Sep 18, 2008

Californians Flock to Motorcycle Training

Fuel prices are high, and one response is to buy a motorcycle or motor scooter. Happily, many Californians who are making that move are accompanying it with a motorcycle safety course -- something all riders should take advantage of. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which administers the California Motorcyclist Safety Program under contract with the California Highway Patrol, recently set a new record for the number of motorcyclists trained in one month. This past June, 7,840 enthusiasts took the MSF’s Basic RiderCourse at 121 ranges throughout the state. The previous record was set in July 2006, when 7,138 Californians participated in the training.

“Training is more popular than ever this summer season,” said Robert Gladden, MSF’s director of program administration of the California Motorcyclist Safety Program. “We’ve added new training sites to meet demand and keep the wait time for classes short and have been adding new CMSP-recognized MSF RiderCoaches to conduct training for the increasing number of new riders.”

Training numbers are running at a pace nearly 16 percent higher in 2008 than for the same period last year. In 2007, more than 62,000 students were trained at CMSP sites throughout the state. The CMSP is the largest motorcyclist training program in the United States and has trained more than half a million students since its inception in 1987. The course, which includes approximately five hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of riding exercises in a controlled environment, provides a complete introduction to motorcycling. The course is conducted over two or three sessions, and motorcycles and helmets are provided. For those who successfully complete the course, the skills portion of the Department of Motor Vehicles motorcycle licensing test is waived. To locate training anywhere in California, prospective riders can call (877) RIDE-411.