Academy of Motorcycle Operation - Pasadena, California

Jay P.

Paid for a class Jan 19th, about 2 weeks after the fires in Altadena were done. AMO had full availability to sign up for classes, so I assumed they knew that the class location would be ready to use for the class. On the 22nd, AMO emailed to let people know that the upcoming weekend class would be cancelled until further notice.

I've been emailing and calling for a refund since then—no reply/update. They emailed about a week after the cancellation making a vague reference to being able to "get into a class at a later date" on March 1st or after. Still no response about a refund. A woman I was able to get ahold of via phone said "we aren't doing refunds".

I understand that there have to be reasons to avoid a refund when there are unforeseen circumstances (rain, etc), but this is different. I signed up for a class on a specific date that I was available to do it. After researching on my own, I realized that it should have been extremely obvious that the school in Altadena was still closed off by the city. AMO should have known this. Whether it was lazy ignorance, or they KNEW and decided to amass fees that they knew they would deny refunding, either scenario is negligent.

The idea that they should be able to sit on my $425 with no concrete plan to reschedule something in a reasonable time frame is ridiculous. They couldn't deliver. Luckily I paid via AMEX so they were able to reverse the charge the same day (today) that I disputed the transaction.

Do this class somewhere that is incentivized to care about you as a customer, like HD. These clowns are unprofessional.

Christopher S.

Just wrapped up my course and I could not recommend it more. The zoom classes - led by Vince (who was knowledgeable and engaging, a natural teacher) - were interesting and informative and prepared me well for getting on the bike. G and Nemo were our range pros and they are both excellent at what they do. The sequence of lessons is well thought out and clearly effective
-- I went from literally never having ridden a motorcycle to feeling confident on a bike, with both a solid foundation to build upon and an eagerness to build upon it. And this is entirely due to G and Nemo's skill, instruction, and patience. Summary: what I got out of the course is many degrees more valuable than what I spent to get it.

Slave2ink1

Very happy to get this instruction before I ever got on a motorcycle, safety and confidence can't say enough about this course has been amazing a bit fast for the beginner with zero experience but it is a great start to having to learn the wrong way.

Bryan A.

Took the class. A student ended up crashing into my parked car located at the class designated parking area. After promising me that their insurance company would cover all the damages, I was told a week later to kick rocks and hold the student personally responsible. So, in short, they are uninsured. They even made the student sign a waiver right after his accident, when I’m sure his decision making was questionable. You are better off going with a different company that actually has insurance just in case something like this happens. Ironic how irresponsible they are about financial liability, when they actually preach about it in the class. Look elsewhere.

Frank S.

Great all around experience. Took MTC that consisted of classroom and range instruction. Thank you to my instructors Jeff, Joel and Adam. As a first timer, I had questions and my instructors were all helpful. Had a blast riding at the range and I would recommend to anyone who is interested, to go for it! I also registered for the AMO More Riding course which is all range to gain more experience. Trust the process, they are the experts. Looking forward to riding again this weekend!🏍

Alex

Never ridden anything beyond a moped and I feel like I really got a good foundation from this course. Guillermo and Nemo were very professional and everything from the controls to shifting, to stopping to turning was covered about as thoroughly as it can be in a 3 day course. Like they say at the course though, definitely don't treat this as the end all be all....this class is just the beginning of the journey. Lots more to learn and rather be safe than sorry 🤟

Igal S.

Cheryl, Andrew, and Guillermo are great instructors. Their mix of patience and knowledge is vital to successfully completing the course. I'm really glad I took this course and will come back for a refresher once I get my motorcycle.

John M.

Great staff, informed and excellent instructors, straight shooters no b.s. I don't know if a review is enough to sum up the experience. Sheryle is an ACE to any rider learning to fly... Top Scool