Harley-Davidson® Riding Academy

Get Ready To Ride - $ Free.99

• Designed to help you prepare for class 

• Free 30-90 minute orientation 

• Tour the dealership 

• Get fitted for riding gear needed 

• Start a motorcycle and shift gears on our JUMPSTART platform 

• “Try on” our H-D Street 500 motorcycle 

Find a class

Experience The Ride - $150*

• Designed for riders with no experience 

• Become familiar with basic motorcycle controls and experience operating a motorcycle in a straight line 

• Small class size 

• 2-hr course (Early mornings During Summer)

• Range only 

• Must bring your riding gear (limited selection of helmets available) 

• *$50 discount off a New Rider Course

Find a class

3-Wheel New Rider Course - coming soon

• Designed for new riders with little to no experience operating a trike 

• Learn basic 3-wheel handling skills 

• 2-1/2 day course (Early mornings During Summer)

• 5-hr online eCourse + Range 

• Ride your trike or rent one of ours 

• Must bring all your riding gear 

• 

Find a class

New Rider Course (License Waiver) - $295

• License waiver class designed for new riders with little to no experience operating a motorcycle 

• Learn basic motorcycling skills 

• 2-1/2 day course (Early mornings During Summer)

• 3-hr online eCourse + Range 

• H-D Street 500 motorcycle provided 

• Must bring all your riding gear 

• Successful completion earns “M” class license waiver through Nevada DMV

Find a class

WELCOME BACK WORKSHOP - $fREE.99

•  

•  

•  

• 

• 
•  

• 

Find a class

Intermediate Rider Licensing Course - $200

• License waiver class designed for active riders with recent experience operating a motorcycle, dirt bike, or scooter 

• Learn techniques to improve motorcycle control skills 

• 1-1/2 day course (Early mornings During Summer)

• 4-hr online eCourse + Range 

• Ride your motorcycle or our H-D Street 500 (Using the Street 500 is an additional charge of $50) 

• Must bring all your riding gear 

• Successful completion earns “M” class license waiver

Find a class

Skilled Rider Course (Skills Practice) - $150

• Designed for active riders with a motorcycle license 

• Improve command and control of your motorcycle 

• 1 day course (Early mornings During Summer)

• Range only 

• Must bring your own motorcycle and riding gear or can use our Street 500 (Using the Street 500 is an additional charge of $50) 

Find a class

ADVENTURE TOURING Rider Course - $200

• Designed for active riders with a motorcycle license 

• Teach you essential skills to take your adventure from the streets to the dirt (No off-road experience required)

• 1 day course (Early mornings During Summer)

• Range only

• Must bring your own motorcycle and riding gear 

Find a class

What To Expect

• Learn to ride on a genuine Harley-Davidson® motorcycle.
• Classroom and range instruction from state & Riding Academy certified coaches
• Our courses are designed to teach you how to safely accelerate, shift, brake, and turn, as well as maneuvers like controlling skids and surmounting riding obstacles.
• We prioritize safety in all our teachings, ensuring you're well-prepared for any situation on the road.
• Earn a Motorcycle Safety Course Completion Card, which may exempt you from the riding portion of your state license exam and score you a discount on motorcycle insurance.

What To Wear

• A heavy, long-sleeve shirt or jacket
• Jeans, chaps, or leather pants
• Over-the-ankle, sturdy footwear
• Full-fingered gloves with leather palms and knuckles
• A helmet that meets DOT requirements
• Eyewear

Need help finding the right gear for you? Schedule a gear fitting today.

Check out the gear

Frequently Asked Questions

What Should I Expect Prior to Class?

After enrolling, Cox's dealership should contact you with any specifics about your course, including what to bring, what is required, and where and when to meet.

North Carolina uses the Motorcycle Safety Foundation curriculum, and many of those employ the MSF Basic eCourse as a component of your overall class. The eCourse is a crucial part of your preparation, replacing a portion of the classroom session at the dealer. It can be quickly completed at your convenience prior to the first night of class, ensuring you're fully ready for the first night of class.

Be sure to budget time prior to the first day of class to complete the eCourse - it takes about 5 hours, and even if you have previous experience with motorcycling, you cannot fast forward through any sections of the eCourse. You will receive a completion certificate at the end of the course, so be sure to print that out and bring it on the first day of class. Take the e-course.

 

You will need to bring these items to class with you:
Your Driver's License and Learner's Permit
Proof of completion of any pre-required course study
Any materials provided to you prior to or during class

What Should I Wear?

Gloves and a helmet are the only essential motorcycle-specific items, but we recommend that you take what you have to the dealer to get it checked out sometime before the first night of class. They can help you ensure that you have the right equipment.

Class Gear List

• Long-sleeve shirt or jacket
• Long pants (heavy denim or riding pants recommended)
• Over-the-ankle boots (sturdy, not canvas, low heel)
• Eye protection (helmet visor, eyeglasses, sunglasses, goggles acceptable)
• Full-finger gloves (motorcycle-specific recommended)
• DOT-certified helmet

Shopping for a Helmet

A helmet is the most essential piece of motorcycle gear you will invest in. It is also a very personal piece of gear. Consider buying a helmet vs. borrowing one. That way, it is yours, it fits you perfectly, and it allows you to focus on learning to ride.

The staff at your dealer are trained to fit a helmet and will ensure you get the right one. Helmet fit is so important that they will most likely suggest you wear the one you settle on around the dealer for about 15 minutes. It takes that long for the helmet to really let you know if it will be comfortable in the long run. Remember, helmets are not typically returnable once they leave the dealership, so take the time to find the right one.

Coach Tip: The more helmets, the better. A full-face helmet is the best, followed by a modular one. If you feel too cooped up in a full-face helmet, an open-face helmet or 3⁄4 open still provides good protection. Half helmets, while trendy, offer the least amount of protection.

What Happens in the Classroom Before You Go on the Range?

There are various schedules. This example of a typical weekend course will give you a feel for what to expect.

The first class meeting typically runs three hours: You'll get a tour of the dealership, fill out all the class paperwork, and get to know your peers and coaches. During the paperwork session, you will hear a lot about counseling being on time and having all the gear. Don't fret; it is just to set clear expectations for everyone. Being that an endorsement waiver is provided through this class, it has some structural aspects that the state requires to allow for licensing.

You'll get a ROADBOOK - this is a small Harley-Davidson® Journal that you will use to reflect on essential points throughout the class. A review of the eCourse will follow, which will give you a chance to understand the critical points of the eCourse better. Jump in there and participate! A lot of what is being discussed you have already seen firsthand as a car driver. Then, the class will turn to new material - an activity to help demystify motorcycle controls and their use will be held, as well as an activity to help understand important aspects of riding gear.

At the end of the night, coaches usually spend some time talking about the range days, what to bring, where the range is, and when to be there. The range is simply a practice lot; it is a large, flat piece of pavement that may be on dealer property or down the road a few miles.

This site is usually blocked off from car traffic and offers a controlled environment in which to learn. The classroom will probably conclude with a discussion on the range rules and hand signals. These are all intended to help you understand how the range works and to ensure everyone has a good time during the riding portion of the course.

Coach Tip: If you are unsure where the range is, take time to drive by it on your way home rather than frantically searching for it in the morning.

Pack whatever snacks you need to keep going physically and mentally. The dealership usually provides bottled water.

What Happens on the Range?

A typical course will include two days in the range. Here is what to expect.

First Day Riding

Your first range day will focus on getting to know the motorcycle, how to properly start it up, move it from point A to point B, and shut it off. You learn the fundamentals of clutching and shifting, turning and stopping.

Each exercise is designed to build on the previous exercises and allow you to learn quickly and effectively. Expect each exercise to take about 40 minutes. After every other exercise, a break will be held. This is usually a ROADBOOK opportunity and a chance to rest, get a drink of water, and hang out with your classmates.

Programs typically hold a classroom session at the dealership after the first range day.

The afternoon classroom session is focused on behaviors and self-assessment. This is essential stuff! The more you participate, the more you will get out of it.

Coach Tip: Learning to ride can be mentally and physically exhausting. Make plans to rest Saturday night - you want to be fresh for the second range day.

Second Day Riding

Day 2 will focus on riding skills, such as cornering, swerving, and maximum braking. Just like the first day, expect two exercises back to back with a ROADBOOK break in between. These exercises are at slightly higher speeds than yesterday and are a lot of fun! Expect to see smiles spread across the faces of your classmates.

At the end of the second day on the range, the coaches will set up and score the five evaluation exercises. These are based on the exact exercises you just rode and the same skills you learned over the last two days of riding.

Relax and be sure to breathe: This is just a fair measurement of your current abilities to ensure that you are ready to leave the range and venture out onto the open road. Listen to your coaches and watch each student ahead of you as they ride the test exercises. You want to be sure of the path of travel and the technique being scored.

Coach Tip: Don't score yourself during the evaluations. Not all areas of the riding exercise are scored, and most mistakes are just a few points. Riders who get worked up because they made a riding error often ride worse and make more errors. Ride on and do your best!
Your coach will let you know how you did at the end of the evaluations. If you did not pass, don't freak out! There are often opportunities to take a portion of the course over or to retest later. See your Riding Academy Manager as soon as possible regarding these options.

What Happens After Your Time on the Range?

At the last classroom meeting, there might be state-specific content to cover, more paperwork to complete, and some celebrating to do. This is it; you are in the family now. Enjoy the ride!

Students who complete the classroom and range sessions will be issued a completion document. In many states, this document will excuse the person from taking a motorcycle operator skills test through the Department of Motor Vehicles. However, it does not count as a license and is not recognized by law enforcement as a license to ride. Your coach or your local DMV will provide instructions on how to convert the completion document into a motorcycle endorsement.

You will need to take your completion document to your DMV and complete any additional steps required to get the motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license. Once you've gotten your license, get out and enjoy the ride!

Contact Cox's Harley-Davidson Riding Academy

Phone: 336.629.2415