Wow, What A Ride In Kingsland, GA

I have to tell you about one of the most invigorating, exciting, thrilling, and let's not forget SCARIEST things I have ever done! This last weekend I signed up for a class to learn to ride a motorcycle. This may not seem like anything out of the ordinary but if you knew me personally you wouldn't believe your eyes or ears unless of course, you saw it personally. Today, is Monday morning and I still can't believe it myself.

I have always been a passenger on motorcycles when I was younger and when I was a teenager but I was always happy being the passenger and just too scared to learn how to ride for myself. I finally decided I wanted to learn to do one thing that was a "hard" thing for me to do, and to choose just one new thing that I would learn how to do by myself. This kind of goes along with the movies like The Bucket List or the things you would do if you knew you may never get the chance to do. I am not dying but I wanted to do one brave thing.

I enrolled in Dave's motorcycle safety class which is titled Southeast GA Regions Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course. This class is absolutely amazing! Dave's slogan is he will teach you to ride a motorcycle whether it is your first time on a motorcycle or your 1,000 time on a motorcycle. From those who have never ever sat on a motorcycle, and for those who don't know the difference between a John Deere and a Harley Davidson. Dave can teach you to ride a motorcylce.

Yes, his slogan is true and yes, I was skeptical because I thought yeah maybe some other "newbee" but not me. I'll be the first one to fail this course or wreck his motorcycle for sure and for certain but I will tell you how it turned it out later in the blog. I was a nervous wreck for two weeks solid since I got this idea in my head and then took the first step in downloading the application, and then finally submitting the application to Dave. I was scared to death when I went into the first class on Friday night. I walked in on Friday night at 6:00 pm and was greeted by a few others and yep, you guessed it all of them had a motorcycle. One of the ladies actually works at a Harley Davidson shop, one of them had beeen riding with her husband, and the other had been riding dirt bikes and four wheelers up until this point. Talk about feeling intimidation right out of the start gate the nervousness intensified by about 5 million percent. Friday night is the class room portion of the school or at least the majority of the class room portion and you learn alot about motorcylces which was great for people like me who knew nothing about motorcycles except what one looked like and that I had ridden on the back of one. I couldn't believe not only the different types of motorcycles, but important safety factors about the motorcycle itself and the motorcyclists and the things as a motorcyclists you should be aware of when you ride. There is an excellent video you watch about safety and the things to do while you are riding and the importance of those things. For example, safe following distance, perception, searching, evaluating, and executing. One of the most important things is learning that you are responsible for the motorcycle and responsible for the decisions and actions you make. One would think this is common sense but as the weekend went on I learned many of the motorcyclists on the road today think it is the "bike's" fault they wrecked or someone else's on the roads fault when in reality it was the motorcyclists bad decision. This was alot to think about when I left on Friday night.

Ok, its now Saturday morning and we were on the driving range at 7:45am ready to go. We are "donned" in our protective AMFSI approved gear which is long sleeves, protective eye wear, long pants, and protective shoes, gloves, and of course a helmet(which Dave provides as part of the course). The motorcycle is also provided for you. The motorcycles you learn on are the Suzuki GZ 250 which that day might as well have said 1800 for all I knew. The one thing I knew for sure was it looked intimidating. My classmates were nice enough and let me choose first so i chose a nice looking black motorcycle #7 to be exact. After studying the controls and locating the primary controls on any motorcyle Dave said we were ready to roll. I thought he could have said ready to throw up I was so nervous but he gave me a grin and said it would be fine. We started in on our first exercise and we learned to mount the bike and take responsibility for it. After another couple of exercises we were off to our next lesson which was ride the motorcyle to the end of our lane and turn the motorcycle around and do it again. I couldn't believe I actually got to the end of the lane. I was smiling like a kid in the candy store.
As Saturday progressed our lessons and instructions increased. Dave would read the lesson, demonstrate the lesson, and then it was our turn to demonstrate the lesson. Once we had done the first couple of lessons I was still nervous but I was completing the exercises at hand, then Dave gave the dreaded last words "by exercise 4 I will know if an individual needs to come back and try another day" I wanted to say holy crap I don't want him to ask me to come back I really want to do this and I knew deep down that I could. When Dave walked away to get on the bike to demonstrate the lesson he just talked about I said to my class mates I don't want to go home and they said what are you talking about and I said I have to prove myself for one more lesson and then I can stay. All of them in unison, said we already had that lesson so you are safe(at least for a while longer). I thought my eyes would bug out of my head or I would have a heart attack right there. I was so relieved I didn't know what to say except that I was thrilled from that point on I knew I was going to learn to ride a motorcycle. We rode through demonstration after demonstration for about 5 or 5 1/2 hours Saturday and I completed them all successfully although, I wouldn't say they were all pretty but they were completed. After the range on Saturday we went back to the class room for more instruction, more video, and then the final exam (which must be passed).
On to Sunday morning, we arrived at the driving range for more intense learning. We started our first few exercises of the morning and for the first time I felt myself starting to loosen up and relax a little, I was actually enjoying the exercises and having fun. Don't get me wrong I was still scared and nervous but I was trying to relax and enjoy the ride. As the day progressed I was able to get my speed up and get my skills "tuned up".
By half way through the day we were ready for the final graded exercises and then I was back to a bucket of nerves. We were going to be evaluated on making a left hand figure eight turn and a right hand figure eight turn, swerving and manuevering to miss an obstacle, coming to a quick immediate stop, and cornering which is also managing curves. I went through my first obstacle and I "cracked under pressure" I thought ooooooooh I am done for but I wasn't I continued to strive and put my head back in the game and concentrate like nobody's business in order to get proficient at these tasks.
I was so scared I didn't even know if I had done them right or wrong until evaluation time and I was so excited I wanted to jump and down and yell "we did it"! All of us passed the class and got our cards. There is nothing like being handed that card. Yes, you have the ability to get your motorcycle license now but there is something much more important than that you have built confidence, you have learned safety, you have learned skills and techniques many others don't use or can't use, you assume responsibility, you learn your limits, and you walk away with being taught only good skills and habits to take with you for a lifetime. You have been giving the fundamentals and you can build on them for the rest of your riding life.
I can't tell you how much fun this class is and how important this class is if you have ever wanted to ride a motorcyle and even if you are an experienced rider then you will learn something in this class, you will learn about some habit you should break, and you will learn to be in tune with what's around you at all times as well as be in tune with your motorcycle. Did you know that just because you are willing to take a passenger on your bike that your bike might not be able to handle the passenger based on the bike's limitations. Imagine that, how many do you think consult the owner's manual to make sure that you and the passenger don't outweigh the recommended weight allowance for the bike. This might seem like a minor detail that you wouldn't think about in advance but if you wreck your bike it would have been nice to know that or think about that before you hit the highway.
I am so excited we have the opportunity for this class right here in Kingsland, GA and the results will be with me for a life time.
Thanks Dave for being the best instructor and having an unlimited supply of paitence. You are awesome and I loved your class.
If you or anyone you know rides a motorcycle then I suggest you make this small investment in your bike, your future, and the lives around you while you are riding. It is a very small price to pay in comparison to what you get. Many people forget that whether you are riding in a car or riding on a motorcycle there is a loved one that could be getting the phone call about your accident and they will be scared to death and possibly even devastated if you are someone else were killed. Be a responsible biker and take this class it may save your life and the life of someone else. It will be the bestinvestment you will make.
If you would like information about Dave's class then feel free to visit him at www.srmsi.net and you can learn about the class as well as download and application for the class.

If you have any other questions concerning Kingsland, GA or St Marys, GA or are looking to relocate to the area, or you need real esate information regarding Kingsland, GA or St Marys, GA real estate then fell free to visit me at www.TraciGetsResults.com or www.StMarysRetirementLiving.com and learn all about Kings Bay Georgia.