New Harley-Davidson Riders
From time to time in this North Carolina Motorcycle Accident Attorney Blog, I will talk about what a biker can do to reduce the chances of being involved in a motorcycle accident. There is nothing a motorcyclist can do to guarantee an accident free riding career, but some things do help, such as attending a motorcycle safety course. In this blog, I want to spotlight one of the options for a new rider – the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy New Rider Course.
Do you want to get more comfortable on a motorcycle? Do you want to be taught the skills you need to ride your bike with confidence? Is this your first time on a motorcycle? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to consider the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy New Rider Course. The program began in 2000 at about 50 locations and is now offered at about 245 dealerships across the United States. Matthew Levatich is the President/Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson, and recently he discussed the importance of the Riding Academy:
“The Harley-Davidson Riding Academy is a direct investment in creating new riders in the U.S., and it augments the efforts of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and State – Sponsored Rider Training Courses. In the 3rd quarter of 2017, we trained more than 19,000 riders which brings us to just over 51,000 year-to-date. One of our key goals with Riding Academy is to enhance its effectiveness at creating active riders…… [T]here is a rider development path and rider training plays a role in it, but getting the right people into the course and making sure not only that they have a good experience in the training class itself, but on the back side of that training class, what do we offer for them to continue their journey to becoming a confident rider.”
The Harley-Davidson New Rider Course provides riders with expert guidance from Harley-Davidson certified coaches. There is classroom instruction devoted to learning about the motorcycle they will be riding and the basics of rider safety skills. Riders then move onto the practice range where they learn braking and turning along with maneuvers like controlling skids and dealing with obstacles. In North Carolina, the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy New Rider courses are offered at Harley-Davidson at Charlotte, Harley-Davidson at Greensboro, Cox’s Harley-Davidson in Asheboro, Blue Ridge Harley-Davidson in Hickory, Tilley Harley-Davidson at Salisbury, Raging Bull Harley-Davidson in Durham, Ft. Bragg Harley-Davidson in Fayetteville, Ray Price Harley-Davidson in Raleigh, Smokin’ Harley-Davidson in Winston-Salem, and Shelton’s Harley-Davidson in Smithfield. Click here for more information about the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy New Rider Course and where you can find a Course near you.
Gary Poole – North Carolina Motorcycle Accident Attorney “On the Side of Those Who Ride”