FEATURE
HONDA RIDER EDUCATION CENTER
P106
WHAT IS THE HREC?
Great, you've finally decided give
in and go for it. But now what? "I
don't know how to ride a mo-
torcycle," you say to yourself.
Well, here is a great suggestion
how to get started: Visit a Honda
Rider Education Center, like we
just did.
Honda Rider Education Cen-
ters (HREC) are facilities dedi-
cated to helping riders—young
and old—develop safe and smart
riding skills. And you don't have
to know how to ride to partici-
pate, they will teach you! How-
ever, for adults, they do recom-
mend that you can balance on a
bicycle first. However, you don't
need to have your own motor-
cycle, the HREC will provide you
with one, including a helmet. It's
all part of the $180 fee.
Honda says it is proud to be
the first motorcycle manufacturer
to have created sites specifically
designed for dirt bikes, street
bikes, ATV and side-by-side
training and instruction. The
Center claims that more than
11,000 "students" a year par-
ticipate in their programs, which
are designed to accommodate
riders from six years old (mini-
mum, and they must be able to
ride a bicycle) to adult. Basically,
you're never too old to learn how
to ride a motorcycle. Instructors
are all MSF (Motorcycle Safety
Foundation)-certified and try to
make learning
how to ride a
motorcycle a
fun experience
for everyone.
To find out more, we attended
the Honda Rider Education
Center in Colton, California,
which was the first Rider Educa-
tion Center ever constructed. It
also has the distinction of being
Honda's first Environmental
Learning Center, featuring a two-
acre plot of land with trails that
span five distinct ecosystems.
Inspired by trails native to nearby
San Bernardino National Forest
and the Mojave Desert, riders
can get a feel for grassland,
chaparral, woodland, riparian
A great way for
kids to learn
how to ride a
motorcycle the
correct way
is at a Honda
Riding Education
Center, like this
one in Colton.
