Safe Riding

Making the transition from newbie to experienced rider takes more than time. It requires putting effort into practicing physical riding skills, improving situational awareness, and ensuring your motorcycle and riding gear are ready for the roads ahead.  For this column, I’ve tapped the expertise of some Connecticut Rider Education Program …

A new video shared over the weekend to a group of guys that I sometimes ride with caught my attention and spurred some commenting. It was created by a YouTuber who calls himself Copperdawg. He’s a 61-year-old rider from central Florida who shares his thoughts and opinions on riding. The …

Time flies. It has been nearly 15 years since Connecticut mandated that all prospective riders successfully complete a motorcycle safety course to get an “M” endorsement on a driver license, yet I feel safe in suggesting that there are still many riders out on the roads who have never taken …

PALMER, MA – Back in late May, and for the first time in my long riding career, I participated in a day-long, track-based motorcycle training course at Palmer Motorsports Park. As a 25-year Motorcycle Safety Foundation-certified rider coach, I’ve always fully supported continuous improvement through rider education and practice, but …

It took some adjustments but course registration for Connecticut Rider Education Program classes across the state has opened. Unfortunately, those seeking to register for a CONREP motorcycle training class at the outset were met with a bit of a circular snag.  It seems the ball was dropped back in January …

Are you a motorcycle novice interested in learning to ride and get licensed?  Are you already riding on a motorcycle permit, but wish to get licensed. Have you been riding with a motorcycle endorsement, but would like to improve your skills? If your answer is “Yes” to any of these …

By Steve Smith / NAUGATUCK, CT – It happened during a Basic Rider Course that I was teaching maybe 20 years ago and involved a student who was opposed to wearing a helmet when riding.  ‘The class was engaged in a riding exercise when the student approached the stopping area …

By Steve Smith / Changes are coming to the Connecticut Rider Education Program in spring. The powers that be held off as long as possible, but it was bound to happen. Fees for CONREP courses will increase slightly. Please don’t be a hater… The cost of almost everything has gone …

NAUGATUCK, CT – Another riding season is here and, for me, another year of serving as a Connecticut Rider Education Program (CONREP) instructor. Classes started today at the site where I teach; Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, CT and 23 of the 77 of Basic Rider Course classes are …

NAUGATUCK, CT – The subject of emergency braking came up recently in posts on motorcycle social media groups, at a club rally and while on a group ride, so perhaps a review of proper techniques is overdue. Learning, practicing and always using the correct emergency braking practices will not only …

NAUGATUCK, CT – Getting a motorcycle endorsement in Connecticut (or anywhere) is always a challenging endeavor, but never more so than in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out Connecticut Rider Education Program (CONREP) classes in the spring and forced safety-related changes for the remainder of the year at teaching sites that …

NAUGATUCK, CT – It’s probably obvious, but I’ll state it anyway: COVID-19 is impacting potential new riders seeking to get licensed.  Presently, there is no way to take a mandatory course offered through Connecticut Rider Education Program to obtain a motorcycle license. All CONREP training sites are shut down.  If …

Motorcyclists and bicyclists share some of the same potential hazards. Among them are car doors opening in our path, other vehicles making unsafe lane changes or sudden stops, hazardous road conditions that two-wheeled vehicles must slow down for or navigate around, and the all too common left turn incidents. Selfish …

By Steve Smith NAUGATUCK, CT – You’ve been riding for a while. You’re no longer a fresh-from-class “newbie,” rather a novice street rider with some actual seat time. In progressing from novice status to being an experienced rider, though, it’s easy to become complacent and to forget to apply the …

NAUGATUCK, CT – Riding a motorcycle isn’t for everyone. While an estimated 85 percent of students taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation-designed Basic Rider Course are successful, passing the course doesn’t make one a skilled rider or even road-ready. That only comes with seat time and a willingness to constantly work …