California Rider Education of Alameda

It’s a good class and your insurance will give you a discount IF you pass.
Here is the problem: If you don’t pass (there are always 2 or 3 who don’t … quota??) then they offer you to come back for the final day of another course and if there is a no-​show then you can retake the class. My buddy did not pass a few month ago and he has been back many times to wait for no-​shows which rarely happens given the high cost of the class. There also has been a continuous stream of other no-​passers who tried to retake the class. Most people eventually give up, some just take the class again.
There should be an extra day each month for all the no-​passers, I am sure most would gladly pay a little fee to avoid showing up for many month and hoping for a no-​show.

I took my MSF course with the California Rider Education of Alameda, and had an absolute blast.
Sure, I was stiff for most of it. Sure, I stalled the engine a few times. But I got more comfortable with my skills by the end of the course. The instructors were great — they offered support through the whole thing and offered plenty of handy tips.
I still have a ways to go before I’m super comfortable on the road, but for somebody who’s never been on a bike before this, this course is a godsend.

Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person. Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person. Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person. Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person. Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person.
Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person. Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person. Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person. Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person.
Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person. Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person. Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person. Horrible business hours. The hours dont apply to the average person.

Two thumbs up!
People — The coaches are excellent! They thoroughly teach you all the basics of motorcycle operation. I went into the class with zero experience with both a manual transmission or a motorcycle. The coaches give you plenty of attention, especially if you are having trouble with something. After every exercise, they give you good feedback on how you could improve. In addition, they are quite friendly and happy to share stories during water breaks. If I go back for a refresher course or the advanced courses, I’d be happy to learn from these folks again!
Location — The riding portion of the course takes place in a large parking lot near the USS Hornet museum. Plenty of space to park if you’re driving, decent to get to if you have a bicycle, and a huge pain if you are relying on public transit. Can vary from being super cold and windy to super hot, so check the forecast!
Scheduling — Don’t be late. They take punctuality very seriously. Once they start the day’s class, you’re out of luck if you’re not there. Showing up ~10 mins early is even better, you’ll need a little bit of time to sign in and get your gear. Make sure you bring the proper attire as well, they won’t let you on the course if you show up in tennis shoes and a t-​shirt.
Equipment — Pretty decent, they provide communal helmets, so the morning session is a little nicer as your helmet hasn’t been marinated yet. The motorcycles they have are mostly Honda Nighthawks, Rebels, Suzuki Intruders, and a dirt bike.
Also, if you do the afternoon course, there’s a flea market at the College of Alameda in the mornings, nice place to check out and get some lunch before heading to the class!

Not very helpful had some issues with the directions they gave then got there 20 min late my spot was taken. Called the phone number they gave 20 min before class started to tell them I could not find the location they gave me no answer 5 calls later. As much customer service as the DMV.

So impressed with their customer service! They accommodated us by providing interpreting service with no questions asked — We experienced no hesitations or struggles (we have experienced that with other organizations — making it unnecessary barrier for us) They are so wonderful! We are scheduled for 06÷27−30) and we are super excited. I will go back to Unilocal and review for «aftermath» course.
Thanks again!

i didn t know to ride a motorcycle before this week end and here we go after 10 hours on a parking lot i am ready to go second gear 20 miles per hour on the flat I guess i am gonna have to figure it out on my own. Anyway i had a blast during the week end and learned a lot, the various instructors were all amazing …250 dollars is pretty cheap, in france it would have cost me about 2000 dollars and 6 months of my time. I am not very confident yet but i will get there I will keep you posted on my progress

California Rider Education — best $ spent in a long long time. California Rider Education was an exceptional and enjoyable experience! First of all — Rider Coach Glenda Y is fabulous. She is extremely patient, knowledgeable and a really good person. She’s upbeat, supportive and nurturing without making you feel like a complete newbie. I learned more in those three days of training then I did in 1 ½ years of riding. I had an accident on my Vespa and was completely insecure about getting back on — until I took the class. I feel so much more confident to get back on.
In addition, Angela, the owner is extremely responsive and professional and also a sweetheart. You can tell she really cares about the riders and the overall practice.
It was an amazing learning experience and I have to attribute that mostly to Angela and Glenda and the tight and nurturing ship they run.

I had prior experience from riding motorcycles, yet I learned a lot. I’ve heard previously from other people that the course was a bit challenging. However to my surprise, it isn’t too hard! The staff there provided lots of feedback and so they helped me through the figure 8 box, which I struggled with. I passed! I met lots of great riders there and I really enjoyed it. It’s crazy how much they taught me in a matter of 2 weekends. After the basic rider course, the DMV written test was a cake walk! I’m glad I took this course. I would recommend this course to any beginning rider/​experienced.

I took the 1^st level course a last September and I was blown away by how much we learned in 3 sessions! I would recommend this course to ANYONE who wants a motorcycle license. What they teach in the course is invaluable! I am planning on taking the next level course to refresh my riding skills. This is a must-​take course because it’s well worth the time and money.

I took classes at the beginning of Feb, 2012.
Even though each in-​class and range classes are almost 5 hours,
I enjoyed every single minutes.
Instructors are friendly and encouraging.
If you asked questions, they’ve got answers.
Also, They sent me a certification quickly
The only reason I subtract a star is motorcycles used in range practice.
a motorcycle I used had broken mirrors, blinkers, and transmission was not good.
Other than that, I’d highly recommend taking classes at CA.R.E.

So… I just learned how to ride a bicycle last year (I was a deprived child). I was feeling a bit invincible after learning how to ride on two wheels, and went for motorcycles a few months after.
I did a two weekend class with a buddy of mine. The instructors were so encouraging and supportive with the perfect amount of firmness in their approach to teaching.
I’ll be honest, I was surprised that I didn’t get kicked out of the class after dropping the bike a million times and revving it on accident while I was down in panic mode, haha. Instead, the instructors put me on a scootie and pushed me to work harder.
I eventually passed the class and got my M1!
If you’re a female with the slightest thought of wanting to hop on a moto, I commend you and encourage you to take this class. I have zero regrets.
Tips:
— you need your own helmet and gloves, borrow it from someone
— you need shoes that cover your ankles
— look where you want to go!

I had never been on a motorcycle before I did the MSF course offered by California Rider Education of Alameda. Registration was straightforward, and Angela was very responsive and friendly. I’m sorry to hear about MMS’s experience, but I felt the waitlist policy was fair and honest.
The instructors I had were educational, made sure to stress what would matter in the real world, and although they could be brusque, it’s tough love, ya know? Being a newbie didn’t really hinder my riding experience, although I did know how to drive a stick-​shift care beforehand (makes understanding how the clutch works easier).
If you’re in the East Bay or even general Bay Area and want to learn how to ride a motorcycle and get halfway to a motorcycle license, I’d strongly recommend the motorcycle course offered by California Rider Education of Alameda. Ps. For riding gear, I’d recommend the affordable Cycle Gear.

Horrible customer service (Angela). I paid for the class and they refuse to offer the class to me. I was on the waiting list, I appeared 15 mins prior to the start of the class. Another student was 30 mins late and according to their policy, IF anyone was late, the person on the waiting list can take their spot. This did not happen. After I contacted this company and notified them what occured, they suggested I do not take the class with them and they will not give me refund. They are going against their own policy. Just overall horrible experience and horrible company.

I had such a bad experience with the school in San Francisco and found this school. Angela is great efficient and very encouraging. She provided all the information you needed and got you in right away. The school accepts all major credit cards and I was able to get in the same week. The instructors were GREAT! they helped you understand what you were doing and lose your fears. Folks this is the school to be in. No Doubt.

I had a great experience taking this class. My four on-​range Rider Coaches — J.P., Gabriel, Roger, and Lisa — were all fantastic. They were friendly, encouraging, and very helpful. I had a good time, and learned a lot about proper riding. Not having been on a bike for 16 years, I was pretty nervous about getting back on (I got off because of a wreck — fortunately not an extremely serious one).
The instructors made me feel comfortable enough that I was able to work through my mistakes, and start getting the feel for riding again. My improvement over the space of two days was marked. I doubt I would have done nearly as well if not for the fact that the Rider Coaches successfully mixed encouragement into their critiques and got me to get comfortable with the maneuvers rather than fearing them.
My only complaint is that the classroom instruction was poorly paced (two hours of material, at most, covered in four hours), and centered around a video that is almost totally worthless (everything you need to know is explained more succinctly in the handbook, and the fact that video can show motion is only successfully used to improve upon the explanation given in the handbook in a few places). The video part isn’t really the Alameda facility’s fault, that’s an official MSF video, but it would be great if they could restructure the classroom session so it was more worthwhile overall.
But the good experience on the range more than made up for the boring classroom experience.

So, this was an interesting experience.
I took this course in 2005 and it was good, so I thought it would be fun to retake it with my girlfriend on May 2009.
Well, what was our surprise that when we show up on Friday for the theory part of the class, the teacher was new and the class disorganized.
Then at the first day of practice on Saturday, the 2 instructors (but especially Rob) were not only unfriendly, and disorganized, but actually aggressive!
Fortunately, on the second day of practice, on Sunday, there were two different instructors, these ones were organized and friendly. What a difference!
I talked to the owner, Angela, about the whole situation.
Hopefully she will manage to get appropriate instructors for the first class.
In the meantime, my recommendation is to take the class in San Francisco at the BAMT, they have earn several certificates of merit and have better reviews:

I took a riding class here to learn how to ride and get my license. It was exhilarating and so much fun. The class is a must before you get a motorcycle.
It’s a 3 day program, a friday evening class, and then Saturday and Sunday out on the range (parking lot). The classroom instruction is boring but essential. It gives you a ton of safety tips.
The range is a lot of fun. The instructors and they really beat it into your head on how to start, safety procedures, and different swerving manoeuvrings in case of an accident. It was pouring during our class, heavy rain. It was not the most pleasant environment to learn, but we did not stop.
I got the only dual sport bike they had, a lot better than the other bikes which are a lot smaller. It was nice due to my height.
It was a great experience and loved it. The class is the best way to learn and get your license. You get your exemption form in the mail in a few days. The $ 250 is well worth it. They provide the helmet for the class as well. Cannot wait to get my own bike to start riding.

I took this class last weekend and it was the best investment ever! The first day of class is workbook driven, basically watching videos and answering questions. The MCF workbook pretty much mirrors the CA Motorcyle handbook at the DMV. Be prepared to work in groups, which is cool because you can divy up the questions. My class in particular was very mixed, from major newbies (like me) to riders getting back into the scene after a taking a breakf for a couple years. The instructor of the class our class was Kiem and she was cool.
The second day of class was on the range. «Oh crap, I’m going to drop the bike,» is what immediately ran through my head. I’ve never rode on a motorcycle before so I was experiencing a little anxiety. Our two range instructors for the day were Omar and another guy, I forgot his name, sorry! They were both cool and very patient. After getting a feel for the bike, doing the first few lessons, I was starting to feel comfortable, to the point where I was bummed that it was the end of our lesson for the day!
On our third (and last) day of class was on the range, our instructors were Matt and Lisa, they too were very cool and patient. We continued on with our lessons leading up to our skills test. What I liked about Lisa is that she was a bit firm but really cool and made sure that you kept repeating the particular lesson until you improved. Granted, a few people (and myself!) were singled out but, it was cool, I’d rather scrub during class than on the highway!
The skills test consisted of four parts, pretty much four lessons that you’ve learned that day. I didn’t think I’d pass but I did!
PROS: If you’re thinking about riding a motorcycle, whether full-​time or leisure, riding the backseat, or just to refresh your skills, this is a great class to take. Definitely worth the investment!
NEGATIVES: During the range sessions, we didn’t take a lunch break, but we did take several 5-​minute breaks.
OVERALL: THIS CLASS ROCKS! It’s worth the wait! This class made the written exam at the DMV a total breeze to pass!
TIPS: They do provide water, but do bring snacks and water (just in case they run out) on to the range. They do provide helmets but if you have one, bring your own. If you’re in the afternoon range session, the helmets they have might be a little moist from the morning session. They have hair protectors but it doesn’t do much and is more of a hassle than anything.

Previous to the course I had enjoyed riding on the backs of friends’ MCs but wasn’t sure if if I wanted to have my own bike or even if I’d be skilled enough to be the one in control. The class taught me how to drive a motorcycle in a safe environment, which was invaluable. Otherwise, I probably would have had one of my friends teach me, which could have had disastrous results.
I highly recommend this class if you’re an absolute beginner or just want to become a more skilled rider. If you pass the course, it’s kick-​ass that you then do not have to take the DMV’s extremely difficult «practical» test, where you have to ride your bike in a really small circle. (If you do take the practical test, borrow or rent a tiny MC – and know that it’s pretty much impossible even for a very skilled rider to do this on a low-​rider because that bike is so long and the circle is tiny). Even if you take the California Rider Education class, you still have to pass the DMV’s written MC test.
Do some research before taking the class about which kind of bike you think you want to ride. When you get out of the classroom and onto the course you’ll have to choose the bike you’ll ride for the weekend – you don’t want to get stuck with whatever bike the other people didn’t want. The choices are standard, dual-​purpose, and cruisers (last are hardest for a beginner because of the placement of center of gravity).