BULL RUN
bull run HArley davidson riding academy
Learn on a Harley Davidson and rediscover the joy of Riding!
Never ridden before? Don't sweat it. The Harley-Davidson® Riding Academy New Rider Course is designed to get you comfortable on a bike and give you the skills you need to ride with confidence, and in Virginia provides a completion card that excuses you from taking the written and road test at the DMV.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
When you take a New Rider Course at the Riding Academy you'll:
-
Learn to ride on a genuine Harley-Davidson® motorcycle.
-
Get in-class and on-range instruction from Motorcycle Safety Foundation® (MSF) and H-D® Certified Coaches.
-
Learn to safely accelerate, shift, brake, and turn, along with maneuvers like controlling skids and surmounting obstacles.
-
Earn an MSF Basic RiderCourseSM Completion Card, which may (varies by state) exempt you from the riding portion of your license exam and score you a discount on motorcycle insurance.
RIDING ACADEMY CURRICULUM
In-class (2 days)
Practical (2 days/Total of 10 hours)
Introduction to motorcycling
Motorcycle familiarization
Risk management
Starting and stopping
Riding gear and protective equipment
Adjusting speed and turning
Common riding situations
Cornering
Routine maintenance
Limited space maneuvers
Preparing to ride
Lane changes
FIRST DAY OF CLASS
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 coaches. 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, coaches 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 night 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.
First day of 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.
second day of 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 coaches 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 coaches 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.
Take a look at our Harley Davidson friends down in Orlando, Florida to get a taste of what you can expect at HD Bull Run Academy!