It was a great weekend for motorcycles and football in Yorkton as both sports dominated the local sports scene.
Saturday and Sunday, the Saskatchewan Safety Council ran a motorcycle safety course at the Yorkton Exhibition grounds.
Saskatchewan chief instructor Barry Muir was on hand with his crew to guide the 12 course participants through the basics of riding on two wheels.
The course, which provides the training equipment, offered a variety of choices, Muir points out. "We have bikes ranging from 125 cc sport bikes, to a Buell, a 500 cc sporty style bike. We have dual purpose bikes, a dirt bike and some Yamaha TWs," he lists.
The motorbikes appeared to suffer a few scrapes. They've been battered around a bit Muir admits. "It's better for somebody to learn on one of our bikes. If you happen to drop one of ours it's a lot less expensive than you dropping your own," he quips.
Muir recommends the motorcycles safety course to both novice and experienced riders. "I don't care whether you've ridden 25 or 30 years, we can still teach you something," he says.
The top safety tip Muir offers is, "If they (four wheel vehicle drivers) don't see you, they're not going to avoid you." High visibility is key on a motorcycle, he insists. Bright, reflective clothing helps. Riding with the high beam on during the day is another important visibility tip. "People will see you coming from a long way away with your high beam on. If it bothers a car, then put it down but then put it back on after it has passed," he explains.
Muir doesn't recommend riding at night. "In this country with all the deer on the roads, an incident between you and the deer is not going to be a good one," he suggests.
Hand signals help. Using hand signals to signal your intention to drivers around you helps to make you more visible, Muir cautions.
He points out that at the start of a riding season riders aren't in the kind of shape they finished last season. Right now Saskatchewan roads are a little slippery with gravel sections, pot holes and there may be soft spots because of water. "Be careful when you're riding. Don't trust anybody, but have fun," Muir closes.
