This March, NC’s Part Time Studies received a shipment of 28 brand new motorcycles – Yamahas, Honda’s and Kawasaki’s with mirrors and tail light covers removed – as the season begins for motorcycle training courses.
“The bikes tend to get dropped by students as they’re learning for the first time, so we order them with these parts removed for safety reasons,” said Bob Sagon-King, supervising chief instructor of the Motorcycle Training program. The college-owned fleet of motorcycles is rotated every five years. “We want to keep our fleet current and our students appreciate that they get to learn on newer bikes,” said Sagon-King.
A shipment of new motorcycles was delivered to NC in March.
Sagon-King has been teaching at NC for over 35 years. NC has offered a variety of motorcycle training courses, from the entry-level basic rider training, M2 exit and introduction to motorcycling, to advanced courses like experience motorcyclist, rider development, and on-road skills refreshers. They also offer one-on-one instruction. Over the last three and a half decades, NC has trained over 8,000 students, many of whom were taught by Sagon-King himself.
“The courses appeal to anybody and everybody,” said Sagon-King. “Our demographics are all over the map. We have those from age sixteen to folks in their eighties taking our courses.”
In 2018, the Motorcycle Basic Rider, M1 exit course had nearly 500 students over thirty class sections. Of that, nearly half were under 35 and about 20 per cent were female. In the Gearing Up introductory course, over 50 per cent were female.
Sagon-King was busy throughout March training this year’s teaching complement. “We have about two dozen staff members teaching the motorcycle courses, a mix of instructors, senior instructors and chief instructors recognized by the Canada Safety Council.”
The Basic Rider program began the first weekend in April, running on weekends and select weekdays until the end of October, among other motorcycle courses. Students receive a mix of in-class and hands-on training in vacant parking lots and roadways within the Welland Campus which Sagon-King says “makes for a controlled learning environment.”
“Our instructors are passionate about teaching and committed to safety. Our courses have a great reputation in Niagara thanks in large part to our exceptional instructors,” said Joanne Bakker, NC’s associate dean, Workforce Development.
New for 2019, NC will offer a specialized three-wheel course for Spyder and Ryker motor tricycles. These automatic transmission bikes, produced by Bombardier, have two wheels in the front and one wheel centered in the rear, with riders sitting high on the Spyder and low on the Ryker. Both come standard with one seat, though an additional passenger seat is available as an option. NC will receive a shipment of four Ryker and two Spyder bikes in May on loan from Bombardier through local dealer Revs Full Throttle in Welland.
NC President Dan Patterson on one of the new Ryker bikes at Spring Open House. The bikes were brought to campus by local dealer Revs Full Throttle in Welland.
“The Ryker and the Spyder are entry-level bikes. They’re seen as less intimidating and more intuitive while still offering an open air experience,” said Sagon-King. Another draw is the price. “The Ryker, compared to the Spyder, is especially affordable which appeals to new riders,” said Sagon-King.
NC will offer a 10-hour licensing program for Spyder and Ryker, which is about half the length of the motorcycle licensing program. The reason? “Straight physics,” said Sagon-King. “The fact that it is more stable than a motorcycle and has automatic transmission, whereas all motorcycles have manual transmission which impacts how quickly students learn.”
Part-Time Studies also offers trial courses for both the two-wheel and three-wheel motorcycles. “It’s simply a ‘come on in’ where we show you some basic controls and you’ll get to actually ride the bike in the parking lot and get a feel for what it’s like. No licensing required, but no licensing at the end of the program,” explained Sagon-King.
