Academy of Motorcycle Operation

There’s probably not too much to say that hasn’t been said already, except to confirm that this course was everything people had told me it would be, and more. Which is to say, it’s bloody fantastic.
I’m new to riding, never ridden a bike before, but after taking this course a couple weeks ago, I feel like I’m definitely well on my way to being a rider. They are the first ones to tell you that there’s no ‘one and done’ course, that motorcycling is about lifelong learning and practice, but I really can’t imagine a course that would more efficiently take you from having never held the handlebars of a moving motorcycle before, to feeling ready to go shopping for your first motorcycle. Especially in such a short amount of time.
It’s a crash course (poor choice of words) for sure, with a lot of information to take in over the weekend, but all of our instructors in the classroom and on the riding range explained everything very thoroughly, and never felt like they were ready to rush on before everyone was comfortable and all questions answered. I hate getting up early, and I get claustrophobic, so the idea of being somewhere at 6am to squeeze my head into a helmet wasn’t the most attractive proposition, but something about both of those things only made me even more focused, and by the end of the 2^nd day I was like a new man — who also knew how to ride a motorcycle!
Bottom line, if you have any interest at all in riding motorcycles, this is absolutely your starting point. Take the course and find out if it’s actually for you before you invest in any gear (they have it all) and start your riding life with some good safe habits baked in. And with the bonus of not having to take an on-​bike test at the DMV!
I can’t wait to come back with my own bike after some hours in the saddle and take more advanced courses to develop my skills further.
Thank you, guys, keep up the great work!

Outstanding instruction and support. I completed the basic course on 3÷13÷2016. Each instructor was supportive and patient. We were told at the beginning of the course that they were there to not just teach, but to coach as well, one on one coaching was beyond what I had expected. During breaks, the instructors talked with us about how the day was going, and about personal riding experiences. All of this together made the weekend not just informative and constructive, it made it very worthwhile. and enjoyable.
If you are new to riding, or just thinking about riding, this is THE course to attend. I’m looking forward to attending the next course sometime this summer (after I get a few thousand miles of seat time).
Thanks again to the incredible staff!

This review is long overdue. I took this class in March of 2015 and it was awesome! Great instructors who give you confidence and teach you a lot about riding. A month later after i passed i bought a 2015 Honda CBR300R and now i’m on a Honda CBR600RR! Overall it was a great experience. Take this class you won’t regret it.

Not worth it! Just go to DMV to take the test. It’s not that hard actually. Save your money or go somewhere else.

What a great experience I had last weekend when I took my class. I would strongly recommend this program to anyone looking to ride a motorcycle. The instructors were all highly experienced and professional. This program helped me understand the principles behind safe riding and they have an extremely structured step-​by-​step process that makes learning easy and completely takes away any fear factor.

I attended the AMO course Dec 4 – 6, 2015. I had the greatest experience! This is the course to take if you’ve never ridden a motorcycle before.
I bought a motorcycle 25 years ago and a friend told me he would teach me how to ride, all he taught me was the clutch, shifter, brake and throttle. Within a few days, I took a turn to fast, froze and hit the curb. These were the days before helmets and I wasn’t wearing one. Thankfully I didn’t get hurt, but I never rode a motorcycle again until this last weekend.
The instructors (Jonathan, Guillermo and Marna) were incredible, they were patient and taught you the basics from the beginning. I was nervous putting on my helmet the first day, by the end of the weekend I didn’t want to get off the bike!
If you’re considering a motorcycle safety course, this is the way to go, I could recommend them any higher.

Just finished the beginners course on Sunday. The instructors are very patient, friendly, and definitely fun… the group and I had a blast learning, If you are unsure how to ride and how to face the real world when riding this is the best place to start! after I was done with the class and riding course I felt confident that I can ride on the streets. Oh also Charlie (the owner) came just to check on us and see how we were doing.
Thank you all for showing us how to ride safely!!!

I had a great experience here last weekend and would strongly recommend this program to anyone looking to ride a motorcycle or scooter. The instructors are all highly experienced and professional. This program will help you understand the principles behind safe riding and they have an extremely structured step-​by-​step process that makes learning easy and completely takes away any fear factor.
The classroom experience was what it needed to be, but still a bit boring for me – the comments about it being fun don’t resonate with me personally, but I’ve spent a lot of time in classrooms and my standards as a professional teacher for presenting PowerPoint information like this are quite high. It felt like there must be some hours-​based requirement or the content of that nature should be taught at a faster pace. Mark was the instructor during our session, and his personal stories supplemented the classroom experience nicely and made it more engaging.
I have yet to take the M1 License Exam at the DMV because– I imagine what we learned in class (and I’ve personally studied the handbook on the side) will make for a passing score. The process for getting a license in CA required a DL-​389 form (which you can achieve from successfully passing both the classroom and practical courses here at AMO) and the passing of the written test at the DMV. You can do the written test first which qualifies you for a permit, but nobody wants two appointments at the DMV, so I recommend doing this first. Completing this course also gave me a $ 7.00/month discount on my Geico insurance (which after a lot of price comparing I also found was the best deal for a new scooter driver with a good driving history).
Just a few words about the classroom exam and my results — my overall result on the 50-​question classroom exam was 90%, which was the result of two careless mistakes from misreading the answer choices and three questions that simply weren’t reviewed in class or in the material at any point. I feel it was more than enough to prepare me to exceed the DMV Exam’s written requirement.
The practical course was designed extremely well. You are constantly learning safety techniques and the constant interaction with other novice drivers actually makes for a great learning environment. There are several skill level classes they also offer for more experienced riders, which I thought was a plus. I’ve opted to purchase a scooter, so I practiced with an 80cc scooter in class — a higher CC scooter option was available, but Charlie started me out on the lower CC option because I had literally no riding experience. By the end of two half-​day sessions, I got a perfect score on the practical.
The range instructors were Vince and Cheryl on the first day, and Vince and George on the second. I liked Vince as a teacher — he clearly enjoys his work and riding his (stunning) motorcycle. He was friendly but also understood behavioral modification and how to systematically help people improve — I would look to him for feedback after virtually every maneuver and he would provide hand signals, emphasize turning the head, both hand braking, and other safety techniques, or simply throw a thumbs-​up if I’d done something right. The process of how we learned was great — constantly reinforcing key safety techniques like engine shut-​off, dismounting, remounting, etc. My favorite part was how step-​by-​step we went from walking the bike with our feet on the ground — going into first, second, etc. — nothing felt ‘too scary’ or ‘too big a step’ to be unsuccessful in our learning.
My only feedback would be that taking 7 – 10 business days to get the DL-​389 is a pain in the ass, and nowadays, surprisingly long. I feel as though upon successful completion of the course these should be ready to walk away with the same day. Not something big enough to take a star away for because I think this is likely a standard, and my experience overall was so good that I want to leave this business its proper 5-​stars. Charlie also said I could come back if I ever wanted to check out motorcycling instead of scooting at a good discount — I appreciated the gesture, but for now, I scoot!

Love the Instructors, very helpful, they corrected you when needed and they gave you a thumbs up when you were riding right. They gave each Student 100% of their time to teach you good and safe riding skills–
Highly recommended.

Just finished today (10/​18/​2015) and wanted to give a special shoutout to Vincent and Cynthia for teaching me to ride a motorcycle and providing much needed constructive criticism to myself and all of the other new riders. Vincent was really good at explaining what to do, how to do it, etc. in a friendly manner and I will happily recommend AMO to anyone looking to learn how to ride.
I can’t forget about Charlie! He was the teacher in the classroom and he has a great attitude for teaching the rules of motorcycles to people of every age. He was very serious when needed and really funny as well.
Thanks to all at AMO!

The entire team at AMO is very professional and detail-​oriented.
Willy made the classroom a fun and interactive experience. Jonathan, Charlie and Wes are very experienced and knowledgeable.
Highly recommend. Great job guys!

There are some places that teach you how to pass a test and then there are some places that actually give you the training on how to handle and ride a motorcycle safely — and that is AMO. I am SOOOOO glad I took part in this course; the classroom instructors, Charlie and Carl Evans and the range instructors, Jonathan and Guillermo were AWESOME.
Jonathan and Guillermo were fun, you can tell motorcycle riding is a passion they both share and clearly love to teach. And they taught in a clear and very coherent manner — which for a total noob like me was super important — and they were not intimidating at all.
All in all, I had as much fun learning something completely new to me as I did taking it seriously and being confident enough to get a bike of my own and practice practice practice. I’m totally going back to AMO for further courses because you never stop learning and I don’t see why I’d want to go anywhere else. This is money VERY well spent at AMO — thanks to Jonathan and Guillermo — and Charlie and Carl! THANKS GUYS!

This was an outstanding and well run school that will give you everything you need to know for your motorcycle training and safety. Our instructors both in the class and on the course were very helpful, patient and friendly.
They keep emphasizing that they don’t teach you how to ride a motorcycle or help you pass the DMV test, but everything I learned from them was everything I would need «it seems», to start riding a motorcycle and give me a leg up on the DMV test I think (just my opinion).
When you complete or «if» you complete the training, you get a DMV certificate mailed to you so you can bypass the DMV’s riding test and just take the written! Not a bad deal.
In addition to the beginning level they have advance and other levels to help everyone training.
This is a great first start for your motorcycling journey or just to learn how to be safer on the road.

Sheryle and Jonathan changed my life. Great coaches and super helpful with beginners. Started from never being on a bike, into going to buying my 1^st bike.
This program is so awesome. Teaches you basics forms of riding a bike and scenarios of daily commute on a bike. Coaches are so patient and they answered all of our questions. I really enjoyed the class I think by far the fun and most educating class ever taken.
Great job AMO

Wow! Who likes being in a classroom and learning new stuff? Not me BUT the classroom lecture was quite educational with the instructors making it fun.
I had Guillermo and Carl as my instructor for the classroom lectures. Both were down to earth and made it fun to learn.
I had Vincent, Dean, and Jonathan for range time at the Altadena location. It was very very hot. They were all patience in training everyone. Gave constructive criticism that’ll only help you. I also noticed a man bringing water and ice for the cooler which I thought was nice.
Overall, I’d recommend AMO for motorcycle training.
Quick tips.
1. Don’t be late
2. Pay attention
3. Have fun riding.

AWESOME CLASS!
Instructors are absolutely wonderful, very friendly and informative.
Passed my written armed with what I learned in their classroom, and because they are so quick to send the yellow completion slips out, I became licensed and got myself a 2010 Ninja 250 only a couple weeks after the course!
Never thought it would be this simple to go from never riding to being street legal, but honestly it was only because of this course that it was this streamlined for me. It’s worth it!

I just completed the AMO class on Sunday, ⁷⁄₁₈ and it rocked! I went into the class thinking I was only taking it to get the waiver on the riding test for the DMV (for the actual license), but I came out of it realizing there’s so much more to riding a motorcycle than I ever realized before. It’s surprisingly nuanced and if you’ve never ridden a bike on your own before (like myself), the instructors do a fantastic job of breaking down the myths & stark realities of riding, including showing you how much fun it can be. They definitely stress safety and good riding techniques & tips, and they’re great about going at a pace that works for everyone.
My favorite time was getting to spend HOURS on a bike on the range, the first day in the pouring rain (we were all soaked by the end of it, but in great spirits) and the second day in the blazing hot sun! Two polar opposite weather conditions, but it was a great way of giving me a taste of what it would be like to ride in both. My hands and arms were sore as hell after the last day — especially the left one since that’s the one holding the clutch and I’m not used to driving manual anything! — but it only served as a reminder of how much fun I’d had. ;-)
Thank you to all the instructors!!! You guys were/​are the best! (Cheryl & Carl M. on the range + JJ and the other Carl in the classroom!)

THIS WAS SO AWESOME!!! Thanks to JJ, both Carls, and Cheryl for totally changing my life!!!
The instructors at AMO were spectacular. They made sure you understood everything, and made it a very comfortable environment for anyone to ask questions.
I’ll be honest, I was a bit nervous when Carl P was all, «alroyt, weah gonna jump on the boyk and do a cahple exahsoyzes» (he’s Australian — that’s his accent), but once I got on, I realized he was walking us through from the very beginning. To start, we did a couple exercises without taking our feet off the ground (SUPER helpful, and totally takes any fear away), then gradually progressing.
SO glad I did this, and if you’re thinking about taking a course, this one is totally 5-​star worthy.
…PLUS you’ll definitely meet some people that you’ll wanna ride with later on.

Took the MSF course this weekend 7÷11−7÷12 2015. It was challenging but so much fun. I had never rode a motorcycle before. Not as passenger, much less as a driver. The instructors during the lecture part of class kept it real. They did not sugar coat the dangerous of riding, but they also shared their passion about riding which turned that fear of statics into curiosity.
I was at the Altadena range and it was hot!!! Bring tons of H20!!! The demeanor of the instructors at the beginning is a little intimidating because they are so serious, but as you ride, they begin to build a trust relationship with you and help put you at ease and feel confident.
If you are curious about what riding is like, this is the place to go. AMO also offers advance classes. There is always room for growth as a rider.
Thanks AMO for the life changing experience!!! This is the beginning of something epic in my life!!!

Took the course last weekend 6÷12−6÷14 at the Altadena course. The instructors were very knowledgeable & kind. You could ask them to repeat anything & further elaborate and they care so much! I’d never been on a motorcycle ever and went in not totally blind (watched youtube videos etc).
The written test was not too hard but DON’T SLACK OFF and not pay attention during the powerpoints. i thought i was super confident and i ended up missing 7. it’s a long lecture but so worth the knowledge! 50 questions (you can only miss 10)!!
After passing i bought my bike from another owner (got a good deal) 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 300. Went to thw dmv (i recommend El Monte) the wait time without an appointment was 1 ½ hour max. I just went in & passed the M1 written test (word to the wise– if you already have a class C licence, you will have to retake have the test 18questions, along with the 25 question M1 test). Study before though! The CA tests got updated to the 2014 questions! Study study study!!! Just waiting for my waiver to come in the mail and boom all done.
After the course, i was still alittle intimidated, only because now I was out of the course area and in the real streets. I’ve been practicing around my area and feeling more and more confident everyday. In time I’ll hit thw freeway but not now =).
Also advice, I got quotes from all major insurance & smaller companies to get a good price. I ended up getting Progressive for about $ 45 a month! Liability & Comprehensive! Nice and cheap yet affordable!!!
Most of all… Have Fun!!! This program and all the instructors are amazing!!! Thanks guys!
~ Estevan B