Motorcycle safety

One of the great joys in my life is motorcycling. I grew up riding bikes. My pop almost always had at least one motorcycle. The culture back then was much different. We only wore our “crash helmet” when we were planning on doing very risky stunts. Some of the coolest bikes of that era were “bar hoppers.” When I joined the air force I had to take the mandatory motorcycle safety class. In typical angry young man fashion my attitude was “these safety Nazis can’t teach me anything”, and they did not. Combat controllers use motorcycles especially during airfield seizures. Deploying the motorcycle with a parachute allows the assault force to have rapid mobility almost instantly. Great fun!
As an airman who owned a motorcycle I was a prime candidate to become the all terrain vehicle NCO. I enjoyed the responsibility. Maintaining our fleet of our two, three and four wheel machines was fun. I became frustrated that I had to fix machines that were wrecked because of poor riding technique. So I volunteered to go to the MSF instructor course. The sergeant may or may not take advice from the airman but they are likely to listen to a certified “instructor.” This time I actually paid attention and learned a lot. Leading by example meant that I had to wear all the gear all the time and not drink and ride…ever. This probably saved my life.
Over the next several years my role in the military changed and I did not teach motorcycle safety much. Near the end of my career I was recertified and learned of civilian training opportunities. The North Carolina community college system has several different courses including a basic rider course. Over a weekend students can learn how to ride. The motorcycles are provided and the training is split between classroom and riding. It can be great fun. People get to try out motorcycling in a low threat environment. There is an evaluation that assesses what they learned. Most of the students pass, many purchase motorcycles and begin the adventure. Not everyone passes and that is OK. Some of the riders should practice more before venturing on the open road and the feedback has value.
Opening the world of motorcycling to people is very satisfying. I love riding. It is a lot more fun if you don’t crash. Training and risk management increase your chances. I look forward to being healthy enough to return to coaching.

http://msf-usa.org
http://ncmotorcyclesafety.org/