CHARLESTON AFB, S.C. –
I'm sure many riders have felt hassled by the mandatory training requirements levied on them for being a motorcyclist. I empathize with them; however, there are some very legitimate reasons for this measure that actually work to the rider's advantage.
Time spent away from riding due to deployments, wintertime, etc., tends to erode the skills learned in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCourse of the Sport Bike Course. Sadly, many of the riders who graduate from motorcycle training courses never bother practicing the skills they learned upon graduation. So for these reasons, it is beneficial for motorcycle riders to get a "skills tune-up" in order to correct some of those bad habits.
As a RiderCoach, I see a lot of experienced riders exhibiting some very poor riding skills. Sometimes this is brought about because the rider is unfamiliar to the motorcycle. Motorcyclists tend to purchase larger, more powerful motorcycles each time they buy a new motorcycle. Their new motorcycle will handle differently than their old bike. It is beneficial, even for the most experienced riders, to retake the MSF RiderCourse and/or Sport Bike Course when they purchase a different motorcycle. Re-taking a motorcycle course after purchasing a different bike allows the rider to become more competent with their new bike in an environment that is significantly safer than the public roads. Some riders might avoid taking a course for fear of dropping their new motorcycle; however, it is false logic that it's better to risk wrecking their motorcycle in traffic due to poor skills than it is to drop their motorcycle developing good skill in a closed course. Which mishap do you think would cause more damage? All of the above are great reasons to re-take motorcycle rider training, but some folks need further incentive to sweeten the deal. Well as they say on infomercials, "wait-wait ... there's more!"
Want to save more money? Most insurance companies will give you a discount on motorcycle insurance if the rider training completion date is within three years. If one wishes to save money on their insurance, re-taking motorcycle training is a step toward discounts.
The motorcycle courses that Joint Base Charleston Motorcycle Safety Program provides are free. MSF RiderCourse training at off-base schools can cost upwards of $200 and sport bike riding course prices run into the thousands! Also consider that if you're taking the training during duty hours, (which you should be) you're being paid to ride. I love my job, but not as much as riding my motorcycle!
Despite all these reasons, some will feel as though their riding skill is good enough because they've been riding for many years. Although, consider this ... police who ride motorcycles as part of their duties receive eight hours of training every month despite an 80-hour qualification course and riding every workday! It really makes the three-year refresher training that Air Mobility Command Supplement 1 to AFI 91-207 mandates seem trivial.
At the end of a course, I ask students if they enjoyed the training and if they felt it was beneficial to them. I've never had a graduate tell me they didn't have fun and learn something new in the course. There is plenty of other recurring training in the military, which is necessary to perform our mission effectively. Sure they're duty related; however, one can't perform their duty if injured or killed on a motorcycle. So, I hope riders will not think of motorcycle training as a bitter pill to swallow ... it's really a skittle!