“My first interest in riding a motorcycle began on a little Honda 50 in the woods. My friend and I, who borrowed the bike from his Uncle, were around 12 years old and had no clue what we were doing. We tried riding it through the woods, but the overgrowth and terrain was really rough and dense. We crashed repeatedly, scratched up our arms and legs... It was painful, but boy was it fun.
Fast-forward to the end of High School when I was about 18 years old: I walked into a showroom. I looked around and saw a motorcycle and just thought it looked so, so cool. The salesman asked me, ‘Have you ever ridden before?’ and I lied through my teeth because I wanted that bike more than anything.
He pointed out the clutch, throttle, brakes and starter button, and sent me on my way. I was so proud to be the owner of that shiny orange ’75 Honda CL 360! The Bureau of Motor Vehicles required a passing score on a 20 question test for a permit and later I was required to take a road test.
The salesman’s advice and the BMV test was the only training I received. Now, you need hands-on experience which LORE provides. It’s important for the safety of all who share the road.
I’m a retired music teacher. During that time, I was also doing side work painting houses to pay my bills. I remember one day, as I was painting the side of a house I thought to myself, there has to be a better way to earn some scratch. That was my “Aha!” moment. I decided I would combine my love of teaching with my love of motorcycles. And here we are!
This is my 19th season of teaching motorcycle safety in one form or another. About 8 years ago, there was a motorcycle instruction school in Maine that was closing and I saw an opportunity to fill the gap and get into the business. That’s how we ended up starting LORE Motorcycle Education.
LORE is a company consisting of 12-14 National and Maine State certified motorcycle trainers. We have a combined teaching experience of 50+ years and a combined riding experience of well over 100 years. We provide our riders with the motorcycles to learn on at our four locations in Biddeford, Presque Isle, Rumford and Lisbon.
Learners go through a two-day course with five hours of interactive classroom activities and 10 hours on the bike. This combo provides both the necessary mental preparedness and the physical practice to ride well.
The instructors of LORE Motorcycle Education are committed to sharing their experience and passion to new riders, because we want them to grow into loving it as much as we do. We are very aware of students’ different learning styles and adapt constantly to aid in the students’ learning.
It’s wicked fun too. Many riders come with absolutely no experience. That is what the course is designed for. Even the experienced riders learn something new during their time here.
It’s very rewarding to see each person make progress in their riding. Where they start is incredibly different than where they end up. There’s gratification in seeing that result. Sure, we have tip overs. Yeah, stuff happens. But that’s part of this great process.
While students are here, riders can be themselves. We strive to create a safe, fun learning experience.”
— John Reeves, Instructor and Owner at LORE Motorcycle Education
For more information about LORE and their available classes, visit their website: https://bit.ly/3xO7Hzo
