Apex Cycle Education

From incredible instructors to incredible bikes, Apex is the best for cycle education. The classes cost a bit more than the community college, but everything here is better. The classes are pretty small and take place in a comfortable parking lot where you can easily park right next to class. All of the bikes are top notch in working order, and they are a joy to ride. Finally, the instructors are to-​the-​point and make the class really fun! The days I was there it rained a lot, but we had class anyway and enjoyed the best experience! Seriously, we all felt like friends in the end. Nothing is better than the experience of seeing someone who doesn’t know how to ride a motorcycle learn so much in just a short time. What a great experience! I almost wish I could go through it all again just to relive the experience. Do yourself a favor and signup if you are reading this, it’s worth it.

I recently completed this class at the GMU location mid September. I am female and had never been on a bike before. Speaking from my lack of experience and knowledge I felt this class was taught fairly. They (Steve & Brad) did not treat females differently than males. As well they shouldn’t because the road doesn’t discriminate. I was nervous and unsure of what I was doing when I first got on the bike. But the more I relaxed the more fun it was and the better I became. Steve & Brad consistently told our class to relax and smile. Riding is supposed to be fun!!!
As long as you pay attention, come prepared to have fun and enjoy yourself then you should be set to pass. They do all they can to help you pass.
I do agree with others that if you didn’t pass then there’s good reason you didn’t pass. Safety for others is probably number one.
The end result? I passed!!!

Me too just finished the course this past weekend, I put my signature on TM’s review from all aspects. Yes, the course was hard but isn’t it meant to be for guys like me with zero experience. It was worth the money I paid.
I would like to thank APEX for their professionalism from class registration to final riding exam. APEX made my first motorcycle experience a miracle for me. I will try to make their Street Rider Course also.
Furthermore, I am grateful for Mo and Tee, my instructors, for all their professionalism, consideration and kindness they showed. I wouldn’t have made it without them. I loved my experience and now adore riding. I feel hundred percent confidence to go on riding.
I definitely advise this course to all interested.

Just finished the BRC course this past weekend it was very hard but well worth it the instructors Steve and Steve were awesome they pushed you just far enough to grow but not far enough to scare you. The classes were intense it was 90 plus degrees outside Saturday and Sunday for 6 hours at a time with very little shade. Majority of my class seem to be more advanced than I was but they were all very friendly and they gave me tips and pointers on how to make it through the class the instructors offered extra practice for some of those who weren’t getting some of the concepts and they were overall very supportive while still keeping a good classroom pace to support everyone. Being a first time rider I was scared to fail after paying that exorbitant amount of money but I was very proud in the end when I passed with a high five from the instructors. If you are female this class is worth taking they do not baby you they do not dumb it down they do not make it any easier for a female rider because on the road there is no difference.

As a first time rider, I had a great experience with Apex. The instructors had such supportive and positive attitude that I never felt self-​conscious about my performance out on the course.
My complaint is in regard to the class on the first day. We were split into groups, presented with a list of questions, and asked to find the answers to these questions from an information booklet. Each group was responsible for calling out the answers for their assigned subset of questions. It was not an efficient way to learn the materials. I had to read through the booklet after getting home before I felt ready to take the written test.
Still, any halfway conscientious individual should be able to do at least that, and my experience on the second and third day was so great that any frustration suffered in class became irrelevant. If you’re around the DC Metro area and wish to learn how to ride, I highly recommend Apex.

Took my MSF course through APEX and they were professional and always there to provide tips and advice to help you pass the course. The course was a weekend long. Friday was the «in class» training which was videos and lecture. Saturday was day 1 on the motorcycles where you learn basic functions and maneuvering. Sunday was day 2 on the motorcycle which you learn more maneuvers, practice, then the driving test. Once the driving test is complete you go back to the class room and do a written test. Pass both and your good to go. You’ll be awarded a 30 day permit (DMV test waived). I had a blast and would do it every weekend lol. Course was $ 350.

You’ll notice the poor reviews are from people who are bitter they can’t ride. If you can’t already ride, Northern Virginia is not a kind place to figure it out. If they kicked you out «for no apparent reason,» they probably saved your life.
I took the beginner course with Apex a few years ago. I grew up on dirtbikes, so I was mostly taking it as a social thing with my friend who had less experience. I had no intention of picking up anthing new. But I’m excited to say I did! There were a couple key things that really improved my riding safety, and still make for a more enjoyable ride.
The team of 4 instructors were great. They were motorcycle enthusiasts, as well as safety enthusiasts. If someone is explaining something to you in an energetic way, and qualifying the advice with the benefits of proper execution, and they’re excited when they see you get it right, it’s really really hard not to pick up great info and habits that will stick with you all your life. And cheesy as this sounds, maybe even save it.
Ever since I took the beginner course I’ve wanted to take the advanced. I think it’d be a blast with tighter obstacles and my own bike. I’m bringing the super moto!
Great job, guys.

It’s been a couple years since I took the MSF class with Apex, but I thought it would be worth reviewing it from a «never ridden on a motorcycle before the class» perspective as well as from the perspective of a woman. I’m not sure why, but it seems like women are reluctant in general to learn how to ride a motorcycle, which was evident in my class of 15 students, only me and my friend were of the fairer sex. We were also the only two who had never ridden a motorcycle before. I think they’ve started doing women only classes, but I do think it would be more useful to have a class dedicated to those who have never ridden before and those just doing it for insurance purposes or who wanted to take the road test on the smaller, more agile motorcycles provided by the course as they could not even push their larger bikes through the DMV test.
While this was intimidating, everyone, including the instructors, was really nice and supportive. You could tell these guys loved riding and I never felt like I was being judged at all. I never expected the basic class to prepare me to ride out in traffic right away. What I did expect, was to be able to start, stop, turn, shift gears, and otherwise gain the basic skills that would allow me to practice in a parking lot if and when I decided to buy my own bike. I also wanted to see if I loved it enough to make that kind of investment as I had always ridden as a passenger. The MSF curriculum is thorough and while there’s a lot of information, you do actually get enough time on the bikes to get the basic feel of everything.
Yes, there are some hard elements, such as the figure eight. Even some of the more experienced guys missed that, but the point of learning how to do it is to understand the relationship between speed, turning, your tires, and the road. I actually was able to do it during practice, but during the test, I was nervous, went wide, and guess what, I still got my license because all it does is rack up a few points.
Yes, they will make you take your test rain or shine. In real life, you don’t get to decide the weather. I had to take my test in the rain, it was freezing, and dark. My hands were so cold I could barely feel them. But the instructors were reasonable, if we barely missed something, we got a second try. I jumped the gun on my quick stop from second gear the first time, but nailed it the second time.
Did I feel like I could go hop on a bike and rock out on 495? No, but I learned enough that I didn’t have to study for the written test in DC and I got 100% and I learned enough to be confident in renting a little 50cc dirt bike in Cambodia when I was backpacking there to jet around.

This is in response to the review below. I am in no way affiliated with Apex Cycle Education but I think for the sake of some potential readers, there needs to be a better discussion about expectations (and I’d hate for new riders to be deterred by a negative review with no substance).
My experience: I took my MSF in 1999 at 19 years old at Tidewater Community College in Chesapeake, VA. The instructors were former military instructors who seemed to put the fear of God in you when you rode on the black top in 90F+ temps. That attitude was tough, it sucked, but it stuck with me. I experienced both classroom and tons of riding. This is the standard of all MSF programs in Virginia for as long as I can recall.
You CAN learn how to ride a motorcycle in two days… but not as well as you think. I had no experience prior to my course in 1999 and that was the last time I rode until my Basics Refresher course in July 2011. Of course, nobody can expect to be a master in anything in two days.
Not even a new student driver can drive a car with confidence in two days that one gets after years of driving, much less a motorcycle (which is completely foreign to 90% of people). Do you really expect to jump on to 95 or 66 and navigate your way through killer clowns in cars and joker taxi cab drivers? You’d be hard pressed if you can even make it on without some experience…
When you first learn ow to drive a car, typically you drive a route that’s familiar or you spend time in parking lots with mom/​dad/​uncle. Why would it be any different? You have to «ease» your way into riding around here. It takes patience and education to increase your comfort zone on a motorcycle. Sure, friends could help you but most likely, you’ll miss some key lessons like target fixation and how to use your rear brake the right way. If you don’t appreciate that in two days, as soon as you start riding you’ll recall those lessons.
Why do you attend an MSF class or advance class? Simple — to get the basics or acquire new skills and go from there. Motorcycle riding is best when you continue to educate in many ways. You are right, no way you can learn in two days everything you need to learn about how to ride a motorcycle. These instructors are here to instruct you under supervision. You are the one who has to teach yourself everyday after you throw a leg.
Respectfully,
Mr. .02

This is not a course you should take unless you have ridden a motorcycle before. There is no way you can learn all you need to know in two days. Honestly come on now. Completely nuts! Do not waste your money or time. If you really truly want to learn how to operate a motorcycle buy a cheap one and have an experienced driver teach you. DMV will allow you to take a written test and get your learners without taking driving test which yes is stupid too … The issue here is don’t fork out hundreds of dollars unless you absolutely have to. They will quiz you on staying inside very small boxes sharp turns that even an expert might have difficulty doing. Also, no matter whether it is pouring down rain they will expect you to speed up and break quickly not a good idea for a beginner. If you think that you can complete this course in two days and be safe in Northern VA traffic be sure first to fill out your organ donor card.

TL, DR: Apex is a great choice. If you want to get your license, take the Basic Rider Course, it may not be thrillingly exciting or cheap, but it is based on decades of work and will make you a better rider than having some friend teach you. If you have your license and want to get more out of your bike, take the Advanced Rider Clinic to learn what you and your bike can really do.
Full review: I have now taken two different courses from Apex (the Basic Rider Course and the Advanced Rider Clinic), and I would happily go back again. Across both classes I found the staff to be friendly, cheerful, and solid instructors. Like James and Scott point out, the curriculum is standardized; the BRC is from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, and the ARC is Lee Parks’ Total Control. These curriculum have been developed over the course of decades, and are the way there are for very good reasons.
Basic Rider Course: In my opinion, this is the best way to get your motorcycle license. Yes, you can get a learner’s permit and then have a friend teach you, but there is a reason that your friend isn’t certified to teach by the MSF; they’re not as skilled at riding or teaching as these folks. The classroom work is some boilerplate, but it gets you the information you need to pass the VA written exam without having to study in advance, and it conveys some really useful safety information. The range time, on bikes they provide, is designed to teach you the basics of operating a motorcycle; it will start with slowly walking your bike across the lot to learn clutch control, but will end with some fairly challenging low-​speed maneuvers demonstrating your ability to (relatively) safely operate a motorcycle. My experience with this course was that the instructors bent over backwards to make sure that everyone graduated, but also that everyone who graduated deserved to do so. Like James said, if you’ve failed out on the range, you should take this as a sign that you were doing something dangerous, not that the instructors somehow had it out for you.
Advanced Rider Clinic: I was fortunate enough to be there on a day that Lee Parks was checking up on the Apex folks who were teaching his matériel, but most of my feedback was from the Apex staff, not Lee. I took this class after putting 5k miles on my bike in order to refresh my skills, break any bad habits I’d developed, and get more confidence in what my bike can do. In all respects, Apex did a great job. Unlike the BRC, in the ARC, the range time is interspersed between the classroom time. This is great in that you immediately apply what you learn, but you do lose some time going back and forth between the two areas. Again, I found the instructors to be outstanding; the feedback that they provided was solid and very useful. Over the course of the day I put my bike through paces I wouldn’t have thought it could handle; and I don’t even ride a sport bike. In fact, my class included everything from a giant Goldwing, to chromed-​up choppers, to naked Ducatis, and we all pushed them hard and advanced noticeably. I fully intend to take this class again in a couple years as a refresher, and next time I get a new bike I’ll absolutely sign up again to learn its limits in a controlled environment.

I just wanted to leave an addendum after seeing a few negative reviews pop up here. This is a hard fact for some people to understand, but this is a motorcycle SAFETY training course. It is a fast-​track to get licensed and get a discount on your insurance. It is hard because it is supposed to be hard. This is the same MSF training course you take anywhere the US regardless of who is teaching it, so if you think it’s too hard for you — then you’re not ready to ride a motorcycle. It stinks, but it’s true.
If you can’t keep up with the class, you shouldn’t pass. If you drop your motorcycle, you shouldn’t pass. If you can’t ride safely on wet pavement, you shouldn’t pass. If you can’t balance on two wheels in slow maneuvers, you shouldn’t pass. If you can’t ride the motorcycle at the appropriate speed because you’re scared, you shouldn’t pass. If you ride your motorcycle in a manner that is unsafe to you or other riders in the course, you shouldn’t pass. On the streets there is NO difference between the safe operation of a tiny scooter and a 250cc motorcycle.
These aren’t a bunch of goofy hazing rituals invented to make beginners sweat, these are real skills that you need on the streets to continuously avoid killing yourself.
If anyone has failed this class, then they have probably failed for the correct reason and should not be on the road until they are able to pass. It’s a harsh truth because the class is very expensive and no one wants to fail, but if you can’t make it through the class successfully — you are dangerous to yourself and other drivers.

I am so disappointed both with the quality of instruction and the customer service of this organization that I specifically signed up with Unilocal to warn others.
The class was terribly run — multiple instructors milling in and out of the classroom, no introductions and no continuity between them. They repeatedly would say, «Um, did he cover this?» or «Where were you?». In five hours we simply read, verbatim, from a manual and watched video’s. I could have easily done all of this from home in less than 2 hours. Overall the classroom portion was a complete waste of time.
In addition, one of the instructors informed me that I would be unable to use my scooter for the field work on Saturday and Sunday, even though that is why I was there. I don’t need to learn how to ride an actual motorcycle and simply wanted to learn to ride the scooter that I had with me. However, I was told this was not an option.
As a result of these two factors, I did not attend the field work on Saturday and Sunday. Since I could not use the scooter that I needed to learn on and the five hours I had already spent were a complete waste, I wasn’t going to risk half of my weekend on something that was not useful.
When I followed up with Apex, they were less than helpful. They denied that an instructor told me I couldn’t ride my scooter and then said everyone else loved the class. Apparently my assessment of the class, instructors and information that I was given was irrelevant and they would rather keep my $ 400 than make any concession or alternative plans.
Please proceed with caution if you are looking for a motorcycle/​scooter class. I found this to be a tremendous waste of time and clearly no support in the event of an issue.

Stay Away! Terrible experience! Wish I could give it a ZERO Star rating.
They embarrassed and forced me out of the class for no apparent reason, then when I called and tried to talk to them — Linda (she claimed to be the owner) had a terrible attitude and wouldn’t allow me to talk. After continuously making up excuses and quoting «terms and conditions» without letting me say a single word, she HUNG UP on me!
If this is the owner, can you imagine the class experience?
Worst program and customer service EVER! Filing complaints to BBB (surprisingly they are no even on it!), VA Attorney General and my credit card company!
NOVA offers the same class for much less!

I second Ben’s review 100%. Took this course last weekend, and learned plenty. i had never so much sat on a bike before the class, and I would feel comfortable now on the streets with one.
The beltway, not so much.
As they put it «All this proves is that you can drive 15 miles an hour around cones in a parking lot. Go get more experience.»
However, they give some great tips for learning to ride, and get you to develop good habits that could save your life in a crash (or prevent one for that matter)
I had two great instructors, who were passionate about cycling, as well as good at teaching, and patient with those of us that took longer than others to get the hang of it. Class size was only 10 (20 in the classroom portion) so you get to know your fellow learners as well as get lots of good instruction.
If you are thinking about riding, or even if you already ride some, I highly suggest this course. Its approved by the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) so you can get an insurance discount, which if you are a younger rider will pay for itself in just a few seasons. Plus you get a goodie bag that has discounts good at several local bike shops that can quickly add up to some serious savings.
They also offer an advanced rider course where you bring all of your own equipment and your own bike, and they teach you how to use that more effectively. I dont know how that one goes, but I think that it would be worth it as well.