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Ride of their lives
A riding program is teaching Defence members about bike safety, reports
Cpl Corinne Boer.
Edition 1173, August 23, 2007 |
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Making a splash: Cfn Jade Dunstan sprays water on the track during the braking session of the Defence Top Rider Program.
Photo by Gnr Shannon Joyce |
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HIGH-pitched screeches echoed through Hidden Valley in Darwin as Army motorcycle enthusiasts accelerated down the straight as part of the Defence Top Rider Program.
The program is a safety course for Defence members with a motorcycle licence to learn the basics of maintenance and handling.
Donning a leather jacket, jeans and a black shiny helmet, Cfn Jade Dunstan pointed proudly to her Honda Hornet 900, which she has owned for seven months.
A passion for motorcycles is in her blood – and it wasn’t passed through the male genes in the family. Cfn Dunstan said her mother rode motorcycles while she was pregnant.
“I have been around bikes since I was a little kid and I’ve had my licence since I was 17. When other girls bought shoes and make-up, I bought motorcycle boots,” she said.
Cfn Dunstan was a little nervous about the braking component of the course, which involved stopping suddenly from speeds of up to 100km/h on wet and dry roads.
“I did a lot better in the braking than I expected. I locked up the back brakes a couple of times but the instructor corrected me and the next time I went through I applied the techniques and I felt a lot more confident afterwards,” she said.
The program consists of two courses. The first course has a maintenance phase which teaches basics such as tyre pressures and oil checks. It also teaches students how to locate and check wheel bearings, and do chain tension and suspension adjustments.
The second course goes through control and braking skills and teaches better use of the clutch and the gear box. The students also learn how to take evasive action.
Chief of Staff 1 Bde Lt-Col Andrew Forbes, a biking enthusiast, cruised down on his purring Harley Davidson to check on the students’ progress.
He helped arrange the recent course for the students and said it was important for Defence members who rode a motorcycle to do the course.
“The reason we run the training is purely to reduce the accident rate.
If you are in the Army and you ride a motorcycle you are four times more likely to kill yourself on a bike than a member of the civilian community, so obviously there is a need there for training and education,” he said.
“This is the second series of courses we have run for people based in Darwin. Fifty have completed the course already and another 50 will have completed the training at the end of this session.”
Capt Luke Parnell, a student on the course, said he discovered some flaws in his bike after he completed the maintenance course.
“When the instructors inspected the chain it looked like it was wrecked. I cleaned and re-oiled it and it’s looking much better,” he said.
“I hope people continue to do this course. Students get to do emergency braking from high speeds and have someone critique them so it’s worthwhile. The instructors have been very helpful and it has changed the way I ride my bike.”
Defence members are entitled to participate in one course each year free if they have their own motorcycle and a motorcycle licence. The courses are run through Top Rider. For more information visit the websitehttp://ohsc.defence.gov.au/Programs/MotorcycleSafety/default.htm |
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