My experience was a lousy one. They advertise the BRC is a great course for beginners. But if you've never been on a motorcycle this is not the course for you. The instructor rushes you through a pre set group of lessons that he follows the book by. Giving very little attention or concern to how well you're handling them. ie.. one may need practice rolling the throttle while releasing the clutch and using you're foot to shift the gears ..5-10 minutes is not a long enough time to get used to doing this automatically unless you've done this before ... Plus if one's never handled a motorcycle before, getting used to handling the weight and picking your feet up off the ground and not having the bike tip over can be tricky. He also keep threatening to drop you from the class if cannot keep up because he has a set amount of material to cover in a particular period of time and if you ask about a refund you get the classic "It don't work that way". .. This was the most impersonal and insensitive class I have ever taken .. If I'm paying money to learn something I would at least like the instructor to pay attention to my needs, and spend time or let me spend time practicing the areas I'm having problems with. If you have never been on a motorcycle before, you should spend at least an hour or two learning to handle the bike .. and the last thing you need is the instructor rushing you to keep up with already experienced people and berating you for not being able to do so. ================================================================================== I returned 5 years later to take the three wheeler course. There were different instructors. Roy and Bill were fantastic. They were very helpful and we had a bunch of fun in the class. This is how instructors are supposed to be.. I’d like to thank them for all their help and I totally enjoyed this class. Read Less

It was a lot of fun. You are in a small class of 12 people and they all have a passion for motorcycles. The riding instructors Roy and Maria are knowledgeable and patient and offer plenty of coaching. The course covers everything from starting the bike to figure eights. You will feel way more confident about riding a motorcycle after taking this course. Highly recommended. Read Less

Smartrider is the BEST driving school in Dutchess County. I tried other schools they do not compare or come close. Bob is excellent, very professional, patient and knowledgeable he gave me so many tips that came in handy on the day of the test. Trust me don't waste your time or money elsewhere, just go with Smartrider. I passed without a sweat, thank you very much indeed Bob, I am a better driver because of you! Read Less

On November 11th, 2016 I received my DMV waiver for my motorcycle license from Smart Rider in Poughkeepsie. Let me caution, I personally feel that if you have never ridden a motorcycle or dirt bike in the past (not a passenger), then you should consider the Introduction to Motorcycling:1 Hour pre-session to the Basic Rider Course or even a private lesson. The BRC is for those who have some previous experience (in my case 30 years ago, lol). With that said, Micheal, with his humoristic approach and a demeanor which I can't explain, explained to us patiently and respectfully why things happen on a bike and how to correct a situation that can cost you your life. I learned so much from him in the 2 day course than what I would have learned from a friend following me around for a year in order to take the test to get my license after obtaining my permit (ugh). The 3 hour online course was also helpful, but like I said, If you have never ridden before, then learn. You can then go for the BRC course. Your outlook will be more positive and you will look more forward to riding a motorcycle. I will be attending a BRC2 course in the spring to fine tune what I know and learned from Michael. I highly recommend the Poughkeepsie location. Thanks again to Michael and Bob. RIDE SAFE! Read Less

I have failed the test, and it was not explained what my weaknesses were. I asked what it was I failed, so I could practice, and I got "It's Complicated" So I call up that day, so that I may reschedule for the makeup test. Well to get right to the point. I have yet to take it. I have called at least 7 times, spoke with somebody four of those times. And I kept getting the same b******* answer of "Well the season is almost over, when can you take it again." I don't want to get into a long drawn-out rant. I don't recommend it to anyone unless you want to be robbed $300 Read Less

Basic Rider Course was great!! Michael out instructor has been riding for over 50 years...you can learn a lot from someone with that kind of experience...thanks Michael for all your hard work...a class act and great instructor!!! Read Less

I was weary because of all the negative reviews but decided to give Smartrider a chance since I didn't want to drive to Newburgh. I signed up for the Basic Rider Course through the dmv website with zero experience. After viewing their website I read that riders have benefited from a one on one lesson prior to the BRC. Advertising ploy or not, I signed up for one and found it INCREASINGLY helpful. Micheal, the instructor, was very knowledgeable and incredibly patient. After the hour I felt confident, and comfortable going into the BRC. Could I have done well without it? Possibly. As all my other classmates did not do a private lesson and did very well on the course. But for me, having ZERO experience, I felt it helped. Again, I cannot stress how helpful the instructor was. Micheal keeps the atmosphere light while providing professionalism and constructive criticism throughout the entire course. I just felt that this review had to be done, since I almost didn't go with Smartrider because of the previous reviews. Pay them no mind, I'm sure I speak for myself and everyone else in my class when I say, that Smartrider is highly recommended for all level of experiences. Read Less

Fantastisch! One of the biggest enemies of safe driving on a motorcycle is indecision arising from either a lack of confidence or not knowing what to do. By the time the problem arises it is too late and you are dead or injured. This is a wise program that filters out a lot of people who should not be on a motorcycle for psychological reasons, or middle ear problems. This course was review for me since I had been riding for a little more than ten years, about 20 - 30 years ago and had thought about getting back on a bike every single day in the intervening period. Not an exaggeration! The course is thorough and should be mandatory. It was embarrassing to see the errors I made on my last bike pointed up, like going into a wet curve that is banked the wrong way at too high of a speed and trying to downshift like an idiot. I won't do that again!! And as a night shift guy, I am looking at electric motorcycles (near silent) so the local admins don't put a contract on me again. All I have to do in the daytime to keep pedestrians safe is to put some baseball cards in the spokes. I highly recommend this course, not just for trained monkey on the high-wire skills, but more importantly, street smarts. Do it! Read Less