rideleft

I'm curious if anyone knows the percentage of students that pass the BRT Team Oregon class the first time?

I was in a class this weekend and 75% of the students failed. It seems deceptive that the brochures say they don't guarantee passing, but "most students pass". The only requirement is to have had experience on a bicycle.

I feel sorry for the 75% of the students that wasted $179 and didn't get endorsement. If this many students fail, why do they deceptively say "most" will pass the class?

uuu

May have been luck of the draw - when I took this class (a few years back), only about 3 or 4 folks out of about 25 or so did not pass.

mfrankpdx

I think out of my class only 2 people didn't pass. Almost 3 failed, but luckily I just barely scraped by.

recr8ton

Passed with flyin colors! I was in a class of about 20 I think and only 3-4 of us passed.
I'm not sure about the brochures being deceptive, but the web site is pretty clear about it.

http://teamoregon.orst.edu/TO_Web/refund.html
There is no guarantee of course completion or graduation. Students who fail to demonstrate a minimum level of safety will be dismissed without refund. However, most students complete the course successfully.

damion

As Logan pointed out, note that is says most COMPLETE the course. It doesn't say anything about how many GRADUATE.

As a TeamOregon instructor, I can also say with relative confidence that each class varies widely in their concentration of strong vs. weak riders.

elton

i took mine when i was around 17 aced it the first time

Revmeup

I bet it helps when you know the instructors

DGA

Holly shit! My class had only one failure and this was in the middle of a cold ass, rainy December.

THOE

You can re-take both the written and riding test again I believe for free if you fail. The written test consists of 50 questions and the answers are out of the book they give you. You have to score at least an 80% on the written to pass. The obstacle course consists of five skill test, cone weave, cornering, sharp turn, swerve, and braking. You have to score under 20 to pass.

I have witness people doing great on the course, and then when it comes to the test their nerves get the best of them.

The problem is most people think they can just hop on a motorcycle and go, it is no different then learning how to drive a car you have to practice. I did not learn to drive operating a manual transmission when I got my driver’s license I learned driving an automatic it was easier.

Using the clutch and finding the friction zone is a key factor when taking the skills test. The cone weave and the sharp turn test usually gets everyone.

VividPhase

When I took mine back in March, there were about 30 students total, and we broke into 2 groups for the riding. Of my group I think there were 2 or 3 that did not pass...(they were pretty discrete about it, but you could tell who in the group was having trouble, and the subsequent walk of shame after they got the bad news from the instructor) I went too fast on the swerve maneuver during the test, clipped a cone because I wasn't really understanding countersteering. I also had to do the emergency braking three times, because I was apparently braking too early. With that though, I guess I seemed competent enough to pass..so they're not total hard core, and I doubt they fail people just to get them to come back through again and collect more money or something.

Personally, I think we had good instructors in the session I was in, and I respect their opinion. If I'd been struggling as much as those other 2 or 3, I would've hoped to be told such and not pass. Better to have people take a class twice (or for at least 1 of those students to really reconsider whether they want to ride motos at all, or are just going to be too scared to ride effectively).

It's better to pass only those that are "ready", than to give folks a false sense of accomplishment, only to send them out ill prepared for the "real deal".

rideleft

I agree, those ill prepared and have a false sense of skill shouldn't ride or pass.

It is interesting though, if you look at the responses to this thread you see a trend.

Most of the classes people posted about here had a 75-80% fail rate OR a 75-80% success rate...either most students in the class failed OR most students passed. Could be the luck of the draw with the instructors you get I guess. Interesting.

speedmaster

Unless the course has changed I would say anyone who fails is better off not riding on the street until they can master the basic moves.

king_ogre

How do you know how many failed?

-R

recr8ton

The people who pass are given a "graduate" card to take to DMV to get there endorsment. You could see who was given one and who wasn't. Also, just general facial/body language/mood after meeting the instructors was a good indicator as well.

I was about third to last to get my card.

HondaKilla

think the pass rate was about 30-40% of my class too. their were a couple of ladies that looked like they were around before the horseless carriage though, that were freakin clueless, some are better off stickin to the max. Wasn't a snooze fest though, i highly recomend that class to everyone that asks me about getting started.

hath600RR

i just took it i think only 1 failed maybe 2 out of 13. i guess it helped riding before i took the class Brian

YamaTechR6

Took the class when I was 16, great course! Most of my class seemed very competent and I think only 2 or 3 people failed, and one of them was an experienced rider who just couldn't get over his old bad habits and therefore couldn't pass the riding portion. My mother took the class another time and said only 3 people passed, herself not included. I think that having a few strong characters in your course probably helps for the overall impression on other students' riding. I tried to make other students more comfortable by starting a honking war

I think that if you can't ace that course, however, you shouldn't get your endorsement. There was a HUGE gap in abilities from driving in a community college parking lot and driving on the busy commercial streets and if you can't even master a low speed safety course you shouldn't be allowed on the dangerous roads, none of us want to read about more inexperienced riders getting hurt.

My .02

Mcdave

I'd have to say if they didn't pass they shouldn't have! I wouldn't say allot of people but a fair amount show up with really no experience whatsoever as well as really no idea about how a bike even works. Until they do I think it definatly in there best intrest to not have an endorsment. I have beeen riding since I was a kid and had the opportunity to learn on a dirtbike and crash my brains out on a dirtbike in the dirt/grass. I cannot imaging trying to learn to ride on a streetbike on the street. IMO everyone should have a dirtbike prior to riding a streetbike. Just my 2 cents!

Transported

I took the IRT and I believe two or three were asked to brush up and come back to retake the riding portion. That was out of about 20 riders.

taznhell

My wife took the class in June and out of 20 1 walked out, 2 did not pass. I was watching and I could see why the did not pass scary. Team Oregon actually grades the ridden much more strictly than the DMV. That is why the have the standing with the state that they do. The later in the year the harder the state requires that a certain amount of riders fail each year it is percenatges.

ninja-rida

The key is to relax and just listen. The instructors are very much willing to advise you personally. I am surprised so many failed in your class

pkaustin

Overall, I believe the failure rate is somewhere between 15-20%. There are no requirements that a certain percentage must fail.

Some reasonably skilled riders freak out a bit over the test, some weaker riders pull it together and perform at a higher level than they demonstrate during class. Riders can pass the skills test and still be long ways from being ready for the street - it's not that difficult.

Riders do have an opportunity to get a re-test, providing they don't score beyond a certain level.

Mcdave

I don't see how that's doing them a favor! kinda scarry! give them an endorsment and turn em loose! that's a steep learning curve!

Brian_M

When I took the course there were about 20 of us and only 2 didn't pass

taznhell

I have a friend at the Salem DMV who stated that the overall pass rate at the DMV is 93%. He also stated that Team Oregon is audited if they exceed a 93% pass rate. If two out of 20 fail they are maintaining a percentage of failed students that meet the requirement and prevent an audit. They can offer a re-test and if the rider passes it is still within the DMV audit limitation. Remember Team Oregon is sponsored by the State DMV offices.

"H"

When Carol and Jana took their class they let me sit in on it for free! So I asked the same question and the instructor said its all over the board... one class they all pass, next class most fail... no pattern he said.

Sirenita

Last year I took the BRT twice. The first time, I think 3 of us didn't pass - the second time I did but 6 others didn't.
Sounds weird, but I think I am lucky that I didn't pass the first time, considering how much I learned the second time around and now out in the real world. And how many e-stops do you really get to practice out in the rain on someone else's bike?!
Sometimes it's good to experience failures in a controlled setting to avoid that false confidence.

ApexGirl

I took the class a couple years ago, and did pass on my first try, but just barely. I was in a class of 24 and I think only 3-4 didn't pass on the first go around. I do know that if you don't pass the riding portion, they offer a free retake. Can't remember how soon it can be reschedule though. As VividPhase mentioned, they are very good about informing those who don't pass discretely. It is an excellent class.

THOE

The re-takes are offered every week I believe at 3:30 on Saturdays and the written test retakes are offered on Sundays the same time that other students are taking their final written test after their BRT class is done. On the retake they have you warm up doing cone weaves then get right into the skills test portion. I watch on Saturday as two people did not pass a second time out of twelve students. Almost all of the skilled riders that I have met in my life time that hold mad skills have started out on dirt bikes and have learned that way then bought street bikes. Back when I got my endorsement I took it at DMV on a Honda Twin Star 250. The guy who gave me the test asked me if I borrowed the bike I told him no I bought it at a garage sale for $150.00 and it was my transportation for my senior year of high school. Even then I can remember dumping the clutch all the time starting out and we had no helmet laws then also in Oregon.

Instructors are very professional about it and go by the book when telling someone they failed. Like I said before most people fail either because they are nervous or just do not know how to operate a motorcycle. I watch a person who was awesome throughout the both days of riding and just came apart when it came to the test.

It is a great course and a better way of obtaining your endorsement then riding illegally I believe it is a $400 ticket if you get caught. I have seen so many young kids that have no business on motorcycles and have been killed due to poor decisions. Most bought them using a credit card so they did not have to get full coverage insurance.

abbott5277

my buddy just went to his class last weekend. he was telling me the instructors ketp getting mad at him for only using 2 fingers on the clutch/brake. i thought this was stupid as they told him you need to be ready to brake/pull in the clutch at any time. i ride CONSTANTLY with 2 fingers covering the clutch and 1 on the front brake. i can pull in my clutch/brake as quick if not quicker then all 4 fingers and have a better grip on the bars. i thionk it is less safe to use all 4 fingers. is there a reason they do this? i guess im gonna get bitched at for that when i go in november

they told him to get his sport bike habits out of there haha.

abbott5277

I highly agree with this. after riding/racing dirt bikes and then getting onto the street i think there are so many tricks i have used from motocross to save my ass. just even basics like riding positions for different conditions (ex. get up on the tank when its wet out through corners). i think for sure i w