Riding course, or just take a 10 min test?
#101
04-11-2014, 12:42 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
I took the Team Oregon two day class in Oregon. Money well spent. I highly recommend a class. There is a lot of good information and skills that are important to get right on the road that off road riding does not get you.
#102
04-11-2014, 12:47 PM
Interesting topic this, having just finished the 2 day course on Sunday to get my license
There were 11 of us on the course – everyone passed, though in my opinion (accepting I am a newbie to bikes) I would say at least 2 who passed left me extremely worried (will come back to that later)
I am a new rider and I have to say I did learn a lot from the class, though you need to set your expectations at the right level
We had maybe 10 – 12 hours out on the drivers skills section, this was all in a Community College car park in perfect conditions
We drove 250cc Suzuki/kawasaki’s
The experience levels ranged from zero (me and a few others) to some very experienced dirt bike riders who had been on dirt bikes for the last 15 years
Over the skill sessions we learned how to start, turn, U turn, go over a 2 inch piece of wood, stop quickly and how important head placement is
So all good skills to learn, especially for a newbie like me
However, a few caveats to all of this;
· We never went above 15-18 mph (generally much slower really over the period)
· Never out of second gear (and much of it in 1st)
· Never with any traffic around us
· No real threats from anywhere
· Driving in perfect conditions – road/weather/others around you
Everyone passed, though the 2 that struggled the whole course couldn’t do a few of the final tests and struggled with the speed – even at 15-18mph
However, the pass results allowed you to accumulate up to 20 points before failing and this was so wide (unless you dropped the bike or fell off), these 2 passed – but hey I am not the instructor but simply my opinion of watching them closely for 2 days and I was left concerned for both
The dirt bike riders could have done all of the exercises with their eyes shut – they simply flew around everything we did with no problems at all – they accumulated zero points, meaning all of the skills tests they did, they did nothing wrong at all – though you could see that from the outset – speaking with them, their motivation was simply to get licensed
Now, did I get anything from the course – ABSOLUTELY 100% YES – AS A COMPLETE NEWBIE, I GOT A LOT OUT OF IT
But, I would say it has left me still with a lot of major concerns – I can ride my bike, know the very basics of riding – but as of yet, not been near a road in a real life environment
From here, I think I need to start to build up some road time around my local area – maybe back and forwards along the same route several times and gradually build up my confidence and skills, before going a bit further in more challenging roads
I am no way near ready to hit a highway or major road – maybe it is just me, but the course did not give me that level of confidence
I spoke with the instructors afterwards and they agreed that as a newbie, it did not give you what you need for the open road at the outset – however, is was the BASIC Riders course and the instructors did say it was aimed at people with zero or very little experience
So, I am licensed, but I am a long way from hitting any long distances/highways or busy road traffic – I will get there, but it will take time
But I would still have done it, cause as a newbie, I could not have picked up the details, skills, techniques and info otherwise
Good luck!
There were 11 of us on the course – everyone passed, though in my opinion (accepting I am a newbie to bikes) I would say at least 2 who passed left me extremely worried (will come back to that later)
I am a new rider and I have to say I did learn a lot from the class, though you need to set your expectations at the right level
We had maybe 10 – 12 hours out on the drivers skills section, this was all in a Community College car park in perfect conditions
We drove 250cc Suzuki/kawasaki’s
The experience levels ranged from zero (me and a few others) to some very experienced dirt bike riders who had been on dirt bikes for the last 15 years
Over the skill sessions we learned how to start, turn, U turn, go over a 2 inch piece of wood, stop quickly and how important head placement is
So all good skills to learn, especially for a newbie like me
However, a few caveats to all of this;
· We never went above 15-18 mph (generally much slower really over the period)
· Never out of second gear (and much of it in 1st)
· Never with any traffic around us
· No real threats from anywhere
· Driving in perfect conditions – road/weather/others around you
Everyone passed, though the 2 that struggled the whole course couldn’t do a few of the final tests and struggled with the speed – even at 15-18mph
However, the pass results allowed you to accumulate up to 20 points before failing and this was so wide (unless you dropped the bike or fell off), these 2 passed – but hey I am not the instructor but simply my opinion of watching them closely for 2 days and I was left concerned for both
The dirt bike riders could have done all of the exercises with their eyes shut – they simply flew around everything we did with no problems at all – they accumulated zero points, meaning all of the skills tests they did, they did nothing wrong at all – though you could see that from the outset – speaking with them, their motivation was simply to get licensed
Now, did I get anything from the course – ABSOLUTELY 100% YES – AS A COMPLETE NEWBIE, I GOT A LOT OUT OF IT
But, I would say it has left me still with a lot of major concerns – I can ride my bike, know the very basics of riding – but as of yet, not been near a road in a real life environment
From here, I think I need to start to build up some road time around my local area – maybe back and forwards along the same route several times and gradually build up my confidence and skills, before going a bit further in more challenging roads
I am no way near ready to hit a highway or major road – maybe it is just me, but the course did not give me that level of confidence
I spoke with the instructors afterwards and they agreed that as a newbie, it did not give you what you need for the open road at the outset – however, is was the BASIC Riders course and the instructors did say it was aimed at people with zero or very little experience
So, I am licensed, but I am a long way from hitting any long distances/highways or busy road traffic – I will get there, but it will take time
But I would still have done it, cause as a newbie, I could not have picked up the details, skills, techniques and info otherwise
Good luck!
PM me if you have any questions.
#103
04-11-2014, 01:36 PM
Outstanding HDF Member
Take a course. You might also consider buying and reading "Proficient Motorcycling The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well" by David Hough. It has a lot of really good riding tips on riding in general, and how to handle specific situations and conditions like wet roads, deer, sand, urban traffic, etc. For about 20 bucks you have a book that you can read and reread over and over again. I read mine every winter right before the weather is ready to break.
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