16 October 2024
I just returned home after a successful Class 6 road test with ICBC on my first attempt. I say this because I owe it all to Randy and Katrina at Cedar Motorcycle School. They run excellent courses in a relaxed environment (get ready to meet some very friendly golden retrievers), and adjust their teaching to match the individual student's readiness, learning needs, etc. They are clearly very educated and experienced in motorcycle riding. They are approachable, friendly, and pretty damn funny as well. At 62 years old and as a new rider, I did not hesitate to take three courses with Randy and Katrina: the 4-session MST course, and two traffic courses, one with Randy and the other with Katrina. It was helpful to have different instructors for the same traffic course as their different styles increased my learning. Same content, just slightly different delivery -- and both very effective. Also, it turned out that the route we took on the traffic courses was the exact route required on the road test -- what a bonus! As someone with a cautious nature coming to motorcycling a little later in life, I say to anyone considering this sport: call Randy and Katrina immediately and get as much of their expert instruction as soon as possible! Form good habits early. When you're holding your Class 6 license in your hand, you'll be glad you did. I certainly am!
29 September 2024
I just finished my course with Katrina and Randy. They make things fun while learning. I feel like I have learned so much more about riding and feel more confident riding on the road. Bonus is getting to hang with their 4 dogs and cat!!!
30 May 2022
Hi Randy just wanted to say thanks for this past weekends course. Coming in I was super nervous since I had never been on a bike before. Left feeling confident and had a ton of fun. Also seeing how many people stopped in the parking lot to say hi is a huge testament to how fun and helpful the course is. Thanks- Brady
22 May 2022
Very impressed with the teaching from this amazing duo Randy and Katrina. We are very happy we chose to drive to Cedar for a great learning experience. I highly recommend this school for motorcycle education and on going courses.
21 May 2022
I just want to say what amazing instructors you both are! You have no idea how much anxiety I had going into this, you have helped me build enough confidence that I want to stick with it and keep improving. I plan on taking any course I can to learn how to properly ride and build my skills. I'm beyond happy with what I've learned so far. Thank you soooo much for rocking at what you do! ????
My son was so well taught from this place that he helped 2 people , his dad and step mom, ace the road test... And now he's helping his cousin. This is an excellent course. The skills were drilled into his head. I feel much better about him riding because of this school .
Take careApril 2021
Amazing course with fun and compassionate instructors! So happy that I learned so many valuable skills from this course. Highly recommend Randy and Katrina!
2021
very thankful I did this course before going out on the road & followed up with the traffic course!!! Next up will be defensive riding... or something similar if you have it Randy???
March 2022
Well worth every penny spent! It’s because of you that I was able to ditch those restrictions, and go on to get my full license. Anyone thinking about this, don’t hesitate to make the investment!
The life long friendship is honestly the best perk of this course ????
Take careApril 2022
Well worth the value of the course..
Great instruction that you carry with you into the future... having taken the course 6 years ago.. and now over 100,000 kms of riding experience and 3 bikes later... the basic information learned is applied everytime I get on my bike... and has saved my ass ( and other parts) a few times...
Thanx Randy....
25 April 2022
I just finished the course this weekend. (And passed the MST with no demerits!) Obviously, ICBC certified instructors Randy & Katrina and their knowledge that can only be gained by years of riding is the main reason Cedar Motorcycle Riding School is an excellent choice for rider training.
However, an extra bonus is the extensive fleet of bikes the school has. Maybe you don’t have access to, or own a bike? Maybe you have your eye on a beginner bike that you would like to try before you buy? Want to know how it feels to ride a 125cc, a 250cc, or a 300cc bike? Want to experience the difference between a dual sport, metric cruiser, naked bike, or entry level adventure touring ride? Then, Cedar Motorcycle Riding School is the choice for you! You are encouraged to ride as many different bikes as you want on the range days.
Also, Randy & Katrina are good people and invite students to keep in touch and are willing to offer their experience and knowledge after the course has finished!
ICBC is now open and it’s time for me to get the supervisor & 60 km/h restrictions lifted off my Class 6 learners, throw plates on my bike, and go for my first street legal solo ride!
6 April 2022
I wanted to take a moment to thank you so very much for all your patience this weekend. It takes a special kind of person to do what you do. You and Katrina have definitely found your calling. I learned so much, I gained some friends and just so much knowledge! Your program is so well thought out and the way you teach the graduation of skills while on the bike is so well thought out that I never felt unready for any of the steps. Thank you a million times, I truly believe you all are underselling yourselves 100%.
Katrina is a natural instructor as well she’s got a great calming personality
I found her invaluable as well. She’s female she’s my size and helped me not be intimidated by the bikes size
In the classroom Randy really broke it up by having good discussions a variety of appropriate videos and broke groups up and had them present back to the rest of the class. Randy did an excellent job on discussing Physics ,good props were used different sized gyroscopes ect. Randy had all types of gear for riding and did a good job of discussing the pros and cons of gear. He covered it very thoroughly. I could see Randy really worked on the good attitudes that riders should have. He spent time on how other drivers do not see bikes and why. I would suggest Randy continue to break the groups up and have them keep moving around in the class. The small chairs you had would have been a little uncomfortable for students. One brought her own chair the next day.
Take careCouldn't have asked for a better instructor! The course was unreal, you made us feel comfortable, got the knowledge across and prepared us to pass the skills test with ease! I will highly recommend you to anyone looking to get the riders licence.
Thanks again!
I want to thank you for course you offered, it was very thorough, and professionally put together, and you were awesome executing the program, enjoyed your company, you made it fun????
Take careMy wife and I were preparing to take our Class 6 motorcycle license test with ICBC in early October. We had taken a skills training program in July in Vancouver but were looking for someone to provide some personal one on one training to observe and review our skills in preparation for the test on Vancouver Island. We contacted Randy www.Cedarmotorcycle.com and discussed our requirements. We agreed on the plan/our needs and arranged to spend a day with him riding in and interactive “ real time” facilitated through in helmet communications so we could get real time instruction/feedback on our skills as well as get confortable with taking real time instructions on the bikes as would be the case when taking the test with ICBC. Randy created a very relaxed and comfortable day riding while reviewing and assessing our skills. He highlighted things that we needed to work on as well as practical tips on riding and taking the test.
Needless to say our session with Randy was very helpful in getting us comfortable to take the test as well as enhancing our motorcycle riding skills. Our time with him was well spent and we would highly recommend Randy’s’ personal motorcycle training to enhance your training /practice to prepare for the road test. We both passed our tests yesterday.
Randy Leonard from Cedar Motorcycle Riding School your the best awesome teacher thanks to you I rocked my MST today
Take careToday I rode bike for 9 hours to complete my motorcycle training with Randy Leonard, who is an excellent teacher. If you want to brush up on your riding skills or pass your road test, he's flexible, professional, and he makes sure you're safe. Thank you Terra Baum for your recommendation !
We will be riding together soon.
Hot bath ... Meeting tonight !
I'll be riding my hog this Friday.
I'm thrilled.
Thank you for the refresher lesson, Randy. After not riding for a few years, it was great to be reminded of things that will keep me safe and enhance my skills, making my riding experience, now that I'm back on a motorcycle, so much more fun.
You are a really good teacher--very knowledgeable, and you inspire confidence. That's so important for a new or returning rider. Thanks again, Sharon Hall.
Randy is an excellent motorcycle instructor and an easy person to learn from. He is patient and calm. For people that are new to motorcycles and may be intimidated by the learning curve, he is a fantastic coach. I had previous experience with dirt bikes but I still benefited greatly from the course as Randy is very safety oriented and taught me to eliminate some old bad habits. I was able to pass the MST without any problems and I am now enjoying my new motorcycle with the added confidence that Randy’s training provided. I would definitely recommend this course.
Cheers and thank you
Randy is a competent and knowledgeable motorcycle instructor who is very personable and easy to be around. He gained my confidence by being a stickler for safety and thorough in all aspect of his course. The introductory material was extensive and well covered. His motorcycles were well maintained and appropriately sized for a beginner. He was extremely vigilant when I was riding and gave relevant and timely feedback that helped me to get me on the road as quickly and safely as possible. Most importantly to me, he gained my trust as an instructor. When I made a mistake or didn’t execute a maneuver perfectly, he would talk to me about how to correct it. He did not give out false praise but when he nodded and smiled after I did something right, I knew darned well that I’d earned that praise! Since taking his course three months ago, I’ve put 16,000 kms on my new 650cc motorcycle. I rode from Victoria to Toronto and in a way “Coach Randy” was right there with me, since it was the sound of his voice in my head giving me safety tips and all kinds of good advice as I braved the open road. Now, I feel grateful for being the recipient of his wisdom and knowledge. I confidently recommend him to anyone wanting to stay safe on a motorcycle.
Take careCedar motorcycle riding school
I've been putting off writing a 'review' for cedar motorcycle because the word denotes a finality. I went to Randy Leonard in April of 2015 to learn to ride a motorcycle, am still learning, and I found a fantastic friend. So, I never left. He even helped me to learn to repair my own bike, and lend a hand to get awkward jobs done. (Riveting a chain together is really a 2 person job)
With Randy's instruction, I went from a complete newbie who had never handled the controls on a motorcycle to being competent enough on a bike to pass not only my motorcycle skills test, and road tests within a month and a bit, but staying road rash free and accident free for over 4000kms. He gave me a good foundation to start what I hope to be a very long riding career.
People of all ages and experience levels can benefit from Randy's instruction.
There are a few quotes that stuck in my head from the course, and into my everyday riding:
"Don't be in a position to become the meat in a sandwich" (every time I stop behind a vehicle, this is my thought)
"Let someone else be the rabbit." (Now I giggle on the road when I find a whole 'pack' of rabbits, which I can let go ahead to get the tickets instead of myself)
"It's all about the clutch..." (This was sung all the time during my course complete with a dance, annoying at times, but oh so very true. I've avoided the 'newbie duck walk' quite a lot because of learning good clutch, throttle, and brake control. I get a giggle whenever I see other more experienced riders start on a hill and seem to forget they have a rear brake. I automatically think, "they should go take a course with Randy to learn to ride.")
"Those who don't wear the proper gear have a suit that changes colour." (I cringe every time I see people riding in flip flops, shorts, tank top, and a beanie helmet. But it is ultimately their choice. I've chosen to wear the gear that keeps my skin and head protected for the times that happen, even to the most experienced of riders.)
"Always have an exit" (people don't always see motorcycles, so I like knowing how to use my bike to protect me, as well as cagers. Allow the cages on wheels to take an impact instead of my squishy body)
Many thanks!
Morning
I think I have come back to planet earth finally. Hard to believe that less than a month ago, one night over some beers, I decided to ride.
It has been the most mentally and physically challenging thing I have ever done!
I am so grateful that you are the one that appeared on my path as my instructor. Your knowledge, expertise and soothing nature was without a doubt the catalyst to my success.
So I find myself calling in sick to work today because I have better things to do. I'm going riding!!!!
Thank you Randy
And huge thanks to Randy Leonard at Cedar Motorcycle Riding School for taking me from never riding a motorbike before to teaching me safety and skills needed for every day riding and helping me to be confident enough in acing my motorcycle skills test at ICBC. If anyone is thinking of riding a motorbike, whether from scratch, or learning how to finesse clutch, throttle and brake, this is your guy and place to call! So impressed with the course, his friendliness and teaching skills with a smile! He will be called for sure for helping me get ready for the road test. grin emoticon (Sabrina ACED her road test! Congrats Sabrina. I hear perfect scores are not that common....)
Take careAfter finishing my first Street ride on my bike (a 125 to start for me) I just wanted to thank you. Without your course I never would have been able to get a bike on the streets. I stalled a few times, but I didn't panic AND I DIDN'T DROP THE BIKE!! I looked where I wanted to go, even on jingle pot road, I felt confident. There is nothing like the feel of the own road! Thank you again for being such and amazing teacher, hope all is well!
Take careHi Randy!
You are a great instructor and even though I'm not perfect, I'm much more confident now on a motorcycle. I really appreciate all that you do for us and I will suggest that all riders take your classes.
Happy Father's Day! Hope you get to enjoy the rest of your evening.
All about that clutch!
Lol, not considered a 'high jack'! Good to hear you are safe too! Randy Leonard is the best! He does get into your head as you ride!
Take careRandy Leonard you saved me today too! Not to high jack the the post, but your voice popped in my head "don't ride beside traffic!" So I slowed down to let the car beside me get ahead.. Wouldn't you know, buddy didn't shoulder check and I had to brake hard and hit he horn. If I hadn't slowed down 10 seconds before it might have been a different story
Take careA great big THANK YOU to Randy Leonard for my motorcycle coaching on defensive riding and expecting the un-expected, just saved my butt! Just had a man run a stop sign, I was able to do an emergency slow down, and horn. He immediately pulled to the side. I noticed he stayed there for a while, hopefully realizing he almost cost a rider injury or worse.
Take carePERFECT SCORE ON THE ROAD TEST! You may not have the best memory or the best taste in music but you're a hell of a teacher! The ICBC lady complimented your training, commented that they've seen quite a few "very well trained riders" come out of your groups.
Take careAugust 26 at 11:06am ·Not gonna lie.... I was worried at first because Randy is so friendly and laid back. I thought "does he take this seriously?" ....the answer... "hell yeah!"... I watched part of the class and was very impressed. He made everyone feel really comfortable . There were different levels of riders from zero experience to I've been riding dirt bikes experience... my son came home with tons and tons of information in fact he may have told me a thing or two that I may have forgotten lol . Randy had 7 different bikes of different styles so you could get the feel and he got everyone to try them all. Lucas learned sooooo much and btw passed his skills test in Duncan with 100% score. Thank you Randy. Lucas really enjoyed your class. We will definitely be recommending.
Take careThank you Randy for being so patient with a complete rookie. I was nervous as hell but your training got me through the skills test. Thank you so much.
Take careI would highly recommend Randy as a teacher! He makes learning fun and easy as well as gives you important background info on why things work the way they do on a motorcycle! You not only gain knowledge but you gain a friend!
Take careTruly a great teacher with a well laid out program. He goes the extra mile to make sure everybody understands no matter how green you are. It can be really frustrating to learn something new(for me anyways) but Randy's humour, positive reinforcement and clear instructions sure helped ease the frustration. I would definitely recommend cedar motorcycle school.
Take careI had my road test scheduled for April 20th and called Randy to see if he could fit me in on the 19th to do a mock-up road test the day before and he happily fit me in. We went over everything that was to be expected during the actual road test and he re-taught me many of the things I should and would need to know for the test. It is good to be reminded of proper road rules and smarter driving techniques.
I showed up at my road test feeling very confident and ready to rock! Because I did my mock-up test the day before with Randy I was more than ready for anything the instructors asked me to do. My road test took 30 minutes, I parked my bike, and the instructor walked over to me, shook my hand and said "you ACED this road test, 100% and zero negative marks on your test sheet". He handed over my test sheet and told me I should take it home and frame it.
I know for certain if Randy did not spend the time with me that I WOULD have failed. Randy is an exceptional trainer, he does not talk down to you and he makes you feel comfortable instantly and during the entire training session, he really does provide the perfect training environment. Be smart, spend a couple of bucks, get properly trained, and PASS your test! Ride safe and see you all on the road!
"Cedar motorcycle school takes teaching beyond simple instruction. Randy combines strong technique with constant attention to safety. Small class size meant I got all the one on one time I needed to pass my MST with confidence. Learning on Randy's bikes allows the new rider to learn how to operate a bike under professional instruction without the worry of being hard on your own bike. Randy proudly replaces his clutches often so that we can learn to use them properly.
An all around comfortable, friendly atmosphere, excellent knowledge, and a talent for teaching that few possess, made Cedar Motorcycle School the most valuable part of embarking on my future as a motorcyclist. Thanks Randy!
Hi Randy, it's Bree-Ann (the one who almost wanted to quit on Saturday). Thanks again for the course...I learned so much that I would have never know otherwise until I found myself in a real life situation...and in an emergency, that is likely going to be too late and not the time you want to be learning what to do/not to do. You were right in that the throttle/clutch/brake technique would click on Day 2 and it really did. Looking forward to attempting the MST test tomorrow. And a huge thanks to Katrina for lunch and just being awesome to chat and hang with yesterday! (May 29, 2017)
Take careHi Randy
I hope you are keeping well and not working to hard. Although this is probably your really
busy time of the year.
I just wanted to mention how I enjoyed doing the coarse with you. I learned a lot of really
important stuff. Now that I have started to ride on my own I realize how essential it all is.
I took your advice and bought myself a 2017 BMW F800GS Adventure. Don't know if you remember but you told me to get something with a bit more cc because of my size. I like it a lot and I know my day is coming when I will drop It......but wtf I got lots of crash bars on it. They might as well serve their purpose.
Cora lee told me she passed her parking lot test. I was really happy to hear that. That's for helping her so much. It will do her self confidence a lot of good.
During the coarse I wrote down your four digit number for your school but I put it in the washing machine. Lol can you please tell me what it is again. I might as well get cheap insurance for the next time around.
I hope you are keeping well. Make sure to say hi to your beautiful wife.
Take care
June 26, 2017:
Good morning Randy. I want to thank you for providing me with the wonderful experience of riding a motorcycle. You helped me clear off one of my bucket list items. All my life I've been curious about riding. Yesterday's experience satisfied my curiosity.
You are right when you say that our subconscious mind problem solves while we sleep. At least that's how my mind works. As I slept last night I was hoping to work out some of my issues about how to safely ride. To my surprise, this morning, I woke up knowing that riding a motorcycle is not for me.
Something that you said stayed with me yesterday. You said you had some concerns about how I might handle emergency situations on a bike. When you said that I realized that I handle those situations well in my vehicle and boat. But that skill came from many years of experience and near misses and some significant errors.
I have a feeling there isn't much room for error riding a bike.
Thank you so much for the excellent instruction. You can consider this a successful teaching. You taught me a lot about my self.
I will not finish the course today or attempt to get my license. I set the rest of the group free to have a great day of learning . I really enjoyed them all and thank them for their patience.
Your friend Colin
August 22, 2017
I wrote a paragraph about my good experience with this riding school on my personal website. In short, the MST training was very good and worthwhile. I recommend it.
After having completed a motorcycle skills training course at Cedar Motorcycle Riding School and successfully passing the government’s parking lot MST test, I have selected and bought a used Suzuki DR 650 dual purpose motorcycle to continue my learning and fun on.
The instructor , Randy, at the motorcycle school is knowledgeable and friendly who offers both constructive criticism and encouragement. I went from having never ridden a motorcycle to being able to do some slow-riding maneuvers like a slalom through pylons, U-turn, figure eights, and emergency stops. The focus of the course was certainly on passing the British Columbia government’s Motorcycle Skills Test , but with extra advice on general safe riding tactics and motorcycle inspection. It was a very worthwhile 2 evenings in the classroom and 2 full days in the parking lot on the bikes. I highly recommend it.