Spokane MotorSchool - Motorcycle Training. Education. Safety.

We apologize for the difficulty in reaching us.  Please rest assured that phone calls are returned in the same order in which they are received.  We are sometimes unable to answer every incoming call due to the sheer volume of calls during peak season.   Please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as we are able.   Our office person is also one of our Instructors, and may be teaching class or servicing the classroom or riding facility.  When your call is returned, you will have our complete attention and we will be happy to take the time to answer all your questions and register you for class.  Your call is very important to us, and we appreciate your patience.  Leaving more than one message will not expedite the manner in which you will be contacted.  Speaking clearly and slowly and remembering to leave your phone number is essential!

We hold a contract with the WMSP / DOL to conduct motorcycle safety training classes. They provide some subsidy money to make the training more affordable for Washington residents, but they cannot supply enough money to cover all our classes. The classes and seats are exactly the same, it is simply a matter of funding available.  Subsidy simply means that the state pays the remainder of your tuition fee, making your out of pocket cost less.

Students who want to ride a scooter are allowed to ride their personal scooter (with proof of liability insurance, a safety inspection and Spokane MotorSchool permission BEFORE class begins) in the Novice, Intermediate or Additional Riding classes!  Call the office to register for class and provide us with your scooter's make, model and engine size when registering.

A motorcycle permit is NOT needed to take any of our classes.  We practice riding on a private parking lot and do not operate the motorcycles on any public roadways during the class.  However, if you are registered for our Experienced Rider Class and plan to RIDE your motorcycle TO class (rather than trailering it there) you MUST have a valid motorcycle permit to ride on any public roadway.  To obtain your motorcycle operators permit, go directly to the DOL and you will be given a written test.

We accept STANDBY students into all our classes!  You simply show up at the beginning of class, (on a first come, first serve basis), check in with the instructor, and if someone does not show up for their class, you can have their seat!  This works for all our classes.  Tuition fee is required before joining the class.

When you arrive at class, you will be given your student book and all material will be covered during the course of the class.  The student book is available online in a pdf format for those who would like to visit www.msf-usa.org and click on library, scroll down to Cirriculum Materials, Basic RiderCourse Handbook. Experienced Rider Class students would follow the same steps, but click on ERC Rider Classroom Cards.

Tuition is non-refundable.  If you find you are unable to attend class, contact the office immediately and with a minimum of 5 business days, we may be able to reschedule you at no addtional charge, provided there is availability.  You may also give your seat to another person after notifying us.  Refunds are granted on a case-by-case basis which involve: a medical emergency (with a doctor's note) or for military personnel who are deployed for service.  Refunds are not given for coming to class unprepared, missing class, arriving late or for students who do not complete the class.  Your tuition fee is for motorcycle training and does not guarantee a passing score.

If you complete the entire class, but do not receive a passing score on either your written or riding test, you are allowed one re-test, at no additional charge within 90 days. Your retest can be scheduled for another day, simply call the office to schedule your retest with another class. Ask yourself, do I need more practice or was I simply nervous or fatigued? Ask your instructor for their professional opinion. Your instructor will let you know if they feel you need more practice or simply need to re-test with another class.

The Additional Riding Class,(or ARC) is the next class for you! The ARC gives you the extra practice time you need. Since you have already completed the classroom portion of the curriculum, the ARC puts you back on the motorcycle! Your certified instructors will set up exercises for you from the Basic Classand give you the extra coaching and practice time you need. The ARC is about 5 hours long and costs $100. Retesting is not part of the ARC, please contact the office to schedule a re-test.

Private lessons are also available with our certified instructors. Use your bike or ours, practice exactly what you want, when you want! Costs for private lessons are $100/hr, with a one hour minimum. Retesting is not done in conjuction with a private lesson.  Please call the office for a re-test.

Ask your instructor for their professional opinion before you re-test. If they think you need more practice time, consider registering for the Additional Riding Class or taking some Private Lessons. If you decide to take your re-test and do not receive a passing score, your options are to either:

1. Sign up to take the entire Basic, Intermediate or Experienced Course again
2. Try to pass both the written and riding tests at your local Dept of Licensing office

We always suggest to students that they begin the adventure of riding having first given thought to the safest times and best locations. One thing you can do is to sign up for our Additional Riding Class. This is a great way to get practice time and professional instruction before you ride in traffic!  Another option is to sign up for Private Lessons which will give you the additional practice you need, using one of our bikes or your own bike in a safe professional environment with a certified instructor.

Sometimes students will decide they are not ready to ride. They may be tired, anxious or fatigued. Sometimes weather, nervousness or coordination may be a factor. If you are unable to complete the class, you can always sign up to take the class again. Each exercise and classroom segment must be completed with the class you are registered for in order to qualify for testing and a class completion card. But there is no limit to how many times you may register and take the class! Ask yourself why you were unable to complete the class. Ask yourself what was your motivation for learning to ride. Ask your instructor for their professional opinion. Your instructor will let you know if they feel you would benefit from Private Lessons, or if another day or time might be all that you need.  Consider enrolling in our JumpStart Class, with a smaller class size and more time to focus on just the basics, students dramatically improve their confidence and success.  Then take the Novice Class again to earn your endorsement!

Your instructor determines when and if a student should be excused from the class. These reasons could either be because of failure to respond to coaching, an intentional unsafe act, poor attitude or purely due to risk. We conduct a safety class and believe strongly in providing every student with a safe, positive environment in which to succeed. Consider taking our JumpStart Class to work on the basics, or Private Lessons for the one-on-one time you may need.  If a student drops a motorcycle twice, they will also be asked to leave. This is simply a regulation that we are required to comply with. Each exercise and classroom segment must be completed with the class you are registered for in order to qualify for testing and a class completion card. But you can always sign up to take the class again. There is no limit to the number of times you may sign up, or take any of our classes!

If a student drops a motorcycle twice, your instructor is required to ask you to leave. We know it was an accident and the class is full of Novice students, but policy dictates how many times a student may drop a cycle before being released from class. Each exercise and classroom segment must be completed with the class you are registered for in order to qualify for testing and a class completion card. You may sign up to take the class again, or, consider a Private Lesson or our JumpStart Class to help you gain the confidence you need before taking the Novice Class again.

We are available to discuss any discrepancies with you and to offer a solution. Please contact the office at (509) 326-6181 and arrange either a telephone interview, or an in person meeting with the owner. We value your opinion and welcome any feedback you may have. We wish to employ only the highest quality certified instructors and will take any complaints and issues very seriously. Regular office hours are M-F from 12pm - 4pm. If you are unable to reach us during that time, we urge you to leave us a message. We check messages regularly and will return your call as soon as we are able.

The written test is multiple choice and questions come directly from the MSF Student Handbook used in class.  The Basic and Intermediate classes use the Basic RiderCourse Handbook and there are study questions located in the back of the handbook.  The Experienced class uses the ERC Rider Classroom Cards.  To study the handbook before class, visit

http://msf-usa.org/index_new.cfm?spl=2&action=display&pagename=Library

Select from the library list:

Curriculum Materials
Basic RiderCourse Handbook (Non-printable)

or

ERC Rider Classroom Cards

The riding test is the same for all the classes and consists of only 4 skills that are practiced during the class.  They are the U-Turn (limited space maneuver), Swerve, Quick Stop and a Cornering Exercise.

Passing score for both the written and riding tests is 80% or better

The only motorcycle that has had any difficulty accomplishing any of the patterns we use in class has been the "Boss Hoss" and it is not due to the size or weight of the motorcycle, but simply because that model does not have a clutch (it is an automatic with a Chevy V-8 engine in a motorcycle frame) and idle speed was too fast to complete the U-Turn.

Let us teach you the correct techniques to use and with dedicated practice, you will be surprised at what your bike can really do!  Our instructors use their personal bikes to teach the Experienced Rider Class and you are welcome to come watch all the different makes and models complete the riding exercises.  From Harley Davidson Road Kings to Honda Sabres, Yamaha V-Stars, Sport bikes, Triumphs, Gold Wings, BMW's and Kawasaki KLR's, it's so important to practice on the bike you'll really be riding and to keep your skills sharp and fresh!  Riders who take the Experienced Class commonly say "I can't believe how much I learned", "I didn't think my bike could do that" and "my confidence level on my own bike increased dramatically".

The Basic Class covers more information and is designed for a beginning rider, so time is spent teaching students the basics; everything from starting and stopping the engine, how to use the clutch, how to shift and stop.  The Intermediate class skips over those basic things, assuming the student already knows the basics.  The riding test is exactly the same for both classes. The Basic Class isn't really 'easier', it's just slower and covers more information.  Both classes cover the same "street strategies" and risk management so students learn how to ride safely in traffic.