Motorcycle Training - Is it Hog Heaven?

Greg Owen

Attorney

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If you are a motorcycle enthusiast, you may look at a motorcycle officer and think " What an easy job you have, and to think that we are paying you to ride a Harley all day." The truth of the matter is, it is not as easy as it may seem. To begin with, motorcycle training is demanding. As officer Miller put it ([when you are training] "You're trying to learn how to use the clutch, throttle and the brake at the same time while riding a motorcycle that weighs 700, 800 pounds."

Becoming a motorcycle officer involves rigorous training. Police officers must pass a test in which they are required to perform 360-degree turns at low speeds and complete sharp turns after slowing from a high-speed entry, among other exercises. New officers are given a two-week training course as preparation.
As one motorcycle trainer put it "he only way to learn the skills is by doing them. While learning tricky maneuvers on a Harley-Davidson seems like a dream come true for motorcycle enthusiasts, it's hardly a joyride." "I am Tylenol and Motrin's best friend right now," said Officer Pree.

Another part of the training that the officers go through is to turn in a full circle while the motorcycle has to travel at less than 5 mph with handlebars turned all the way. This is a difficult task as the officer must avoid the cones that mark the course. Something else to keep in mind is the fact that these officers must learn to ride in a certain posture, with a certain amount of decorum, according to Officer Miller. At the end of a typical 10-hour shift on the motorcycle, an officer is usually tired, sore and chafed from riding. Not to mention the fact that motorcycle officers are very exposed to a public that is not always pleased to see them. So while they do get out from behind a desk, it is not the weekend joyride it may seem to be. Perhaps with so much practice they just make it look that way.