| Motorcycles and Twowheelers: Motorcycle training - "Motorcycle Safety Courses" Thursday, 4 December, 2008 | Home | Suggest a Link |
Motorcycling can be a real challenge, from your first time sitting on the motorcycle and trying to learn the controls, to learning how to ride the bike, to finally dealing with real-world driving situations. This article will discuss the various safety courses available for both new and experienced riders to take. These course are user friendly and are designed to maximize the students' involvement and experience. The main objective is to develop the special motorcyclist skills, habits, and strategies to be the best motorcyclist you can be, and to keep you safe while enjoying your ride.
Motorcycle Safety? what is it? where do I sign up? why do I need it?
When I wanted to learn how to ride properly I had no idea where to go or whom to ask. I am often asked today, "how can i get trained to ride a motorcycle?" Sure, most people can hop on a bike and go, but to be a confident and safe rider and to know your machine, it is advisable to enroll in a motorcycle safety course. It is best to learn your mistakes in the controlled environment of a parking lot rather than out on the road. Plus, you get to ride someone else's bike for a few days and meet fellow motorcylists. [in the UK, you must complete CBT before riding on the road. ed.]
With the increased popularity of motorcycles, more and more riders are finding that they are being turned away by state programs. The Motor Vehicle Administration in Maryland is so overbooked with its Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) sponsored courses, that they have turned to a lottery system for candidates.
It is both a good and bad problem to have -- too many interested students. The downside is that people will not want to wait to get in the class, go and buy their motorcycle with their permit in hand and possibly get in over their heads. Also, Maryland has the option where you can show up at the MVA and have an angry MD state employee certify you on the non-MSF sanctioned closed course. It is a crime and needs to be changed. The failure rate on this is above 60%. Mainly due to the state motorcycle certifier not having any knowledge of what it takes to ride a motorcycle. So please do not go this route unless you want your blood pressure to rise. Take a sanctioned MSF course, or sign up for a Rider's Edge course. You can even get in courses sponsored through the local Community Colleges.
When I took my MSF course back in 1987, it was taught by several California Highway Patrol Officers. These guys were great. I remember one saying to me, "we offer these courses because we get tired of scraping people off the sides of the road." Pretty sobering thought for a kid about to buy a Kawasaki Ninja.
I can only speak of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's sponsored course. It is called the BRC for Basic Rider Course. It is well worth the experience. It weeds out those that have no coordination and have no business being on a bike. Students are encouraged to do self evaluations and decide to opt themselves out of the course if they find that motorcycling is just not for them. Now, once you get your BRC and start riding, you can come back later and sign up for the ERC - Experienced Rider Course. This is a referesher and provides a few more advanced exercises.
If you have done all that and have a knack for teaching, you can return and sign up for the RCC - Rider Coach Course. But, this will take away your weekends, so be forewarned. I did go thru 90% of the Maryland sponsored RCC program. I learned alot. But I wanted to ride on the weekends and not be tied to a parking lot teaching.
Having said that, if you have the teaching bug, I recommend the course. Perhaps you could open your own training center one day, get state certification and teach away. Also, you could sign up with Rider's Edge and be part of that organization or another.
The thrill of driving a motorcycle compares with nothing else. Unfortunately, the consequences of this thrill, when used improperly, can turn out to be really expensive too.
True, motorcycles make our driving experiences almost magical, but they can be dangerous weapons if not driven with utmost care. Motorcycle Driving Schools help us to learn to make our motorcycle driving experiences pleasurable.
To drive a motorcycle, be it for normal driving or race driving, we need to have a special permit on our licenses. A class M is normally a must to be able to drive a motorcycle. Rules and regulations concerning this
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The majority of motorcycle braking systems have a right-front lever for activating the front brake and a right foot pedal for activating the rear brake. There exist some variations on the basic motorcycle brake systems. Some of these innovations may affect how you handle low-speed manuevers.
With Spring fast approaching I thought it would be a good idea to start publishing a few motorcycle riding tips that you can practice once you dust off your bike and get it ready for Daytona Bike week or your first spring ride.
One thing I hear
from a lot of motorcyclists is that they have been riding for
some many years and do not need to practice any riding skills.
This is just an ignorant statement to make and often fueled by
ego and pride. I have seen veteran riders of twenty years do
the stupidest things on a motorcycle. Sure, they have been riding
for twenty years,
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Time for an ice-cold slap in the face! Here are a few chilling safety reminders for the winter months ahead. Not everybody has the luxury of heated grips, a nice snug faring or rider training, so keep these 8 points in mind for your extended motorcycling pleasure!
The first rains of winter fall on roads that have been coated with oil during the summer months. Wet roads offer less grip than dry roads and places you previously rode could have a sheen of oil now compromising the grip of your tyres. Look out for the rainbow like streaks along the
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Whether you are a veteran rider or a beginner, it is imperative that you take extreme safety precautions while riding high-speed motorcycles like dirt bikes since accident risks are higher with these powerful machines.
The most important thing to remember before riding a dirt bike is to get formal training and instruction. It is said that 90%-95% of motorcycle riders involved in accidents did not go through formal training. So to make your dirt bike riding experience safer, get yourself a formal training from a professional or a training school.
Protective gear like helmets, gloves, boots and jackets not only guard you
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