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Learn to Ride a Motorcycle

Rider's Edge Academy of Motorcycling logo

Colorado recognizes passing a basic rider's training course as an alternative for obtaining a new motorcycle license. While there are several beginner-level riding classes throughout the Denver metro area, any one of which will fulfill the minimum state-mandated requirement, the Rider's Edge® New Rider Course offered by Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson.

  1. Proven Curriculum
  2. Long Training Sessions
  3. Individualized Instruction
  4. Our Instructors are Top-Notch
  5. Your Training Motorcycle is Provided
  6. We Provide the Complete Experience

Proven Curriculum

Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson's Rider's Edge New Rider Course is based on the Motorcycle Safety Foundation®'s proven and nationally recognized curriculum, the same curriculum that all state-run programs use.

Long Training Sessions

Our training course is approximately 25 hours. Our weekend class sessions span three days.

  • Thursday: 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
  • Saturday: 7:45 am – 5:00 pm
  • Sunday: 7:45 am – 5:00 pm

Our weekday classes (held only in June and July) span three days.

  • Tuesday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
  • Wednesday 7:30 am – 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 7:30 am – 5:00 pm

Individualized Instruction

Rider's Edge instructor working with students

Because our class sessions are longer and because there are fewer students per instructor, we can pack more information and individualized attention into each class. This means that classroom lessons can be more in-depth, and can better prepare new riders for the mental demands that riding will place upon them.

Our customized training allows the new rider to "build up" to riding by using classroom material and preliminary exercises on the bike (with the engine off) to familiarize the student with both the idea, and the feeling, of being on a motorcycle.

Our long class sessions also mean that time spent on the riding range can be more productive. Because part of riding a motorcycle involves learning a new set of physical skills, our Rider's Edge® New Rider Course ensures that each new rider will have plenty of on-track time to develop the confidence and dexterity necessary to ride in the real world.

Extra time is built into the schedule to make sure that each student understands each riding technique before moving on the next. All of the time spent in class and on the riding range will give the new rider a chance to learn motorcycling the right way from the very beginning … before any bad habits develop.

Our Instructors are Top-Notch

Similar to the instructors in other programs, all of our instructors have many years of riding experience and have passed the demanding MSF training program.

Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson also requires our instructors to pass the intensive Rider's Edge Instructor Training program, a five day program filled with both classroom and range time each day. This additional training focuses specifically on the best methods by which to teach riding skills to new riders, how to overcome their innate bad habits, and how to make the learning experience both interesting and fun.

In short, our instructors are not just fantastic riders, they are educators of the highest caliber.

Your Training Motorcycle is Provided

A Buell® Blast® motorcycle is provided for the student's use while taking the Rider's Edge New Rider Course. This means that the student does not have to buy, beg, borrow, or steal a motorcycle before being able to take the class, and allows the student to really try the sport of motorcycling before making a large financial commitment.

The Blast® comes from the time-tested Harley-Davidson® family of motorcycles and is designed with the novice rider in mind. The Blast® is designed with a low center of gravity, making it easier to handle and balance. Unlike many other "novice motorcycles", the Blast®'s muffler design keeps the muffler out of the way of the student's legs, an important consideration since the muffler can reach temperatures of several hundred degrees.

With the exception of color, all of the training motorcycles are identical. This is invaluable to our instructors as it enables them to quickly determine the cause of any problems that may arise.

Finally, the Blast® is outfit with a minimum of switches, gauges, and buttons making it easier for the rider to focus on proper riding techniques rather than on the motorcycle itself. This means that learning to ride on the Blast® is very easy. Because the Blast® is a street-worthy, mid-sized motorcycle, the transition from the riding range to the street is easier than with many other beginner's motorcycles.

We Provide the Complete Experience

African-american man wearing black and white-striped rugby shirt standing next to flame painted hot-rod

Learning to ride is not just about getting comfortable with riding techniques … there is a whole lifestyle associated with motorcycling. Because much of the written course work is done at Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson, each student will get the opportunity to learn as much about the sport of motorcycling as he or she will about the actual practice of riding a motorcycle.

Each student will get a chance to sit on different bikes, learn about different families of motorcycles, and see which style of motorcycle is the best fit for their own personal riding style. Each student will also be afforded the opportunity to see and try on lots of different riding gear, apparel, and accessories and will be encouraged to ask any questions which he or she may have about them.

Each class will be also be introduced to the various departments within Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson and to the employees within those departments, encouraging the student to be open about any questions, problems, or concerns that they may have regarding motorcycling. Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson is serious about its commitment to motorcycling and about its commitment to the safety of the new riders who leave our dealership.

After all, our relationship with the student does not stop once they have finished their course … in fact, our relationship with the rider is just beginning.

Have you heard enough? Are you ready to ride? Then take a few moments and register for a class.

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