Motorcycle safety in numbers

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cortney Paxton
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  The 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron held a mentorship motorcycle ride Aug. 30 to promote safe riding habits to many of the squadron's frequent motorcycle riders.

"[The group ride idea] came up after having a motorcycle mentorship meeting with our [squadron's] riders in which some suggested we have a ride to share our safety pointers and techniques with each other," said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Doe, 341st LRS general purpose mechanic and seasoned motorcycle rider. "[It was] to bring the LRS riders together to share riding experience and knowledge, and promote riding safety especially for hazards in Montana."

Prior to departing Malmstrom Air Force Base for their 127.4-mile round-trip journey to Wolf Creek, a safety check was made to ensure each rider had all proper personal protective equipment to include a helmet, full-fingered gloves, long pants, a brightly colored long-sleeve shirt, over-the-ankle boots and eye protection.

The group then had a rider's safety briefing from the 341st LRS commander, Maj. Eric Gillespie, who stressed the importance of looking out for each other.

An explanation of hand signals as well as a few words of caution was given by Master Sgt. Willard Yarbro, 341st LRS production manager and past motorcycle instructor, Doe and Capt. Aaron Hepler, 341st LRS member, before the members suited up and headed out. Yarbro and Doe acted as the leaders of the group as Hepler stayed behind the riders as the 'anchor.'

"The ride was geared toward learning from other riders, seeing other riding styles, and having younger riders learning from more seasoned riders," Hepler said. "Each ride is different so all riders learn something new each time they ride."

Yarbro and other seasoned riders looked out for, and evaluated, the riders' decision making and bike handling. The group stopped a few times throughout the duration of the ride to and from Wolf Creek to discuss what was observed during parts of the ride in order to provide critical mentorship. According to Hepler, these topics included:

· Entering the outside of a turn. This allows the rider to see further into the turn if it is a blind turn. Additionally, it's proven that they can turn tighter to miss objects as opposed to coming out of the turn if they are on the inside of it.
· Slowing down to enter turns and slowly accelerating out of them. This stabilizes the suspension and the bike itself.
· Looking through the turn (i.e. turn head in new direction) for better balance and response time.
· When forced to cross an object in the road (railroad tracks, fallen 2-by-4, etc), the rider should attempt to cross it as straight on as possible, blip the throttle and release it after the rear wheel crosses.
· Discussing why, even though jeans meet Air Force requirements, riding pants are superior. They are superior because of padding, they permit legs to breathe better, protects legs from engine heat and--should there be an accident--will protect the rider longer than jeans will.
· Different helmets and briefly discussed their benefits.
· The proper way to pick up a bike to prevent back injury should it fall over.
· Why it's important to ride at a speed where the rider feels comfortable, safe and in control. During the highway portion, some folks rode a bit slower than the speed limit while others rode 10 to 15 mph under the speed limit -- staying within the limits of their abilities and their bikes - to ensure everyone maintained control.

"This is not just a program for our military folks but for our civilian employees also," Doe said. "It helped build camaraderie amongst all LRS employees and promoted safe riding skills to LRS members"

"I wanted to authorize a mentorship ride for two reasons," Hepler added. "First, I care about my people and that translates to ensuring their safety. Besides the required rider's courses, what better way for our motorcycle riders to learn than from each other's experiences? Secondly, morale; it's one of the small ways I can say thank you for their service and their contribution to Malmstrom's mission."

The mentorship ride is a new, and more personal, way for riders to become acquainted with the roads of Montana as well as their abilities on a motorcycle. The 341st LRS plans to have another ride on Sept. 21 and all LRS motorcycle riders, seasoned or not, are welcome to participate.

For more information on the ride, contact Yarbro at 731-4135 or Doe at 731-6545.