a motorcycle.

Sause said many riders either were too experienced or not experienced enough for the two courses run by the MVA – the Basic Rider Course and the Experienced Rider Course. Sause said a new six-hour course for intermediate riders, which began last week, is more appropriate for the average rider. He said the basic course was designed to give people with no experience an opportunity to discover if riding a motorcycle is right for them. “The intent is to provide training to those folks who can already ride a motorcycle,” Sause said. He said the more customized approach likely will draw more people to courses and help decrease accidents.

“A trained rider is much less at risk to be involved in a crash than an untrained or improperly trained rider,” he said. All three courses are taught at three MVA locations, including one in Hagerstown, and at some community colleges in the state. Owning a motorcycle, especially among middle-class residents, has become fashionable in recent years. “It’s becoming a trendy thing to have a Harley,” said one official. “But with that status symbol in your driveway, you also have to know how to drive it.”