Motor School

Big Summer Blowout

Today we are going to discuss the fun and exciting world of flat tires, but we’re going to approach it a bit differently than...

The Fountain of Youth—Motorcycle Racing Keeps You Young

According to the wise and all-knowing Google, the fountain of youth doesn’t exist. Well, there is a popular historical attraction called the Fountain of...

The Eyes Have It

Learn what to look for in motorcycle sunglasses, from UV protection and impact resistance to helmet comfort, fit, durability, and lens polarization.

Raging Against the Machines

Motorcycle riders are not the king of the jungle. Yes, putting on a heavy motorcycle jacket, strapping on a helmet and gloves, and firing...

Candle in the Wind

It was a Sunday afternoon in late August 1985. “Maneater” by Hall & Oates was swirling into a set of Sony Walkman speakers I...

It’s Automatic

If I asked you to get my BMW R 1300 RT-P out of my garage, you could do it with your eyes closed; hop...

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub

This month I decided it was time I introduced you to my good buddy Trenner Marchetti. What’s he like? Trenner is insanely intelligent, quick-witted,...

It’s All in Your Mind

A few months back, I was in Sacramento at the California Highway Patrol Motor Academy for the official launch of BMW’s new R 1300...

Picking Up What You’re Putting Down

Just then, something caught his eye. Working traffic enforcement on his BMW R 1200 RT-P, Corporal Jeff Corbin zeroed in on a Romance Red...

Fighting Fatigue

It was late summer of 1988, and I was busily hauling my personal belongings from my mom’s house in Ventura, California, back down to...

Improving Your ROM

If you’re under 40, hey, good for you. Seriously, congratulations on yet another effortless day of frolic and sunshine without knee pain, muscle strain,...

Hip Hip Hooray

Today we’re going to learn how to use our hips to improve our motorcycle’s initial drop into a turn and reduce the turning radius...

Give Me a (Rear) Brake

I’m not gonna sit here and brag about the fact that, in the summer of 1980, I held the unofficial record for the longest...

The Secret of My Success

If you were to hang out with me at a police motor competition, you would immediately notice that I approach my police motorcycle a...

Silver Lining

We could argue that my dad’s rugged good looks and “never quit” attitude were the main assets that enabled him to make it to...

Get Off Your Keister

Now just hear me out. The title of this column, "Motor School," is not to suggest that you don’t have a strong work ethic...

Rediscovering Joy

I fully appreciate that my role within the space of these two pages of Motor School is to provide you with riding concepts, training...

Cool Tricks

Correct me if I’m wrong, but when we were kids, the heat of the day didn’t matter much. Sure, we knew it was hot,...

Music to Your Ears

In the summer of 1982, I revolutionized my motorcycle riding experience. After ingesting a pile of microwaved Ball Park franks, I strapped a Sony...

Buddy Bike Push

A few months back, I visited the University of Virginia motor unit to show them the features and benefits of the BMW R 1250...

What If?

When I started writing this Motor School column, I promised that I would, at some point, present some tactical thinking exercises that you could...

A Breath of Fresh Air

News flash: Throwing around big, heavy police motorcycles day after day during motor competitions was substantially easier in my 30s than in my 50s....

Motor Cop Ride Along

We all have our own rituals and processes when it comes to preparing for a motorcycle ride. We play with bike setup, gear selection,...

As Easy As Walking

Cruising down the freeway, I clicked into 6th gear and noted that the day was warming up nicely. It felt amazing. And not just...

Benefits of Being Last

Despite the fact that I’m getting up there in age, I still like to think of myself as a motorcycle racer. But if I’m...

Stuff Motor Cops Know

For this month's Motor School, I thought it might be cool to reach out to a few of my motor officer buddies from around...

Balance Ball 2.0

In an earlier column, I mentioned that my background was primarily in off-road riding and racing before I got into the police motorcycle thing....

The Art of Being Slow

A little while back, I took a ride up the coast. It was around 75 degrees outside, the sun was shining, and the ocean...

Brain Racing

Over the years, I’ve done plenty of things to stay ahead of the next guy during motorcycle competitions. Mondays and Wednesdays were my heavy...

Motor School with Quinn Redeker: Left Foot, Right Foot, Heavy Foot, Light Foot

Hey, a smidge of Dr. Seuss-inspired thinking never hurt anybody. Moreover, while this article is dropping in May, I’m writing it during the holiday...

CURRENT ISSUE

November 2026

The Staff

SUBSCRIBE NOW