Do you have what it takes to become a motorcycle safety instructor?

Instructors are the backbone of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation^® Rider Education and Training System^SM (MSF RETS). Completing an intensive Instructor Preparation Course is one of the main requirements to become a Motorcycle Safety Foundation^® RiderCourse^SM Certified Instructor.

During the Instructor Preparation Course you’ll learn the nuts and bolts of teaching the Motorcycle Safety Foundation^® Basic RiderCourse^SM (BRC). In Washington, your Instructor Preparation Course will also prepare you to teach the Experienced RiderCourse^SM (ERC).

Who teaches the Instructor Preparation Course?

Motorcycle Safety Foundation certified Instructor Trainers teach the course. These specially trained instructors have completed MSF’s Instructor Trainer Preparation Course and are authorized to train candidates for MSF Instructor certification. In Washington, the trainers are usually assisted by Mentor Instructors. Mentors are highly qualified instructors, who have passed an intensive screening and training program specifically designed to qualify them to assist and guide other instructors in preparation for the Instructor Preparation Course. They also provide follow-on training and quality reviews of certified instructors.

What qualifications do I need to enroll?

You must be a licensed motorcyclist who currently rides on a frequent, routine basis. In general, you should have several years of varied riding experience. As a teacher, you need good communication skills. As an instructor, you’ll be called upon to give your time to help teach RiderCourses^SM. Although you will be paid, you won’t become rich in this field. A sincere desire to help reduce motorcycle accidents, injuries, and deaths is the prime motivator of RiderCourse^SM Instructors.

How much time is involved, what does the Instructor Preparation Course cover, and what are the completion requirements?

Before the Instructor Preparation Course you are required to shadow a Mentor Instructor through a minimum of four complete classes. “Shadowing” simply means you attend all class sessions, accompany a Mentor Instructor and learn from them, so that you are fully prepared to go to the Instructor Preparation Course.

The Instructor Preparation Course itself is three weekends long (Friday evenings, and all day Saturdays and Sundays) of intense training.

As part of the course, you will be required to pass a riding-skill test. This is the same test used in MSF’s Basic RiderCourse^SM; however, the standards are higher for Instructor Candidates.

During the course, you’ll learn how to teach the BRC curriculum. You’ll practice teaching in the classroom. You’ll learn how to manage the range exercises and how to evaluate and coach students as they develop their riding skills.

At the end of the training portion of the course, you’ll be given a knowledge test. You must pass it to continue in the program.

The course culminates when you and your classmates teach a complete BRC to a group of new riders. The Instructor Trainers will evaluate your performance. Successfully completing student teaching is your final requirement to qualify for MSF RiderCourse^SM Instructor national certification. In order to be certified to teach in Washington, you must then teach two complete classes with a Mentor shadowing you.

As an Instructor Candidate, you’ll use the Instructor Guide for the BRC. You’ll also receive many MSF materials, reports, and instructional handouts to start your own reference library. You will also receive Instructor Range and Classroom Cards for the ERC and information on teaching this program.

When is the course offered and what does it cost?

Instructor Preparation Courses in Washington are usually offered a couple times a year; one of them is held on the west side of the Cascades, and another one on the eastern side of the state. The course costs $200 to attend, and the prerequisites (shadowing sessions, application, and payment of the course fee) must be completed approximately two months prior to the Instructor Preparation Course start date.

Are you up to the challenge?

If you believe you have what it takes to become a Motorcycle Safety Foundation^® RiderCourse^SM Certified Instructor, call the Motorcycle Safety Company office at 206-838-1010 to set up an interview.