Kiwi Rider January 2022 Vol.1 | Page 68

ROAD PRO RIDER NEWS
happens way less than it ought to . There is no doubt that there are some fine proponents of motorcycling out there , and if that was the norm , I ’ d probably have to get a real job . Fortunately , or unfortunately , depending on where you sit , most of us have a few holes in our riding , be that technique , knowledge of the rules of the road ( and have I discovered a few of them since I started down this path ...) or just the fundamental task of risk assessment , which is a much overlooked part of the equation . And when was the last time you critically analysed your riding ? My guess is , for most , never . I don ’ t mean simply making it home at day ’ s end . I mean someone watching your body language , your lines , your braking , scanning – that kind of stuff that you cannot do yourself . Sometimes someone looking critically as you ride can find a few simple tweaks that can make your ride more enjoyable , safer and it can be done in a constructive manner . That is what we try to do with the training courses on offer .
ACC AND THE MOTORCYCLING PUBLIC This has been a fairly fraught relationship at times . I am well aware of that . I have not been hiding under a rock for the last 40 years – I have been riding motorcycles . I have tried my darndest to try to make our stats look a whole lot better than they are but numbers have this habit of telling you to ‘ piss off , the maths is what it is ’. I have pored over the numbers and , to throw it out there in plain sight , we need to do better . I wish others were to blame for our failings , but , really , we can ’ t blame car drivers when we keep failing to navigate corners and stick ourselves in the fences and trees that are not actually ‘ on the road ’, but merely nearby . It is our job to think about stuff smarter . To ‘ ride safe ’ we need to ride well , and that is not as simple or straightforward as might sound .
BRONZE , SILVER ET AL ... You do not need a degree in rocket science to work out that the ACC Ride Forever courses are a graduated training system to fill in the gaps with education that were historically taught by the school of hard knocks . Not only does this expediate the process of getting more proficient on the roads , it is designed to circumnavigate the painful lessons previous generations endured as a rite of passage . Imagine if someone explained what was going to happen , how and why , before you did some of the less well thought out decisions of your riding experience . Then offered you some different approaches . This is what a bunch of us are trying to do .
NOT FOR ME There are some seriously good riders that have done the Ride Forever courses and been impressed with what they got from the training that is paid for by ACC ( yes , I know , we pay the levies ). Well-known exponents of all genres of riding , from superbikes to hard enduro . Did we teach them how to ride ? Haha – NO . But did they get something from having someone watch their ‘ roadcraft ’ or traffic nouse ? Yep , they did . There is more to staying in one piece on the roads than just bike control .
ON TRACK Here ’ s an angle you might not have thought of . Track based training for road riders . Aimed at road riders , not full-on track monkeys , this is about using a controlled environment and tuition to sharpen accuracy and skills on tarmac with no pesky distractions , like oncoming traffic , H-drains and such like . Head to our website and see if it ’ s something you think you ’ d like to do ... It might also be the perfect time and place to let that little demon breathe without risking life , limb and licence in a small group with instructors there all the way .
Kevin Kinghan Pro Rider www . prorider . co . nz NZTA CBTA Licence Assessor ACC Ride Forever Course Instructor
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