ABATE of Colorado

Took a class this weekend; miles better than the others I’ve taken. Small class size and helpful, personalized feedback from coaches really made me feel like I was improving every turn on the course and maximizing my time. Thanks Mike, you guys rule.

Terrific bike school with awesome, friendly, and professional instructors. You really will learn how to ride. No complaints.

If I could give Abate zero stars I would! I registered my husband for the Intermediate Motorcycle Course with License Testing. On their website under the description for this class it says it will take approximately 6 hours to complete. When he arrived the employees informed the class it would take about 7.5 hours to complete, which they said was normal. More than eight hours later, he is still there. Either the company is misrepresenting themselves on their website or their employees have no idea what they are doing. I would not recommend this company to anyone for motorcycle classes or testing. I have emailed the company requesting a refund for misrepresentation… we will see what happens. I will be sure to update if they do not issue one.

I took the 2-​day BRC course at Red Rocks Community College. Mark was our instructor in a class of 6. He’s a great teacher and very accommodating and patient. I was terrified of motorcycles prior to taking the class. I was afraid of flying over the handlebars, dropping it at a stop light.
2 days later:
I’m still terrified of motorcycles, but it’s more of a respect for the power and danger of motorcycles. I’m in the market for my first bike now that I have the confidence to ride.

Let me start by saying I am rating theBasic Riders Class conducted at the Colorado Springs Range, at the greyhound track.
My wife and I both attended this class. Let me say this definatly gets a full 5 star rating. Our instructors where Don Gunn and Scott Staeben (hope I spelled it right). These two gentlemen are what instructors strive to be. They kept us safe, provided us humor and a great block of instruction to give the basics for what we need to get started, and showed ushow to stay safe, and reduce risk on the road. These guys are VERY WELL qualified to teach. Tom a retired Motorcycle cop and motorcycle cop instructor and Scott who Harley-​Davidson originally hired to audit the instructors have a combined almost 80 years of riding. They are increadably patient and will make sure you get the instruction you need.
This was my experiance, my wife seconds it, but take a weekend (call to find out you instructors) go try it yourself. I say, you wont be disappointed

I took a 2 day monocycle training and safety class over the weekend. It was hot and got a little long, but it feels so good to finally have it behind me and the experience gained was critical for hopping finally and legally on my wonderful Vespa Scooter.
ABATE Colorado was where I took my training; the folks who showed up were an eclectic bunch, mostly very kind and supportive. The instructors (Bob and Mark) were smart, calm, and thorough (obviously very experienced riders.) They went above and beyond to answer our concerns and questions. I did things on the Honda scoot they provided that I never would have purposely done on my own bike.
I highly recommend this class for anyone thinking about being on 2 wheels. Now I have a waiver to present to the Colorado DMV. Learning that 80% of the folks that do the driver portion at the DMV fail on their first attempt made it even sweeter.
Yes, I did take a little crap for being the only one on a scooter! A bit of rockers vs mods attitude (I kept my mouth shut… mostly). The only way they could have improved this class would have been to gear it to scooter use (about a quarter of the class was motorcycle exclusive {gears etc}, leaving me to twiddle my thumbs while everyone worked on those things.) With tighter handling, faster response, and truly urban driving conditions I could have benefitted from a few more hours of defensive maneuvering (a few less on the open road.)

One of the best things you could ever do, even if you don’t ever plan on riding. The course gives you a better understanding of what bikers go through while riding in traffic. I highly recommend this course even if you have been riding for years. I took the class in Westminster CO and the instructors (Dave and Shirley) were really great!

(FYI — This is a review of ABATE’s Motorcycle class, not ABATE itself)
I haven’t taken any other motorcycle class, so I can’t compare, but this was great. The class is 2 days and one night, most of it riding. The class was very student involved — we read and discussed and the instructor’s provided input as needed. The riding was absolutely a blast, a great time (though very demanding) and I’d recommend it even if you don’t plan on riding.
The class taught me first the risks involved in motorcycling — something you should be very aware of. It went through many ways to reduce those risks, including deciding if the risk is something you’re OK with. The class material was very good and not overboard at all. The riding taught the most important skills you need to ride, and I feel 100% comfortable that I will be in a good place to get a bike and start practicing.
If you are going to do it, be prepared to be focused on the class and nothing else from beginning to end. You can’t be late or leave early, you must be there 100%.
and it was absolutely a blast! It was really fun and I had a great time (an equal mix or education and just plain fun).
12/​16/​2010 update: I bought a bike end of October. The class was worth it. Applying techniques they taught has made it so much easier than it would have been. I am planning on taking the Intermediate level class in the Spring.
03/​21/​2011 update: Just completed the Intermediate experienced Rider course yesterday. Once again, the instructor was great (and amazing what he could do on his Goldwing). It is a one day and basically covers the same skills as the Basic Rider but with most of the time spent practicing and getting instruction. The big thing from this class was knowledge of what areas I really need to practice. Will probably do this again next year.

Motorcycle class — one of the funnest things i have done in a very, very long time!
I’ve driven past the ABATE motorcycle classes (in the Lowry campus) for at least two years thinking «Man, that totally looks like fun» and realizing that if i ever needed to jump on a motorcycle during a high speed action-​chase (a-​la Jason Bourne — «The Bourne Supremacy») I had better take that class one day.
Classwork starts the night before for three hours. Maximum class size is 12 people. There is another 3 – 4 hour session on Saturday afternoon which includes taking your multiple choice test (the instructors drill the answers into you — everyone passed).
The driving itself — oh so much fun. You are assigned either a Honda Rebel 250 or Nighthawk 250. There is one dirt bike for the tallest guy or gal in the class. The instructors start you off very slow and before you know it you are in first gear cruising around the parking lot.
The class gets harder on Sunday as you learn to negotiate curves, press and lean, and make tight U-​Turns.
The grand finale is the ridden evaluation which you have practiced over and over again. Be sure not to drop your bike (immediate fail) or leave your kickstand down (like — minus 15 points).
The instructors i had (Doug and Cindy) were great — Cindy was friendly and understanding, Doug sometimes tows a hard line when you screw up, but then rewards greatly with a pat on the back if you do well.
By the end of the class all participants had totally bonded and a lot of us went out for beers afterwards to celebrate our passing and discuss the test.
What a blast. If you are thinking about getting a motorcycle or are just curious to learn how to drive one — take this class! It is SO MUCH FUN.
Added bonus — passing means the riding and written portion of the Colorado motorcycle license test are waived and you can get your motorcycle endorsement on your license that much easier. A great weekend and payoff for $ 225.