86th AW Safety conducts motorcycle safety rally
By Airman 1st Class Joshua Magbanua, 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
/ Published November 08, 2016
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The 86th Airlift Wing Safety conducted a motorcycle safety rally Nov. 4, 2016, at Kapaun Air Station, Germany.
The event gave the Kaiserslautern Military Community’s motorcyclists additional tools to become safer and more disciplined riders.
“The purpose was to have all our riders, young and old, come out and share and learn some new techniques with safe driving practices for motorcycles,” Senior Master Sgt. Shuntesia Dupree, 86th Airlift Wing safety office superintendent, said. “It was open to anybody: amateurs, novices– anybody. Thinking about getting a motorcycle? Come on out and see what you can do.”
In the event the riders encounter potential road hazards, the riders would need to know how to deal with them, which is why they spent time practicing breaking, maneuvering and maintaining positive control of their motorcycles, she said. The safety office teamed up with local police and RiderCoaches from the KMC to conduct the event.
RiderCoaches are certified trainers who have completed a training and safety course with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
The Polizei taught various safety maneuvers to the RiderCoaches who would then mimic the movements and train the other riders in attendance.
Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Hunt, 721st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron flightline expediter, said he enjoyed learning new methods and training regimens from their German partners.
“Their exercises out here are very challenging, and they’ve been a lot of fun to work on and to practice!” said Hunt, who also serves as president of the Green Knights Military Motorcycle Club chapter 29 president.
One of the maneuvers the RiderCoaches learned during the rally was a high-speed evasion movement, would be used in case there was a sudden obstruction in the rider’s path.
“High speed swerving is essential,” Hunt said. “There’s a number of times where you’re going down the road and there’s an animal; you have to maneuver quickly– and the breaks aren’t always the best option. Sometimes it is the better option to swerve and get around the object.”
Hunt said the safety rally was just one of the avenues expert riders use to mentor bikers concerning safety while riding.
“We volunteer through the 86th Airlift Wing safety office to teach new riders and experienced riders some of the basic lifesaving maneuvers that we use out there on the road every day,” Hunt said. “In addition to that we do group rides where we position experienced riders at the front and the back and we watch and mentor riders as we ride—just all around making us better riders.”
The cooperation displayed by both the Germans and Americans during the safety rodeo exemplifies the camaraderie which can be found in the world of biking, Dupree said. Dupree expressed her excitement in seeing the Germans and Americans work together to develop better riders in the KMC.
“I could tell just by watching them (the Americans) that they were excited to see what they (the Germans) had,” She said. “The purpose of having the Polizei come out was to build the joint relationship and trust environment.
“It builds that cohesive relationship of knowing that the motorcycle team is one big family,” Dupree continued. “They have their own culture of helping one another stay safe.”
Whether they are novices new to the motorcycle family, or veteran riders with much wear and tear underneath their tires, the 86th AW safety office wants to instill discipline into each rider in the KMC.