December 2022 Looking Back

by Gary Klinker

As the year comes to a close, it is a time for reflection on the last year. Safe Rider had a good year, though we had less students trained. The reason for that was the shortage of Rider Coaches. Hopefully, we have that corrected with our three prospective coaches. We recently got a notice from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, MSF, that they are making some major changes to the registration system that we use to sign up students. Between that and the new curriculum we are scrambling to get things ready for next year.

We are doing better this year than last in the motorcycle fatality numbers, but they are still way too high. As you have heard me say before, the single bike fatalities are akin to motorcycle suicide. They are the easiest category to correct the statistics. Learn to ride that thing and ride within your limits.

This is also a good time to reflect on the past riding season and plan for next year. May was mostly riding to classes, but in June Shawn, neighbor John, and I took a week to ride the Black Hills. With a rental house in Sturgis, we rode the Hills and into Wyoming. The weather was as close to perfect as could be. You know you are having fun when you get to the end of Iron Mountain Road and turn around and go back in the opposite direction.

August saw a short ride to the Governor’s Highway Safety Conference, the first live one in three years. The September ride to the Upper Peninsula with Shawn and four close friends-who are all good riders-was a lot of fun. If you have never ridden there, you should try it. The roads are good, and traffic is not bad. We went to Whitefish Point and toured the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. From there we found a metal sculpture park near Marquette. Both are worth the ride to see them. The other stop that is a must see is Da Yoopers Tourist Trap, near Ishpeming. Some very funny and creative displays put together over the years. The week after the UP ride was the ride to Des Moines, Iowa for Meeting of the Minds. No matter where MOTM is held it is worth the ride. Mark your calendar for next year in Harrisburg.

As I write this, we are in the heart of bow season and a week from gun season. I must go now. I’m doing my part to keep the local roads safe for motorcyclists and fight grocery inflation at the same time.

Ride Safe,

Gary