July 2021

by Gary Klinker

I want to start by congratulating our newest Rider Coach, Patrick Corr. As I mentioned in past columns, we had a prospective coach attending certification classes. Patrick passed and is now certified for the BRC classes. I am working with him in June to get him accustomed to our procedures and in July he will be doing a class in my place so I can again attend the ABATE BOD meeting. Patrick is from Viroqua and rides an R6 Yamaha. He is young and we hope to keep him busy for a long time to come. Welcome Patrick!!

On a much sadder note, I want to send our condolences to the family of Jim “Legs” Korte. He passed away just before Memorial Day. Many of you probably met him and his wife Paulette at the Heartland S.T.E.A.M. in Wisconsin this spring. Legs had been active in MROs for years. He was past State Coordinator for ABATE of Illinois and has served in various roles for the MRF Board. Paulette is the office manager for the MRF. Becky and Hardtail, Dave Dwyer, and I rode down to southern Illinois for a very moving memorial service that was attended by MRO people from all over the country. Legs will be missed.

Our Safe Rider classes are going very smoothly, thanks to a good group of Rider Coaches and Kelley doing a fine job of keeping the office rolling. We still have a huge problem in Wisconsin with motorcyclist fatalities running ahead of last year’s already high figure. Again, the main problem is rider error. Inattention, riding beyond your ability, riding drunk, and failing to control the bike can all fall into this category. Many Right of Way violations, though not the rider’s fault, are still avoidable by a trained and observant rider. It is up to all of us to ride to the best of our ability, ride sober, and make sure all your riding companions do the same.

If you are planning to go to Sturgis now is the time to start getting your bike and gear ready. Some riding practice will help. With that many people around you, keep in mind the rider error statistics. Your safety is in your hands.

Ride Safe,

Gary