*Please note – in this course, we do not provide the MST (Motorcycle Skills Test) on-site. We will train you in the skills necessary to pass the test, book your test at ICBC on your behalf, and deliver one of our training bikes to ICBC for your use during the test.
Novice Learn to Ride – 18 (private lessons) or 27 (small group) Hours – Licensing Support Course.
- 3 Hours Theory
- 6 Hours Motorcycle Skills Training
- 2 Hour MST practice and Mock Test
- 1 hour MST support at ICBC
- 3 Hours Street Training
- 1 Hour Road Test Training
- 4 Hour bike rental on road test day. Pick up bike 2 1/2 hours before test.
- + Free use of the school bike for first re-test (MST and Road Test) if required
This course starts in the classroom (available in-person or online), focusing on the techniques and fundamentals of riding a motorcycle safely, and then moving out into the parking lot, followed by supervised, instructional street rides.
After reviewing the dynamics of riding, you will then learn to get on and off the motorcycle safely, operate the clutch, get the motorcycle moving and put your feet on the pegs while balancing at lower speeds.
Once you can move the motorcycle under power and balance in a straight line, you will learn to maneuver through cones, turn with confidence and stop the motorcycle.
At the end of the parking lot portion of the course, your instructor will give you a mock test and a marked sheet. Our lead instructor, John Buddo, is an ICBC Certified Motorcycle Skills Assessment Officer. Your marked test sheet will reflect the mark that you would likely have received if you were at ICBC taking the test.
We will then deliver a motorcycle to ICBC on the day of your test, and stay to observe the test.
The road ride portion of your lessons will focus on being visible to other road users, and creating good habits that will keep you safe, and help you pass your road test. Just a day or two prior to Road Test, we will conduct a 1 hour mock road test, and then on the day of your test, if you plan to use our motorcycle, it will be available to you an hour before your check-in time at ICBC, so that you can ride to your test and get comfortable on the motorbike.
All of our courses can be customized and adjusted according to your needs and schedule, however, a typical schedule for this course might look like this:
- Thursday evening – 2 Hours Online Theory
- Saturday afternoon 12 to 4pm – 4 hours, 1 Hour Theory (Motorcycle safety check, low speed fundamentals, starting your bike, identifying hazards) followed by 3 hours of on-the-bike motorcycle skills practice and drills.
- Sunday afternoon 12 to 4pm – 4 hours, starting with 1 hour theory, followed by 2 hours practice, shifting gears, braking, hill starts and obstacle avoidance, followed by 1 hour of MST specific practice and a mock MST test.
- Monday evening – 3 hour road lesson
- Thursday evening – two hour MST practice and mock test
- Friday – motorcycle delivered to ICBC for your skills test
- After successful completion of your MST, we will book your road test for the earliest available date.
- Just a day or 2 before your road test, we will meet you for a 1 hour road test lesson. We start with a 10 minute discussion of the road test marking system and how to minimize your errors, followed by a 40 minute mock test (you ride the bike, we follow behind and give you instructions through a speaker on your vest), followed by a discussion of how you did, and which habits you might need to change to maximize the chances of passing your road test.
- On the day of your test, our motorcycle will be available 2.5 hours prior to your ICBC check-in time. Pick it up at our storage address at 3183 Esmond Ave, Burnaby (just 5 minutes from ICBC on Lougheed Hwy) and spend an hour riding the streets near ICBC and getting warmed up for your test.
*If you fail to pass your MST on the first try, this is the only program where we offer the use of the bike at no cost on your subsequent attempt. Similarly, if your road test is not successful, we offer the use of the bike on your subsequent attempt at no charge.
F.A.Q.
Q. Can I take my MST at Urban Rider?
A. Not at this time. In order to conduct the test as part of your course, it is not enough that the instructor is a certified Assessment Officer. The school must be running an approved curriculum that has been audited by ICBC. At this time, we are working with ICBC to schedule that audit as soon as possible and hope to have it completed this by mid-summer. If the audit has been completed and the course curriculum approved before your course start date, then we will include the test as part of your course. Otherwise, we will only include a mock test, and will offer the use of a school motorcycle at ICBC for your actual test. ICBC offers the test free of charge.
Q. Where does the training take place?
A. Our classroom is in Burnaby, near Boundary and Canada Way, however we may also offer the classroom sessions at your home or office for your convenience, or portions of the classroom may be offered online during Covid restrictions.
The parking lot sessions are offered in various locations in East Vancouver and Burnaby. Our primary training lot is located at 1456 East 12th Avenue (near Clark Drive).
Q. What is covered in the training?
A. COURSE CURRICULUM INCLUDES:
CLASSROOM:
- Overview of the hazards of riding
- Managing risks
- The main causes of collisions and how to avoid them
- Why drivers don’t see motorcycle riders
- How to use lane position & spacing to be seen, and stay safe, in city traffic
- Low speed riding techniques
- Braking effectively on a motorcycle
- Cornering fundamentals
- Types of bikes and choosing your first bike
- Safety equipment
- Preparing for your road test
PARKING LOT:
- Motorcycle Safety Check
- Getting to know your motorcycle – controls, basic maintenance, starting your bike
- Introduction to vision, steering and speed control
- Introduction to low speed control
- Introduction to gear shifting
- Introduction to braking
- Introduction to counter-steering
- Introduction to evasive maneuvers
- Practice and repetition
- Putting it all together
- MST practice
TRAFFIC CLASS
- Introduction to riding on the streets
- Introduction to riding in pairs/groups
- The importance of developing good habits when on the street
- Starting in quiet side streets, this instructor led street ride will introduce the student to safe riding habits when riding in city streets and on the highway.