Tips To Check To See If You Should Ride
01. May, 2009 
1 Comment
So you’ve been dreaming about seeing America from the seat of a motorcycle ever since Wyatt and Billy rolled onto the big screen some 40 years ago. Well, maybe you should think this over. I’m sorry to say this but not everyone is capable of riding a motorcycle. Spring marks the traditional start of the riding season and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is using Motorcycle Awareness Month 2009 to encourage potential motorcyclists to take steps to ensure motorcycling is right for them before committing to becoming a rider, via the release of the latest MSF Quick Tips sheet, “Should You Ride A Motorcycle?”
Motorcycling is a unique experience and a complex task. Just as MSF provides a variety of tools to enhance the safety of anyone who becomes a motorcyclist – such as hands-on training, videos, books and other publications – MSF introduces this new tool, the eighth in a series of “Quick Tips” documents, to help potential riders gauge their physical skills and capabilities, judgment, and risk-management attitudes before deciding to purchase and operate a motorcycle. MSF also urges potential riders to enroll in a Basic RiderCourse as a best “first ride” to determine if motorcycling is right for them.
MSF believes that motorcycling isn’t for everyone. For some potential riders, the best way to be safe on a motorcycle is to remain a passenger and not “graduate” to operator status.
“Should You Ride A Motorcycle?” joins seven other Quick Tips sheets currently available in the Library section of the Foundation’s website, www.msf-usa.org, covering a wide variety of motorcycle-related subjects:
- “Should You Ride A Motorcycle?”
- “If You Ride A Motorcycle”
- “T-CLOCS” Pre-Ride Inspection Checklist
- “Ten Things All Car & Truck Drivers Should Know About Motorcycles”
- “Riding With A Passenger”
- “Group Riding”
- “Alcohol Awareness”
- “Preventing Motorcycle Theft”
All of MSF’s Quick Tips sheets (PDF format) can be downloaded for free, and can be copied and distributed without limitation by anyone who wishes to disseminate the messages. The “Should You Ride A Motorcycle?” PDF is also available at the following link: <http://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/Quick-Tips-Should-You-Ride-A-Motorcycle-2009.pdf
Since 1973, the MSF has set internationally recognized standards that promote the safety of motorcyclists with rider education courses, operator licensing tests, and public informati
excellent write up. Many people don’t “get it” when it comes to if they are completely suited to operate a motorcycle. Most of us have seen these poor souls as they find themselves in ditches, or their bikes sliding under barbed wire fences…and those are the lucky ones…there’s much worse out there everyday.
I hope MSF does more to encourage prospective riders to view/read and heed these acorns of sound advice!