Training wheels: Beginning bikers learning safety basics through class

MALDEN -- Whether it's the gas mileage or the thrill, more and more people are taking up motorcycle riding.

"There's been quite a bit of an increase," said Lynn Sullenger, who, along with partner Rick Earnheart, is an instructor for Bootheel Motorcycle Training. "There's been a pretty good increase in motorcycle registrations across the country."

Sullenger said gas prices are probably responsible for the most recent surge but there are also a lot of baby boomers who are just now getting around to living out their dream of hitting the open road on two wheels.

"Harleys right now are one of the big things - mostly the cruiser-type bike is what most people are getting," Sullenger said. "I think a lot of people have always liked the Harley style of bikes. A lot of people at a younger age couldn't afford something like that and now they can."

New motorcycle riders are not limited to men seeking an antidote for their mid-life crisis, however.

"We're starting to see a lot more women riding bikes these days - that's a trend in the nation I think," Sullenger said. "Last year we personally trained about 42 percent women. A lot of times you'll see husbands that will take the course with their wives, also. But there are a lot of men who take the course who have never ridden as well."

Sullenger said he isn't surprised by the number of women who seek training as they take up motorcycling: "Men don't ask for help as much as women do, kind of like the 'stopping to ask for directions' thing," he said.

While about three-quarters of the students who take the course have never ridden a motorcycle before, the course is for "anybody that's never taken a course before - not just beginners," according to Sullenger. "You learn to ride the right way, the proper way. There's so many things in life that you can do and you think you know what you're doing, but you don't really."

"People need to learn to ride motorcycles correctly and about things to watch for on the road," Earnheart said. "People need to realize there's not nearly as much protection riding a motorcycle as when driving an automobile. If you learn to ride one correctly and do ride one correctly, motorcycles are as safe as the operator is."

Even among experienced motorcycle riders, "I'd say 75 percent of us have some habits that are bad at least, and that's probably conservative," Sullenger said.

"I've been riding motorcycles since I was a kid," he said, and, like most experienced riders, never took a course. "I didn't think I needed to. Most people who have been riding for a while don't think they need a course."

As part of the instructor certification process, Sullenger was required to go through the course he now teaches.

"I found out then that I had needed a course all along," he said. "I had a lot of bad habits I didn't know about."

MSF has done a lot of research on motorcycle accidents, according to Sullenger, so the course could be tailored to address problem areas.

Curves are involved in many single-vehicle motorcycle crashes, for example.

"We teach you the proper way to make the corner, to steer a motorcycle in a curve," Sullenger said. "A lot of people don't really know how to turn a motorcycle - they think you just lean to turn."

Quick stops and swerving are also focused on during the course.

"A lot of times people who have been riding for awhile are afraid of the front brake," Sullenger said.

Students are taught how to use the front brake safely and with confidence - and what to watch out for.

"You're usually not going to flip a motorcycle by applying the front brake, but you may skid the front tire which is a bad thing to do," Sullenger said. "Usually you don't skid it very far before you go down. One of the things we teach is that if you skid the front wheel, release the brake and then immediately reapply."

Swerves are also practiced as this can help riders avoid accidents when unexpected obstacles pop up.

The 15-hour beginner course, which consists of five hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of riding, takes about two days to complete and costs $200 but streamlines the process of getting a motorcycle driver's license.

"You don't have to take the riding portion of the state test with the successful completion of our course," Sullenger said.

As MSF regulates the size of the motorcycle that can be used during the basic course training, Bootheel Motorcycle Training provides motorcycles for the course.

"They were donated from local dealers and from the MMSP," Sullenger said. "Most of ours are 250cc. This is mostly because of beginners - they don't want one very big or powerful for a beginner. The 250s make a very nice training bike - people are not afraid of the bike so they are a little more comfortable with them."

Students are allowed to use their own bike on the basic course if it meets the requirements, "but I would suggest using ours - that way if something were to happen, it would be our bike," Sullenger said.

BMT also has an experienced course which covers much of the same material, but riders use their own motorcycles.

Sullenger recommend even those who have ridden for many years should take the basic course first.

The minimum age for the course is 15 and a half. "At that age, if they take the written test they can get a riding permit," Sullenger said.

Most students tend to be between 30-50 years of age. "Our oldest student was 75 last year," Sullenger said. "About the only prerequisite is knowing how to ride a bicycle. Anybody with normal coordination should be able to do it."