May 25, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by J&L Harley-Davidson.

The most important part of a motorcycle ride is arriving at your destination safely.

That’s the belief that has guided J&L Harley-Davidson from the start and one that’s underscored every time a new rider walks in the door.

“As committed as we are to fostering new riders, we’re even more committed to their safety,” said Joe Entenman, who owns the business with his brother Jimmy.

“We want to break down any feeling of anxiety or worry and send them out on the road ready to go.”

Last season, J&L Harley-Davidson made a big investment in that goal, building a gigantic blacktop range to accommodate rider training at its Sioux Falls headquarters at 2601 W. 60th St. N.

“They come out, set up and spray-paint the course, and it takes two or three days to complete and is a really nice piece of blacktop we now have behind J&L,” Jimmy said.

“These are designed for people who have never gotten on a bike. They go over basic operations – what is a clutch, how do you shift – and we work with them to offer gear fittings. You want your helmet to fit a certain way, you want the right footwear and eye protection, so we do that as well.”

The area, which can accommodate 12 student riders in a course, is double the size of the existing range that J&L uses for its own Harley-Davidson Riding Academy.

The larger range was designed for the South Dakota Safety Council’s motorcycle training classes, which are held from April through October and last 15 to 16 hours.

“J&L has always been a huge supporter of our program even prior to providing the range,” said Rick Kiley, who directs the motorcycle safety program. “They’ve just been there for us since day one, Joe and Jimmy who are now owners and operators took the course themselves, and the range has been working out beautifully.”

Courses are conducted all on-site at J&L, with a combination of classroom and riding training.

“Our instructors love it,” Kiley said. “It’s a full-size range, and it’s in great shape, in close proximity to the classroom and allows for storage of the motorcycles we provide for students, so it works out really well.”

All riders should take a course, he added.

“I had ridden four or five years before I took one, and it was an eye-opener how much I learned,” Kiley said. “I realized how much easier it would have been starting out if I had done this. And we also have a course for more advanced riders to work on braking and cornering, which are the two skills lacking in nearly all accidents.”

To learn more about the courses, click here. 

Harley-Davidson Riding Academy

For those looking to connect specifically with the Harley-Davidson brand, J&L offers its own Riding Academy.

It’s capped at six students per class, allowing for a little more one-on-one training, and the courses are slightly longer at 20 to 24 hours.

“We go a little more in-depth on the motorcycles themselves, they get a tour of our location, we introduce them to our fit specialists so they get to learn some familiar faces, and we allow them to come in and test-ride any of our motorcycles,” said Amber Hyronemus, Riding Academy manager.

“We provide personal gear fittings, and in most cases if they end up buying a motorcycle from us, we will give them back the cost of the class in a gift card. A lot of people don’t have knowledge of the motorcycles, so it’s a good opportunity to learn about the bike they will be riding and the options out there.”

The courses are popular, though. The next open one for the Riding Academy is in October, but with more instructors becoming certified, the hope is to open up courses before that.

“We just encourage riders to reach out and get connected so that we can schedule you as soon as possible,” Hyronemus said. “Typically, we’re seeing riders who are referred by others because they had such a good experience.”

To learn more, click here.

With both the state course and the Harley-specific course, riders will be able to complete the written and practical requirements needed for an endorsement card, which they can take to the Department of Public Safety to be licensed for motorcycle operation.

“Both classes are designed to progress at the speed of the student,” Jimmy added. “We just encourage any rider getting into the sport to sign up. You’ll have fun, learn a lot and begin riding as safely as possible.”