Beginning Rider?

Get Licensed – Ride Right! Getting a Motorcycle License is a big decision because of the added responsibilities it carries. Many Technical Colleges offer a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course titled, Basic Riders Course (BRC) and a more advanced Experienced Rider Course (ERC).

Three basic steps will help in preparing you to ride safely; 1.) Study the Wisconsin Motorcyclists’ Handbook. Learn the controls of the motorcycle, traffic laws and motorcycle theories. 2.) Learn from an experienced rider. Complete a BRC or many Harley-Davidson Dealerships offer Rider’s Edge. By successfully completing the BRC, the Motorcycle In-Traffic (MIT) test at a Department of Motor Vehicles test site will be waived. The BRC gives you time on a motorcycle to gain helpful experience, skills and knowledge, and finally, 3.) PRACTICE! Motorcyclists’ know that they are forever sharpening their skills by practicing, riding safe, straight and sober.

Recently I completed a four weekend intense MSF Instructor Training (IT) at MATC in Madison. This course consisted of classroom and range exercises along with many hours of off site reading and assignments. I successfully completed the training and now teach for WCTC in Pewaukee the BRC.

Shortly after completing the BRC with MSF I was hired at Capital-City Harley-Davidson as a Rider Coach providing I successfully passed the Rider’s Edge curriculum, which is similar to MSF. Rider’s Edge IT was a week long class again consisting of classroom and range exercises. All IT Candidates stayed in Madison at a hotel for the week and this allowed for completion of off site assignments.

Whether you participate in the MSF or Rider’s Edge Program, you will be taught the basic fundamentals to help you develop your capabilities to become a safe and responsible motorcyclist. You need to know the physical and mental skills needed for safe operation of a motorcycle. Remember when taking either of these classes, you are not competing with others, focus on your own learning and experience. Most of all have fun!


By taking either of these courses, you have made the decision to learn from experienced instructors what you need to know in order to ride safe.

Riding with Friends

This page is dedicated to all of our friends we have met along the way. Cathy and I have had a great time over the past five years with our “new” and “old” friends. We have found much in common with those that share the excitement of the 2-wheel world. It seems that no longer are there time schedules, worries about finances or health issues to address when you ride with friends.

This page will continue to grow with future ride pictures. To view the ones already uploaded simply hit on this link titled Rides and make sure you enter the password “chrome” to view them.

Sturgis Rally

Ah, Sturgis Bike Week (password "chrome") in August of 2006 was something that must be experienced sooner or later! Marc and I left from home on a Tuesday and rode to Sioux Falls, South Dakota the first day (560 miles). The Corn Palace was on our list of things to do on Wednesday, then The Badlands, Wall Drug and Rapid City Harley-Davidson all before checking into Black Hills University at Spearfish.

You can pay upwards of $200 or more per night to stay close to Sturgis during the Rally in a hotel with all the amenities or do what we did, stay at Spearfish University for a total of $80 per night in a dorm room. The campus offers a breakfast buffet every morning except on weekends for $5.25 (yes it’s all you can eat)! They also have an indoor pool and weight room (both of which were closed for remodeling). The Dorm hosts made coffee every morning and there was a big screen TV in the lobby. We met many riders from throughout the US at the University. When you split the costs, it was only $40 per night. Its college dorm living at it’s best! What more do you need?

We saw lots of sites during our time in South Dakota. Must sees include, Spearfish Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Needles Highway, the National Cemetery, Devil’s Tower (Wyoming), Sturgis itself, Full Throttle Saloon, Deadwood, and the list goes on.
My only regrets when looking back on our travels was that we didn’t get to Full Throttle Saloon earlier in the week and didn’t spend anytime with my friends from home and the east coast. I apologize for this Steve, Mark and Steve! We arrived back home on the following Tuesday after riding over 2400 miles! What a RUSH!