SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP — The streets will be a lot safer come next year’s riding season as more than 200 students completed the Motorcycle Ohio Basic Rider Course, between July and October.
Today marks the completion of the final class, which made its debut in the county this summer thanks to a lot of hard work by Jim “Doc” Steiner, Motorcycle Ohio instructor, and Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. James Sivak.
It has been a long-standing goal of Steiner’s to bring the course to Ashtabula County. With the help of Sivak and Dr. Jeffrey Brodsky, Steiner accomplished his goal. The new county training site is located at Lakeside High School.
Although more than 200 students participated in the course this year, more are expected next year, he said.
“July through October is not a full season,” Steiner said. “April, May and June we weren’t open, but we will be next year. I had 200 to 300 students I couldn’t get in this year.”
More than 14,000 students participated in the basic rider course last year throughout the state, he said. It is a 16-hour course designed for someone who has never ridden a motorcycle or wants to obtain a motorcycle rider endorsement.
The class consists of classroom work as well as riding in a controlled environment. Usually the classes run three days, with Thursday evening being the classroom portion of the course and Saturday and Sunday being dedicated to the riding portion. Steiner said he was able to work in some day classes and will do that again next year. He also plans to offer a two-day class next year.
“The community has really been behind this,” he said. “It’s been unreal.”
There is such a high demand for the class, that people from outside of Ashtabula County are traveling to take the class because they have a hard time getting a spot in the classes.
Angie Farmer came from Lakewood to take the class.
“This is the only class I could find,” she said. “It was next summer before I could get in anywhere else and the season would be almost over.”
This is Farmer’s first time operating a bike on her own. She is excited to get her license today and said she will definitely feel confident riding a bike after she completes the course.
Several seasoned motorcyclists also enrolled in the course this summer as well as local law enforcement officials.
John and Barb Ericksen, of Conneaut, have been riding for many years, Barb since the mid 80s and John for about 37 years.
John took the course because he is interested in becoming an instructor. Barb took the course to fine-tune her skills as a motorcycle operator. Being veteran riders, the most challenging thing for them was learning various things they have been doing wrong all these years and trying to brake those habits.
“Not putting my fingers between the controls (is the most difficult thing),” Barb said.
The course teaches riders to both mount and dismount the bike from the left side, but for the past 37 years, John has been getting on the bike from the left, but he gets off the bike on the right side.
“Getting off on the left side is killing me,” he laughed.
Barb and John both agreed the most valuable thing they will take away from this course are the safety issues they weren’t aware of.
“The classroom instruction re-affirms things you were doing that you might not be aware of,” John said. “It brings a better awareness of what you do and why you are doing it.”
Steiner has some exciting plans for next year including offering an instructor’s course and the Experienced Rider Course.
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