Harley-Davidson of Baltimore

This review specifically covers the basic riders course. Having never ridden a motorcycle, I decided to sign up for their $ 300 Basic Rider course, even though this same course is available elsewhere for half as much, due to scheduling difficulties.
The online signup is a little disjointed, and post signup is even more so. I received an email after signing up (and paying up front) that I now had to complete a three hour online course and bring my certificate with me on the first day of class. Not bringing the certificate would mean immediate dismissal from the course and forfeiture of the $ 300 payment. It also said that I now had to stop by the dealership before my class date to pick up the required study materials and course book (which they said I should also read before the class started). What exactly is the class supposed to cover if I’m doing everything myself before the first day?
Speaking of which, on the first day of classroom, one of the first orders of business was the instructor completely changing the times of the classes for the four day course, with different start and end times. While this did not affect anyone in the class, I can see how this might cause an issue for people with tight schedules. I make my living as a professional flight instructor, and this kind of last minute schedule change is extremely unprofessional.
The two days of classroom instruction for this four day course are completely worthless. While the instructor was extremely nice, she was clearly out of her comfort zone having to speak in front of a group in a classroom environment. The materials covered were straight out of the course book and online class. The two days of classroom were nothing more than a Harley Davidson sales pitch. The first day consisted of two hours of touring the dealership and meeting sales people in the showroom and apparel store who were all trying to sell us on merchandise before we even had our licenses.
The information put out in the class could sometimes even be dangerous. My two favorite moments– Being told that the law for passing is to only pass one vehicle at a time, but we should always pass as many vehicles as possible anyway. And the other was being given the name and location of a shop in Baltimore that would sell illegal helmets with fake DOT stickers if we didn’t want to wear «real» helmets.
The second day of class was more of the same– running through the exercises in the book with no explanation of why we were doing them. It’s all fine and dandy to have us test our reaction times, but not if you don’t explain the reason for us doing it. We also had a «review» of the state written test before we took it, with the review consisting of the instructor reading the 25 question test aloud with the answers right before we took the test.
The third and fourth days were the actual riding days and I have to admit, they completely turned it around. The riding instruction was absolutely what people need to ride effectively and safely. Completely professional and well managed. The instructors are clearly experienced riders and know how to impart their years of riding to inexperienced riders. They worked with people who didn’t pick things up as quickly as the others, they could tell when everyone was getting an exercise and moved on to the next one. Again, from my perspective as an instructor, these folks know what they are doing.
At the end of the second day, those of us who were left in the course took the state riding exam and everyone passed on the first try. That was not by accident. That is purely the result of superior hands-​on instruction.
Conclusions– If you want to learn to ride and get your motorcycle endorsement, this is an option for doing that but there are cheaper and more professional options available. I feel safe to ride and comfortable on a bike, which is probably not something you can get from (honestly speaking) a two day course most places. However, while the riding instruction is top notch, I cannot overlook the absolute sh*t show that was the classroom portion. I would not recommend this place to anyone, but I wouldn’t talk someone out of going either.

This was our first time here the customer service was great. Lee educated us on the various types of Harleys and the class they are grouped in. He started from beginners to the infamous HOG. The store was clean and well organized they pay attention to the customer and make sure someone is taking good care of you while waiting. The store temperature is perfect conducive for sleeping.lol. They also have a clothing store and a waiting area with vending machines. Many of the Harley-​Davidson Centers offer motorcycle classes. I would recommend this establishment when needing information on purchasing a new bike or accessories.

Great store in the Baltimore area. It has 2 different areas: bike showroom and retail. They have alot of new and some used motorcycles on display. There is a breezeway between the showroom and the retail store. The retail store has accessories and clothing to outfit you for your ride. There is plenty of parking, plus the space in front and back allows for bike parking for special events hosted at this location.