The motorcycle class was pretty fun. I knew it would be intense and I was more concerned with getting my endorsement, so I opted to take the class on a scooter. This is considered acceptable cheating. In the end both Jer and I got our endorsements, which means we passed the riding and written tests, and can update our driver's licenses.
The first day started in a classroom at 8am. About 12 of us watched videos, read from a booklet, and proved we had appropriate footwear. We took a break for lunch and then at 12:30pm met at the range across the parking lot, on the other side of a warehouse. We were given helmets and assigned bikes and taken through each step at a decent speed.
We started by walking the bikes back and forth, revving the engine, putting the bikes in neutral (I followed along as best as I could without being able to shift), power walking the bikes, and then progressed from there. The next day we focused on turns and maneuvering. We did a figure 8 -- basically two U-turns in a row -- an S-curve, a hard stop, swerve, and a lean on a curve.
The instructors were great. We took the course through Pacific NorthWest Motorcycle Safety and I would recommend them. The plan is to get our own protective gear, get our licenses updated, and then practice practice practice. We'll see where it goes from there.
I really enjoyed riding the scooter. I don't need more things to spend money on, but I could see myself riding one of those around town for short trips to the store or the mall or whatever. Plus it was really fun to take the class with Jer so I'd say it was a successful couple of days.
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