MSF

Rider Tuneup For those of us in the PNW, we get excited as the temperatures rise, the rain lets up and the sun graces us with her presence more often…that means perfect riding weather. At the first sight of sun in the forecast, we eagerly tune, wash and pull our warmer gear out (I mean that relatively speaking of course) and head for the road. Only problem is that after a long hiatus, we aren’t fully “tuned” ourselves and we need to treat ourselves like our bikes. Even if you’ve been riding through the winter months, chances are you’ve been more hesitant due to the inclement weather while being lazy about your skills, since traction can be tricky on rain soaked or icy roads. I am a huge advocate of continuing education or refresher courses, whether it be advanced courses or specialized ones offered by track schools, it all helps you become a better and safer rider. Riding style is important too, if you ride in groups you must understand a group dynamic and that every decision you make impacts the riders around you, so join a group start in the back and work your way up as your confidence and skills grow. If you ride on the track, take a course from the track day company to just retune your mind and give you some new tools to put in your toolbox should you require them. This is just like anything else, the more you put in the more you get out and being informed is invaluable.

KNOWLEDGE = EMPOWERMENT = CONFIDENCE = FUN, FUN, FUN!

Did you know that the highest number of at-fault crashes resulting in death and injuries involved males between the ages of 41-50? And out of that 75% of motorcycle crashed involve experienced riders? You would’ve assumed that the highest at risk would be younger riders being hooligans right? Nope, sorry guys. The “experienced” rider who hasn’t been in an accident for a decade or so thinks it is because of his years of experience, yet he could be just lucky or better…rides to his ability (which might be limited). However, would this individual who is “experienced” be able to foresee or avoid an incident should one arise? We can become complacent or even just arrogant that we don’t need any more training, we know all we need to know right? Everyone thinks they are better riders than they truly are, it is human nature to believe that, but that belief is not going to help you when you encounter a situation you aren’t equipped to deal with. That is why it is important to take a course to challenge your abilities and if you are lucky to get a few/several choice tidbits that will help you navigate the urban jungle and backroads. There are continuing MSF courses offered by various safety schools for those who can ride or haven’t ridden in a while, as well as courses on cornering, street riding courses and advanced rider courses.

You can expand your knowledge to ride within your limits (which will increase with your experience), proper positioning in traffic to be seen and give you the out should you need to use it, read road conditions to help you make the right decision, choose proper gear and even be able to anticipate dangers before they occur. I often hear people say they ride like they are invisible and while that is good it is better to ride more knowledgable because are you truly invisible when they hit you? Sorry that is my sarcasm taking over. Being able to really see dangers far ahead is a skill and one that can and should be practiced on a daily basis. Rider training is where it all starts and continues. Did you know one of the leading causes of multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes is other vehicle drivers’ failure to see or yield to motorcyclists? With technology creeping into our cars in the fashion of smartphones people are surfing the web, texting, Facebooking, Tweeting, etc all while driving with little to no concern about us so it is us to be proactive. Check out the Motorcycle Safety Foundation site and locally there are several schools that offer rider courses including: Evergreen Safety Council, Washington Motorcycle Safety Foundation and Puget Sound Safety. If you are looking at doing track days, check with your dealer or 2 Fast Motorcycle Training and Optimum Performance Rider Training both offer performance training schools.

This is a sport we choose and love to do, let’s not let distracted individuals control our ability to truly enjoy doing it. Keep your mind sharp, as sharp as you keep your bike! I’ve been told by many instructors that gals are the ones that get the most out of rider training since they really listen and ask questions. So let’s really hone our skills and show those boys how it’s done. Vixens Ride!

Carol Carpenter

I started MotoVixens as a tool to empower women riders. While starting my company, I discovered many women riders knew very little about their motorcycles (including how to inspect their bikes before a ride) and how to make their motorcycles run optimally for them. As women, we need to make sure our motorcycles are setup to function properly under our weight and height (for those of us that are height challenged this is even more crucial). Please see our video with Brian Trudeau of FS2 under our blog posts.

There are also very few options for continuing education after the Motorcycle Safety Class where you receive an endorsement to operate a motorcycle. You can’t attend an intermediate class quite yet, since chances are you aren’t quite seasoned enough to be confident in that class, so now what? Private lessons are available, check with your instructors or contact different schools in your area and find out if they offer any. Ask other riders, they are incredibly friendly and will give you recommendations. Truly though, it is about practice, seat time and real life situations. I rode with others when I first started out on the street, having that added security helped me feel more comfortable while I was starting out. It is hard to transition from a parking lot to the street then to the freeway, there is so much to look out for and it requires your full attention. Don’t be hard on yourself, learn, ask questions, get educated (read, join a riding group or attend a riding school) like I did with California Superbike School (see blog).

In Seattle, WMST, has an On-Street course that takes students out on the road under the watchful eye of instructors. Each student is wired into a Bluetooth unit that they can hear their instructor with as they take you on the challenges of the road you will face every day, so check them out at www.gowmst.com and see all this school has to offer. WMST also offers women only classes so you not only learn, you can let your guard down and really have fun. Another option is also track days. Track days can be nerve racking, but we are currently working with track schools to put on “women’s only” days so that women can rule the track for a day without worrying about being cut off by men zipping around the track. This gives you even more opportunity to hone your skills or ask for help with lines, breaking and cornering speed.

I am the Ambassador for Women’s events for Ducati Bellevue (Bellevue, WA) and am working to offer day rides (in the spring and summer), maintenance events, track days and seminars with a hope someday Ducati will implement this program through their dealerships nationwide. Ducati Bellevue is one of the first to implement a program like this and I am honored to be a part of the Ducati family and their desire to educate women riders.

My wish is to help women not only learn the basics of their bikes (like how to change their air filter or oil filter) or what your checklist should be before going out for a ride, but to love riding so much that they want to know everything about it. We should educate ourselves so we can know our bikes inside and out, but at best knowing the basics is essential. Having that knowledge makes the ride more pleasurable and allows us to concentrate on the task at hand, enjoying our bikes, friends and the beautiful scenery. I am looking forward to many years of sharing my passion and helping women RIDE CHIC (Confident, Hard and In Control). See you all out there on the road.

Vixens Ride!

Carol T. Carpenter