Safe Riding

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 …

Not only will CONREP students get a grip on the throttle this spring, most will also be required to fire up a computer for some pre-course preparation in the form of an eCourse. “Connecticut is adopting the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) eCourse to further enhance the students learning time in …

NAUGATUCK, CT – The temperature change during October has some riders putting their bikes into hibernation. Then there are the motorcyclists who can’t get enough and get more riding time by extending their riding season several months or by riding all year long. For them chilly temperature is no reason to …

NAUGATUCK, CT – Motorcycling is like so many other sports. Training and practice can help immeasurably in mastering skills, learning new ones and correcting bad habits that have developed over time. Think about it for second: Golfers often seek out a pro to improve a swing. So do tennis players. Skiers …

NAUGATUCK, CT – As the riding season approaches, so does the motorcycle training season, and the recent annual training session for Connecticut Rider Education Program (CONREP) instructors reminded me that I’ll soon be back in the classroom and on the training range. The day-long session brought together all of CONREP’s instructors …

NAUGATUCK, CT – Head and brain injuries are the leading cause of motorcycle fatalities, so the helmet is the most important piece of protective gear that any rider can wear to protect the brain. It’s more important than the traditional leather jacket that prevents road rash, the gloves that keep …