Why Motorcycle Training?
By Lou Csabon, TSGT, NYANG
Military Liaison, NYS Motorcycle Safety Instructor &
MSF Certified RiderCoach
In my 20 plus years in the military, I have been around the world and back a couple of times. I have seen a lot and done a lot. I was stationed outside Frankfort, Germany during the Gulf War when two of my friends went and bought motorcycles. The two of them would go for a ride each day after work and they would tour the local countryside on their new bikes. It was a great time for them, until one of the two returned back to the gates of the base only to realize that his partner is no longer behind him. He turned his bike around and headed off in the direction he came, thinking that his friend must have broken down. Thirty minutes later he found his riding partner in the woods unconscious. His riding partner would later succumb to his injuries.
Could this tragedy have been prevented? This is a question that we may never know the answer to. However, what we do know is that it was determined that the lack of experience on the rider’s part led to him losing control at an intersection that had sand on it. Now I tell you this because as military personnel, we train constantly to do our jobs better and safer. Heavy construction operators train to work safer. Airborne troops train by jumping out of aircraft safer. We in the military have it drilled into us that training, and more training, will help us do a task more efficiently and safely.
Then why do we look at a motorcycle and consider getting on it and going for a ride without any formal training? Unfortunately, I must confess that I was one of those people. I rode for many years without any formal training and thought I was doing pretty well. I had not crashed and therefore I believed that I was doing things correctly. Well, about 5 years ago, I finally decided to take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic RiderCourse (BRC). I went in with a chip on my shoulder thinking that since I have been riding for years, I’m good to go. I never believed that I was so wrong. After the first day of riding I found myself asking, “How did I survive all these years?” I discovered that I really needed this course.
In the BRC you learn a great many things, with five key points to motorcycling that may save your life or another on the road:
1) Getting trained and licensed:
This is the first. I, like many of my friends, rode for many years with a permit and no formal training.
2) Wear Proper Protective Gear:
Well silly me…I wear a helmet and body armor for protection for my other duties and it’s not very comfortable. The motorcycle gear is very comfortable by comparison and serves the same purpose.
3) Not Riding Impaired:
Do I need to continue? I think we all know someone who was injured or killed in an alcohol-related accident.
4) Ride Within Your Limits:
This isn’t just the limits of the bike, but the limitations of the rider. A hundred mile-an-hour bike with a 40 mile-an-hour rider equals trouble.
5) Be a rider that is continually willing to learn to improve your skill.
All skills will get rusty over time. The problem is that it happens so gradually that you may not notice it until it is too late. There is always something new you can learn and there is always something you can learn to do better. Professional training can help you to stay sharp and on top of your game.
In the long run this course may save your life. Statistics compiled by the US Army Safety Center have shown a decline of motorcycle fatalities and deaths over the years thanks to rider education. This decline is outstanding, but we still lose many soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines due to lack of formal training. These courses may not stop all riders from being injured (or worse), but it may save your life.
Don’t be a statistic…be a smart rider and get educated.