27 Lines Motorcycle Rider Coach

Motorcycles, hmm… Dangerous, not for everybody, sold by Harley Davidson as a life style, perhaps a political statement, simply a mode of transportation, maybe just plain fun. No matter how you view motorcycles or motorcycle riders, not all are created equal. I’ve been riding for over five decades. During this time, I have made life-long friends, and lost some people that were dear to me. I surmise that’s what led me to be a motorcycle rider coach.

Perhaps, teaching a diverse group of people about the art of riding is a paying-it-forward proposition. During my formative years, I developed an affinity to questioning authority. Riding motorcycles became a statement, kind of a big middle finger to the establishment and a conduit to a band of brothers that shared the same values as I.

As the years went by, I came to see motorcycle riding more as an art form. From touring to racing to teaching, I begin to realize that the skills needed to stay alive had to continually be renewed, refined and improved.

When retirement from my previous career became a reality, I struggled with finding a purpose. I needed something that brought me satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. I tended bar (one of those skills acquired by the younger version of myself) for several months and soon realized that asking if the customer would like sweet potato fries with that burger was not the fulfilling moment I was looking for.

As providence would have it, posted on the wall of a motorcycle shop in Aurora, Colorado was a recruiting piece for MSF motorcycle coaches to teach beginning riders. Since the bartender gig was not sustainable (for a lot of reasons) I decided to investigate this opportunity. I started interviewing riding schools in and around Denver. After eliminating most of them due to location, pay, reputation, equipment, and/or management, I struck a deal with Bill Souder, owner of Motorcycle Rider Training Center (MRTC), located in Lakewood, Colorado.

Bill would become my sponsor and mentor, but I first had to complete the training to become a certified rider coach by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF national certification) and Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST – Department of Revenue, Colorado certification).

I soon began to understand that perhaps this was the challenge I’d been seeking. It gave me a sense of purpose, along with a kind of weird philanthropic need to pay it forward. It was hard work — I almost walked off the training range one wet, cold Sunday afternoon. Yet for me, with a big dose of perseverance, it did not seem like work but more of a calling. It was a culmination of 50 years of riding experience that was being honed to a fine edge using analytical research and rigorous testing by teams of professionals from around the globe.

Fast forward, I’m nearing the end of my second year of being a MSF Certified Rider Coach. My personal tool kit of teaching techniques, riding skills and an increasing understanding of the physical, mental, emotional, and social skills needed to stay safe while riding have changed the way I ride. These tools have also changed the way that I interact with those around me. I find I have more patience, I offer more encouragement for effort, and I feel a greater appreciation for those that try to make this a better world.

Bailey Burk Motorcycle Riding Resume