Awareness on the roads key for motorcycle groups
Courtesy photo Members of the Region 1 Idaho District Chapter H of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association take a break during a ride in 2016.
As the temperature increases — eventually — across the area, so will the amount of traffic on the highways and roads in the surrounding areas.
And that’s not just limited to those in vehicles with four wheels, either.
The Gold Wing Road Riders Association Chapter in Kootenai County sends out a reminder that those with two wheels are about to be out in force as well.
“Motorists, they don’t see us,” said Kootenai County chapter director Ann Piper. “Our group travels in bright colors and we ride big bikes. People just don’t see us and it creates havoc on the roads.”
The group has a wide variety of riders as well.
“There’s a great amount of motorcycle riders in this area,” Piper said. “There’s over 20 chapters of motorcycle groups in this area. We’re mothers, fathers, and grandparents. I’m a grandmother — 65 years old — and I ride my bike all the time.”
The association also promotes safe riding through training and education.
“Our group motto is Fun, Safety and Knowledge,” Piper said. “We do training classes in CPR and first-aid. We’re committed to safe riding and encourage people to wear your gear. Cover what you want to keep. We’ve got over seven million members around the nation, and we all promote safe riding.”
May is Motorcycle Awareness month, and Piper reminds others they’ll be on the roads too, traveling to a variety of different events around the Northwest.
“We’ve got a lot of different events going on this summer that are going to put us on the road,” Piper said. “We’re encouraging motorists to look twice before changing lanes, because we might be in your blind spot. Before you cross a line, make sure you don’t have a bike coming up on you.”
Due to the weather, Piper added, the club likely won’t be able to do its annual Show and Shine event this year, which has helped attract members in years past.
“We usually try to do something, but with the weather, it’s probably not going to happen this month,” Piper said. “We usually try to do a Show and Shine the first week of May. But Memorial Day starts our rally season, so it’s hard to keep everyone together during rally season — July, August and September — but we’ll start back with things locally in the fall.”
For more information on the group, visit www.gwrra.org.