a RiderCourse Near you
To get started, you will need to find a RiderCourse near you. But what is a RiderCourse? It’s a class where you are given the basics on how to ride a motorcycle. This instruction is usually carried out over two days and can last up to 15 hours.
A RiderCourse gives you a lot of the information that you need to ride your bike safely. It’s not just about the physical skills that are needed to operate a motorcycle. You also get instruction on the mental state in which you need to be in order to become a competent rider. As such, about half the instruction period is in a classroom environment. The other half is hands-on.
But how do you find a RiderCourse near you? All that you need to do is to head over to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) website. Enter your ZIP code and a list of possible RiderCourse sites will appear. You can then choose the one that you wish to use to get your basic training.
As an example, we entered the California ZIP code 90011 and we got two sites where we can get training. These are Ride Rite Inc and Antelope Valle Harley Davidson. We also got the contact details for the provider. You can see what we are talking about in the above screenshot.
Attend classes
Now that you have identified the place near you where you can learn to ride a motorcycle, you will need to get in touch with them to arrange your training. Once that is done, the next step will be to attend classes.
We have already covered the basics on the nature of these classes. They are about half in a classroom and half practical lessons. The classroom lessons provide you information about the equipment that you need to ride safely, how to avoid accidents and much more.
Note that in many states, you can take an MSF basic ecourse. That then becomes the classroom component of your basic training.
Take practical lessons
Once you are done with the classroom bit of your training, you will then go on to the practical aspects of riding a motorcycle. Your instructions will take you through the paces on an obstacle course.
This can be intimidating at first. Once hint; just like riding a bicycle, you need to look where you are going and not at your feet or at the front wheel. The following are some of the skills on which you will receive instruction;
- Cornering
- Swerving
- Braking
What happens after you have completed the course?
Now that you have gone through the motorcycle riding course, what happens next? Most RiderCourse centres will give you a completion document but does that mean you can now ride your bike on the open road?
The answer is no. This document is not a license. However, depending on your State, the document may exempt you from having to undergo a motorcycle operator skills test at your DMV.
In some States, once you have completed your training, you will then simply go to the DMV and they will give you a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license.
Why go through the training?
Other than the fact that it’s a legal requirement in most States for people to go through a motorcycle rider’s course, this is something that you also need to do for safety reasons. It’s not just your safety, but also that of everyone else with whom you will interact on the road on a daily basis.
Motorcycles can be fun, but they are some of the most dangerous vehicles in the event of accidents. So, you need to get as much instruction as you can get to make motorcycling not just fun, but also safe. There can never be an end to what you can learn, which is the reason why most RiderCourse centres offer instruction up to expert level.
AA Motorcycle Shipping offers safe, affordable shipping for your bike
One thing that you may look to do as a motorcycle owner is to have your beloved bike shipped from one place to the other. Perhaps you wish to attend a biking show on the other side of the country. That’s where we come in as AA Motorcycle Shipping.
We are one of the best known names in motorcycle shipping. Our company has been around since 1983 and in that time, we have gathered the expert human and technical capital that is needed to ensure that you bike gets delivered to its destination safely and on time. You can get a quote from us by visiting our website.
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