What's New?

Fall/Winter 2019

New Courses Rock!

In addition to advanced training for endorsed riders, Team Oregon now offers Basic 3-Wheel training using Can-Am machines. Learn more.

Team Oregon rolled out several new training courses for endorsed motorcyclists this year, and the results make us proud of the Oregon riders we serve. More than 500 riders took an advanced Team Oregon course in 2019, an increase of 115% over last year and a welcome signal of more to come.

• Rider Skills Practice – 144 Riders
• Braking Clinic – 36 Riders
• Advanced Riding Techniques (ART) – 138 Riders
• Cornering Clinic – 77 Riders
• Precision Maneuvering Clinic – 69 Riders
• Basic 3-Wheel – 47 Riders

The fact that advanced training numbers doubled when more courses were offered tells us that the Oregon riding community takes a real interest in skill development – in getting the most out of their skills and their bikes. If you’re an endorsed rider who has never taken a training course, or only a basic course, it’s time to come see what you’re missing. Learn more about advanced training.

If you’ve already taken an advanced course, we salute you – and ask you to tell your friends. Convince them to take a course, or better yet, get them to take a course with you.

Pro tip 1: When the sun is in your eyes, it's probably blinding the guy behind you, too.

Pro tip 2: When your shadow stretches way out in front of you, you can bet oncoming drivers are having a hard time seeing you because the sun is in their eyes as you approach.

Pro tip 3: When heading out on cool fall mornings, if you notice frost on the windows of parked cars, be wary. Other drivers may be even less likely to see you coming.

Fall Pro Tips

Fall is a season of change: Some changes are obvious, some not so much. Two subtle changes should put motorcyclists on alert.

Daylight. Days are shorter and the sun is lower in the sky. This can create visibility problems, particularly during morning and evening commutes. When the rising sun is in your eyes, it’s probably blinding the driver behind you, too. And if your shadow stretches a loooooong way out in front of your bike, it might mean drivers ahead can’t see you coming.

Condensation. In cooler weather, moisture and frost collect on car windows overnight. Drivers have wipers and scrapers to clear windshields, but don’t always think to clear the other windows. This can effectively block their view of motorcyclists! Be wary on cool fall mornings.

Legislative Update

Motorcyclists get more legal protection on the road. In June, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 810 into law, adding motorcycle and moped riders to the category of vulnerable road users. The law (801.608, “Vulnerable user of a public way”) enhances penalties for motorists who kill or injure motorcyclists, as well as other vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, highway workers or bicyclists.

Lane sharing bill failed. “Lane splitting” remains illegal in Oregon. House Bill 2314 didn’t make it out of the Joint Transportation Committee during the 2019 legislative session. As written, the bill would have legalized limited motorcycle lane sharing, allowing riders to voluntarily filter between traffic moving at 10 miles per hour or less, and only on roads posted 50 mph or higher. Riders would not have been allowed to exceed traffic speed by more than 10 mph.

The bill was sponsored by a mix of Democrats and Republicans, Senate and House from urban, rural and suburban districts. The bill’s citizen organizers – including members of the Sang-Froid Riding Club, BikePAC of Oregon and Bikers for Christ – are expected to try again when the next legislative session comes around.