BMW News

    BMW factory rider Nate Kern is in Fort Bragg, North Carolina is giving a seminar about motorcycle riding and road safety to US Army soldiers, both novices and experienced riders. When it comes to riding a bike, risks are risks, no matter whether you're a soldier or a civilian.

    A friend who's a long-time insurance broker explained that troops returning from deployment are high risks. "Think about it," she said. "You've survived a tour in Afghanistan or Iraq; what can possibly happen to you back home? Plus, what do soldiers dream of when they're overseas? The fast car or the bike they're going to buy when they get back."

    Race driver and skid school expert Dane Pitarresi's law is immutable: "If you go too fast for conditions, you WILL crash."

    On a practical note, many soldiers also ride motorcycles to work, so getting in direct contact with a pro-rider is definitely a good encounter, since there are a ton of things to learn from a guy who rides for a living. The 2-day seminar has Kern discussing powerful motorcycles and road safety issues for both riders and those who want to start riding a bike.

    In the end, it makes absolutely no sense returning alive from a battlefield on the other side of the planet and getting killed or injured outside your unit's headquarters on a bike.––Paul Duchene