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FAQFAQ
 This page is designed to answer the Most Frequently Asked Questions. If you don't see your question here, please ask us in person or send us an email.
General Questions -
- What if I’ve never ridden before?
- What if I’m a returning rider and haven’t ridden in several years?
- What if it rains?
- What if I don’t pass?
- Can I view the course book before class?
- Dude! Your on time policy is harsh! What's up with that?
- What if I am under age of 18?
- What about insurance discounts?
- Must I pay ahead of time for a class?
- What forms of payment do you take?
- Can I take the DMV written test with you?
- I lost my DL389 certificate, how do I get another?
- Once I finish with all class and range portions do I get my Motorcycle License then?
- How much do the classes cost?
- Do you have a wait list to get into class early?
- All your classes are full, when will you be having more?
Classroom Questions -
- What do I need to bring to the classroom?
- Can we bring food or drinks to the classroom?
- Where do I go for the South San Francisco Classroom session?
- Where do I go for the San Jose classroom session?
Riding Range Questions -
- What type of motorcycles do you have?
- What must we bring to the riding session?
- What is required to pass the Basic Rider Course?
- Where do I go for the South San Francisco Riding session?
- Where do I go for the San Jose riding sessions?
General Questions and Answers
- What if I’ve never ridden before?
The Basic Rider Course assumes you have no prior experience, most of our students have never ridden a motorcycle before, though prior experience on a bicycle helps.
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- What if I’m a returning rider and haven’t ridden in several years?
The Basic Rider Course provides a good refresher of riding strategies and a solid foundation of skills to help you re-enter the world of motorcycling with confidence.
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- What if it rains?
We will try to run the class so bring rain gear. If the weather gets severe to the point of being dangerous we will reschedule you to another class time as soon as possible.
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- What if I don’t pass?
You can retake necessary portions of the class at reduced cost on a stand by basis.
See "Refund and rescheduling"
for details.
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- Can I view the course book before class?
Yes you can. Please click here for the course book. You will need Adobe Acrobat.
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- Dude! Your on time policy is harsh! What's up with that?
Our classes are conducted under strict policies in accordance with the DMV, the CHP and the CMSP.
Attendance for the whole course is required in order for us to designate the student as passing the
course and receiving State documentation for licensing privileges.
Our policy on attendance and punctuality is not vague and must be acknowledged by the student before
they are able to book a class. We send a confirmation letter after receiving a booking, detailing
the location of the class and encouraging students to plan for arrival 15 minutes before the start.
We understand that sometimes circumstances mean the best plan for on-time arrival may not work out.
We have a low cost option to complete the class. We do this over and above our contractual obligation with the State.
Our policy may seem overly strict but we have learned that it is the fairest way to provide a schedule
that people can rely on. 10 years ago we used to have a 10 minute "grace period" for the start of class.
It meant that the people on time had to wait 10 minutes after the posted start of class for the
late arrivals. We had people arrive 11 minutes late and claim the grace period was not long enough.
We tried a 15 minute grace period, people arrived 16 minutes late and claimed the grace period was not
long enough. By this time other students that arrived 10 minutes before start time had been
waiting 20 minutes for late arrivals. Consequently classes were finishing 15 - 20 minutes
later than the posted schedule, this gave people problems as they had child care issues or
jobs that they needed to be on time for. It also affected the start times for the classes
starting immediately after.
It's not fair to keep people waiting, nobody's time is less important than anybody else's.
Our policy is applied fairly and evenly to all students.
See our Refund and Rescheduling Policy. Also, see our location page to clarify where you need to be and allow for Bay Area traffic in your travelling time.
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- What if I am under age of 18?
A parent or legal guardian must accompany you to the first nights class
in order to sign the registration form, once the form is signed he or she may leave.
See also the California DMV pages for more information about driving under the age of 21.
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- What about insurance discounts?
Some insurance companies offer discounts of 10% or more for completing a safe riding course. Check with your insurance agent. The graduate card you receive after completing the course is proof of your achievement.
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- Must I pay ahead of time for a class?
Yes, you must pay for the course when it is reserved.
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- What forms of payment do you take?
We take Money Orders, Cashier's checks, Visa, and Master Card.
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- Can I take the DMV written test with you?
No, you must take the written test at DMV either before or after the Basic Rider Course.
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- I lost my DL389 certificate, how do I get another?
The DMV DL389 certificate is a legal document strictly controlled by the State. Issuance of every single certificate is recorded by the California Motorcyclist Safety Program for the California Highway Patrol. Their rules for reissuing must be followed exactly. First, be certain where and when you took the course. Only the school which issued the original can issue a replacement. Next, you must send to the office a postal letter with the following information:
- A request to reissue the certificate
- A reason why the reissue is necessary (lost, stolen, destroyed)
- The exact location where you took the course
- The date of your original course first session
- The address you used when you registered for the original course
- Your current address where the new certificate should be sent (if different from above)
- Your printed name as it appeared on the original course registration.
- Your hand written signature
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- Once I finish with all class and range portions do I get my Motorcycle License then?
No, once you have finished and passed the Basic Rider Course, you will be sent via US mail a DMV Certificate form "DL389". This form will allow you to by-pass the DMV riding test; however you will still need to take DMV's written test for motorcycles if you have not done so already.
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- How much do the classes cost?
$150 if you are under 21 and $250 if you are 21 and over.
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- Do you have a wait list to get into class early?
We do not keep a wait list. If we have a cancellation we put the space back on the website so it’s worth checking regularly.
You can gain entry to class as a walk in. If there are no shows on the night of a class the Ridercoach will admit walk in students paying cash.
There is no guarantee there will be a space available but we never let one go to waste. Available spaces are allocated by lottery so all walk in students with cash have an equal chance at the space.
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- All your classes are full, when will you be having more?
To hold a class we must confirm the availability of staff and facilities, as soon
as we have staff and facilities confirmed we add that date to the website as
available for students.
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Classroom Questions
- What do I need to bring to the classroom?
If you are under 18 years old, a parent or legal guardian must be present
at the start of the first classroom session to sign documents. This person
must provide identification (driver license, court paper, etc.) establishing
his or her relation to you. You must bring one of the following documents to
the first session (only one is necessary): current driver license from any
US State or territory which is valid, DMV learner permit which is
valid (un-expired), or a California ID card.
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- Can we bring food or drinks to the classroom?
Water only is permitted in the classroom, food can be consumed out side during breaks.
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- Where do I go for the South San Francisco Classroom session?
SSF Adult Education Center
Rm# 36, 825 Southwood Drive
South San Francisco, CA 94080
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- Where do I go for the San Jose classroom session?
San Tomas Business Centre
2118 Walsh Ave. #230
Santa Clara, CA 95050
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Riding Range Questions
- What type of motorcycles do you have?
We offer 250cc standards and 250cc cruisers motorcycles.
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- What must we bring to the riding session?
You must provide the following:
- Eye Protection (sunglasses, eyeglass) or a helmet with a visor. We provide a helmet if you need one.
- Sturdy Footwear such as leather boots or hiking boots. footwear must completely cover the ankle bone, no low top or mid top sneakers.
- Full fingered gloves designed for protection against abrasions: eg motorcycle glove or work glove from a hardware store.
- Long sleeve shirt or jacket and a long pair of pants
- Rain gear if necessary, we do ride in the rain, however if weather conditions compromise safety the course may be postponed.
- Snacks and Drink.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NO EXPOSED SKIN BELOW YOUR NECK LINE.
All items of clothing should overlap when in a seated position. Your riding gear will be
inspected before you are allowed to ride. If you are unsure of your gearbring it to the classroom session for inspection.
All students will go through a "Riding Gear" inspection by the RiderCoach, if you do not have the necessary items listed above you will be asked to leave and may be charged a re-booking fee to complete your course. The RiderCoach's decision is final. Please feel free to bring your riding gear to the classroom, if you have any questions.
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- What is required to pass the Basic Rider Course?
- Pass a written evaluation.
- Pass a skill evaluation.
- Attend all sessions.
Experience has shown that some people are unable to achieve the riding objectives of the course because of outside distractions and inability to focus due to being overly nervous, illness, and not being mentally prepared for the learning process. We have found that the majority of people who unsuccessfully complete the course the first time, and take the course again, do pass. Success is a function of having a positive mental attitude and you may be asked to leave the class if your skill level or approach to motorcycle safety, poses a hazard to yourself or others in the class. This decision is the sole discretion of the Ridercoach
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- Where do I go for the South San Francisco Riding session?
Westborough Middle School
2570 Westborough Boulevard
South San Francisco, CA 94080
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- Where do I go for the San Jose riding sessions?
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