How to Become a Motorcycle Riding Instructor

Teaching someone how to ride a motorcycle properly can be fun and personally rewarding.

It can be a rewarding experience to be able to impart to the young what you know. That includes teaching interested people how to ride motorcycles. You’d be called a motorcycle riding instructor or simply a rider coach. The requirements to be certified as one may differ from one state to another and among driving schools. You need to visit your local training school to get more precise information on these requirements, but in general the basic processes you need to go through to be a certified rider coach are quite simple.

Things You'll Need

• A motorcycle of any engine displacement
• Valid driver's license with a motorcycle endorsement

Instructions

1. Update your driver's license to contain a motorcycle endorsement. You will need to enter and pass a Basic Rider Course yourself. This will allow you to learn the correct techniques in riding various types of motorcycles and enable your instructor to assess your riding skills.

2. Gather experience in riding motorcycles. Most riding schools prefer hiring rider coaches who have been riding motorcycles for several years. The more experience you have, the greater your chances of getting hired as a rider coach. Just be sure you have not been cited for a moving violation in the past three years prior to your application.

3. Obtain a certificate of training on CPR and first aid. If you already have a motorcycle endorsement in your driver’s license and have been riding motorbikes for years, this is your first step. This is a prerequisite for admission in a motorcycle coaching course that you will need to pass. Some states or rider coach schools may have other requirements, like a recommendation from a currently certified rider coach.

4. Complete a train-the-trainer course or the Basic Rider Coach course. This is a 65-hour course and, depending on the riding school, it can take seven to 10 days or four weekends of intensive training. Successful completion gains you a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) certification that enables you to teach the Basic Rider Course and the Experienced Rider Course in any motorcycle riding school.

5. Apply as a motorcycle riding instructor or rider coach to a training organization of your choice. Most organizations will take you in as a contractor, and the pay – which is per pupil – varies among organizations. You can also opt to be a freelance rider coach. To maintain certification, you need to conduct at least three classes per year and attend annual update trainings.

References

• MSF-USA: Be A Rider Coach
• NC Motorcycle Safety: Rider Coach Training