I wrote a review for these folks on here and over at Google. I am not paid by them. I received no compensation for my review. I did it because of the experience that I had over the last few days. So here we go: I have been riding a 50cc scooter for the last three years as a commuter bike to work. Recently I decided I wanted to explore looking at something with a little more "get out of the way" power. So I decided to look into getting my motorcycle license. This led me to look at the MSF/MREP Basic Rider Course. I looked into every school in Massachusetts. I chose Streetwise because I wanted to go to the school before the heat of July and every school was booked for the times I was available (this includes Streetwise except for one two day class). even though it was purely accidental on my part; I have to say that I made the right choice. The class was taught by two instructors (one of whom is the owner). Be on time. Be attentive. Be ready to cover a lot in two days. Be ready for a great experience! I was super impressed and happy to be a part of the class. They inspired me to ride well/safely, to think about how I ride, and they taught me how to handle a bigger bike (including the clutch work). Paul and Bob were great. They are both dedicated to making safer riders. They both have a lot of knowledge. They were really patient with students who really had never touched a bike over 50cc before. I read some reviews that said that they could be hard on you.I didn't really see it. I just saw them trying to push us to be better riders. I was a little wired after two days in the saddle, so I had trouble sleeping. I got a few emails at 12:45 AM from Bob, the owner. He had been teaching class all day and was following up with all of us at almost 1 AM. He had put our information into the RMV system and started the process of getting our licenses directly after a night class that he was teaching. When I say he was at it all day, I mean ALL DAY! There was a morning class, a noon class, and a night class. He still found time to input our information into the system before going to bed that night. As far as my last statement goes, part of their job is to see if motorcycling is right for you, and you for it. If you can't handle a little hardness from instructors, then maybe you aren't ready to ride a motorcycle on the street. Maybe you need to evaluate your situation in an honest manner. Maybe if they seem to be being hard on you, it's because you are astride a machine which can kill if you are not paying attention. A motorcycle can be fun. It can also be dangerous. I didn't see either of them behave in a way that I would call rude or poorly. One or two times they yelled, but like I said (and both Paul and Bob said) these machines can be dangerous if you aren't paying attention. Pay attention and do what they say and you will learn a lot. Don't pay attention and constantly talk over them and ignore what they say and you will get an earful. Keep in mind that you are not the only one in the class and to have respect for the time of the other riders and the instructors and you will do fine. read more

I took the Experienced rider course on 3/27 in Foxboro with Rebecca Cross. The reason I gave three stars is based on the delivery of the course content. I'll start off by saying that the people at Streetwise are professional and proficient with regard to logistics and customer service. The sign up process was easy, the class went well and was on time with no issues, and I received my license in the mail less than a week later. They deliver well there. As someone who works as a professional firearms instructor I have extensive training on proper instructional techniques and I could tell right away that Rebecca also has received similar training and she teaches well. She was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and professional. BUT she's presenting vital material to a group of people standing in a semi circle in a parking lot next to route 1 and using a small flip chart. The noise from the traffic was constant and I found that to be a real distraction. When there was an occasional brief pause in traffic you could see a huge difference. It was much harder to hear with the noise. It was also really hard to get much out of that small chart used during the class. I could see a powerpoint presentation on a screen being much better and it would have been a lot easier to take notes sitting at a desk as opposed to standing. I was disappointed with the results of the theory presentation part of the class and I think we could have gotten a lot more out of it with a better environment for instruction. The riding exercises were really fun and I felt that they were helpful and presented well. That part of the class was great but as stated I felt the delivery of the theory information was really ineffective and I left feeling somewhat disappointed. Also people considering this class should be well prepared and understand that this class is pretty demanding on both the bike and the rider. One student did fail after crashing during an exercise. This is a challenging course. If you're thinking of doing this just to get out of the RMV road test think again. If you can't pass the road test you won't pass this class. Keep in mind you're out there either standing or riding for the entire 6 hour class. It was a little tiring. You'll also start up and shut down the bike a ton of times. The battery died on one bike and the person had to drop out. Another rider ran out of gas during the course. I will say that I used more gas than I figured on but...ummm...yeah...you need to fill up before the class. The instructor said that there's usually a problem with at least one bike in every class so come well prepared. Also bring a lunch and water. read more

I took the basic rider course at the Boston site. This is an *excellent* course, exceeded my expectations by a huge amount. Material is easy to read, concise, well explained and easy to follow. I like that they had handy acronyms to help you remember important procedures. The instructors are what really make this place so great. I had Al and Bob for instructors and talked with some of the other instructors during breaks, lunch and before the day started. All super knowledgeable, friendly, engaging, great senses of humor and great at giving constructive feedback plus acknowledging when you'd done the exercises spot on. I learned a lot of useful skills. If I had started riding without this class, I could have ridden for years and not picked up many of the skills I learned in these two days. They did a great job coaching everyone. Day one.... I was surprised how quickly we were able to get on the bikes. First day, after an hour or so in the classroom being prepped, we were out on the bikes learning the controls, proper procedures, safety, etc... and we stayed one the bikes a lot (in a good way) getting a lot of hands-on experience. I had ridden a motorcycle some off road in high school, and now 20 years later was essentially learning a new. They ease you into learning the bike controls and have a good emphasis on safety plus doing things correctly. Second day we started first thing on the bikes and had a chance to practice more and learn new skills for 5+ hours before heading to the classroom. While you are on the bikes, they have 14 or so exercises you do that build upon skills learned and work in practice of old skills with the new. There is a road test at the end of the hands-on lessons and for me it was just applying the basic skills I'd learned in some of the exercises. One of the main things I've taken away from this class is they helped me see how much there is to learn about cycling in a fun and safe way... which also helped me see that I can learn and improve a lot more. I did well in the basic course and will definitely sign up to take the advanced rider course. Very pleased and highly recommended. read more

This is a great way to get into riding! The overall experience on in the classroom and on the riding range was phenomenal. The classroom sessions were very informative with real world applications and personal anecdotes from the instructors provided for everything we learned. Putting information in that perspective can really make it stick and I found myself referencing it as I rode afterwards. I also appreciated the efficient manner in which the classroom sessions were held as the coaches wanted to get us out on the range to maximize our practice time. As far as the range goes, it was well marked and provided a lot of good space to ensure that everyone was riding the majority of the time. Additionally, I like that the instructors taught to the real world, not just the road test. We completed a lot of exercises that really help out on the road and give you much better perspective as a rider in real world conditions. The coaches/instructors were also great! They encouraged us and taught to our strengths while really helping us iron out any weaknesses that they saw. They maintained clear and concise communication, making sure that all of us understood the hand gestures used to communicate when across the range. Getting set up to succeed in this course was also aided by the great pre-class communication and information. I personally sought to get my license as part of taking the course and they ensured that I had all necessary documentation in order beforehand. They took care of entering all the information into the RMV's web portal in addition and my "M" designation appeared Monday morning after I completed the road test on Sunday. I don't think I have ever seen anything move that quickly in the RMV, but these guys got it done! I highly suggest taking this course as part of your training to ride a motorcycle, especially if you want to earn your license. read more

My son announced that, for his 17 birthday, he wanted to get his motorcycle license. After the shock wore off, my wife reluctantly agreed, but only on the condition that he first complete a motorcycle safety course. I did a little searching and found the link to Streetwise. I liked the fact that they consistently nailed 5 star reviews and the Foxboro location was easy to get to so I decided to sign him up. Although I was OK with my son getting his license, I can't say that I was 100% comfortable with the idea so when I noticed that they actually had two open slots for the day I picked I decided that I'd sign up as well. I figured it would be a great way to see how he was actually doing and, if all went well, I would end up with a license. I definitely do not regret that decision. On day one, we started off with Rich as our classroom instructor. Rich has at least a couple decades on and around motorcycles (road, track & repair). He was able to relate the course book material into real world experiences so even the serious safety lessons were not overbearing. We had ten students in class. When it came time to get on the bikes, Rich got help from Bob, the owner of Streetwise. Rich and Bob were both easy going. Even when we made mistakes, we got constructive instruction instead of reprimands. The thing that I like most was how quickly both instructors picked up on how much help each individual student needed. At the end of the second day, there were 10 'graduates' and 10 newly licensed riders. Even the experienced riders in our class felt it was a worthwhile experience. If you are looking for a great intro to riding/license course, you can't go wrong these guys. Thank you Rich and Bob. read more

I never even sat on a motorcycle before my first class at Streetwise Cycle School. Riding a motorcycle was something I had always wanted to do. When asked why do you want to ride I always answered "It is on my bucket list." I fulfilled that thanks to Susan and Marjorie. Both demonstrated great patience and true professionalism. They are masters (mistresses) of motorcycle riding. Their expertise is amazing! I immediately trusted that they knew what they were talking about and that I was safe as long as I listened. Throughout the entire learning experience I felt the progress of my degree of knowledge around safety riding and motorcycle mechanics as well the importance of taking in all the information around sharing the road with others. I felt like I joined a family that weekend. Bob was very attentive to the adjustment needed on my motorcycle. I was able to shift gears with my boots thanks to his willingness to accomodate. I really can't express enough gratitude for the work and effort you all put into the class. I earned my license after a rainy road test (lol) and passed the written test with a perfect score. Susan, you really took on the coach role and helped me understand that I could and was in fact doing it. Marjorie, you broke it down just enough for me to learn how to feel and communicate with the bike. I plan to ride for a very, very long time. Thank you for helping me with a bullet on my bucket list. :) (I love meatball subs) read more

Streetwise Cycle School gets 5 stars from me. I've done my homework researching road instruction options and getting feedback from friends who ride. I chose Streetwise-Foxboro located near me. I find the following features noteworthy: - Website was thorough and offers many options for scheduling (a difficult obstacle for my life)-I particularly like that the website tells you everything you need to do before, during, and after the licensing process. - Although I've read the info from the RMV many times the in-class instruction I received was priceless and having an experienced instructor available for 2 days of Q&A filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge base. -My instructor was Dale a phenomenal human being with vast experience riding here in New England. Dale's wisdom is going to benefit anyone who has the privilege of participating in a class or having a conversation(especially ride gear options, road experience, practical solutions for weather preparedness etc) -I took a weekend class and by Thursday I received my motorcycle license in the mail from the RMV. Results were better than I expected but then again I followed the instructions on the streetwise website to prepay my endorsement when taking the permit test. The RMV received proof that I completed the course passing the written and road test from Streetwise then promptly mailed me my license! I've already referred many coworkers and friends to Streetwise Cycle School. read more

My father, wife, and I all took the Basic Rider Course this past weekend. My father is over 60 years old. My wife had never driven a manual transmission. I'd never been on a motorized bike. We all had a wonderful time and passed both the riding and written exams with ease. That is a testament to the quality of the instruction we received. We worked with Bob (the owner of Streetwise) and Dale (a RiderCoach with over 40 years of riding experience), and both of them were fantastic: knowledgeable, results-oriented, supportive, enthusiastic, and patient. They are true teachers. Bob also went out of his way to accommodate our requests. My wife asked if she could spend the second day on a scooter instead of on a motorcycle, and Bob brought a scooter down to Foxboro just for her. She wasn't eligible to receive a license, but that didn't matter to us. She's heading out of country soon and just wanted to have some experience on both types of vehicles. We were so impressed by the high level of service we received from start to finish. After we completed the course, we received prompt notification that our motorcycle licenses had been issued. These folks are organized and care about their students/customers. Can't recommend the course and Streetwise highly enough. If you're contemplating learning to ride with Streetwise, just go for it! read more

Took the basic rider course last weekend (with Ken and Paul) as a new rider and had a great experience. Weather was awful, poured all day Saturday (we still rode) and snowed all day Sunday so we did not ride on Sunday. Was concerned about rescheduling the Sunday riding portion since I travel 90% of the month for work and weekends can also be tough but Bob was great. He was super responsive and flexible and made every effort to get me through the rest of the course as soon as possible. The classroom material is dry...it is the same material you have to study for your permit test but Ken did a great job of bringing real life examples to the classroom which was the most useful part. On the course both Ken and Paul did a great job of explaining the exercises and then recapping them after we finished. I convinced my roommate to take the course with me (he has been riding for years) and even he will admit that it was still very useful to him as an experienced rider. Yes, the drills can be boring and sometimes may seem over simplified but as Bob said continuously, the point is to establish muscle memory so if you're in a dangerous situation you can react as quickly as possible. Have already recommended this course to friends who have signed up and will most definitely be taking the experienced rider course later in the season. read more

I am super glad that I signed up for Basic Rider Course at Streetwise Cycle School. A big shoutout to my instructors Rebecca and Rich for outstanding teaching skills and bring all Students up to the speed in just 2 days. Every Skill exercise followed 5 teaching steps: 1. Rebecca's Detailed explanation of what and hows and points to note. 2. Simulated Demo. 3. A real demo by Rich 4. Students Practicing the skill 5. Reflection of Student and review by Teachers on the skill This exactly followed See One, Do One, Master One Semantics! Rebecca and Rich co-ordinated so well to have minimal disruptions in transitioning between Exercises - Rich doing setup while Rebecca explains the next Exercise Practice before the actual test evaluation was super helpful and Practice session did cover all the skills taught! I loved the intensity and well thought Evaluation process which was challenging. Evaluation was very detailed. After the class 1:1 sessions with Instructor by covering what to watch for and some more tips were very helpful! I cant wait to get to my BRC2 as soon as I buy my Motorcycle. Once again Big Shot-out to Rebecca, Rich and Bob and Streetwise Cycle School injecting right rider behaviors and practices for safe driving !! See you soon at the school for my next class :) read more

Mostly a "me too" review. My sister and I took the two day BRC with Paul and Bud. As it was the morning class, I liked that we hopped right on the bikes for 5 hours followed by 2.5 hours instruction. Overall the instructors successfully managed teaching a dozen students and everyone in our group seemed to have a good time. A few of notes where they mean what they say: - Rain or shine: Our first day we were drenched, though I feel much more confident if/when it rains now that I've actually been through it on a practice bike. - Don't be late: Be there 15 minutes early like they say on the website. We saw a couple folks sent home for not showing up on time. IMHO this was best since the instruction moves quickly and Paul & Bud would have held the rest of us up trying to repeat what the late arrivals missed. - Prepay your permit fee: This isn't a big deal, you can either do it while getting your permit, or call the RMV to pay over the phone. It's all laid out in the FAQ, but a couple folks showed up with no idea how to use Streetwise to get their license. - Have fun: If you know how to ride a bike and maybe understand the basics of how a gear shift work you have all the prerequisites needed to have a great time learning to ride. Now, off to go research my first bike... read more

I just completed the course this past weekend - a lifelong dream of learning to ride a motorcycle came true in the past 48hours! I'm a woman so the size/weight/handling of motorcycles intimidated me at first. But the bikes weren't too big or heavy and most of all our instructor Ken made it clear that we could go at our own pace. That was so helpful. I didn't mind being slower than some and with my classmates we all seemed to adopt that attitude and we respected each others learning speeds. Also our instructor Ken made sure we chose motorcycles we were comfortable with after trying out a few. My biggest concern was can I feel safe handling a motorcycle? Thanks to this class I learned safety and handling basics and I feel safe hopping onto a motorcycle as a (beginner!) rider. I didn't think that in 48 hours any class would be able to accomplish that. I am amazed at the organization, professionalism and commitment of both the school and our instructor Ken. Hats (or helmets) off to StreetWise! It takes a lot of chops to bring brand newbies to motorcycles for 48 hours and have us all walking off the range with these awesome skills and confidence. Worth the investment and frankly, confidence, skills, and safety awareness as a rider are priceless skills! read more

Took the Basic Riding Course this past weekend (Oct. 3, 4). I've been a passenger for the past 10+ years and decided it was time to get my license. Had Dale and Rich the first day (Dale and Ken the second) and despite the miserable weather, learned a ton! Was very thankful for the sunny and dry Day 2!! Professional, competent and knowledgeable - I'm glad the instructors stress SAFETY above all else. Great class environment. Instructors gave great feedback during the course. There is nothing like hearing Dale say: "You nailed it!" or getting the Two Thumbs Up from Ken! Thanks for the hug by the way! Going over and over the exercises until they became automatic (we had 7 riders in the course so got a lot of riding instruction) was the most helpful for me. When it came time to take the course test, I tried not to think too hard about what I was doing, and ended up scoring the second best in my class (this, despite dropping the bike twice!). And yes, I did get my license! Can't wait to get my own bike and continue learning! Only regret? Not recording Dale while she was instructing - but don't worry, I'm pretty sure I will still hear her in my brain! I would absolutely recommend Streetwise! read more

I would like to express the awesome experience I had at Streetwise Cycle School. I as a certified auto technician have taken lots of learning courses in the field, and I am truly happy to say that the best instructors I have ever dealt with are the ones at S.W.C.S. The class room was never boring but in the other hand very interesting, we as students where asked frequently if any input and there was, from all the students which had good question inputs and experience inputs. Preparation for the quiz was excellent. Now to make it more interesting the teaching in the field (outside) was also awesome, very knowledgeable instructors with lots of patient, experience in how to teach students and all done with respect. It was fun no regrets even thinking of going back to an experience course with my own bike, and taking my wife with her bike as well, oh by the way the bikes supplied for the course are in great shape and fun to learn on. Communication skills in class room, out in the course and thru e-mail is very clear and professional. Worth all the money spent great investment. Thank you for letting me be part of your training expertise and understanding my needs. You guys are the best. Yours truly A. Perez read more