Student motorcycle riders can now their revv engines together at a new club for bikers.

NIU Moto was recognized as an official group last semester around October 30, said Adam Bennett, sophomore mechanical engineering major and president of NIU Moto.

Bennett said he got the idea for the group from where he used to live.

“I moved to Illinois from California and one of the things that’s big out there is biking,” Bennett said. “I was part of a biking group and I wanted to get something [similar] in DeKalb.”

NIU Moto is for all riders, regardless of what type of bike they ride.

Bennett said the group has two main goals.

“The first is to promote rider safety,” Bennett said. “The other part of that is to have fun. Motorcycling is not just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.”

Joshua Ott, sophomore mechanical engineering major and vice president of NIU Moto, said the club is all about the camaraderie.

“I know a lot of people ride but they don’t always have a group to ride with and that’s what we want to create with NIU Moto,” Ott said. “Group riding is very different from riding solo and it is a great opportunity for fun and a great learning experience for people who have never ridden in a group.”

Ott said he has been riding for ten years and has “loved every minute of it.”

Like Ott, Jared Herbig, junior mechanical engineering major, said he has been riding for ten years also and he enjoys meeting new people who share the same passion for riding that he does.

“My first impressions have been good and there seems to be a good group of people who are interested in NIU Moto,” Herbig said.

Herbig said he supports the goal to improve and make people aware of rider safety.

“I completely agree with NIU Moto’s goal to improve rider safety through education of responsible riding, advanced riding techniques, and also to improve public perception of motorcyclists through community involvement,” Herbig said. “I feel that these areas are often overlooked and underestimated.”

NIU Moto will take many bike trips in the future, including a trip to the deals gap in Tennessee over the summer, overnight camping trips, track days and afternoon days where members will travel to several popular and scenic locations.

Bennett said the Tennessee trip will consist of driving on a road called “the tail of the dragon.”

Ott said out of all the trips, he is most looking forward to the Tennessee trip.

“All riders and types of motorcycles are welcome as long as the rider is willing to be safe and have fun,” Ott said.

NIU Moto will also participate in local charity rides to raise money and awareness for different causes.

Bennett said the NIU Moto Facebook page has twenty people so far and once the meeting gets closer and the weather gets warmer, he said there should be even more people involved. NIU Moto Club will have its first meeting at 6 p.m. March 22 at The Huddle Restaurant, 817 W. Lincoln Highway.