• The Motorcyclist Training Course (MTC) is designed for new riders with little to no street riding experience and is required for riders under 21 years old. The course includes 5 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of on-motorcycle training.
• Students will learn the fundamental skills needed to safely operate a motorcycle and progress into essential street-riding techniques and strategies. Upon successful completion, riders will receive a DMV skills test waiver (DL-389).
• Topics covered include managing fear, understanding motorcycle controls, how motorcycles turn, proper cornering techniques, and emergency accident-avoidance skills. This course is built on the latest rider-safety research and utilizes modern, proven training methods.
• While designed for beginner riders, any rider who has never taken a motorcycle safety course will benefit. Students must know how to ride a two-wheeled bicycle to enroll. Training is conducted on Harley-Davidson Street 500 motorcycles. Helmets and gloves are provided.

TAKE THE E-COURSE

You will need to bring these items to class with you:

• Your Driver's License and/or Learner's Permit
• Proof of completion of any pre-required course study
• Any materials provided to you prior to or during class

Gloves and a helmet are the only essential motorcycle specific items, but we recommend that sometime before the first night of class, take what you have to the dealer to get it checked out.

They can help you ensure that you have the right equipment.

CLASS GEAR LIST

• Long-sleeve shirt or jacket
• Long pants (heavy denim or riding pants recommended)
• Over-the-ankle boots (sturdy, not canvas, low heel)
• Eye protection (helmet visor, eye glasses, sun glasses, goggles acceptable)
• Full-finger gloves (motorcycle specific recommended)
• DOT-certified helmet style based on the requirements of your state

SHOPPING FOR A HELMET

A helmet is the most important piece of motorcycle gear you will invest in. A helmet is a very personal piece of gear.

Consider buying a helmet vs. borrowing one, that way it is yours and it fits you perfectly and allows you to focus on learning to ride.

The staff at your dealer are trained to fit a helmet and will ensure you get the right one. Helmet fit is so important that they will most likely suggest you wear the one you settle on around the dealer for about 15 minutes.

It takes that long for the helmet to really let you know if it will be comfortable in the long run. Remember, helmets are not typically returnable once they leave the dealership, so take the time to find the right one.

Instructor Tip: The more helmet the better, full face is the best, followed by a modular. An open face helmet or ¾ open still provides good protection if you feel too cooped up in a full face. Half helmets, while very popular, offer the least amount of protection.

There are a variety of schedules. This example of a typical weekend course will give you a feel for what to expect. 

The first class meeting typically runs three hours: You’ll get a tour of the dealership, fill out all the class paperwork and get to know your peers and instructors. During the paperwork session, you will hear a lot about counseling and being on time and having all the gear. Don’t fret, it is just to set clear expectations for everyone. Being that an endorsement waiver is provided through this class, it has some structural aspects that the state requires to allow for licensing. 

You’ll get a ROADBOOK - this is a small Harley-Davidson® Journal that you will use to reflect on important points throughout the class. A review of the eCourse will be next, which gives you a chance to better understand important points of the eCourse. Jump in there and participate! A lot of what is being discussed you have already seen firsthand as a car driver. Then the class will turn to new material – an activity to help demystify motorcycle controls and their use will be held, as well as an activity to help understand important aspects of riding gear.

At the end of the night, instructors usually spend some time talking about the range days, what to bring, where the range is and when to be there.  The range is simply a practice lot; it is a large flat piece of pavement that may be on dealer property or down the road a few miles.

This site is usually blocked off from car traffic and offers a controlled environment to learn in. The classroom will probably conclude with a discussion on the range rules and hand signals. These are all intended to help you understand how the range works and to ensure everyone has a good time during the riding portion of the course. 

Instructor Tip: If you are not sure where the range is, take time to drive by it on the way home versus frantically searching for it in the morning.

Pack whatever snacks you need to keep going physically and mentally, bottled water is usually provided by the dealership.

A typical course will include two days on the range. Here is what to expect.

FIRST DAY RIDING

Your first range day will focus on getting to know the motorcycle, how to properly start it up, move it from point A to point B, and shut it off. You learn the fundamentals of clutching and shifting, turning and stopping.

Each exercise is designed to build on the previous exercises and allow you to learn quickly and effectively. Expect each exercise to take about 40 minutes. After every other exercise, a break will be held. This is usually a ROADBOOK opportunity and a chance to just rest, get a drink of water and hang out with your classmates.

Programs typically hold a classroom session at the dealership after the first range day. The afternoon classroom session is focused on behaviors and self-assessment. This is important stuff! The more you participate the more you will get out of it.

Instructor Tip: Learning to ride can be mentally and physically exhausting. Make plans to rest Saturday night – you want to be fresh for the second range day.

SECOND DAY RIDING

Day 2 will focus on the skills of riding: cornering, swerving and maximum braking. Just like the first day, expect two exercises back to back with a ROADBOOK break in between. These exercises are at slightly higher speeds than yesterday's and are a lot of fun! Expect to see smiles spread across the faces of your classmates.

At the end of the second day on the range, the instructors will set up and score the five evaluation exercises. These are based on the same exercises you just rode and the same skills you learned over the last two days of riding.

Relax and be sure to breathe – This is just a fair measurement of your current abilities to ensure that you are ready to leave the range and venture out onto the open road. Listen to your instructors and watch each student ahead of you as they ride the test exercises. You want to be sure of the path of travel and the technique being scored.

Instructor Tip: Don’t score yourself during the evaluations. Not all areas of the riding exercise are scored, and most mistakes are just a few points. Riders that get worked up because they made a riding error often ride worse and make more errors. Ride on and do your best!

At the end of the evaluations, your instructor will let you know how you did. If you did not pass, don’t freak! There are often opportunities to take a portion of the course over or to retest later. See your Riding Academy Manager as soon as possible regarding these options.

On the last classroom meeting there might be state specific content to cover, more paperwork to complete and some celebrating to do. This is it, you are in the family now, enjoy the ride!

Students who successfully complete the classroom and range sessions will be issued a completion document. In many states this document will excuse the person from taking a motorcycle operator skills test through the Department of Motor Vehicles.  However, it does not count as a license and is not recognized by law enforcement as a license to ride.  Your Instructor or your local DMV will provide you with instructions on steps to take to convert the completion document into a license.

You will need to  take your completion document to your DMV and complete any additional steps required to get the motorcycle endorsement on your driver license. Once you’ve gotten your license, get out and enjoy the ride! 

Before you can begin your registration you must read the following registration policies:

Payments:

Payment is due at the time of registration. You may pay using a Visa or Master credit or debit card. If you wish to pay by cash, you must come into our office Monday through Thursday, 7am-5pm. Your registration will not be considered complete until payment is received. IF YOU ARE USING A GIFT CARD FOR PAYMENT, PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL THE OFFICE TO REGISTER. [email protected] or (858) 275-2741 or [email protected] and 858-616-6999

Pass Rate:

Most students pass the course but there is no guarantee of successful completion. While preparing you for endorsement tests is a function of the course, it is not the primary objective. The goal of the course is to get better, safer motorcyclists on the street and reduce the number of motorcycle related injuries and accidents in California.

Attendance:

You must attend all class sessions to successfully complete the course, and for liability reasons, you may not continue on to the next session if you do not successfully complete the previous session. If you do not attend any portion of the course, you will be dropped from that course and placed in a standby status. You will not receive a refund or be automatically rescheduled into another course. It is your responsibility to reschedule, which you can do by calling the office at (858) 275-2741 or email [email protected].

Cancellation Policy:

If you wish to cancel your enrollment, you must do so at least 5 days before the start of your first class session. There will be a $25 processing fee for classes cancelled at any time. There will be a $100 rescheduling fee to cancel or reschedule your class if done within the 5-day window. There will be no refunds issued within 24 hours of your class or once the course is in session. To cancel your class, please call (858) 275-2741 or email [email protected].

Reschedule Policy:

If you contact us 5 days before the start of your first class session, we will reschedule your reservation for free. Reschedules made inside the 5-day window before the first classroom session will be subject to a $100 processing fee. To reschedule your class, please call (858) 275-2741 or email [email protected].

Non-Completion:

Your instructors are there to ensure your training is safe and enjoyable, with an emphasis on safety. If the instructors feel a student presents a safety hazard to themselves or others, or is not responding to instructions, the student will be dropped from the class. If you do not feel comfortable during the course and want to stop, you may drop yourself from the class. Students who are counseled out or self-drop have 60 days from the start of their course to complete training. A $205 rescheduling fee may be assessed. Refunds are not given in these cases.

Tardiness:

Your instructors are required to ensure you receive the full time allotted for your training, so we ask that you arrive to each of your class sessions at least 15-30 minutes prior to the start time to allow time for checking in, gearing up and any paperwork that needs to be completed prior to class. If you are tardy, you will not be allowed to continue and will be responsible for a $205 rescheduling fee.

Classes can be cancelled at the discretion of PSC if they do not fill with the minimum amount of students. PSC will do it’s best to annotate when classes have the chance of being cancelled. PSC will do it’s best to notify students with adequate time to reschedule, but PSC is not responsible for reimbursement of any missing time off of work when you schedule a class. Our goal is to post the schedule based on demand so they have time to fill and not be rescheduled.

WE RUN CLASSES YEAR ROUND. Each schedule is posted about 2 weeks prior to the month starting and is posted on Fridays after 12 pm. If you don’t see the schedule you want to register for, please email the office, [email protected], to be added to a waitlist to be contacted when that schedule is posted.

ONLY REGISTER AFTER YOU HAVE READ THE CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY. BY CLICKING THE REGISTER BUTTON YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU HAVE READ THOSE POLICIES.