Staying shiny side up on Darwin’s roads

Hot rod: Cpl Mick Healy, 8/12 Med Regt. Photos by Cpl Crissy Williams

Bike bandits: Darwin-based ADF motorbike riders after the course.

By Cpl Simone Liebelt

MOTORCYCLE enthusiasts from Robertson and Larrakeyah Barracks got to hit Hidden Valley racetrack in a tropical rainstorm recently while learning to ride safely.

It was one of the highlights of an ADF Motorcycle Association (ADFMA) and Occupational Health, Safety and Compensation (OHSC)-sponsored riding safety course held in Darwin, according to organiser Sgt Keith Davis, from RAAF Base Tindal.

“The skies opened up, giving everyone the opportunity to ride in monsoonal-type rain, at times you could barely see the edge of the racetrack, which was very, very interesting!” Sgt Davis said.

“Rain aside, everyone was blown away about riding on a safe track to learn both their mental limits and that of their bikes, without going too far.”

With nearly 20 years riding experience, Sgt Davis said he initiated the course to help ADFMA promote motorcycle safety to ADF members posted up north.

“The main reason I had the course conducted was because a lot of guys move up here and bring or buy high-powered sports bikes, then go flat out in the open speed limit zones; hopefully this training will help keep them shiny side up and alive.”

The two one-day Skills Plus courses were run by the NT Motor Vehicle Registry’s Motorcycle Education Training and Licensing program, with excellent tuition covering theory and practice in basic to advanced road craft techniques, including high-speed braking and cornering.

“We had riders from all three Services and all rank levels, with experience levels ranging from five months to 20-plus years, so the course covered all skill and experience levels,” he said.

“I’ve been in a couple of sticky situations before and by using learnt techniques like progressive-braking or weight-shift-cornering, I have been able to prevent incidents from occurring. So these courses really do teach you things you might not have know otherwise.

“Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, and hopefully it will become a regular event up here now.”

For more information on ADFMA, visit: http://intranet.defence.gov.au/armyweb/sites/adfma/ or http://www.adfma.asn.au/

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