Basic Rider Course - Why You Want to Fail the Test

The motorcycle safety courses offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation are a fantastic way to learn how to ride. Learning to ride a motorcycle is a chicken and egg thing -- which comes first, the bike or the training? If you don't have a motorcycle of your own, it's hard to find a friend who will let you thrash their bike as you learn. And pretty much everyone thrashes their first bike.

Motorcycle Rider Education (MRE) offers state approved courses for brand new riders. They provide the motorcycle, helmet, and really big parking lot! Course details vary from state to state; in my state, California, the course includes a classroom session and two half-days of riding. For me, the most exciting benefit was the DMV certificate which allowed me to waive the dreaded skill test at the DMV.

This class is perfect if you've never ridden a motorcycle before. You get to duck walk, wobble, weave and stall, all under the watchful eye of a friendly rider coach. Then you take your test, you probably pass, and you go on your way.

But are you ready for the road? Honestly, probably not. You're ready to practice in a parking lot on your own. Here's a tip, and you won't read it anywhere else: if you're a really new rider, consider not passing the test. Give the classroom session and the two days of skill instruction your very best efforts, but hold back a tiny bit on the test. Here's why: if you don't pass, you can take the class again for free. (Check with your own location first, but this is pretty standard.) That means twice the riding, twice the instruction, twice the practice before you have to find a bike and be on your own.