| Author | Message | ||
     Bandm |
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/30/marine.motorcycle s/index.html | ||
| Miamiuly |
They need to provide free track days for the military as a start. Maybe some dirt bike training too- I am sure I would be dead if it were not for all my dirtbike riding before I hit the street. It would be nice if they could provide some places "on base" where they could play with doing wheelies and stoppies so they might be less tempted on the street. France provides such a spot fcr anyone to use in Nice. Benefits of being able to muzzle the lawyers. http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=169722248 5&channel=340485641 I am sure that there is more to it as well but those things could help. | ||
| Thesmaz |
As a military member who rides, I hate it when crap like this hits the media. It just means more briefings, more restrictions placed on us and more "stink eye" looks. I'm sure that at some point in the future military members will be banned from riding, I just hope it's after I retire in a couple of years! | ||
| Barker |
I work in military facility. It has the highest concentration of squids I have ever seen. | ||
| Thesmaz |
I should've added that one of the reasons we'll be banned from riding is because they'd rather us be killed in action, that way they can justify the cost for training us..... Most of the guys around here are pretty good riders, it's the Italians you've got to watch out for! | ||
| Scottykrein |
They're putting together a rider safety course for us, but only for those that ride "sport bikes". The other 85% of Guard members that ride their garage queens to the bar wearing flip flops do not have to attend. I tried to explain that my Uly isn't a sport bike, but they weren't buying it. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Scotty, put the bags on it, and add some leather fringe. (its all about presentation) The sport bike course is actually pretty fun, It sure beats most of the other off duty drivel they make you do when you actually arent packin and attackin | ||
| Scottykrein |
As far as I can tell, all we're going to get is a 3 or 4 hour briefing on all the no no's of being a squid. I'm going to start a campaign for some course time at a track or at least a basic instruction type thing. But I have the feeling the whole thing is just to avoid liability on their part, and we're just going through another pencil drill. Then again it's all for nothing, all the riders have been deployed, and I'm next. Maybe we can take it in country. | ||
| Azxb9r |
DMAFB has motorcycle classes, you can see them doing drills as you drive by the base. They use a section of tarmac near the Spirit of Arizonas hanger. I don't know any details on what is available, but I see them on a regular basis. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Miamiuly - at my previous command I looked into that very thing and found that the problem is lack of proper riding gear. Tracks require fairly expensive safety gear, and most riders who don't do track days on their own aren't interested in buying the gear even for a free/low cost event. | ||
| Teddagreek |
I find the findings kinda of skewed.. Compare fatalities to civilians in their own age group.. That would be interesting to see.. | ||
| Koz5150 |
While serving in the Air Force for my four year enliistment (Stationed in Alabama the whole tour 1992 - 1996) I attend funerals for four guys who died all in sportbike accidents. 3 of the incidents were due to the guys riding WAY to fast and resulted in closed casket funerals. These were the only 4 people I knew who died while I was in the service. One guy in particular always stuck in my mind because he was such a level headed individual. Unfortuantely for a brief minute or two he thought he was a better rider then he was. The report stated he was traveling close to 100 mph and tried to slow down and take a 90 degree corner in the city while a police officer was in pursuit. The bike slid onto it's side when the tires found some loose gravel in the road. He slid with the bike to the other side of the street, hit the curb, flipping him and the bike into the air. He then was thrown into a telephone pole with the bike following, crushing him from the chest up including his helmet. People walk out of basic training and feel invincible. There is plenty of testosterone when you put a bunch of guys together on a base. Throw in discretionary money and that leads to guys owning bikes they have no business riding. It is not a rider training issue, it is a self control issue. I totally understand why it is a problem and would have no problem if they were to tell all new recruits that bikes are no longer allowed. When you commit to the military they commit a significant amount of money/training into you. They have every right to protect that investment. | ||
| Hughlysses |
I work for the Navy (civilian) and we got a notice a month or so ago that new training requirements were coming out for riding on base. Sounds like they are basically going to a "tiered" system. Up until now, you had to have a motorcycle endorsement and the equivalent of the MSF beginner's ridercourse to ride on base. From what the notice said you'll now also have to complete the equivalent of the advanced riders course. There will be a separate training course required for sport bikes (I believe the memo described their definition for "sport bikes" in detail). My understanding is the base is going to provide the training. I asked and they said they don't quite know how they're going to handle enforcing the requirements on existing riders; my guess is they'll require all motorcycles to get new DoD stickers at some point forcing everyone to meet the new requirements. I'm sure it'll be a PITA, but it's probably a really good idea for everyone involved. | ||
| Miamiuly |
Pkforbest- I know when I did penguin race school many many moons ago, they had leathers they could rent at a fair price. They used Vanson. I wonder if Vanson or someone could be talked into some kind of deal to provide a leathers. It is advertising for them and I'm sure at some point the suits get sold as used. | ||
| Skinstains |
Marines have been killing themselves during peacetime for decades. You can't make enough rules to keep a knucklehead from being a knucklehead. I mean how smart can they be...they joined The Marine Corps. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
got hit on my bike when i was stationed in charleston back in 76. never had to take a course of any kind to ride on base or any other base afterwards. and i never knew one person that was killed on one back then either thankfully. i guess we were more interested in getting drunk and having a good time and speeding wasn't necessary. now that i don't drink that much i tend to speed more. i think i've been stopped more in the past 8 years for speeding than the past 20 before them since i've had my buell. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Hughlysses - You're right riders can get onto base for 3 years with just the basic MSF course card, after that you have to refresh once every 3 years with the experienced MSF course. The sport bike course is a new thing as of 2008, and only a few bases are requiring it as it just isn't available. Fleet concentration areas will be the first to have qualified instructors for the course. (jacksonville/mayport, oceana/VA beach, san diego, etc) I just took the experienced this summer though, and it's one afternoon instead of a drawn out 3 day ordeal. My instructor rode a Uly, so it wasn't too bad talking Buell during all the class breaks.  The base I'm at now, and the one I just transferred from do not require DoD stickers to get through the gate, so riders are required to show their MSF card along with ID to access the base. I'd rather keep track of another card though rather than get my bike inspected, and put a sticker on it. | ||
| Tramp |
Minute-for-minute of actual combat X actual riding time, combat has a far higher risk of both morbidity and mortality. That being said, remember that a soldier is government property, and is molded to implement functions that encourage overall combat success. Motorcycling does not fall with the latter subject. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Phillip- thanks for the info. I'd really like to take the advanced course anyway; I'm sure it'd be a good thing to have under my belt. I understand the Air Force has done away with DoD stickers completely. They figure it's a huge cost savings and they want the guards looking at PEOPLE and checking badges, not worrying about whether the vehicle has stickers or not. I'd be nice if the Navy went that way. | ||
| Tramp |
The Navy will catch up. Look how long it took 'em to disallow ossifers from wearing beards |
