If you haven’t noticed, rider safety is a key message we at Central Valley Biker want to convey to our readers. With the holidays approaching, probably the best gift any rider can give their families is to simply arrive back home safely. Having said that, I decided it was time to practice what I preach. I decided to enroll in a Basic Rider Course (BRC), offered by Valley Motorcycle Training Inc. With training sites in Stockton, Lodi, Merced, Atwater, Fresno, and Visalia; the CHP/ DMV-approved course meets the requirements established by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) and the California Motorcyclist Safety Program (CMSP). Coincidentally my license was recently up for renewal, so I had just studied up with the DMV-provided California Motorcycle Safety handbook and sample quizzes offered at the DMV’s website www.dmv.ca.gov. Having passed the written exams for my C and M1-class license, the time was ripe to complete my mission of going back to basics.
Who doesn’t know of someone who has been involved in a motorcycle accident resulting in serious or fatal consequences? It was exactly that reason instructor and rider coach Terry Sanders began his career in motorcycle training over 6 years ago. While serving in the U.S. Navy, Terry and his shipmates would go on 6 – 8 month long deployments aboard an aircraft carrier. With few options to spend their money at sea, the sailors would return from their deployments with good-sized savings. “Then they would go out and buy the biggest, baddest bike they could find. And a short time later, boom, they’re gone,” he says.
The BRC is broken into three 5-hour sessions, with the first being in the classroom. There, eleven other students and myself viewed educational videos covering topics like risk awareness and management; proper protective gear; pre-ride inspections; start-up procedures; proper riding posture; street strategies; common riding situations; and mixing riding with alcohol or drugs. We then participated in a classroom study group before completing a written knowledge test covering course material. After passing the course review test, the class was ready for the next two sessions of on-cycle instruction at the training course.
The following Saturday morning, the class met at the training course. Over cups of coffee, Terry and our other instructor/rider coach Bryan Sawyer, reviewed key riding techniques covered in the classroom and ensured all riders were wearing proper riding gear. Then, in a scene reminiscent of the movie “Top Gun”, the student riders walked across the tarmac and made their way to where their “steeds” awaited. All motorcycles in the class are provided and are 250cc or less in engine size. The class also provides helmets if needed. Each student had a motorcycle pre-assigned based on the student’s height and size. The first exercises in the class are strictly regulated with instructors teaching control locations and basic operation. The instruction then turns to clutch control and use of the “friction zone”. Subsequent exercises are designed to educate riders on throttle technique; shifting up and down; leaning, cornering, and s-curves.
The course and maneuvers were gradually more difficult with each exercise. Not all students make it through the course on the first try. One student in our class was a having a more difficult time of negotiating the course, and after several rounds of one-on-one counseling, the student was excused from the class. As Terry explained later, the student had become a hazard to the class and clearly needed more time to develop their riding skills before the final session the following day. By “counseling the student out” of the class, he gave the student the opportunity to practice more and come back at a later date to complete the course. “This can be a demanding course even for experienced riders...not everyone makes it,” Terry explains.
The final day of course instruction began a little more loosely than the first day, with students warming up the bikes and taking some laps around the course. Afterward, exercises included hard braking; hard braking in a turn; left and right u-turns; sweeping turns; lane changes; swerving; and running over roadway obstacles. I was impressed with how the instructors conducted the class with direct instruction and critique, but mixed with humor and positive reinforcement. Upon completing the last exercises of the morning, it was time to take the final riding skill evaluation. The evaluation consists of four exercises that assess limited-space maneuvering skills, as well as braking, cornering, and swerving competencies. Upon the completion, all riders had passed the final evaluation with two students achieving perfect scores.
The final day of course instruction began a little more loosely than the first day, with students warming up the bikes and taking some laps around the course. Afterward, exercises included hard braking; hard braking in a turn; left and right u-turns; sweeping turns; lane changes; swerving; and running over roadway obstacles. I was impressed with how the instructors conducted the class with direct instruction and critique, but mixed with humor and positive reinforcement. Upon completing the last exercises of the morning, it was time to take the final riding skill evaluation. The evaluation consists of four exercises that assess limited-space maneuvering skills, as well as braking, cornering, and swerving competencies. Upon the completion, all riders had passed the final evaluation with two students achieving perfect scores.
I have to say it was a refreshing and informative course, even for an experienced rider. There were other seasoned riders in the course as well, motivated by various reasons, from simply obtaining a motorcycle license (after 33 years riding!) to returning to motorcycling after an extended period of non-riding. However, most of the class was comprised of new riders seeking their first license. The course is required for all riders in the state under 21 years of age, and riders who successfully complete the course are not required to take the DMV skill test to obtain their M1 endorsement. Valley Motorcycle Training Inc. also provides an Experienced Rider Course (ERC). The ERC is designed for the rider with experience and has proficiency with basic riding skills. Using their own motorcycle, students put into practice the techniques of managing traction, stopping quickly, cornering and swerving. Riders discuss how to balance the mental and physical aspects of safe riding, managing risk, increased visibility, and optimizing lane position. Graduates of either the BRC or the ERC may qualify for insurance premium discounts with some motorcycle insurers. But most importantly, completion of this course begins the building blocks of safe riding for years!
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FACTS
