How full is your tool box?
Deedee Ford
By DeeDee Ford
You have a project to do and you’ll need several tools to get the job completed. You reach into your tool box and everything you need is right there. How satisfying is that? The same can be said for riding a motorcycle and being presented with a challenging scenario. Do you have the tools (skills) in your tool box to get the job done?
Regardless of the number of years you have been riding, rider safety courses should be considered as part of your annual checklist. Every year, if you have a riding season, when the season begins you check your bike out to make sure it is safe and in good riding condition. Then you check your gear. Is your helmet going to still do the trick if it needs to? How are your boots holding up? The same consideration should be given to your skills.
When was the last time your motorcycle riding skills were challenged in a controlled environment? I dare say that this should be done at least once every year. Ask someone who cares about you whether they think you should be as prepared as you possibly can while in control of your motorcycle. Of course the answer is YES. There are many opportunities for you to do this. We had the pleasure of singing up for and taking the new dual sport rider training course offered by Stayin Safe. The class description read well as it offers “real world “, real time travel skills. What that means is, you ride on both pavement and dirt/gravel/mud roads while an instructor communicates with you using a one-way radio. For many of us the roads less traveled i.e. dirt, gravel and mud are somewhat intimidating but the reality is that you will end up on a dirt or gravel road sometime and you need to be prepared.
