RideWell Motorcycle Training

I really wanted to enjoy this class but never have I been so mortified and humiliated. I was so disappointed with the large class sizes and the mix between experienced and non-​experienced rider on the same course. It was my first time ever getting on a bike and and the instructors did NOT do a good a job reassuring me. During the first few exercises on the bike, I had a really difficult time and the instructors were not patient in explaining how I could complete the exercise. Rather, I saw them roll their eyes and lose a lot of patience with me, which therefor set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. Albeit, the only female instructor, I think her name was Kim, was the only saving grace to that weekend. She was positive, patient, and encouraging. However, it wasn’t enough when I fell over with the bike (on me) and none of the instructors came to help nor asked if I was OK. After communicating with the Lorett the month prior I was expecting her to be a part of the course. She did call later in the week to ask if I wanted to come back to repeat the course, but why be humiliated and embarrassed all over again in front the male instructors that weren’t patient with a new female rider? Perhaps this course works well with those who have prior experience, but I say this especially to the females that are looking to ride out there, don’t take this course. Look elsewhere.

I truly hate writing bad reviews but this course is really not for people with zero experience with motorcycles unless you have instructors who understand the difference between no experience riders and experienced riders. But this is based on one of my instructors even though there were two, only one made the experience of a new learner frustrating and horrific. The really old gentlemen named John was not supportive and did not acknowledge questions asked. When starting out on something brand new, there should be an introduction to the bike physically instead of saying, «hey we went over it in class.» And he loved to say, «if you graduate,» seriously make it more intimidating. Learning to ride is suppose to be a fun. My experience with him was like being around an old high school principal who doesn’t know how to teach but talk loud. Some people are more visual learners but to be honest his classroom technique was dry and aggressive with mainly stories about his riding experiences with a scrooge mcduck tone. Don’t get me wrong. I think with a different instructor it would have been a more positive experience. I just think he should not be teaching instead he should have been taking a nap. His attitude was not inviting and his assistance was non existent unless you are an experienced rider. If you ever get this old old old white haired gentleman, just know he is the least helpful person when it comes to a new inexperienced rider of a motorcycle. Or maybe it was just me he didn’t like. However, the best part was when the instructor Kim showed up. She was positive, informative, helpful and gave simple instructions. She is worth showing up for to complete the course. The second day went better. A new instructor showed up named Luke and he was 150 percent better than John. He gave great instruction and did some demonstrations which helped with knowing what to do. However, you should NEVER take this course without having rode or know anything about a motorcycle that was my mistake. But it could have been bias against me who knows, I was the only one there who never rode a motorcycle. You are not taught to familiarize yourself with the bike and the gears, just shown a slide and after the slide they expect you to know an unfamiliar bike, get on it and you should know how to start immediately. But that was just my experience and may not be for others. If I had to do it all over again, I would get my permit first and learn from the people who offered to teach me to ride for 6 months before going to RideWell. I really should have looked into other schools and did my research on what is best for a new inexperienced rider before choosing to start here. Again if you are an experienced rider or semi experienced this is the place for you.

This is a great place to learn how to write a motorcycle. I went from not even learning to ride to somewhat of a novice. For sure without a doubt going to take some of their advanced courses to become a better rider. Especially recommended to those who have never ridden a bike in their life.

Great training. This course helps all levels of abilities. I want to send my adult children… they will become better drivers.

This course was so much fun and very informative. I had Lorett in the classroom and Eddy on the range. Both GREAT people. Lorett is funny, easy going and informative, making the classroom portion interesting and effective. Eddy was easy going, informative and supportive on the range, making that learning experience positive and constructive.
I had never ridden a motorcycle before this course and still need a lot of practice to get my muscle memory skills honed in, but without the positive experience I had with these instructors, I may never have had the confidence to try and continue the efforts.
Thank you RideWell team!

Awesome! Everyone is well trained and give a lot of information that are very important to ride the motorcycle safely.

If you don’t know how to ride a motorcycle or you’ve developed bad habits after years of riding, this is the place to go to help you out!
Lorett is the boss and she teaches you the class portion of the training. She has the biggest heart! Very passionate about what she does. I love the fact that she’s been riding for 30+ years and she has never laid her bike down. She obviously knows what she is doing! This class doesn’t necessarily teach you about the driving laws as much as it teaches you about rider safety. It goes over every aspect of riding safely. Very, very informative than just going to the DMV and taking their written and riding test.
The class part is fun and all, but the best part is getting out to the track to get on your motorcycle and get going! They supply little 250cc bikes in different styles. I got to ride the Honda Rebel, and I actually like that better than the street bike I ride now! John and Bob are amazing teachers! They tell you back stories to go along with what they are teaching you, they are patient, but they get down to business when it’s time!
I love the fact that they max out classes at 12 people. It isn’t so crowded and you can get personal attention you need if you really are struggling.
I’ve been riding for about 3 – 4 months now and I had already developed extremely bad and dangerous habits. Thanks to this class, my habits are no more and I find myself more confident on the bike then ever! I really thought I knew how to properly ride a motorcycle, but I found out that I was a fool!
I HIGHLY recommend this class to people who never rode a motorcycle and even to people who have been riding for years! You will have amazing teachers, and you will leave the course feeling more confident and knowledgeable than ever about riding a motorcycle!
Thanks Lorett, John and Bob for creating smarter, safer bikers! We need more bikers like these folks in the world!

Great people, great course. Thank you for getting people into motorcycling!
Randy Felice
Dealer Principal
A&S Motorcycles
Roseville near Sacramento

Couldn’t have asked for a better school to have gone to. The instructors Bob and John did a fantastic job at teaching everyone how to ride safely. I was worried about it being my first time riding but they were patient and worked with everyone to make sure they were comfortable before moving on, which was nice.
They provided lunch the first day and have soda and coffee if you’re thirsty. The material was all very clear and John always had a personal story to back it up. It’s nice that their instructors have a lot of experience and can relate to what they’re teaching.
I feel comfortable riding after taking this course, what more can you ask for!

RideWell Motorcycle Training is the best. I learned a lot and learned what not to do the hard way by laying the bike over. Even though I felt stupid and embarrassed the only thing the coaches cared about was that I was ok and not the bike. I was able to still test and passed. Thanks to the great coaches at RideWell!!! Thank you so much John, Jay, Lorett and Patrick. Lorett talked to me after my mistake and wasn’t mad at me for laying over the bike but concerned about me and told me that it happens, everybody makes mistakes. Also, be glad it happened there and not out on the road. I’m just so grateful that I chose to go to RideWell!!! If your thinking about a motorcycle training course go to RideWell they are great People!!!

This is a professional, informative and fun motorcycle course. The instructors are easygoing but at the same time tough. They cover all bases and make sure you know your stuff before moving on. You will learn how to safely operate a motorcycle, and you will have a fun time doing so, unless you are a moron. Dont get me wrong, fun doesnt mean sloppy, these people, Lorett, Randy, Eddy, Alison and others, they know their business and make sure you know yours when they are done with you. The cost is well worth it in so many ways and I am fully satisfied with their course. I would recommend these guys to anyone who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle the safe and right way. Thanks guys GJ from 10−16−14 class.
p. s. Ive been riding for over 30 years and they showed me just how much I didnt know… ride safely!

Decided to get back on a bike after being off for 10 plus years. My first time around — in my mid-​twenties — I bought a sport bike off a friend, took the DMV written test to get my permit, and just went for it. In retrospect, bad idea. I had no clue what I was doing and it’s amazing that I didn’t wreck.
If you’ve never ridden before or you’ve never had any formal instruction, I highly, highly recommend that you take a skills course, and I also highly recommend that you take it at Ridewell.
The basic course here consists of roughly 15 hours of instruction — in my case, 5 hours of classroom instruction on Thursday night from 5 to 10 pm (material was a bit dry, but lays the foundation for all the hands-​on work; a necessary evil), and two days of on-​the-​bike instruction in Ridewell’s training lot: 7am to noon on both Saturday and Sunday.
Lorett led the classroom session on Thursday night and made the experience as lively as possible given the material (group quiz questions, safety video — back and forth, back and forth). You may as well get to know the other 11 or so people in the classroom as you’ll be riding bikes with them for 10 hours both days on the weekend.
The actual skills section on the weekend consists of motorcycle drills that increase in complexity as you progress through the day. Pretty cool to see those folks who had never been on a motorcycle before start out «powerwalking» their bikes from cone to cone in the parking lot — looking like newborn fawns taking their first steps — to handling tight, slow-​speed figure eights and quick stops in the lot as if they had been on a motorcycle since they were tiny tikes.
Course instructors Jay and Randy struck me as having almost polar opposite personalities, but they complemented each other well and did a nice job outlining each drill in detail and providing good feedback to each individual rider in real-​time in order to work on those problem areas. The course culminates in a scored skills test during the last hour of the third day.
Needless to say, our entire group was rad and everyone passed.
Don’t try to figure out how to ride a motorcycle on your own — a lot of the techniques are not intuitive (such as straightening your bike out and squaring your handlebars before braking when taking a curve) — you’ll be glad that you took this course when it’s all over. Trust me. Check it out.

I had read all of the Unilocal reviews before deciding on which company to go with for the basic rider course (MSF Class) after reading the reviews I went with Ridewell!
The registration was easy (online) and I was in a class that week. Day one (Thursday) was the classroom sessions with Patrick as the instructor, the class was 5 hours but patrick made it fun and he really knew his stuff. They cover the basics such as the types of motorcycles and the basic controls, then they teach you about pre inspecting your motorcycle before you ride. I’ve been riding for 2 years know and what not sure what I would get from the class, let me tell you there was so much of the basics I just didn’t know. During the class they break you up in groups and you pick the group name (we went with dukes if hazard) and there is group study.
On Saturday everybody got to the range at about 6:30, and they started right on time at 7. The instructors for the weekend were john and randy. Out in the range they start you off easy with things like how to properly mount the motorcycle and how to warm it up, then about an hour or so later we were all riding the bikes. What I found helpful was during the exercises they would stop you and tell you what you got right or in my case what I got wrong (I had some bad habits) then after every exercise they would ask us what we thought went well and what needed work, then give some more tips. Day one was all about how to turn and how to look through the turns along with clutch control which was great. Day one wrapped up at noon (on time)
Day 2 (Sunday)
The class started right on time and we were on the bikes right away. Day 2 covered more advanced riding such as swerving and how to avoid road hazards (and how to go over them if you had to) the turns got tighter on day 2 and we practiced u turns and quick stops. The day ended with the final test which everyone seemed prepared for, and everyone in the class passed!
I got to say that having 2 professional riders as our riding coaches (John and Randy)
Was invaluable, they know how to teach and are very understanding when you make mistakes. They also have such a passion for being safe, they were breaking down the reasons for why they were teaching us that particular drill.
I know this review was long so thanks for reading but I can’t stress enough how great the training was, I feel like I can hit the road with more confidence and better tattics to avoid problems. If your considering taking the course with Ridewell I would recommend it to all of my friends and family.
Can’t wait to take the advanced riding course!
Thanks,
Ryan Cooper
Class of 05/​11/​2014

I had the pleasure of having both Pat and Lorett for the class instruction and the field training. Having never ridden a motorcycle myself, I was a bit nervous, but that all changed when I got to the class. The classroom portion is where you will learn acronyms and the basics about motorcycle riding and safety. You then get to spend two days on the range. As long as you pay attention and follow directions, you should have no problems. Pat and Lorett are very helpful, and will give you advice throughout the training. They also make the class fun and exciting, so you don’t feel like you are just taking a class. If you have experience using manual transmission, or are familiar with how a clutch works, you should not have that much difficulty.
If you are planning on taking your MSF safety course, I would highly recommend taking it with RideWell.

Patrick and Lorette put on a class-​A (or should that be M?!?) school! Being brand new to riding, they provided an atmosphere that was relaxed, professional, and fun. They take the time and care with riders of all ages and skill levels and they prepared me well for my Class M test (which I passed 2 weeks after the class). I will be looking into taking the next level class from them as I have just purchased a new bike and have been bitten by the riding bug.
Thanks Pat and Lorette!

Ridewell motorcycle course is good. I took the basic course. In class exercise was good, with a lot of group discussion and case studies. Pat is a good trainer.
On range, it was even better. Got to learn a lot about riding motor cycle. I would definitely recommend them.

WOW! This beginners course was awesome! I had never ridden a motorcycle before and I was extremely nervous about actually getting on and taking control. Lorett and Pat walked us through each and every step, and slowly worked us up, from just learning how to turn the bike on and off, to actually making turns, stopping, even riding over an obstacle. Lorett and Pat were very patient, encouraging, and knowledgeable in riding, and riding safely.
I would recommend this class to anyone and everyone, whether you have ridden a motorcycle, or have never even seen one, RideWell will get you up and riding, feeling confident, and safe in just one day, even though the course is more than a day :)

Patrick, Eddie and Lorett made us all feel super comfortable and safe while riding, they gave clear instructions and taught us how to ride the right way.
All around, a wonderful course. I recommend all new motorcycle riders take it.

RideWell was AMAZING!!! What a great experience the WHOLE Weekend! :-)
I chose to take a «refresher» Basic Rider Course after being away from riding for a number of years. Not only did Pat & Lorett (owners/​coaches of RideWell) give me a discounted rate (since I already had my license), I also gained more confidence and learned a lot more than I did years ago.
Their expertise in not only riding but knowledge and passion for safe riding/​motorcycles radiated out to their students. They respected each and every one of us and talked to us until we all understood what was being asked and ensured we knew what the expectation was.
Even when I made some mistakes and I got down on myself, Pat & Lorett BOTH picked me back up and reiterated to me what I was doing wrong and then explained again what I needed to do and guess what??? Yep, it worked and I felt as though their patience and knowledge/​passion was just what I needed to gain the confidence to try again. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PAT/​LORETT!
All of their equipment, from the Motorcycles to the Helmets were well maintained, clean and very organized. :-)
I’m going to come back soon to go through their others «more advanced» classes when I feel it’s time. This is the ONLY RIDING SCHOOL I will recommend to ALL OF MY FRIENDS!!!
Again, I cannot say enough about RideWell and Pat/​Lorett! YOU BOTH ARE AMAZING!!! You can definitely tell you BOTH ABSOLUTELY LOVE what you do!
See ya soon… :-)

If you are thinking about taking motorcycle riding course with RideWell Motorcycle Training, my advise for you DON’T. You are better off with different provider near you in Lodi or Sacramento. I had bad experience. First, you will not learn much in the classroom. The instructors did not make any efforts in going through the materials. You basically read the booklet in the class and answer the questions. There are no group discussions, no cases study. The movies clips they are using dates back to year 2000. There are much better clips in YouTube.
The range exercise was even worse experience, it is suppose to be a basic riding course, however, they assume that you will be a professional rider in two days only. The instructor, Patric, treat his students like little kids by screaming and threatening them. He basically does not have the patient for riders whom don’t have the basic experience.
It will be a waste of your money if you register with RideWell. Please take my word for it.