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Elton Lawe

Asst/ Rider Educator

Chapter Y

Houghton Lake Mi.

Text Box: Probably learned by one of three methods. You took a basic training class, taught yourself to ride or got help from a friend or family member. You obtained and retained enough skill and information to survive with other traffic on the road. You knew how to ride but you also knew that you could be better. Over time, as your riding skills improved, you began to consider yourself a pretty competent rider. Each one of us will have an occasional “close call” (one of the accidents that was avoided) while riding. What did you do right or wrong just before the incident? What did the other driver/rider do right or wrong? What should be done in the future to avoid a similar occurrence? Asking and answering these questions will trun a “close call” into a learning experience that will increase our knowledge and advance our riding skills. Another way to gain knowledge on the road is to play the “What If” game. Decide ahead of time what actions to take IF that driver with the cell phone in his ear should wander out of his lane. Have an escape route planned JUST IN CASE; the bicycle rack on that travel trailer in front of you breaks loose. In most cases these things will not happen, but if they do you will be much better prepared with the correct actions to deal with the emergency. We need to be actively SEEKING out the potential dangers around us, ANTICIPATING what could go wrong and ACTING to avoid those dangers. Surviving on the roads with today’s traffic requires that we make learning an ongoing process. We need to pay attention to the lessons that are available to us, whether they come from a Rider Course classroom and range, a seminar or an experience on the road. Continuous Improvement of our riding skills (both mental and physical) will lower our level of risk and make us safer riders. In athletic training we are taught that practice makes perfect, this is only true if you practice perfectly. In reality practice make permanent, so if you are making little mistakes, that is what you will do when the time comes to react. Practicing motorcycle riding maneuvers in a closed parking lot with someone else (the instructors) monitoring the range to protect the riders from outside hazards helps you focus your attention on the task at hand—becoming a better rider! On another level, taking a Rider Course will also help you qualify for advancement in the Rider Education Levels Program, to Level II or above, or keep you current in your present level. And there is one more thing to remember about all GWRRA Rider Course offerings. Nobody fails! Everyone who completes the course receives a course completion card.

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Index Page

Neil Pifer

Senior Rider Educator

Chapter Y

Houghton Lake, Mich.

Here I sit looking out at the snow melting while it is raining wondering what I need to do before riding season gets underway. The most obvious is the prepping of the wing and getting all my riding gear ready to go. The next is not so obvious, getting myself mentally ready to ride. This means not only thinking about and planning of routes for trips, but also about what I can do to improve my riding skills. This can be done through either practicing in a parking lot or by taking a rider course.

When you first decide to ride a motorcycle you