Don’t wait until the weather is nice and classes are filled up — there are plenty of open seats now. Take your course this winter or spring and be ready to ride when summer comes!

ABOUT
TEAM OREGON

The Team Oregon Motorcycle Safety Program provides statewide training, education and outreach for riders of all levels of experience and riding ability.

In 1984, the first year of the program, Team Oregon trained about 400 riders. Last year, more than 10,000 students completed a basic, intermediate, advanced or 3-wheel training course to learn safe and responsible motorcycling. In its history, Team Oregon has trained more than 200,000 riders in the mental and physical skills needed to ride safely.

Who’s Behind this?


Team Oregon is an outreach program of the Oregon State University (OSU) College of Health. The college is committed to robust community involvement and providing the education and services needed to help people lead safe, healthy lives.

OSU collaborates with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Transportation Safety Office which provides direction, funding and support for the motorcycle safety program and activities. Team Oregon funding comes from student tuitions, motorcycle endorsement and renewal fees, and grants.

Support also comes from the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Motorcycle Safety (GAC-MS), ODOT Driver and Motor Vehicles (DMV), motorcycle rider organizations and businesses.

Become an Instructor


Team Oregon has about 180 motorcycle safety instructors who are paid, part-time employees. Each instructor completes a rigorous training program to become certified to teach for the program. Instructors are motorcycle enthusiasts with extensive riding experience who bring a wealth of knowledge to students.

Programs


At the heart of Team Oregon are its street-oriented, research-based training courses. Courses are open to the public and include classroom instruction and on-bike training.

For beginning riders, our Basic course is an introduction to motorcycling that include 8 hours of practice riding. We offer an Intermediate course for those who are self-taught or who haven’t ridden in some time and are getting back into motorcycling. Intermediate training includes 4 hours of practice riding. Both types of courses meet Oregon’s mandatory training requirement, and both courses include 4-6 hours of classroom instruction.

For endorsed riders who want to raise their skills to a higher level, Road Riding Tactics provides an opportunity to work on techniques for low-speed maneuvering, braking and cornering. The Braking Clinic refines braking skills at real road speeds. Advanced Riding Techniques (ART) is designed to refine cornering skills on the tight turns and curves of an enclosed track. The Precision Maneuvering Clinic helps riders master low-speed balance and control. The Cornering Clinic is quick refresher of curve skills for ART graduates. Team Oregon provides advanced training programs for police motorcycle officers and private courses for clubs and organizations.

For more information about all course offerings see our course comparison chart. For details on the licensing process, see How to Get Endorsed.

operations


Team Oregon runs courses at 25 locations across the state. The largest communities (Portland metro, Salem, Albany, Eugene, Medford) are fixed sites served primarily by community colleges, which provide all the facilities for training. Each site is self-contained with materials and equipment, as are the sites in McMinnville, Roseburg, Klamath Falls, Redmond and Bend.

At other locations, materials and equipment are delivered for each course. For these sites, instructors travel to the location and provide training using one of three mobile units (truck and trailer). Mobile units contain everything instructors need to teach a course: Classroom equipment and materials, training motorcycles, helmets, etc. This allows Team Oregon to serve smaller communities with the same world-class training as the fixed sites.

Honors


Team Oregon is a nationally recognized leader in motorcycle safety and the first state motorcycle safety program to develop its own proprietary training curricula. In 2005 Oregon was ranked first in the nation for motorcycle safety program administration, rider education courses and licensing practices by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Outreach


Staff, instructors and volunteers from Team Oregon share their enthusiasm for motorcycles, motorcycle safety, and rider training with groups and organizations at events across Oregon. They are equally at home with motorcyclists or motorists, and offer tips and techniques for all vehicle operators who share our roadways. Contact us at team.oregon@oregonstate.edu or 800-545-9944 to invite Team Oregon to your next event.

Stay Connected


Find a local event


Team Oregon instructors attend motorcycle community events to provide information about motorcycle safety and training. Course graduates can pick up a free prize – bring your Rider Passports!

Contact Team Oregon