Question:

OK... I WANT to drive a scooter - I know how cool and fun it is, but what are the practicalities? What do I need to get a motorcycle endorsement on my license and how do I learn to ride safely?

Answer:

Scooters

Who needs a Motorcycle Endorsement?

Scooters are growing in popularity throughout the Puget Sound area and Evergreen Safety Council's Motorcycle Safety Program had led the way with scooter class offerings. ESC offers both Novice and Intermediate Scooter-Only classes. In additon to these classes, students may request to ride a scooter when registering for a standard motorcycle Novice Riders Course.

According to Washington State law, “motor-driven cycle” means every motorcycle, including every motor scooter, which is capable of propelling the device at more than thirty miles per hour on level ground. Basically, if it can go more than 30 mph, an endorsement is required.

Scooters that have 50-ccs are built to fit licensing laws limiting the speed to 30-35 mph. Other scooters can reach 40-50 mph, so with this in mind, Evergreen Safety Council is excited to offer Scooter Specific Classes. If none of these classes are available, scooters may be requested for normal NRC classes (advance notice must be given!).

personal bikes will find this is a perfect class for them). Classroom instruction in street strategies and mental preparedness for safe motorcycling is combined with range exercises that cover cornering/swerving/stopping/hazard avoidance.

ESC Motorcycle Safety Training

Novice Rider Course (NRC)

Our most popular motorcycle course is the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Novice Rider Course (NRC). This course is aimed at individuals with little or no riding experience (those with experience and their own bike may prefer the IRC). The NRC is designed to provide the skills needed to operate a motorcycle safely and competently. Your training will include classroom instruction and a minimum of 8 hours ON-CYCLE training.

Novice Rider Course 2 (NRC-2)

The Novice Rider Course 2 is the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s 9-hour course that enables those successfully completing it to receive their Washingtonmotorcycle endorsement. It is designed specifically for riders who are:

§ over 18 years old

§ experienced with riding motorcycles, but have no endorsement

§ or returning to riding after a break of several years, but have retained the riding skills and knowledge to successfuly complete the course.

Students will ride ESC bikes in this course (those returning to the sport without

Intermediate Rider Course (IRC)

Evergreen Safety Council also offers the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Intermediate Rider Course (IRC). The IRC is a one-day (6-hour) course designed to help riders with a minimum of 6-12 months riding experience to further develop the skills necessary to avoid accidents. On-range discussions will include a review of street survival skills. Students use their own motorcycles which will be subject to a safety inspection and proof of liability insurance and ownership must be presented before the start of class.

Additional Riding Class (ARC)

The 4 - 5 hour Additional Riding Class assists students in refining their motorcycle skills and techniques. Classes are conducted on our ranges using our bikes.

Who should attend?

Riders who have completed the Novice Rider Course whether passing the skills test or not.
Riders who wish to receive extra practice in developing their skills before hitting the road.

For more info, or to register for a class, go to our website - www.esc.org

More Safety Classes:

Puget Sound Safety

The Puget Sound Safety office staff will answer your questions and work to point you in the right direction on which course is going to best serve your goals. They strive to get every caller in a course regardless of how far classes are booked out. In their continuing efforts to work for the students and meet their different scheduling needs, they were the first school in State to Washington open weekday classes, two-day classes, as well as night classes. They are truly here for you. If they do not have a class that meets your schedule they will try to create one around your schedule. Puget Sound Safety was also the first school to incorporate the Non-Subsidized (full tuition) classes into their schedule meeting the growing demand for classes and reducing wait times for students wanting to get in.

Puget Sound Safety listens to their students’ requests and tries to incorporate them into their program as much as possible. With the endless evaluation forms from students asking for more ride time, it was clear that an Additional Riding Session was needed and was quickly put into use by Puget Sound Safety and is now being conducted all over the state. Students were also asking for a class about simple motorcycle maintenance but didn’t know where to turn therefore, with enough demand they created a course tailored for the Novice-Beginner or the Beginner–Intermediate Rider.

For more information, or to register for a class: go to our website - www.pugetsoundsafety.com

Washington Motorcycle Safety Training

Washington Motorcycle Safety Training is an approved provider of the Washington Department of Licensing motorcycle training courses. These courses are endorsement wavier courses. Our school is run and owned by motorcycle riders of all different types of motorcycles. If you ride a motorbike or a scooter we have the experience and training you need. Washington Motorcycle Safety Training is based in Arlington WA, but runs all their training sites in Everett Snohomish WA. Everett is only 35 minutes ride, or drive north of Seattle and 30 minutes south of Burlington WA.

Washington Motorcycle Safety Training's classrooms are located at Everett Community College- north Everett, Everett Power Sport -south Everett, and Cycle Barn- Smokey Point. Our training sites for the riding part of the courses are in south and north Everett, so if you live North, South, East, West of Everett you're not far away from one of WMST's classes.

For more information, or to register for a class: go to our website - http://gowmst.com/index.html