Born To Ride News

Staff Addresses New CORE Curriculum, the Success – and Complexity – of Delivering RETS, RiderCoach Certification, Operator Licensing, QA and More

IRVINE, Calif., August 26, 2010 – As part of its mission – To make motorcycling safer, and more enjoyable, by ensuring access to lifelong quality education and training for current and prospective riders and by advocating a safer riding environment – the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) champions safety efforts by sharing its institutional knowledge and the subject-matter expertise of its highly-credentialed staff at regional events, and at national and international motorcycle safety conferences.

One such event is the annual conference for the National Association of State Motorcycle Safety Administrators (SMSA), held in Columbus, Ohio, August 20-22, 2010. MSF’s leadership role in the motorcycle safety community was underscored by key MSF staffers leading breakout sessions, meeting with stakeholders and being available to provide assistance and answer attendees’ questions on technical or training matters.

Also in conjunction with the event, the MSF hosted a MSF state coordinator appreciation dinner, debuted an all-new, 36-page annual edition of Safe Cycling, complete with updated MSF history and milestones, and conducted a RiderCoach Trainer (RCT) Conference for over 140 RCTs the Monday following the conference.

In addition, conference attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the challenges and complexity of successfully delivering the comprehensive Rider Education and Training System, the cornerstone of which is the MSF Basic RiderCourse, to a vast network that served over 400,000 riders in 2009 alone. MSF staffed a display that offered a behind-the-scenes, detailed look at the day-to-day functionality and dimension of the RETS delivery infrastructure; a system that took the MSF many years of research, planning, collaboration and millions of dollars to develop, and one with numerous built-in capabilities for continuous-loop feedback and improvement.

“We believe that developing good riding character – how a rider behaves when he or she is on their own, away from the watchful guidance of a RiderCoach or observations by law – is an ultimate goal. The MSF provides training and support to develop riders who make good real world decisions: to ride within the traffic laws, within their own personal limits, unimpaired, focused on the tasks of riding, mindful to refresh their skills and attentive to making wise risk management decisions. The SMSA Conference, workshops and breakout sessions allow us the opportunity to share this vision,” said MSF President Tim Buche.

Topics addressed in the breakout sessions and workshops included:

·        Herding Cats II: Taking Theory Into Practice – Al Hydeman
Principles of group dynamics specifically as it relates to the BRC classroom. 

·        Implementing the Rider Skills Test (RST) in Your State – Jim Heideman
Content of the new licensing exam offered by MSF and a review of the training and materials.

·        QA Team Training – Sherry Williams, Chris Connelly, David Crouch and Keith Sopp
A review of the proven, tested and reliable Quality Assurance specialist training that has been implemented by several state programs. 

·        RiderCoach Certification/Re-Certification: Current Issues and Future Actions – Ray Ochs
A description of the new certification requirements MSF is proposing to ensure quality across all MSF curricula (e.g. 3WBRC, SBRC, RRC, IEM, SMARTrainer, ARC, SRC). 

MSF staff in attendance included Tim Buche, Chris Connelly (NY), Randy Cooper (GA campus), David Crouch, Charlie Fernandez, Robert Gladden, Dr. Jim Heideman, Al Hydeman, Dr. Ray Ochs, Cathy Rimm, David Smith (NM), Madeline Smith,  Dave Surgenor (PA), Jayson White (OH campus), Dan Williams (WV), Dr. Sherry Williams and Briana Wombacher.       

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation promotes rider safety through rider training systems, operator licensing tests and public information programs. The MSF works with the federal government, state agencies, the military, and others to offer training for all skill levels so riders can enjoy a lifetime of safe, responsible motorcycling. Standards established by the MSF have been internationally recognized since 1973.

The MSF is a not-for-profit organization sponsored by BMW, BRP, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Piaggio, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory and Yamaha.  For RiderCourse^SM locations, call (800) 446-9227 or visit http://www.msf-usa.org/.

James Stewart Has Officially Withdrawn From AMA Motocross Competition

Bart Madson

Injured for seven months, James Stewart will stay out of action after a brief return at Unadilla, the Yamaha star sitting out the rest of the 2010 AMA Motocross season.

James Stewart has officially withdrawn from AMA Motocross competition, the San Manuel Yamaha rider not returning to racing action until the 2011 Supercross season. A team press release cites slow recovery of Stewart’s broken wrist, which terminated his previous Supercross campaign and the Motocross season thus far, as the determining factor in the decision.

Stewart made a much-heralded return to Motocross last round at Unadilla. The former champ logged a third-place result in the first moto, tussling over second with FIM MX wild card Clemente Desalle. Stewart was unable to finish the second moto, however, pulling off the track after four laps. An official statement from Team San Manuel Yamaha announcing his permanent exit from the 2010 season explained the Unadilla Moto 2 DNF as “lack of physical preparation and challenges with the bike set up forced him off the track in Moto 2.”

In the statement, Stewart goes on to issue a formal apology to fans and sponsors: “I hope my fans will understand. I have said before that I wanted to be on the track starting in Sacramento. But the slow healing nature of my wrist injury made it impossible to do that. Watching race after race and not being a part of the series was very hard. All along my motivation was to get back to racing and return to the Motocross National Series for my fans and sponsors. The reality is, though my wrist is feeling great, I’m not ready to race at this level. As much as I’d like to be out there, I need more time to prepare so that I don’t put my entire career at risk by getting injured again. A younger James might not have been mature enough to make this decision, but I’ve learned a lot in recent years and sometimes you have to do what’s right, despite what’s in your heart. I’d like to apologize to my fans, the Outdoor National series and my sponsors. You’ve been incredibly supportive of me throughout these recent months. I am sorry if what I’ve said or done has disappointed anyone in any way, but I’ll be back on the track at Anaheim 1 and ready to race. I plan to work hard over the next few months and do what I know I need to do to prepare for a chance at the next Supercross Championship title”

Team San Manuel Yamaha Team Manager Larry Brooks goes on to say: “We had every intention of racing Southwick and beyond, but sometimes you have to see the bigger picture and make a decision based on what’s right, not on what you’d like to do at the time. We’re a Team and we have to do what we feel is best to ensure we have every opportunity to win the next Championship.”

Passed over for the Motocross of Nations squad, Stewart is now gone for the remaining Motocross Nationals.Stewart made headlines after Unadilla when he criticized his being passed over for the 2010 Motocross of Nations squad.

In earlier statement from Team San Manuel Yamaha regarding the MXoN snub (Stewart Feels ‘Lied to’ Over MXoN Decision), Stewart went so far as to say “I feel like I was straight-up lied to.” The statement also made clear that a factor in Stewart’s return for the final four motos of the 2010 season was his chances of making the MXoN team.

“But the other main reason I chose to come back for the last four, beginning with Unadilla, was because of a discussion I had with the decision makers for Team USA in Colorado this year regarding the Red Bull Motocross of Nations. At the time, I was told that if I was to make my recovery, begin testing, and get back to racing by Unadilla, that I would be given a spot (or at least a shot at a spot) for the final team. Being on the MXoN team in the past has been one of the greatest experiences of my entire career, so after they told me I had a shot, my team and I were excited, and began to get ready to race outdoors!”

With Stewart’s withdrawal from the remaining MX rounds and his absence from the MXoN, J Stew fans will have to wait until the January 8th opener at Anaheim 1 to see Number 7 back in action.

Retrieved August 26, 2010; from http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/751/7797/Motorcycle-Article/Stewart-Withdraws-from-MX–Issues-Apologies.aspx