Sport bike accidents on rise; McConnell offers AMC course

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Christopher Wuerthner
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  The combination of sport bikes and servicemembers is killing Airmen.

So far in 2009, 17 Airmen died in accidents involving two-wheeled vehicles. Eighty-two percent of those Airmen were riding sport bikes, a type of motorcycle know for its speed and eye-catching design.

The reason the combination is deadly comes down to one word: inexperience.

"The biggest problem we are having right now is people who are untrained," said Tech Sgt. Brian Evans, chief instructor of the sport bike safety course. Sergeant Evans, from Travis Air Force Base, Cala., travels to Air Mobility Command bases and certifies instructors to teach sports bike courses at their local wings.

The Air Force has provided motorcycle safety training to Airmen for a while, but the high percentage of accidents involving sports bikes prompted AMC to create a sports bike safety course in 2007.

One area instructors focus on during the course is the differences between cruisers and sport bikes.

"Riding a cruiser is like sitting on your couch," said Sergeant Evans. "You can't just jump from a cruiser straight up to a sport bike and feel comfortable. A sport bike obviously has more power. It's lighter in weight, the braking system on it is bigger, and it's a more of an aggressive riding style."

Statistically, the aggressive style attracts 18- to 24-year-olds who comprise a majority of sport bike riders and are at the highest risk for injuries and death, said the sergeant. Instructors try to get their students to bring a safety attitude to riding a sport bike.

"(From) when I started this program initially, to this point, I've seen a huge change in attitude," said Sergeant Evans. "People are making wiser decisions, not hot dogging as much."

The statistics confirm Sergeant Evans' observation. In 2006, the year before AMC started the course, there were 39 motorcycle mishaps across the Air Force. In 2008, a year after the course began, there were 18.

The course has another beneficial effect, this one to the rider's wallet. Taking the sport bike safety course can, depending a rider's insurance company, lower premiums. And, the sport bike safety course is free.

Seventeen dead Airmen are proof; the street does not always forgive mistakes.


If You Go
The next sport bike class at McConnell AFB is scheduled for Oct. 14. All motorcycle operators are required to attend an experienced or basic riders' course before riding on the base. A basic course is scheduled Oct. 15-16 and an experienced riders' course is scheduled for Oct. 23. Call (316) 759-3216 for registering and/or more information about course requirements at McConnell AFB.