Demand for MSF Rider Courses and Online Info Stays Strong During Pandemic Times

Through statewide lockdowns and pandemic precautions, and months into the coronavirus crisis, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is seeing strong demand for rider education across the country.

New York State, which was completely shuttered for nearly three months, saw training volume this July exceed the July total of last year. Reporting isn’t complete but it appears that the numbers for this August will also be better than in 2019. In Colorado, 2020 training volume through August exceeded the same period last year, despite shutdowns and reduced student capacity.

“Last month, we beat our sales forecast for MSF curriculum materials, and that original prediction was made a year ago, before any of us had heard of COVID-19,” said Robert Gladden, MSF vice president of training operations. “Also, we blew right through the forecast on log-ins for our eCourses, with many current and potential riders visiting us on the web and gaining some good motorcycle education through their computers and mobile devices.”

The MSF’s training site in Alpharetta, Georgia, saw a 26 percent increase in August compared to the same month last year. The MSF’s New Mexico and West Virginia programs also rebounded from extended shutdowns, posting strong training numbers in July and August, despite operating under reduced capacity due to local rules.

“When the reality of COVID hit in March, the MSF reacted right away,” Gladden said. “We hosted our first vRETS webinar for RiderCoaches on April 7 and have conducted 26 of them. We’ve had a total of 12,364 vRETS log-ins for these sessions, mostly conducted by our Dr. Ray Ochs, VP of training systems. In response to requests from the field, the MSF provided interim training guidelines in May that provided instructions for RiderCoaches on moving classroom activities to safer environments outside on training ranges. And in early June, we implemented a COVID-19 waiver and release that enabled many course providers to resume training at public facilities.”

“At every opportunity, the MSF searched for ways to serve our training community as sites and coaches worked through the pandemic,” Gladden said. “The fact that training volume remains high, with classes scheduled well into autumn, is a testament not only to the hard work and dedication of the MSF training community, but also to the popularity of motorcycling as hundreds of thousands of students seek out MSF RiderCourses. We’re pleased and proud to help them become riders and remain lifelong learners.”

Link: MSF

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.