Minimum Requirements For Riding Your Motorcycle On A Military Facility

[RedLdr1]

Update: Some thing I recently found out is the Air Force considers the MSF Course to be a "one time" requirement. Other branches of DoD may require more regular training or special classes like the Sport Bike MSF class for active duty. So my circa 1985 Better Biking Course MSF card will work on any Air Force installation but I might need my 2012 Three Wheel BRC card for other installations that have the "within Five years" rule. Since I attend BRC every three years for the insurance discount I'm good either way. As always your results may vary...

 

[Joelunchbox]

I agree with you Sam and Rick however; It would be nice if every one followed the established rules. (I guess I am just getting old. I do remember when I was young ) As far a Motorcycle rules on Base/Post it would be nice if they were enforced consistently from one day to the next. No, the rules are not oppressive but some common sense when the rules are established, and common sense, consistent enforcement, should be the goal, With real motorcycle safety being the primary goal. For instance a person wearing a black long sleeve Tee Shirt with a orange road guard vest, jeans, ankle high tennis shoes, cruiser style black pot helmet, summer golf gloves, and sunglasses will be able to get on base. I in my gray riding Stitch with armor, riding gloves with knuckle armor, motorcycle boots, full face white helmet with visor, will not be able to get on base/post. All becouse I don't have the orange Dork Vest. If it is about motorcycle safety, who is more safe?. It is all about command CYA. The bright color VEST might help but I have a hard time believing the cage drivers can't see you at 35mph.(Base Max MPH) With head light on and faring and windshield on the bike, it does not matter what color Jacket/Vest the rider is wearing. It cannot be distinguished from the front, head on. Safety test have proven that. Helmet color has more bearing then Vest color.

Anyway I am retired, retired and I don't ride on base much anymore. And when I do I have what I am suppose to have. I should not get upset over this but the inconsistencies have bothered me for years.

" I have a hard time believing the cage drivers can't see you at 35mph.(Base Max MPH)" -The last almost incident I had was at a four way stop one block from my house. I was signaling, stopped, looked right at the blue haired lady-who looked me in the eyes- in the Caddy who was stopping across from me as I picked my foot up. Man was I surprised when she took off and would have flat run me over if I hadn't started waving at her as I accelerated. Speed has nothing to do with being seen, IMHO. What I believe matters is: does the person in the other lane have a close relative who rides a motorcycle? And there is no way to know that. BTW, being off base and so close to home just testing the bike before riding season, I wasn't wearing "the vest". Fewer people are riding, thus fewer people are looking for riders. It is a Catch-22. I know this is an old thread but here's my two cents. I haven't ridden in over ten years and I found this site looking for up to date info on riding on military bases. I am wondering if I will get the bike out, go for a ride and then come home and put a for sale sign on it. People are very scary drivers in middle georgia!!

 

[Phil Tarman]

I was signaling, stopped, looked right at the blue haired lady-who looked me in the eyes- in the Caddy who was stopping across from me as I picked my foot up. Man was I surprised when she took off and would have flat run me over if I hadn't started waving at her as I accelerated. Speed has nothing to do with being seen, IMHO. What I believe matters is: does the person in the other lane have a close relative who rides a motorcycle?

(Sorta') LOL. I've told the story of the lady in Eddie's Cove, Newfoundland, who did the same thing to me. It was raining and the road was very wet. I was doing about 30-35mph. She was looking straight at me and then pulled out when I was maybe 30-35 feet away from her. I know we're supposed to squeeze the brakes, but I'm here to tell you I grabbed them! I felt the ABS activate and missed hitting her rear fender by no more than 2 feet. I followed on down the road at 30 or so mph to the next grocery store, and when she pulled in I followed her in and as she got out of her car, I asked if I could speak to her for just a minute.

She said, "In the rain?" I said it wouldn't take long and she had an umbrella. So she came back and I asked her if she'd seen me when she pulled out of the grocery store in Eddie's Cove. She looked shocked and I told her how close I'd been and how close I'd come to hitting her. She was absolutely astonished. She hadn't seen me until she'd gotten out of her car! I asked her to be more attentive to motorcycles and she told me that she thought she always was -- her husband was a motorcycle rider! I said, "Well, watch for us. He might be the guy you hit!" She was still apologizing as I left.

 

[ARKNT]

It is not just middle Georgia.
Many, many drivers do not pay attention. They are certainly not actively searching for bikes/bikers.

Brad

 

[RedNigel]

When I was a young man back in the '80s I was dating a gal whose dad was a full Bird Colonel. On 4th of July I rode into Ft. Sam Houston on my 82 CB900Custom with a 12 pack in a milk crate and no helmet. It didn't take long for a friendly MP to pull me over and begin educating me about the rules on base. After a minute he asked, "so where are you headed this afternoon?"
I replied, "Col. Johnson's quarters"
Without missing a beat, the MP points the way and says, "Three blocks down on the left. You have a nice 4th of July Sir!"

Its good to know people

 

[silshooter]

1974 I was charged with starting a safety course as an augmenty to Wing Safety at Holloman AFB. Sounds like the rules were changed around that time frame for motorcycle operations on Air Force bases.

 

[dnktng]

Wow, things have changed since posted on this thread 7 years ago.

I can now go on Joint Base Lewis McCord (JBLM) with a military ID card... that's it. No insurance card check, no base sticker, no safety course completion certificate, no safety vest, any helmet, any shoes.