Rider Readiness
As gas prices soar, so does the allure of the motorcycle. And why not?
Motorcycles save money at the pump. They're easy to park. On a motorcycle, you can use the carpool lanes. You can weave in and out of traffic. You can ride along the lane lines on snarled freeways. And when the rest of us stop at a red light, you can glide to the front, cutting ahead of everyone. . . . Ha ha, suckers!
But hold on, we're getting ahead of ourselves. First you need to learn how to ride. Which brings us to Joe Elliott, who has taught beginners to ride for 16 years. Elliott thinks of himself as a would-be motorcyclist's best friend. That's because if you pay him $108 in tuition, he'll try to talk you out of riding. And he's not kidding.
It's OK not to ride.
What do you do if you want to be safe?Not ride!
I sat in on one of Elliott's classes at San Diego Motorcycle Training last weekend. He'd added the session to meet the spike in demand, yet turned away a student because he didn't have enough motorcycles to go around. ‘Everybody's trying to get in,’ he said.
So there you have it. Maybe he just saved someone $108.