Ohio Valley Rider Training

04/21/2026

We're off to a great start for the season. The ranges are painted up, the bikes are running well. Wheels are turning and people are learning. We do love what we do.

Below is a feedback from a young woman who recently took a class with us. This is how we do what we do, and this is why we do it the way we do it. As the coordinator of this corner of Motorcycle Ohio I am so proud of every one of the people that make this happen.

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To be honest, even though I only spent two days with my instructors, Chris and Walter, the impact they had on me was so much bigger than that.

I came into the course feeling extremely nervous and unsure of myself, not knowing what to expect. But from the very beginning, they created such a calm and supportive environment that helped me succeed in the best way possible. They explained everything so clearly and at a pace that never felt overwhelming, which made it so much easier to build confidence.

What stood out the most to me was how they handled mistakes—not with frustration, but with patience and encouragement. They helped me understand what went wrong and guided me on how to improve in a way that actually made me feel capable instead of discouraged. I genuinely couldn’t have asked for better instructors for my first experience learning how to ride.

Chris and Walter didn’t just teach me the basics—they helped me believe in myself, and that’s something I’ll carry with me every time I get on a bike.

Send a message to learn more

04/16/2026

OVRT Program Coordinator Gil Moore will be doing a radio interview about the Motorcycle Ohio training program at 0845 this (Thursday) morning at 0845.

---------- Edit to add:

That was fun and went well. When I get the audio file I'll try to share.

Click this to listen to WMOA radio live:

Local Radio for the Marietta area on WMOA

03/17/2026

Hey experienced riders! It's spring! Wanna knock the dust off?
We have a BRS2 class scheduled for Satrurday April 4th!
BRS2 is our class where experienced riders can get some training and some great skills practice on our range on their own motorcycle. It's a 5 hour program with no classroom component. We'll work on low speed control, quick stops, countersteering, throttle control, maintaining a line in a curve, swerving, and stopping in a curve. All valuable skills we need every time we ride.
This class is a great refresher or tune-up at the beginning of the new season. If you have any questions about the class please reach out.
Sign up online at: www.motorcycle.ohio.gov
Clicks:
Enroll in a course
Enroll in a course
Select: BRS2 - click "next"
Sign up for the class in Washington County.

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03/06/2026

This was a fun interview. Airing Sunday morning at 7:30. You can tune in and learn more about our programming. Listen online here:

https://streema.com/radios/Lite_Rock_93R_WRRR_FM

02/20/2026

We will be training new instructors this season. It's a lot of work and a lot of fun and we really enjoy what we do. If you are interested or have questions please click the link or send me a message.

Please click the link to complete this form.

02/02/2026

eRider Online Classroom Now Available for Motorcycle Ohio Courses

Great news for motorcycle riders! Motorcycle Ohio’s Basic Rider Skills (BRS) course now offers an online classroom option through eRider at select training sites.

This means you can complete the four hours of classroom instruction online, at your convenience, before heading to your scheduled in-person on-cycle training.

Please note: you must complete the on-cycle portion in person to earn your motorcycle endorsement.

Courses begin as early as March and run through mid-November. Enrollment is just $75, and successful completion earns you a 60-day BMV skill test waiver.

To register and learn more, visit motorcycle.ohio.gov

Ride smart. Ride safe. Start your journey today!

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01/26/2026

We are open for signups. The first classes in Marietta and Nelsonville are the weekend of March 21st.

Learn more and sign up at: WWW.Motorcycle.Ohio.gov

Please drop a message if you have any questions about our offerings. Let's ride!

❄️🏍️ **Snow on the ground… Spring on the mind!**

Ohio might be covered in white right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t gear up for warmer rides ahead. 🌷☀️

Motorcycle Ohio course registration is officially OPEN, and this is the perfect time to lock in your spot for a Basic Riding Skills course. Your future self will thank you when those first sunny spring days roll in and you’re already trained, confident, and ready to ride.

Let’s turn this winter chill into spring thrill.

Register today and take the right steps to ride trained! 🏍️ https://bit.ly/2IcJ7k3

01/22/2026

More student feedback from the 2025 season. Classes for the 2026 season are scheduled and we open for sign ups on January 26th, 2026. Sign up at Motorcycle Ohio

" I was very nervous and anxious once on the bike but both teachers were incredibly reassuring and at the moment it all started to click and make sense in my head as I finished my first smooth u turn I looked to the coach on the drill (Reice) and I saw genuine joy and pride for me in his eyes . It reminded me of making my dad proud learning to ride a bike. It was an incredible weekend and I am extremely thankful for everyone's help in keeping me alive out there on the street. Thank you so much and I will be taking the next level of classes".

Come on out. Let's ride!

11/05/2025

In our classes we teach riding skills, and traffic strategies, and we talk about wise choices. Every time you choose to ride a motorcycle you have many choices to make. Where am I going? What route will I take? How fast? Am I in good shape to ride - sober, alert, undistracted? What safety gear will I wear? And of course the first choice is if we're going to ride the motorcycle at all.

After a few weeks of cold weather we're having a mild day today. I checked the forecast and see that the afternoon will be glorious. I really considered riding my motorcycle to work this morning. Oh boy!

But then I thought about it a little more. I have an event this evening that will keep me out until around 7pm. So riding today would mean my ride home will be the later part of dusk, just after the sun goes down. My route home includes several miles of lovely rural 2 lane roads that I would usually really enjoy riding.

But it's November. We're getting close to breeding season and the deer are extremely active and the bucks are getting excited getting ready to fight and mate and they're even more unpredictable than usual. And they are most active at dawn and dusk.

We recently got this data from the Ohio Highway Patrol: According to Patrol statistics, there have been 108,047 deer-involved crashes in Ohio since the beginning of 2020. Of those crashes, 48 were fatal, resulting in 49 total deaths. Although motorcyclists are only involved in 1% of deer-involved crashes, they account for 81% of the fatal crashes.

This makes sense. When you hit a deer in a car the odds are you bend up some bodywork but probably drive the car home and call your insurance in the morning. It's worse than that sometimes, but most of the time there's not much real danger to a car driver from a deer strike. But when you hit a deer on the motorcycle you have 2 problems. One, you just hit a deer, and there's probably some damage. Problem two, because of the impact you will very possibly lose control of your motorcycle and crash. This is where that awful statistic comes from.

Riding today would put me in an unusually hazardous situation. I've seen a lot of deer activity lately and I decided not to chance it and I took the car. Sometimes the best riding decision is not to ride at all.

These are personal choices that we all get to make and I'm not saying that if you rode today you are wrong, but today that was the wrong choice for me.

09/16/2025

More great feedback from our students in Marietta and at Hocking College.

Several more weeks to the training season. Come on out, let's ride.

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Joe was an excellent instructor. Very good at giving information and demonstration

Awesome training class, good information and great training down range. The instructor really worked with each rider, correcting and giving tips and advice on every exercise. Great program, had a great time.

Gil was a great instructor. He was fun to work with and seems to love what he does.

The instructor was patient with me and allowed me to ask multiple questions. He provided great feedback while on the range that helped me learn and become better with each exercise we did.

Great Instructor amazing motorcycle knowledge and teaching abilities.

It was a great course! As I stated before, I am a brand new rider and next year after I get some more time on my bike, I would like to take an additional class that is more advanced because I took so much away from this class I know in a year or so when I have more experience that I could probably learn a lot more in an advanced class as well. The foundation that I have built through this beginner course is going to take me so far and I am excited every time I get on my bike to apply what I have learned. I have already recommended this course to people I know and will continue to do so because it was that beneficial to me.

It went above and beyond my expectations. From someone who put their leg over a bike for the first time the night before the class, I can’t thank my instructor enough for his patience and diligence in teaching me how to ride!

Send a message to learn more

08/27/2025

I have been teaching people to ride motorcycles for 20 years. The greatest thrill I get is in seeing someone do something they didn't think they could do.

The interesting part of teaching a physical skill is that in a lot of cases more information doesn't help and can even be harmful. Once I've explained and demonstrated the techniques and I'm sure the student understands them, more words don't help. Sometimes the best thing I can do is to be encouraging but otherwise shut up and leave them alone and let them work the problem. Then the light bulbs come on. It is glorious.

Come on out, let's ride.

Gil Moore