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Crowded Motorcycle Safety Classes Thwart Gas-Saving Plans

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By KATE SPINNER

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Published: September 5, 2008

The spontaneity of buying a first motorcycle and riding off toward a distant horizon is gone now that Florida law requires new riders to take safety classes that are hard to come by.

The law, along with the soaring number of people buying motorcycles and scooters for fuel-efficient travel, has jammed area safety schools and those across the state.

Prospective bikers are paying for classes they will not be able to attend for two to three months, said Cindy Hunter, director of continuing and community education at Manatee Community College. The college offers the safety classes at its Venice and Bradenton campuses.

"I have actually hired six rider-coaches in the last three months just to meet the demand," Hunter said.

The 2-month-old law requires new motorcyclists to pass a basic rider course that includes five hours of classroom instruction on safety and 10 hours of riding practice on a certified training range.

A side effect has been a huge backlog at schools offering the safety classes, as more people turn to motorcycles for transportation.

Corresponding with a rise in gas prices, motorcycle registrations increased nearly 8 percent statewide in the last year, while car registrations remained about even and truck registrations decreased 3.5 percent.

To address the demand, Manatee Community College added outdoor riding ranges at its north and south campuses and more than doubled safety class offerings this year in anticipation of the law.

But that was still not enough. Training courses in other counties are similarly booked.

The state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has paid to train coaches, helping to boost the number of training sites from 50 to 174, agency spokeswoman Ann Nucatola said.

Erik Vossler, who traded his gas-guzzling boat for a motorcycle recently, was fortunate to get into a class at MCC's Venice campus last weekend with about half the wait some are experiencing now.

He paid his $220 registration for the class seven weeks ago, but had the luxury of driving on a learner's permit issued before the law changed.

Vossler, 40, of North Port, said he bought the bike because he loves riding and rarely used the boat. Getting 50 miles a gallon on his 10-mile commute to work is a bonus.

"It gives me a lot more mobility," Vossler said. "I'm more likely to go on a long trip now or cruise around because I really don't worry about gas."

He is among the 10,000 people in Sarasota, Charlotte and Manatee counties who registered a motorcycle or scooter in the past five years.

Motorcycle and moped registrations have increased 46.7 percent in the three counties since fiscal 2003.

Meanwhile, truck registrations have dropped 4.5 percent, and passenger car registrations increased 3 percent.

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