WIMA Victoria: Hitting the Road

Hitting the Road

As a young nursing student, I was offered the opportunity to purchase a motor bike from a fellow student. Not having much income, and no car, I thought this was a great idea. Obtaining a learner's permit was easy, and within a short time I was riding around the streets, to and from the hospital, and on occasions I would dink my brother to work on the way.

It wasn't long, however, before I came off the bike. A car pulled out in front of me, and being inexperienced I attempted to go around behind him, but he saw me and stopped, leaving me to run into the side of his car. On hitting the ground my first thought was ‘can I move my toes, or am I a paraplegic'. It wasn't quite that bad, but I did break both my arms, and having a 3 year old child at the time, it made life a bit tough.

Being young and carefree it never occurred to me that I was at risk, and probably a risk to other road users as well. Twenty years later, and being a little more sensible, I decided to attend the WIMA motorcycle training day at HART (Honda Australia Rider Training centre at Sharps Road, Tullamarine). I went with my friend Lyn, who is a WIMA member who was going along to advance her riding skills.

It was a top day, despite being overcast and windy. We were met by Red, who had taken responsibility for organising the day, and the group was then divided into different levels. I went with the novices, while my friend Lyn went with the intermediate group, and a few of the more advanced riders took on the CB 750s.

My group was first briefed about the bikes and then introduced to our helmets and gloves. Some women had great gear and came with everything they needed, while others like myself took advantage of the items supplied by HART. Once the briefing session was completed, we were ready to go out and get on the bikes. Would I experience deja vu? Was I going to flunk it, or be paralysed by fear? Thank god, no!

The instructors were so helpful and the bikes so comfy I had a fantastic time. I felt confident by the end of the day, and am keen to book in for the two-day learner's permit course. Being prepared on the road twenty years ago might well have prevented my accident. Fortunately, I was not permanently injured, but I could just as easily have been.

Learning in a supported environment, and improving skills and confidence, not only makes riding a lot safer, but makes it fun too. For the $40 fee, with a sandwich lunch included, the day was great value, and I will be encouraging others to give it a try before hitting the road.

Suzanah Kuzio