Get Riding Right! Personal Motorcycle Instruction.

The philosophy of "Riding Right" is simple.  Riding a motorcycle is supposed to be fun, and a large part of having fun involves riding safely.  My intentions for Get Riding Right! are to help all riders, at all levels, do just that.  Yes, scooters too.  If I can help folks keep a positive attitude, and master the basic skills, they are on their way to a wonderful relationship with their motorcycle.

My instruction promotes the riding skills and a defensive mindset that instills confidence in handling your machine, and interacting with others on the road. 


Could you benefit?  If you ride, the answer is Yes!
It is a well documented fact that periodic refresher training is critical to keeping  your skills sharp. This is why pilots, law enforcement, and first responders, among others, are required to take periodic refresher training, which involves going back to basics. So no matter your level of experience the lessons are more or less the same.

The goal is to improve your motorcycling skills by reinforcing proper technique, which corrects those potentially harmful bad habits that may creep into your riding style. It also gives you exposure to the evasive, “bacon-saving” maneuvers that most of us don't use on a regular basis. These evasive moves are the most important, but sadly the most lacking skills among riders.

I am a Believer...it works
We all start learning the basic skills; we can make it go, we can make it stop, we can keep it on the road.  For fifteen years I was in the old school of trail and error.  I survived those years without really understanding why a motorcycle behaves the way it does. It bothered me enough that I got some training, and inevitably became an instructor.

Every aspect of my riding has continued to improve, simply because I came to understand the physics of riding on two wheels. What has worked for me can also work for you. 

None of this is difficult to learn; it just takes exposure to it, and some practice.  The joy of motorcycling is balanced by its inherent risk.  Mitigating those risk with periodic refresher training is the best way to increase your riding safety, confidence and enjoyment.

One day circumstances may challenge you, and if your skills are sharp your chances of avoiding trouble and remaining intact are much greater.  This means in a critical situation, your reactions are calm, correct, and automatic. 

That's what I call “Riding Right”.

So what typically goes wrong
The main reason people get into trouble riding motorcycles is,

 they are simply not paying attention to what they are doing.

Afterwards they will typically say things like:

"There was nothing I could do. That car just pulled out in front of me."
This is the most common car vs. motorcycle crash scenario. People who get caught in this trap were not looking, or thinking far enough ahead.  On a bike at speed you have to be looking and thinking several seconds ahead of where you are in the present.  There is always something you can do, if you look and think ahead, giving yourself time and space to maneuver.

Even if you have a lapse and are blindsided, the trick is to stay calm and evade.  Panic is the real enemy within, and refresher training suppresses panic. So when you have to go into evasive mode, your training kicks in. You know just what to do, calmly executing evasive maneuvers successfully.

"My bike would not turn, so I went off the road."
This is the most common single vehicle motorcycle crash scenario. There was nothing wrong with the bike.  They were not looking where they wanted to go. The first rule is, You Go Where You Look.  So focusing your attention too long at a potential hazard will only draw you closer to that hazard.  In this case, if a curve is tighter than you thought, keep your focus on the road, looking to the exit of the curve, stay off the brakes and you will make it through that curve safely, and now wiser.
 
 "I just don't know what happened. The bike just slammed me down."
This is the most common Oops.  It can happen while almost stopped, or at road speed.  Best practice is the have the handle bars level for stopping.  Yes, you can apply the brakes while leaning; lightly to start, then with more pressure as you bring the bike upright.  If you have to brake hard in a curve; straighten the bike first, then perform the maximum braking technique.

Some "Did you knows?"...
- Riders over 40 are now having more accidents than riders under 25.
- Over 50% of motorcycle crashes involve riders who have less than one year of experience.
- The first four months of riding a new bike are the most perilous, regardless of your previous riding experience.
- How much safer and enjoyable riding can be with some proper training.

A small investment in yourself that pays a large reward
From the novice rider who doesn't quite feel they are really enjoying their new motorcycling experience, to the seasoned rider who feels there is always room for improvement, I can help. You can ride your bike in your neighborhood, and learn at your own pace, one-on-one with the instructor. In a personal one hour session, you can learn just what you need to Get Riding Right!

North Carolina Motorcycle Safety Facts   source NCDMV

Motorcycles represent about 2 percent of all registered vehicles in North Carolina, but account for about 10 percent of all fatalities on our roads.

As of September 1, 2007, 63 percent of all crashes involving motorcycles were single vehicle crashes (motorcycle only).

Of those crashes involving other vehicles, over half (53 percent) were the fault of the motorcyclist.

Of those crashed where the motorcyclist was at fault, 81 percent occurred when the rider crossed the centerline either while passing another vehicle or while negotiating a curve.

Of those crashes where the other vehicle was at fault, 57 percent were failure to yield the right of way at an intersection and 43 percent were turning left across the motorcyclist path of travel.

The majority (82.7 percent) of fatal motorcyle crashes were the motorcyclist fault.