Beginner Motorcycle Classes
Successful completion of the course may waive the riding skills test at the California DMV.

General Course Information
Experience Level:
Cost:
- $350.00 for persons 21 years of age or older
- $295.00 for persons 20 years of age or younger
Students under 18 years of age:
Students Under 21 Years of Age:
California DMV Motorcycle License Checklist:
Click here to be taken to the California DMV website and see what you need to get your California motorcycle license endorsement.
DMV policies regarding licensing can change at any time. The NorCal Moto staff does not work for the DMV and can only provide estimations on the process. Please make sure to check with your local DMV for specific detaiels if you have questions regarding the process.
Requirements for signing up:
- Have the ability to ride a bicycle
- Posses one of the following; drivers license from any state in the US, or CA permit for car or motorcycle, or CA state ID, or passport, or out of country (international) drivers license.
What NorCal Moto Provides:
- Motorcycle or scooter (scooters only upon request)
- Study material, DMV & CMSP
Note: If you wish to use your own vehicle during this course, you MUST contact the NorCal Moto office for details.
What student provides:
- 100% leather gloves, full-fingered, no fingerless/cutoff
- Over-the ankle footwear of sturdy leather or the equivalent, a
- Long sleeve shirt or jacket and
- Long pants, preferably jeans – no holes, no sweats, no leggings
- Shatter-resistant eye protection
Please, no clothing with offensive/obscene words or depictions. The instructor will determine if an article of clothing is not suitable for wear in the class, and may require a student to remove or cover offensive clothing.
At the first class, state laws and CMSP policy require you to present one of the following documents:
- A valid driver’s license (California license, out of state license, or out of country license: acceptable to the California DMV), or
- A valid DMV instruction permit (a learner’s permit), or
- A California ID Card or valid Government-issued photo ID
Any potential student who possesses a license that has been restricted due to one or more convictions for driving under the influence may not participate in any CMSP Riding Class until all restrictions have been lifted. All students will be asked to attest that they are not in possession of a restricted license.
Ready to get started?
What to Expect
Riding Exercises:
Each exercise in each session builds cumulatively on the skills and information from the preceding exercises and discussions. Therefore, each student must attend all classroom & riding sessions in their entirety and sequence. Students may take the riding sessions on a scooter or motorcycle as they choose, but cannot change from one to the other after Exercise 1 has started . Students who want to switch from motorcycle to scooter or vice versa after Exercise 1 has started will be required to self-drop, purchase a Standby Certificate, and have one opportunity to attend the course on a standby basis. No refund or partial refund will be given.
Your weekend riding class may be split into two riding groups: a morning group and an afternoon group. You may request placement in either group but must stay in the same riding group both Saturday and Sunday. Riding sessions are 5 hours long.
If your Instructor determines that your skill level makes you unsafe and you pose a hazard to yourself or others in the class, you may be asked to leave the class early. This decision is in the sole discretion of the Instructor. If you are asked to leave there will be no refund, although you may re-register and try again. You may return on a stand-by basis (by purchasing a stand by certificate) OR you may pay an additional $175 dollars and you will get a guaranteed seat in a future class with openings.
NorCal Moto Graduation, Cancellation and other policies:
Northern California Motorcycle Training has a SEVEN (7) day cancellation and reschedule policy.
All scheduling changes and/or refunds must be done seven (7) days PRIOR TO the start date of a class for a refund. All cancelled registrations are subject to a $75 cancellation fee. If you want to reschedule a class 7 or less days before the start date of your class you can re-register for a different class date by paying a re-registration fee of $175.00 OR you can purchase a stand-by certificate for $75 and be allowed to participate in any up-coming class on a stand-by basis only.
Northern California Motorcycle Training utilizes email to transmit student confirmation letters, driving directions and maps to assist students in locating training sites. Northern California Motorcycle Training has no control over students’ email accounts and accepts no liability for emails not received or discarded by students’ email providers. Students are advised and are responsible for contacting Northern California Motorcycle Training during normal business hours, prior to the start date of their class, if they do not receive a confirmation email with attached driving directions and applicable maps. Northern California Motorcycle Training assumes no liability or responsibility for students’ failure to use the provided driving directions and/or maps and any subsequent student failure to arrive at classroom or riding sessions in a timely manner.
Course graduation requirements include, but are not limited to: 100% attendance at all classroom and riding sessions; successful completion of the written knowledge test at the end of the classroom session; successful completion of the skills test at the end of the riding sessions. Students are required to arrive no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of all riding sessions to complete administrative requirements.
Students who are not present at the start of the riding or classroom sessions are considered a self-drop and a stand-by student may be given their space in the class. If such a student wishes to enroll again, that student may be allowed one additional opportunity to re-take the course for $75 on a stand-by basis. No refund or partial refund will be given.
Click here to view all of NorCal Moto policies and procedures.
Weather:
Classes run rain or shine! If, in the opinion of NorCal Moto, weather creates conditions unsafe for training, we will cancel the class, notify students at the telephone number that they provided us, and reschedule for a future class date. If a student does not show up due to inclement weather and the class proceeds, the student will be considered a self-drop. No refund or partial refund will be given.
We do not guarantee you will master the written or riding skills presented in this course. Most students successfully complete the course their first time; some need additional training. If you do not pass the course or have been asked to leave, you may contact the NorCal Moto office for rescheduling/retuning options.
NorCal Moto has various makes and models of training motorcycles to fit varying student needs. Some, but not all, of the motorcycles provided have a maximum weight capacity of 450 lbs (If you weigh over 300lbs please contact the office before your first class session, so that we can have an appropriate motorcycle available for you). Loaner helmets minimum size is XS and the maximum size is XXL. If you exceed these limits please contact our office to discuss your options. Students who arrive at the riding session and cannot be fitted to an NorCal Moto training helmet, training motorcycle or other equipment and does not have suitable equipment of their own will be considered a self-drop and no refund or partial refund will be given.
Tobacco, Vaporizer, & E-cigarette Use:
Cell phone use:
Video/recording equipment:
Registration Confirmation:
After registering, you should receive an email confirmation. The email confirmation will include receipt for your reservation.
NorCal Moto does not take responsibility for students who do not use our maps and driving directions and fail to arrive at classroom/riding locations on time.
If you do not receive the email confirmation, or cannot read the attachments to the class information, please contact us immediately so that we can ensure that you receive this important information!