Motorcyle Safety Day rolls into Wright-Patt May 10

  • Published
  • By John Harrington
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Motorcycle riders from the Wright-Patterson area are invited to Motorcycle Safety Day 2019 scheduled for Friday, May 10, 2019 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Base Theater and Commissary/Exchange parking lot.

Motorcycle Safety Day meets the annual pre-season briefing requirement for military riders with civilian riders highly encouraged to attend. Military riders who attend the briefings and participate in the group ride will satisfy their five-year motorcycle refresher training requirement. The 88th Air Base Wing Commander has designated this event as an alternate duty location.

The base-wide event will include briefings, instruction, skill-tests and an optional 50.5-mile group ride.

Lt. Col. James Fee and Chaplain (Maj.) Matthew Clouse are scheduled to be keynote speakers, sharing their extensive motorcycle experiences with riders.

Fee began riding at the age of 10 and has ridden everything from ATVs and dirt bikes to sport bikes and cruisers. Fee is currently a section commander at the Air Force Institute of Technology here as well as a Motorcycle Ohio-licensed instructor. Fee plans on discussing training opportunities in Ohio for riders and recent changes in Ohio licensing.

“I think any individual who is serious about enjoying a safe ride should come hear the latest information and enjoy a day with co-workers talking about and enjoying a safe motorcycle ride,” Fee said.

Clouse has been riding almost anything with two wheels for nearly three decades and hopes to dual-sport the 5,000-mile Trans America Trail, and possibly the 3,000-mile Continental Divide, in the future. Clouse is currently a chaplain with the 88th Air Base Wing. Clouse will share some dos and don’ts based on his own personal riding experiences.

“For those that are worried Chap is going to preach at me, don’t be worried -- I preach on Sunday, not at this event,” Clouse said.

This year’s training will again include a briefing from Dr. Ray Ochs, Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s vice president of training systems and lead developer of the MSF Basic RiderCourse ℠, which has been required skills training for all military riders for more than 20 years. There will also be discussions on motorcycle maintenance; urban riding; highway and interstate riding technique; and the dynamics of stopping, as well as an annual safety briefing.

Besides lectures, riders will receive a wealth of practical skills training to improve their situational awareness and safety.

Riders can receive training on personal protective equipment as well as a system of checks to ensure their motorcycles are safe to operate. The inspection, called T-CLOCS, stands for tires and wheels; controls; lights and electrics; oil and other fluids; chassis and stands. Safety experts recommend performing the inspection before every ride and rider coaches from the Wright Wriders and Green Knights will be available to walk attendees through the process.      

There will also be a blind spot practical demonstration as well as a slow-ride competition where riders will vie for taking the longest time to go from point a to point b – the gyroscopic force of spinning wheels at speed helps motorcycles stay upright, going slow is a challenge. The top three slow riders will receive gift cards from area vendors. And no, trikes aren’t allowed to compete. 

There will also be plenty of fun at the event with multiple food trucks and nearly a dozen local vendors available from 10 a.m. on through the conclusion of the event.