The next course will run August 2th - 28th. Students can expect to spend 6 - 8 hours a day on the material, on their schedule.
Office hours are offered daily, for two hours, beginning at 10 am PST. Attendance is optional.
This course is offered online in a hybrid format with pre-recorded modules and live office hours each day (optional attendance).
The course spans four days, with three full days of instruction and a fourth day for the final evaluation.
The course has been approved for up to 31 CEUs. The CEUs are awarded on attendance of office hours and successful completion of the final evaluation.
How does the hybrid format work?
The course material is pre-recorded and can be completed at any time during the scheduled dates. In addition to the pre-recorded material, this course also offers live office hours with Lou each day. These office hours provide an opportunity to ask questions, discuss course materials, and get to know the other students.
Do I have to attend office hours?
Attendance of live office hours is not mandatory; however, they are highly reviewed and recommended by prior students. We understand that some schedules may not allow attendance each day, so any vital topics discussed or resources shared will be emailed to the full group, regardless of attendance.
As a note, in order to receive all ACTAR CEUs office hours must be attended.
What if I can’t make the scheduled course?
We get it, life happens! Refunds are offered up to 30 days prior to the start date of the course. If you are within 30 days of the course start date, we will provide a code to be used towards a future course. If you have specific questions regarding your situation, please contact Sam at smccool@lightpointdata.com.
How long will I have access to the materials?
You will have access to the recorded modules through the duration of the course.
Lightpoint Learning offers lifetime access to digital course materials such as the presentations themselves, equation sheets, handouts, etc. As our courses evolve with updated material and content, those materials will be shared with all prior attendees.
Who submits my CEUs to ACTAR?
Following the successful completion of a course, CEUs will be submitted to ACTAR by Lightpoint and should show on your dashboard within a few weeks. If for any reason they don’t, please contact Sam at smccool@lightpointdata.com.

Strengthen Your Skill Set

The Motorcycle Collision Reconstruction course equips the analyst with a firm understanding of motorcycle dynamics and current reconstruction techniques through deep review of literature, sample evidence, and exercises. The following topics are covered:

Dynamics of swerving and rider performance
Acceleration behavior, calculations, and gearing analysis
Sliding friction for downed motorcycles
Speed estimation via vehicular damage
Rotational mechanics
Rider and pillion vault analysis
Event data recorders and dataloggers
Simulation analyses for impact speed determination
Monte Carlo analysis to determine confidence in results

Introduction to motorcycle crash causation, motorcycle anatomy, and specification research
Review of kinematics including units, conversions, and derivations of basic equations
Fundamentals of motorcycle dynamics (geometry, stability, steering, weight transfer, suspension, etc.)
Motorcycle inspection
Rider perception-response time
Braking systems and rider performance
Introduction to Excel for collision reconstruction

High-Level Instruction, from the Comfort of Your Office

Over the last decade, Lou has developed and refined these materials while teaching to engineers and law enforcement officers around the world. Prospective attendees can now access this course from the comfort of their office without the need to pay for expensive travel and lodging.

The course spans four days and allows the student to complete each day's lectures and exercises at a time that is convenient to them. Each day the students have the opportunity to meet with Lou, and each other, to discuss the previous day's material, ask questions, and be provided with one-on-one support, offering the best of both online and in-person learning.

**Meet Your Instructor**

Lou is a licensed mechanical engineer, an ACTAR-accredited accident reconstructionist, an instructor at Northwestern University, and a prior member of the Governing Board of Directors for ACTAR. As a forensic engineer and former Expert level roadracer, he has a unique understanding of motorcycle dynamics and capabilities. In addition, Lou has a strong understanding of rider behavior, having conducted research documenting the performance of motorcycle riders including: hazard response time, glance behaviors, and braking performance.
**He has authored several publications analyzing, sliding friction, impact speed, braking performance, glancing behavior, and data from on-board recorders.**

The Motorcycle Collision Reconstruction course is generally offered twice per year. If you aren’t able to attend this course but would like to be notified when future courses launch, please sign up for our newsletter.

If you’re interested in taking the course outside of the group offerings, a version without office hours is available to select students year-round. To request access, please reach out to Sam at smccool@lightpointdata.com

Reviews and Testimonials

“It was a great class! Lou is the gold standard!”

— Student, 2021

“I have taken a couple other motorcycle courses through the years and this is by far the best.”

— Student, 2022

“My motorcycle cases are now an order of magnitude better.”

— Student, 2021

“It left no stone unturned. I’m constantly amazed at how this field continues to advance and it’s people like yourself that will ensure investigators have access to the best training possible to help them do their work. ”

— Student, 2023

“I really enjoyed the class and I have learned quite a bit to apply to my job. In Law Enforcement, I know I can be better at gathering data during a motorcycle collision than I ever did before.”

— Student, 2022