HONORING 50 YEARS OF RIDER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

(NewsUSA) - Motorcycle Safety Foundation Celebrates 50th Anniversary and 10 Million Enrolled

IRVINE, Calif., July 6, 2023 — Millions of motorcycle and scooter riders nationwide and across the U.S. military worldwide got their start through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which is celebrating 50 years of rider education and training. MSF, the internationally recognized developer of comprehensive, researched-based rider education curricula, is also celebrating 10 million students enrolled and is honoring its network of coaches across America.

In 1973, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation was established with BSA, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha as founding members. Today, supporters of MSF also include BMW Motorrad, Indian Motorcycle, KTM North America, and Triumph Motorcycles.

“We are deeply indebted to the sponsors and supporters of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation — especially those that convened years ago to establish this organization and invest in developing science- and research-based curriculum,” said Erik Pritchard, president and CEO of MSF. “Every rider on the road has benefited from this visionary commitment.”

“Since its founding, MSF has developed curricula for riders of all levels seeking to learn and improve their skills whether they are riding on- or off-road. And as the times, technologies, and trends change, MSF remains committed to providing the best-in-class curricula so that every rider — beginner to experienced, street, dirt, and adventure — can find the type of training that helps them ride their best.”

Training sites across the country are helping to celebrate MSF’s 50th by hosting MSF RIDE Day events, which offer MOTO Intro experiences for people looking to get their first taste of riding, and SKILLS Check sessions for current riders to assess their skills.

“For people curious about motorcycling but are not sure they are ready to commit to a class, the MOTO Intro is a great way to try it out,” Pritchard said. “Motorcycles, helmets, and one-on-one coaching is provided to participants. The entire experience takes about 30 minutes, and the coach will help the rider progress at their own pace.”

“SKILLS Check is a fun way for experienced riders to see how well they can do in one of the MSF’s more advanced drills on their own motorcycles,” Pritchard continued. “And it introduces them to the additional training that is available to help them sharpen their skills.” MOTO Intro and SKILLS Check participants can also sign up for relevant classes after the event.

The heart of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is the team of 10,000 RiderCoaches, DirtBike School Coaches, site administrators, program managers, and others in the MSF training community whose hard work has helped millions of people realize their dream of riding.

“Our success over the last 50 years is only possible because of our training community’s dedication to teaching generations of riders,” said Robert Gladden, vice president of operations for MSF.

MSF is also sharing 50 stories from 50 riders as a way to help celebrate this milestone year. These pieces — by teachers, mothers, fathers, RiderCoaches, journalists, entertainers, and more — can be found on the Motorcycle Safety Foundation website under “Stories,” and on Instagram @msf__usa. Riders and RiderCoaches are encouraged to share their own stories using #MSF50YearsOfSafety when posting to social media.