Motorcycle Safety Course
Course Overview
Motorcycle Safety Course
Course Overview
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The Basic Rider Course is designed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and is taught nationwide by certified instructors. The program is administered in Texas by the Department of Public Safety. Alvin Community College is a contracted sponsor of the program. The cost of the course is $175 for students who reside in the Alvin Community College district and $195 for those outside the district. Satisfactory completion of the course allows the rider to take the written portion of the motorcycle endorsement requirement and does meet the state mandated provision that a motorcycle safety course be completed in order to earn a license to ride in Texas.
Approximately ten hours are committed to riding skills. With hands-on, butt-in-the-seat practice, students are taught the proper use of controls and parts, smooth starts and stops, shifting gears, braking, turning, and evasive maneuvers. The course allows new riders to become familiar with motorcycling in a safe controlled environment. It provides a good way for a new rider to determine if it is something they want to pursue before investing in a new bike and equipment. It also is a good way to determine one’s comfort level on a bike before purchasing one. Many new riders buy a big expensive bike only to realize it is more than they are comfortable handling. It is prudent to start with a smaller bike to develop skills and build confidence. The dream bike will still be available in six months and the new rider will be far more comfortable in its use.
The best thing riders can do to better protect themselves on the road is to be more proactive in their own safety. The course teaches proven techniques and strategies that help to manage and minimize the inherent risks riders face while on the road. Certainly things can and do happen that are beyond a rider’s control, but with prudent and smart application of the techniques and strategies emphasized in the course, riders can avoid many of the bad things that can happen to them. The course does an effective job of teaching skills and techniques to help predict and prevent crashes from occurring. |
The course consists of approximately five hours of
classroom discussion with emphasis placed on the proper use of
protective gear, the location and operation of important controls and
parts, and riding strategies to help manage and minimize the inherent
risks involved while riding a motorcycle.
Many
experienced riders mistakenly feel that they have nothing to learn in a
basic course. In reality, experienced riders often get more from the
class than the beginners do. Once the basic introductions to the
controls are complete and the beginning riders are more comfortable on
the bikes, proven techniques in the proper handling of motorcycles is
discussed and practiced and more advanced techniques in hazard avoidance
are learned. Riders who have not been taught these skills, even if they
have been riding for years, are usually not versed in their practical
application. The class brings to light bad habits and hopefully
corrects those, and if nothing else at least gets the experienced riders
to think about things in a different, and perhaps, better way.