Become An
Instructor

Join the Team

Team Oregon instructors are the heart of our program.

These generous individuals are men and women from every walk of life who have made a commitment to motorcycle safety.

You can share your enthusiasm and give something back to motorcycling by becoming a Team Oregon instructor. By joining the team, you not only benefit the future of riding, you also become a better rider yourself.

See Requirements & Apply

Share The Experience

Motorcycling is about freedom. It’s the freedom of an open stretch of highway with the sun at your back and the wind in your face. It’s the freedom of traveling light, a graceful curve on a winding mountain road and the camaraderie of our fellow riders. It’s why we ride.

Every year thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds start riding motorcycles. These future riders depend upon the wisdom and experience of more seasoned riders – like you.

Being an instructor is a journey, not a destination. Instructors are willing and able to accept coaching from teammates and adjust their delivery.We enjoy watching our instructors grow and hone their skills throughout their careers.

Learn The Ropes

Team Oregon offers seven distinct training courses with different objectives and for different levels of riding ability. New instructors start teaching beginner (basic) courses on the range, which is the core curriculum for new riders to develop proper skills and earn their motorcycle endorsement.

Team Oregon instructors learn the skills needed to safely train these beginners and usher in the next generation of riders to the challenging world of motorcycling. During Instructor Preparation (IP) you’ll learn how to recognize and respond to student needs during on-cycle (“range”) riding exercises and during the discussion/debriefing periods that follow.

After gaining experience on the range teaching basic courses, opportunities for intermediate course assignments and classroom training come next. After that, further opportunities may be available, such as driving and working from mobile units, mentoring new instructors, and teaching advanced courses.

Benefits of Teaching

In addition to receiving coaching from experienced instructors, there are many benefits of being a Team Oregon Instructor, both tangible and intangible.

Team Oregon instructors are paid for the valuable services they provide. Pay varies depending on years served and number of courses taught. No, it is not possible to make a living as an instructor. There are not enough hours available, particularly during winter. But teaching motorcycle safety is a great part-time job.

Other tangible benefits are tax and insurance deductions. Instructors may be eligible to write off some motorcycling expenses. And instructors report a marked improvement in their own riding skills. Teaching and giving precise demonstrations provides frequent practice in basic skills, but Team Oregon also offers professional development opportunities and free, instructor-only advanced riding clinics.

There are also intangible benefits to teaching. For some students, learning to ride a motorcycle is a lifelong dream. Helping them achieve that goal is also a huge reward for the instructor. And don’t forget about saving lives: Students often come back and tell us hair-raising stories about crashes they avoided – because of what you taught them in the course!

But truly, what instructors say gives them the most satisfaction is simply the look on a student’s face when the light bulb goes on over their head and they get it, as instructor Steve Gerke puts it, “Those ah-ha moments when the fear and apprehension in a student’s body language turn to confidence and enjoyment.” That’s what keeps instructors coming back.

Click above to watch the video and hear straight from our instructors’ mouths.