News Article - Motorcycle Accident in SD

good article! I am a sport bike instructor, trained by the guy who helped push and develope the program, Dale. When it came time for my class of instructors to teach a class of students, we had to tell them to speed up! they thought we were going to tell them to slow down! Dale told me that the course was eventually going to be adapted for the MSF civilian program in the form of an advanced ERC. Keep your ear to the ground, it's coming, and you should not miss the opportunity.....

 

You bet! Then we could get CBR250RR's and VFR400's and all sorts of other cool bikes here in the states!

 

I know Tracey Martin in the article Sloth. Good guy, he's the one who taught me how to get me knee down.

BZ

 

UK License System

Here in the UK it's pretty regulated. I started riding last year, completed my CBT (compulsory basic training), this is done on a 125cc, this allows you to ride for 2 years with L-Plates on. Next step... You have to complete a hazard perception and Highway code test. If your under 21 you need to learn on a 125cc, once you pass the test you can ride a restricted bike upto a 600cc (is it restricted, or is it not, that's the question???) and after 2 years you can ride anything. If your over 21 you can do a direct access course, you learn on a 500cc bike, complete your test and you can ride anything.

I did direct access, bought the VFR when I passed. I'm 6'3" so felt I need somthing bigger. I always show it respect. I did go on a bike run with VFR club here in the UK, it's easy to see how people get hurt or killed, I felt myself starting ride well outside my ability and comfort zone, I had to back off and accept I was no where near as capable as the majority of other guys, not always an easy thing to accept. I'm used to driving Subaru Impreza's and Lotus Elise, but you've much more protection when things go wrong.

Graduated Licenses, makes it harder to get the license, it's more about knowing your limits, oh and of course, your not the only person on the road, remember to look out for other maniacs on the road...

 

We've got the graduated license hear in Ontario, it is a great idea, I know a few people that never completed the licensing because riding just "wasn't for them" seems like a good idea at the timebut when you get out on the street, BIG difference! Also the rider courses offered should be mandatory, I took one just for the insurance break years ago and it was well worth the money, and they have NO issue flunking someone that just shouldn't be on a bike.

 

I hate to admit being a noob but since I have only had my bike for about 3-4 months I'm sure I still fall into this catagory. I have ridden over 2,600 miles since I picked up my new babe. I haven't ridden otherwise since high school and that was about 20 years ago (I may be an old man now by standards.:unsure.

I can not imagine having any other bike than my VFR. It has inspired confidence and been a very forgiving bike in my opinion. I feel it is a very safe bike as motorcycles go and I feel comfortable on it.

With that said, I know this bike has more to offer than I am currently ready to tap into. I asses my skills and and situations constantly but I take it slow until I feel I am ready to handle the next step. I may take a corner a little faster and reasses what I could have done better and so forth. I do hit the straights hard every now and then when the traffic permits also. I guess what I am trying to say is GOVERNMENT is not the answer in my opinion. The government never runs anything efficiently. We need better education, safty, skills, etc available for new riders. I have tried to get into a MSF course and they were all booked up! I will now have to wait for next spring to get into one. I will. People need to start taking ownership for their actions and parents need to start talking to their young invinceable children.....

Side note: My wife had a hard time with me getting this bike, I can't imagine trying to start out on a smaller bike I didn't want and then later, trying to convince her I wanted to step up to the bike of my dreams.

 

Well said btay67

It was my wife who got me into bikes. She passed her test about 15 years ago. I'm 32 and have always been a car driver, I passed in March this year.

I recon if your going to take chances then one time you'll get caught out.

I was at a bikers funeral in July, guy was 50 years old, had been riding since 16. He had a fair few offs in his time but always bounced back. He was coming home when he came off, not speeding, not riding like a maniac. He didn't have a mark on him but died at the scene. Just shows, his days of being a maniac were over, he was killed after he calmed down.

Think what I'm trying to say is your responsible for your own actions, don't go looking for trouble.

Stay safe out there everyone...

 

just throwing by 2 cents in as well. I dont care about all the regulation stuff, I think this issue is totally unrelated. Young people who kill themselves on bikes do so willingly because of psychological issues beyond our understanding. They are the same people who "accidently" shoot themselves or their friends with a MAC-10 uzi they just happened to find in a friends house.

I have been riding for only 3 years, and I am going to put it as simply as this. The odds are not any worse when on a bike or in a car as to the likelihood of getting into a major accident, only the rider can make their odds worse, and only the rider is in control of the things they are in control of. This may sound obvious but the problem is that most people do not understand that they do not know how to control their machine, and what to look out for until it is too late.

I have my MSF, and have ridden for 10s of thousands of miles, and ride to work during rush hour most of the warm season. I started on a 250 for about 6 months (3,000 miles) then went to a 600 for about a year (6,000 miles), then I got the VFR about a year ago, and have put nearly 10,000 miles on it. I am not saying this to brag, or claim I am invincible, just to say... this is the progression you should make... I dont understand these people who go right to the liter bikes thinking they can handle it.


To highlight my point about driving cars vs. bikes:
I was driving around with my wife the other day. She drives an audi a3 and loves it, but of course doesnt appreciate its power at all. Anyway, we are driving around back roads at about 45 mph, when wham she slams into a huge pothole. Immediately blows the tire out. It really sucked cause of course I changed the tire. But the point is... my wife starts bitching about the pothole and such, when I say "where you looking for potholes?" shes says, "no"... and I said (nicely) "well you should always be looking for potholes" You see people tend to drive bikes (and by people I mean inexperienced people).... they tend to ride their bikes like they drive their cars, and unfortunately people drive cars like they watch tv,... passively. Everyone is quick to blame the other guy when something happens on the road, but usually it is something you were doing, or not doing that caused an accident.

If I had hit that pothole under the exact same conditions on my VFR, it is very likely that I would have been killed as my body would have been slingshotted directly into the pavement in front of me.

People make excuses for why they get into accidents, (other guy was moving to fast, he was in my lane, he ran the stop sign, he didnt use his blinker) these are all real problems but they are still excuses. Assume people will do all these things and do your best to avoid them.

There are two ends to the risk spectrum on bikes (I am taking this from a great book on riding, "Ride Hard Ride Safe") the biggest risks come when you are inexperienced and cant control your machine and dont know what to look out for while riding. The other side of the risk comes from when you have been riding for a while and "Relax" in a ride. A certain relaxation is important but people must never become passive while they ride.

Being a better rider makes you a much better driver. Invest in your life.