Spring Training

Spring has Sprung – Time for Training!
By David & Dori Dirig; CA-1F

Depending on your geography, the snow has melted, the rains have subsided, but the temperature has not started to skyrocket yet across the deserts. Spring has sprung! Let’s Ride! This is the time of year when people start motorcycling, buy that bike they’ve always wanted, and look for someone to ride with. Most chapters will see an increase in membership over the spring and summer, and Educators and Officers should recognize this for reasons of Safety and Member Retention. Without a plan to address this influx of new members, they will not stick around and add to the growth and health of your chapters.

New members come in and want to ride but may not have experience with group riding. Some of these new members may have never owned a GoldWing before, and for some, the GL1800 may be their first motorcycle ever! Safety and Training come to the forefront as these new members are introduced to your chapter and group rides. How will you address this influx of new members? Your plan and recognition of these peoples’ needs will determine the growth and safety of your chapter. This is the perfect time of year to hold Group Riding Seminars and Road Captains Courses to prepare your people. This not only will indoctrinate your new members and keep them safe, it will also encourage your experienced members to get more involved and help shepherd these new people along. Train your new people in the basics of Team/Group Riding, remind your experienced members of these basics, and encourage your veterans to step up to the challenge of leading group rides. Let’s take advantage of the tools we have available to us by getting certified in these courses and passing this important information on to our members.

With spring comes better riding weather and a corresponding increase in the new members and amount of riding. This is the time to assess your members’ abilities and skills (new members and experienced alike). Is there a need for skills enhancement? Are people rusty after the long winter? Are the BIKES rusty after the long winter? Maybe there is a need in for Maintenance seminars, emphasis on T-CLOCK, Parking Lot Practices, or referral to MSF courses. If you are like other Chapters and Districts across the Southwest, you may be seeing an increase in the number of Trike riders.

How many of those newcomers to your chapter are experienced Co-Riders? How many times have we seen co-riders who are riding “just for their riders’ sake?” They may not be enjoying the ride and may not be dressed or prepared properly as Team members while riding. Are these new members seeing themselves as co-riders or cargo? This is the ideal time for a Co-Rider Seminar to stress the importance of having an extra set of eyes on the road with your Riders. Take advantage of this resource, and train all your members accordingly.

We can talk about the various aspects of Team/Group riding from a safety standpoint, but the social aspect is another side to Team/Group Riding. The involvement of new members and prospective members in chapter activities is a social aspect of Rider Education that often goes unnoticed as a by-product and/or necessity of Team Riding. As opposed to being an individual or couple just out for a ride, they are now ‘Members of The Team’ with specific responsibilities and a role within their chapter rides. This social aspect of Team Riding fosters ownership within the Chapter, draws new members into the chapter, and keeps current members involved. Team Riding and Training are more than an issue of Safety; these activities also help with Member Retention and Recruiting!

With the new riding season come new opportunities to start or re-start your Rider Education efforts with new members and old. Whether it’s presenting material to someone who is new to riding or revisiting the key points of Team Riding with your veteran chapter leaders, Spring is the perfect time to get started. The rides are going to happen and the new people will come in during spring and summer. It’s up to the Educators and Officers to ensure that these people are exposed to Safe Motorcycling practices and guidelines.

Ride Safe and COAST (Concentrate On A Safe Trip)