Sue Emmall had watched her neighbor George almost every day riding his motorcycle. He seemed to enjoy it and was always talking about how fun riding on 2-wheels was. Almost every weekend he had his riding buddies over. She could hear them laughing and carrying on about some of the rides they'd made and some they were planning to make.

It didn't take long for Sue to begin to wonder if riding on a motorcycle was really that much fun. Her neighbor had offered to take her a few times, but she was reluctant. Her friends had warned her how dangerous it was.

Then one day, she decided, "Why not?" So she told George that the next time they went for a ride, she wanted to go. He agreed and told her to meet at his house next Saturday morning.

On schedule, the neighbor's riding partners showed up, and so did Sue. George gave her a helmet and told her to wait until he got on and got the bike started before getting on.

Departure time came and away they went. As the rode, she kept feeling something hit her bare arms but couldn't figure out what. Then she felt a burning sensation on her legs and notice to smell of burnt rubber. Sue wasn't having much fun at this point. George had to stop at a red light. Sue put her feet out to stretch just as the light turned green and the motorcycle started moving. Her movement upset the bike's balance and George did what he could to keep the bike from going down. He managed to keep it under control but not without a struggle. Now George wasn't having much fun and wished he'd never invited Sue to come along for the ride.

Finally, the ride came to an end. Sue was not a happy camper and swore never to go riding again. But Sue was in for an even bigger surprise that evening. She found herself wind- and sunburned.

Questions:
1. What are some things George could have done to make the ride more pleasant?
2. What are some of the do's and don'ts of co-riding?
3. When should George have gone over the "rules of the road" for co-riding?
4. Name the 2 things George did right.

DISCUSSION:
Now that Sue has had a bad riding experience, what might be some ways to get her re-interested in riding?

Answers to last month's questions:

1. Ira never got the motorcycle straight up, with handlebars squared before coming to a stop. Instead of looking straight ahead, he kept looking to his left and right when coming to a stop.
2. Peer
3. The motorcycle was not straight up and the handlebars squared. Yep, looks like the same answer, as #1 doesn't it?
4. Nothing.
5. If you looked at answers 1 and 3, you should have got some of the steps.
a. Look straight and well ahead.
b. Make sure motorcycle is straight up and handlebars squared (heard that one before?)
c. Roll off the throttle.
d. Squeeze the front brake lever - never grab.
e. Apply pressure to the rear brake - not too heavy though.
f. Use both brakes simultaneously.
And don't forget to check your rear view mirrors prior to starting your stopping maneuver (unless it's an emergency type stop).


Answers to the this month's questions:

1. Made sure Sue was riding proper riding gear. Explained the "rules of the road" for co-riders, told her not to move around (especially at slow speeds).
2. To keep her feet on the pegs when the bike was stopped, keep hands around waist, look over his shoulder while turning and cornering, warned her of the hot pipes and moving parts.
3. The rider should always go over the "rules of the road" before getting on the motorcycle.
4. Told Sue to get on after he was on and had the bike started and he gave her a helmet to wear.

Discussion - sorry, you don't get an answer to this one, it's a discussion (hint, hint).

Till next time – Ride Safe and Stay Visible.

Collen Campbell
Chapter M-2 Rider Educator