Motorcycle Training: Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about motorcycle lessons, licensing and which course to book first in BC.

Do I need to take a course to get my motorcycle licence?

ICBC sets the licensing requirements, so check with them for what is mandatory in your case. What training does is different from what is required: a motorcycle punishes inexperience in a way a car does not, and the skills that keep you upright are not ones you can safely work out on a public road.

Which course do I book first?

Start with the classroom course, then the basic training skills course, then private lessons. In that order.

The classroom course covers road rules, signs and hazard awareness, which is what the knowledge test examines and what you need in your head before a bike is underneath you. The basic training skills course is where you learn the machine itself: clutch and throttle control, braking, slow-speed balance, the things that decide whether you stay upright. Private lessons come last, one-to-one, putting it together on the road at your own pace.

You can take them out of order if your situation calls for it, but the sequence exists for a reason. Learning throttle control and road rules at the same time is how people get hurt.

Do you provide the bike, or do I need my own?

Either. Train on one of ours, or ride your own if you already have it. If you are learning on a bike you intend to keep riding, there is a case for using your own from the start.

Do I need to bring a helmet and gear?

No, we supply helmet and gear. If you have your own and prefer to use it, bring it, but nobody is turned away or charged extra for not owning kit before they have a licence.

Is your motorcycle training ICBC-approved?

No. Our motorcycle training is not an ICBC-approved course and it is not an accredited or certified program, and we will not describe it as one. The courses we hold ICBC agreements for are Class 1 MELT, air brake (Code 15) and the Graduated Licensing Program, and that is the complete list. Motorcycle training here is instruction. What counts toward your licence is passing ICBC’s own knowledge, skills and road tests, and good instruction is how you pass them.

I have ridden for years but never had a licence. Where do I start?

With a conversation rather than a package. Riding experience is real, but a licence test examines specific things in a specific way, and confident riders routinely fail on observation and road positioning rather than control. Book a lesson, let an instructor see you ride, and we will tell you honestly what you need.

How do I pass the motorcycle knowledge test?

Study ICBC’s Learn to Ride Smart guide, which is the document the test is drawn from, and take practice tests until you are scoring consistently rather than scraping through.

Can I take private lessons instead of a group course?

Yes. We run private one-to-one motorcycle lessons as well as classroom and skills courses.

How many road tests are included?

One. You should only sit the ICBC road test when you are ready for it, not to try it and see. A road test is not a practice run, and treating it as one costs you time and money.

What happens if I fail my road test?

You work on the specific skills you were marked down on, take additional lessons, and we rebook. On commercial programs ICBC enforces a minimum 14-day wait between attempts, so there is time to fix what went wrong rather than repeat it.

What is your pass rate?

98%, across every program we run, from a Class 7 road test through to Class 1 MELT. We would rather hold a student back a week than send them in unready, which is most of the reason that number is where it is.

What does ICBC-approved actually mean?

ICBC approves a course, not a company. We hold ICBC agreements for Class 1 MELT, air brake (Code 15) and the Graduated Licensing Program. Our Class 2, 3 and 4 training is delivered by certified and accredited instructors but is not an ICBC-approved program and we do not call it one.

ICBC’s Code of Conduct for Driver Training Licensees requires schools not to advertise training they are not licensed or qualified for, and not to deal with customers in a misleading or deceptive way. A school describing its whole operation as ICBC-approved is not loose wording, it is the kind of claim that code exists to prevent. Ask any school to tell you exactly which of its courses ICBC has approved.

What standards are driving schools held to?

Every licensed school and instructor in BC is bound by ICBC’s Code of Conduct for Driver Training Licensees (DTC410). It covers legal compliance and reporting, honesty and integrity, equal treatment under the Human Rights Code, prevention of sexual harassment, professional conduct and vehicle standards, road safety, road test booking, and protection of your personal information.

Some of it is worth knowing as a student. Schools cannot teach road test routes, interfere with examinations, record tests or request specific examiners. They cannot sell road test appointments. They cannot advertise training they are not licensed for. They cannot use or share your information without consent.

We publish it in full because you are entitled to know what you can hold us to: ICBC Code of Conduct for Driver Training Licensees. If any school falls short of it, you can complain to ICBC directly rather than only to the school.

Where are you?

Six campuses: Abbotsford (head office), Langley, Chilliwack, Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George.

What are your hours?

Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday, and closed on BC statutory holidays.

Can I train on weekends?

Our offices are closed Saturday and Sunday. Training schedules are built around the student wherever we can, so ask us what is possible for your situation rather than assuming.

Can I drop in?

No, all locations are by appointment only. Book a consultation, in person or online, and you get the time properly instead of being fitted between two other things.

What number do I call?

604-744-1222, or toll free 1-877-744-1231. Every campus routes to head office by design, so you reach someone who can book you in rather than an empty desk at a satellite office.