Most riders have their reasons to not take training after the beginner licensing course. Are they good reasons or poor excuses? Here are some that I have heard.
I don’t ride fast so I don’t need better skills.
Even if you ride slowly, the car drivers are maniacs. They will cut you off and pull in front of you regardless of your speed. According to the Hurt Report published in 1981, “The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph.” That means half of the people who crashed were going slower. Swerving and quick stops are as essential for the slow cruiser as for the fast sport biker because crashing at 14 MPH hurts too. Best to avoid the collision by being well-trained. This is a poor excuse because slow riders, as well as fast riders, need better skills to avoid the cars.
I ride in a group, so I just have to do what the guy in front of me does.
I’m sure your buddy is a great guy, but is he a good rider? Are you repeating his mistakes? If he is not trained, he’s teaching you nothing. Multiplying the number of beginners on a ride does not increase safety. If he makes a mistake, good skills can save you from the accident he caused. If the guy in front of you is a good rider, do you know what you’re looking at? Why is he smooth when you are not? Trained instructors learned to observe so they can explain. You’re right behind him trying to do the same thing but getting different results. Just because he’s safe at that speed does not mean you are skilled enough to be safe following him. Many beginners have crashed because they pushed themselves to keep up with the group. This is a poor excuse because you need an instructor to point out what the guy in front is doing wrong or how he is doing it right.
I don’t want to embarrass myself if I’m not as good as the other guys.
Only one or two riders in the class will get their egos boosted. The rest of us will get humbled. The first time on a track, everyone is surprised by the fast, smooth riders passing us. Watch them and learn. See their lines, where they brake, where they turn in, and roll on. Instructors will point out what the better riders are doing right and explain how you can improve. You won’t be as fast as they are, but you can get smoother, and speed will follow. This is a poor excuse because there will always be somebody better due to innate skill and training.
I’m afraid I might drop my bike.
Yeah, that could happen on the course just like on the street. But improving your skills on the course will reduce the chance of it happening on the street where traffic could turn your embarrassment into a crushing defeat. Accepting the risk of dropping your bike in the course will reduce the chance of a worse error on the street. This is a poor excuse because you have probably already dropped your bike on the street or in a parking lot. I dropped my R1200RT in a Virginia State Police class called “Ride 2 Save Lives” which teaches maneuvering around tight cones. I pushed myself to go a little faster on an exercise and made a mistake. I was really embarrassed picking up my bike but learned from that drop how not to use the throttle and clutch. At the end of the day, the cops timed us through their course, and I was fastest. I improved because I took a little risk and it felt good when they recognized my improvement.
I cannot afford it.
Um, you live in a state that subsidizes the cost so that many courses are free! If you take a course that is not subsidized by Pennsylvania, you can get $250 from the BMWMOA’s Paul B Foundation. This is a poor excuse because you can get the MSF ARC or Total Control’s ARC for free. If you’re riding a newer Beemer, you can afford a few hundred to learn how to not crash it.
I already know how to ride because I took the beginner course.
The BRC teaches basic skills but there is so much more to learn. Trail braking will allow you to adjust speed and line in a curve. The BRC does not teach it. Body position will reduce motorcycle lean and avoid scaping in a curve. The BRC does not teach it. Where should your elbows be for better cornering control? You did not learn that in the BRC. How can you use your knees and feet to stabilize your cornering control? BRC did not teach that either. Beginners crash more than advanced riders. Training turns beginner riders into advanced riders. Untrained riders remain beginners for their entire lives. This is a poor excuse because BRC riders do not know that there is more to learn.
It does not sound like fun.
If you worry about not doing well and looking like a newbie, you won’t have fun and you won’t learn. Relax, you’re among friends and you know enough embarrassing things about them to offset any comment they make about what you did in class. If you relax and open your mind to new ideas, learning can be fun. Don’t feel pressured to be the best, just listen to the instructor and try new things. On a training range, there are no cars or traffic jams. It’s a playground and bikers, like children, learn from play. If there is a test at the end, it’s just for fun. This is a poor excuse used by uptight people who don’t know how to have a good time.
I’m sick of excuses, let’s sign up for a class and have a fun day doing cool things with our motorcycles. See you in class.