At HCC, novice bikers drill in road safety fundamentals

The Baltimore Sun

Teresa McCoy's family and friends accuse her of going through a midlife crisis. But McCoy, 40, doesn't care. She is learning to ride a motorcycle, she says, because she likes the freedom of being on a bike. And she has starting bidding for used ones on eBay.

"It's something I can do on weekends when I don't have the kids - I'm a single mom," said McCoy, taking a break from her lesson to stand on the hot asphalt at Howard Community College, where the Basic Rider Course in Motorcycle Safety was being taught. "It's a good way to socialize."

Like other students in the class, McCoy had logged seven hours of classroom time over two evenings earlier in the week. Now she was spending five hours each day on Saturday and Sunday on the bike, learning to ride. Though the lessons are not required for people applying for a Maryland motorcycle license, they provide valuable information about how to ride, she said.

"This is definitely not a vehicle for absent-minded people," said McCoy, who noted that riding a motorcycle requires coordinating both hands and both feet. "You have to be alert."

McCoy, one of a dozen taking the course Saturday, lives in Catonsville. Other people in the class came from as far away as Baltimore and Calvert counties.

The two-year-old program at Howard Community College is expected to enroll 1,200 students this year. It is the second-largest in the state, after the long-running program at Prince George's Community College, said Jim Schmidt, director of Motor Vehicle Safety Programs at the college.

Last year, 1,050 students took the training, which costs $330 for the basic course, and $230 for one-day, seven-hour advanced and refresher versions, he said. And students arrive ready and eager to learn, he said. "More than one instructor has expressed to me that they're jealous of the enthusiasm of my students," Schmidt said.

McCoy was a case in point. Though she was wearing jeans and heavy boots, the heat didn't seem to bother her. "I love it," she said, exhilarated by the ride. "This is the first time I've actually been behind the controls."

The basic course, which most students take, requires two evenings, 3 1/2 hours each, in a classroom, followed by two five-hour days of driving. Schmidt has 25 instructors working for him, he said, and classes run every week in the spring, summer and fall.

To qualify for a motorcycle license, drivers must take a written and a riding test at the state's Motor Vehicle Administration. But drivers who pass the written and riding tests of the safety course, which uses a state-approved curriculum, receive a waiver and do not have to take the MVA tests, Schmidt said. The fail rate for the class is the same as at the MVA - 7 1/2 percent, he said.

Schmidt, who has been riding motorcycles for 35 years, starting giving safety courses at a different college three years ago, he said. He approached HCC about starting a program. "It turns out, when I pitched it to them, they were already thinking about it," he said.

The college purchased 28 Suzuki motorcycles. HCC also provides helmets. Students must wear long pants and sturdy boots, but they do not need to buy any equipment for the course, Schmidt said. "Ideally, a student will take the class before they purchase the motorcycle," Schmidt said.

As the break ended, instructor Sue Williams asked the students to gather around. She carefully explained the next exercise, which would require the students to ride in an oval, executing several tight turns. As she explained the process of looking through the turn and discussed when to slow down and when to speed up, the other instructor, Ruth General, demonstrated. "I don't want to see anyone getting off the throttle and then re-grabbing it," Williams said.

The students got on their bikes and started them. Raising her voice over the roar of the motors, Williams told the first student to start. "Don't look down," she said to Kristy Isles, 21, of Owings in Calvert County. "Look where you're going."

About 40 percent of the students in the motorcycle safety classes are women, Schmidt said. Isles, at 21, is on the young side for the class, which she described as fun and helpful. The only downside of the experience is that she will not be able to purchase a bike right away, she said. "Unfortunately, it's going to be a year before I get a motorcycle because I can't afford it," she said.

Jeff Elliott, 43, came from Crofton for the class, which he said he discovered online. He plans to buy a Honda Arrow to ride to work. "It's the freedom of the road," he said, explaining the appeal. "It's different than anything I've ever done."

Though he has been on motorcycles, riding behind the operator, the lesson marked his first experience at the bike's controls. "It's coming pretty easily to me, which is a good thing," he said. "It's fun and very exciting."

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