How full is your tool box?

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.

What better way to overcome your trepidation than by “doing” with the tutelage of a skilled instructor.  This class offers much more than this however.  When we signed up and were deposited for the class, we received a student handbook.  The handbook was a syllabus explaining the approach that Stayin Safe utilizes.  Additionally, there were instructions on how to prepare your bike and yourself for the class.  When we met up with Peter Tamblyn, our instructor for the class, we had a pretty good idea as to what to expect.  He went over the instructions and expectations for our next few days of travel and before we knew it we were wired up and ready to ride

Day one was all about learning to read the road.  Peter led our small group along the back roads and spoke to us about what he was seeing as potential hazards.  He splits the road into 3 sections and rides each section based upon the road conditions, oncoming traffic, etc.  Counter steering, body steering, throttle steering and visual steering were the basic skills we hoped to brush up on during day one.  You will learn the proper technique for each steering method and when to use it.  The crux of the Stayin Safe program however centers around three strategies.  They are, maintain a full 360 degree awareness, put the motorcycle where “they” can’t touch you and eliminate surprises.  Peter went into great length about each of these strategies.  We practiced them while riding behind him and then had the opportunity to utilize our skills while Peter rode behind us.   If you have never experienced another rider behind you, watching your riding skills unfold right before there very eyes, you should.  With Peter’s years of experience, he spoke to you about what you should be seeing for potential hazards and the process that should be going through your mind so that the outcome is exactly what you want.  With the one-way radio communication it is a bit frustrating for a talker not to be able to talk back to him however, in the long run it is what he is saying at that particular moment that matters.

Day two’s emphasis was on braking; specifically, how to do this in a controlled manner at various speeds.  Also, when to brake and when not to and if you choose to, the timing involved.  Finally, whether to use the front brake, rear brake or both.  He had asked each of us when the last time was that we practiced controlled breaking?  None of us could say that we had.  That got me thinking.  I now periodically practice controlled breaking at various speeds.  You will need to use this tool at some point in your motorcycle travels.  The more you practice, the better you will be.  I recently had an event that caused me to need to use rapid and controlled braking.  In addition to needing to stop relatively quickly, I had engine oil spraying out over both of my tires. At first I thought I had run over something that gave me a flat tire because the bike was so wobbly.  Later, I learned that what I had run over punctured my oil pan.  What I did to stabilize the bike and bring it safely to the side of the road came naturally to me.  I do not remember doing it but I did.  The bike was in first gear when I landed and I was still in an upright position.  All good!  I credit this to the many training sessions I have taken with experienced people such as Peter.  I also credit my husband Richard for he is the catalyst for encouraging all of the training.

Day Three of the Stayin Safe class was a concentrated effort to incorporate all we had learned; throttle control, controlled braking, lane choice, dirt riding etc etc etc.  We were challenged to speak out loud to our invisible passenger.  We were to explain to our passenger what we saw as hazards and basically what we would do to ensure that they would have a safe and comfortable ride.  You should try this on your own some time.  When you speak out loud somehow the information seems to sink in a bit more.

If you leave this class having learned and/or been reminded of the three primary strategies that Stayin Safe uses as it’s approach to rider training, I believe you will be a better, more prepared rider.  When we are kids we love surprises.  As we age, surprises are something we tend to not enjoy.  Eliminate surprises and stay in control!

I would encourage anyone who rides to take this class.  It was informative, challenging and fun.  Peter is a wonderful and patient teacher who has a lot of experience.  You will definitely feel as if your tool box is more complete when you finish with this class.