Free Motorcycle Training from Riders University
by Steve
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Riders University is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that provides people with vouchers for free motorcycle training.
All you need to do is to go to their website, click on the link that says, "Riding Scholarships", and fill out their form. Based on your application you may get a voucher for the full cost, or for a partial cost.
Riders University was started by two motorcycle riders, both of whom happen to be in the finance field, one is a CPA, the other a financial advisor. They launched Riders University to make it easier for people to get motorcycle training, and I imagine also to create a non-profit they can use to offset their tax liabilities.
But so can you. If you're a business owner, and you want to unload some cash to reduce your company's tax burden, you can donate it to Riders U; it's tax deductible.
I haven't contacted them, but their "About" page suggests they'll donate track days to you, to keep you from burning up the freeways...
To encourage motorcycle riders to "Take it to the Track" in lieu of dangerous, excessive speed street riding with a media campaign and distribution of donated track days and training.
Motorcycle training, and safety courses are indeed costly, running from $200.00 per course and upwards. Though I'm thinking anyone who can afford to buy a new motorcycle, and can spring for a basic MSF course.
Riders U might want to go to the dealers and get them to kick in a free voucher for every motorcycle purchase. That might encourage more people to take the course.
Visit Riders University online...
http://ridersu.org
Labels: MSF Course
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MSF Tests Efficacy of Repeat Safety Courses
by Steve
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Last month the Motorcycle Safety Foundation announced it was testing the effectiveness of rider safety after riders retake the same MSF course multiple times...
http://online.msf-usa.org/....x0SSTvuHdZsYvLXnK1IR6g%3d%3d
Their hope is to find out if riders can avoid more crashes if they take the same MSF course over and over again..."The MSF's rider education and training system used in this study is built upon the principle of safety training renewal," said Dean Thompson, MSF director, communications. "We believe a rider's decision-making and crash-avoidance skills can benefit from being refreshed over time. It is important for riders to regularly refresh their knowledge, skills and risk management strategies.
Let me say this first: Safe riding and crash avoidance is something a rider does while on the road, not in the classroom. Certainly MSF courses will teach the techniques. But these techniques are no good if the rider doesn't employ them.
That's why riders make mistakes. It's not because they didn't know the proper techniques, it's because they forgot to employ them. When you're on the road, there's just so much going on, you can only think about one thing at a time. And if you make a mistake, it's not because you're a bad rider, but because you're human.
There is a misconception among many new motorcycle owners that MSF courses and motorcycle endorsements are forms of "graduation" that give them credibility as riders. The fact is that even endorsed riders and even MSF instructors get involved in accidents, either by their own fault, or by someone else's. It's because someone failed to employ the techniques they learned.
I'm sure the MSF will conclude that repeated safety courses will lead to fewer motorcycle accidents. This will naturally prompt states to adopt laws requiring motorcyclists to retake MSF courses every year. It will also open the door for courthouses to order MSF training everytime a biker is ticketed with a traffic violation.
That in turn will create an even bigger misconception that the MSF course is the panacea for all of our riding mistakes.
Labels: MSF Course, Safe Riding
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