Cape Town - Riding a motorcycle is an intensely physical process, far more so than driving a car. It requires a set of motor responses that must be learned at a level way deeper than that of conscious thought, the more so because they are often contrary to our instinctive response to a perceived threat.
In short, if you have to think about what to do when a car suddenly moves into your lane, it’s already too late. And a motorcycle riders licence isn’t much help either – in the same way that a matric will get you out of school but it won’t get you a job, a K53 will get you out on the road but it won’t keep you safe.
In the conventional wisdom prevailing 15 years ago, bikers were seen as being part of the problem rather than part of the solution. So when the members of Wheels Motorcycle Club decided that something had to be done about the slaughter of their members - and riders in general - on the roads, they would have to do it themselves.
Realising that the conventional wisdom of “get a licence, ride a quiet bike, stay inside the speed limit” wasn’t going to cut much ice among mainstream bikers, they sought instead to inculcate those motor responses that keep you alive when somebody else does something stupid.
They called it the Skills Campaign and, right from the start, they had more participants than they could handle, with their ‘real world’ approach to motorcycle safety.
OFFICIAL SUPPORT
Today, the annual Wheels Skills Campaign is a respected mainstream motorcycle event, with the official support of the Western Cape directorate of road safety management and the provincial traffic department, and it’s run in two legs - a ‘theory’ day of learning and practicing life-saving techniques, and a ‘practical’ day of practicing manoeuvres such as emergency lane-changes at a genuine 60km/h and stopping just a hard as you can from up to 120, at Killarney racetrack.
The first segment of the 2014 edition (yes Cyril, we know it’s a bit late, but the usual venue wasn’t available) will be held at the Parow Traffic Department in Birch Close, Beaconvale, on Sunday 11 January, while the advanced riding segment will be run on the following Saturday, 17 January, at Killarney.
While riders are welcome to attend more than once, this year convenor Fred Arendse of Wheels is focusing on riders who have never attended an advanced riding course - especially those with limited experience and who might feel intimidated at a track day.
Any rider on any roadworthy bike is welcome; contact Arendse at 082 210 2238 or arendsefred@gmailcom for more details. The cost is R150 per rider for the Skills segment and R180 per rider for the Advanced segment – or you can register for both for R300. Think of it as cheap insurance.