Natalie and I spent the weekend working on completing a Basic Rider Course at the famous Road America located in nearby Elkhart Lake. I have lived here for nearly 25 years and it’s crazy to me that I have lived 15 miles from the track and spent a lot of time in Elkhart Lake, but never set foot on Road America until this weekend. It was a great experience. The course is designed for new riders and if passed, the individuals can forgo the DMV practical examination when applying for their motorcycle lessons.
The first night (Friday) was a three-hour classroom lecture and then there were two sets of five-hour classes on the actual course on Saturday and Sunday with the motorcycles. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. We had originally planned to do the course work together on Saturday and Sunday, but Natalie had a conflict with a pole dancing class (of all things) that she wanted to do and it turned into a bit of a fiasco with her doing the morning classes and me doing the afternoon classes. In the end, her other plans were canceled. I was a little disappointed we weren’t together and Natalie was a nervous wreck the entire weekend, but we finished without any serious problems.
Now we just need to finish the process by taking the written examination at the DMV and we will officially be licensed motorcyclists. I am TERRIFIED of riding a motorcycle because of my profession, seeing more trauma than I would care to remember. When I was a resident at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, we were the only tertiary care trauma center in the entire state, and tons of people were flighted to us for care. It was brutal to see and it left an everlasting impression on me that I would NEVER do this and I certainly would do anything I could to ensure my kids never had an interest. Fast forward 25 years later and here I am, getting my license. At this point, my intention is to use the license primarily while on my little Vespa scooter as a commuting vehicle at slower speeds within the city. I am a strong advocate of wearing all the safety gear and tend to be a very conservative person at this point in my life so I am hopeful it will be a good experience in general.
After 13 hours of classwork and practical time on the motorcycles, we both passed the course and are cautiously ready to enjoy our time on the road.
