Determine the need in your area. The Program Administrator can help with this. You can also talk with the County Clerks in your area and ask about the number of registered motorcycles in the county. You will also want to talk with the KYTC licensing branch and KSP testing centers to develop a working relationship there. Ask about how many motorcycle licenses they process and if they feel a safety program would be helpful in the area. Both of these places are key to a successful program. The folks who need the program the most, NEW RIDERS, are taking their written test at these locations and will have the greatest interest in the program typically.

Access to a large enough paved surface. This is typically one of the biggest hurdles. Finding an area large enough and free of obstacles such as light poles, islands, storm drains etc… can be tough. Especially since many local planning and zoning boards, mandate many of those obstacles for greenspace and safety purposes. The preferred size of the range is 160' x 260', which includes the runoff areas. There are exceptions for smaller areas but this is the preferred size. If you are using a range owned by someone else such as a school, business, etc., ask if they will allow you to add some markings to their pavement. Typically, the lines for the course are painted on the surface and some locations may not wish to have additional lines painted on their lot. Please have that discussion with the facility owner prior to moving forward.

Do you have a good business plan in place and enough working capital? To offer the basic classes the providers supply the motorcycles for students to use. These are under 500cc size motorcycles and on average can costs around $1000 - $3000 each. If working on a full sized range at full capacity it is recommended to have at least 14 bikes. Twelve (12) are used on the course at any given time, plus having a couple of backups for maintenance reasons. While 12, is the full amount of bikes allowed on the range, a location may start/run with fewer. Smaller range configurations will limit the number of bikes that can be out on the range at any given time. There are also insurance requirements, rent/lease payments, advertising and maintenance costs of the motorcycles to consider as well.

Having a good group of instructors is what to look at next. The state program will provide the training needed for the new instructors and update trainings for existing instructors. We do ask the providers to help identify and recruit those individuals who they believe will make good instructors. Great instructors are vital to making a great experience for your students.