Passes & Canyons Blog

I got a note this morning from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, announcing that their “resident doctor of best riding practices” is now posting a Tip of the Day on the MSF website as well as on Twitter.

The resident doctor would be Dr. Ray Ochs, director of training systems for MSF.

Here’s what the MSF has to say about Dr. Ray.

Dr. Raymond J. Ochs, director of training systems for MSF, offers MSF’s followers on Twitter (msf__usa) and MSF website visitors (www.msf-usa.org) knowledge taken from 47 years of experience and decades of research in motorcycle safety to help keep them safe 365 days a year.

From big-picture views on mental preparation and basic riding techniques to detailed suggestions on issues such as night visibility and helmet fitting, “Dr. Ray’s Tip of the Day” will cover a range of topics. Ochs believes that the short, simple statements posted each day will benefit all riders, especially those who have never taken a safety course. However, they are no substitute for proper training such as MSF’s RiderCourseSM series.

“When it comes to motorcycling, it’s best to be a lifelong learner,” said Ochs. “Every rider can benefit from expanding their knowledge or being reminded of practical riding techniques and safety precautions, no matter their skill level. As we say here at MSF, the more you know the better it gets.”

With a doctorate in educational psychology and a master’s degree in health and safety, including more than 35 years of experience in education, training, and leadership functions, Ochs became an MSF-certified instructor in 1973 and a chief instructor in 1980. He has conducted motorcycle safety training programs and presented papers and presentations on safe riding throughout the U.S., Germany and Japan.

And what sorts of tips is he offering? Well, here are a couple of the first ones.

All the levers and pedals should be adjusted so they’re easy to reach and operate.

Sportbike riders: Get used to holding yourself up with your core muscles and legs, gripping the tank with your thighs. This takes the pressure off the handlebars.

If you want more of Dr. Ray you now know where to find him.

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I just want to pass this along. If you have older two-stroke motocross bikes and you’re in or near Colorado, there is a movie in production that may want to use your bike. And you might get in the movie yourself.

Here’s the particulars, as passed along to me by Jerry Pokorny, with the British Motorcycle Association of Colorado. It comes from a guy who goes by Whiskyman, but I guess you’d need to reply to Jerry at jerry_pokorny@msn.com.

I have been in communications with the producer of some budget movies who is now filming a production dealing with a human interest angle on a motocross racer theme.

Production is here in Colorado at Thunder Mountain in Lakewood and another site a short distance away so it’s in our backyard.

To help him out, he has asked me to try and help him find two different bikes – as follows:

Early ’90s vintage 2-stroke motocross bike in very clean to mint condition. The bike will mainly be used as static prop and only ridden for 2 laps around the motocross track by a professional stunt double in the production so it won’t be harmed in any way. It will be used in 2 scenes to be shot in Early June. No limit on displacement or brand was specified so let me know what you have in your collection that you would be willing to make available for a couple of days. The producer is going to offer the owner of the bike a small walk-on part related to the movie main characters race team in support of the “works rider” (principal actor in this production). There is no other compensation but the ego trip of having your bike and possibly you in a movie – now how cool is that?

The other need is for a few mid to late 1980s vintage 80 cc 2-stroke motocross bikes to be used in a scene with the producer’s main character YZ – 80 as “other competitors bikes.” This will be shot in late June or July. No walk-on part for this but you will still have bragging rights on having your bike in a movie………..

Ok, let’s hear from you as soon as possible. Let me know what you have (make, model, displacement, year) and if possible send a photo. I will help screen candidates and forward the best options to the producers for his consideration.

This sounds like a heck of a lot of fun so please respond at your earliest convenience!

Ride fast, life is short

Whiskyman

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