Last weekend I took the Basic Rider Training course offered by Team Oregon through Portland Community College. This is a very popular class at PCC, and the entire semester filled less than a month before registration started. I think there are a couple of reasons for this unusual popularity.1. If one successfully passes this course, one can walk into the DMV with a certificate which waves the need to take the state tests. A motorcycle endorsement is automatically issued.
2. You may not know this but the price of gasoline has increased a bit, and a motorcycle is a very cool way to better gas mileage.
Basic Rider Training is a one weekend course: one evening and two full days. The written curriculum is designed in such a way that it can be effectively taught by volunteers. It emphasizes a handful of key safety points, and is guaranteed to impart helpful information to even the most seasoned rider.And now the fun part. The class is split into two groups of 12, and on the two full days, one half of the class rides while the other half is in class. All of the motorcycles are 200cc or less which means they are very maneuverable, but still have the get up and go to get up and go. The instructors use a step-by-step process of skill building that includes clutch exercises, "walking" the bike, learning to turn, stop suddenly, etc. By the end of the second day, they had set up a track with 5 different intersections, and we were all riding around in close "motorcycle" traffic.
I think I was the only person in the class who had already gotten their endorsement, but I was definitely not the only person who had practiced riding. I recommend the class to anyone who is considering getting a motorcycle. The classroom work was a little tedious at times, but the time in the parking lot was well worth the wait.
