Opinion: The problem with U.S. motorcycle training is facilities, not curriculum

The issue of motorcycle training in the United States has been a topic of discussion and debate for many years. The current system has been criticized by many experts and riders alike for not being sufficient to prepare new riders for the realities of riding on the road. The lack of quality training is often cited as a major factor in the high rate of motorcycle accidents in the United States.

Editor's note: Dylan Code is a rider coach and the COO (stands for child of owner) of the California Superbike School, with 23 years of full-time experience in the area of rider training. He works closely with his father, Keith Code, on curriculum development and figuring out how to provide the best possible motorcycle riding experience for their students.

One of the most commonly proposed solutions to this problem is a tiered licensing system, which would require new riders to gradually work their way up through different displacement motorcycles with increasingly difficult testing. However, it’s simply not the American way to regulate its population the way other countries do — for better or worse. And would it reduce motorcycle crashes by making riders measurably better or simply by making fewer riders?

I don’t think the curriculum or instructors are particularly what’s lacking, but rather the training ranges. Once new riders can operate the motorcycle’s controls, they should be taken to other ranges that somewhat resemble the real-world situations riders will encounter. This could include intersections, a twisty road, highway on- and off-ramps, and roundabouts, among other features. Such facilities could be used by cars and motorcycles, separately.

Essentially, what’s missing from the picture is a “valid training environment.” Yes, the first step of basic training needs to be in a open, flat, paved area, but training should continue in areas that resemble real-world circumstances. So the training would be tiered: first learn to operate the controls, turn, start and stop, then to mock intersections, twisty roads, freeway on- and off-ramps, starting on a hill, etc.

Facilities like this would be expensive to build and maintain. Feasibility in remote areas would be low, not to mention legal challenges associated with training in a more realistic environment, particularly when accidents occur — and they would. Even basic training ranges have suffered a few extremely rare freak-accident fatalities (e.g. whisky throttle into something or a student knocking over an instructor.)

There’s no easy solution to this problem, but I feel better training ranges can make better riders sooner. Otherwise for some riders it’s like learning to doggy-paddle in a pool and then getting dropped into the ocean. The U.S. military has gone to great lengths to create training areas resembling villages and towns where forces are deployed. This has no doubt helped.

I don’t think anybody is going to read this article and say: “He’s right, let’s build mega training facilities,” but I’d be happy if this was included in dialogue regarding improving motorcycle training.

I’m curious to hear from the readers what helped them transition from basic training to public roads, and thoughts about better training ranges.