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As warmer weather brings more motorcycles onto roads across Germany, the 86th Airlift Wing Safety Office continues working to help riders develop the skills and judgement needed to ride safely. The 86th AW Safety Office hosted the second annual motorcycle mentorship ride in collaboration with Spangdahlem Air Base, June 5
For many new motorcycle riders, the first lesson has nothing to do with shifting gears or navigating curves. It starts with knowing when not to keep up.
“Ride your own ride,” said Tech. Sgt. David Gardner, 86th AW weapons safety manager and motorcycle rider coach. “Rookie riders will go out with a group of friends who may be more experienced and they’ll try to keep up. That’s where they get into an incident or an accident.”
Many riders feel pressure to match the pace of more experienced motorcyclists, especially on winding roads known among riders as “twisties.” Instead of focusing on their own abilities, they focus on keeping up.
According to the Air Force Safety Center, the DAF has lost 116 members from fiscal years 2016 to 2025 due to motorcycle accidents, an average of over 11 per year.
“Learn to respect the motorcycle,” said Tech. Sgt. Randy Willis, 86th AW traffic safety manager. “A lot of new riders think, ‘It’s a bike, let’s go crazy,’ but you need to ride within your limits.”
That mindset set the framework of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course, which introduces riders to the fundamentals of motorcycle operations, from throttle control, braking, turning and maneuvering. Advanced courses build on those skills with emergency braking, obstacle avoidance and other techniques riders may need in real-world situations.
While motorcycle training is required every five years for military riders, both safety managers emphasized that refresher courses provide more than just a regulatory requirement. Beyond formal courses, mentorship rides offer riders an opportunity to learn in a more hands-on way.
The Department of the Air Force Rider has named 2026 the “Year of the Mentor.”
Unlike traditional classroom-based refresher courses, the mentorship ride serves as an alternative method for military riders to complete their required motorcycle refresher training. During the group rides, service members discuss safety topics, review riding methods, practice safe riding procedures while traveling through the region.
“I think it really ties the whole community together,” Willis said. “You’re meeting people from all over the base, building connections and learning from other riders.”
Both safety managers stressed motorcycle safety extends beyond those on two wheels.
“Drivers need to be aware now it’s summer, that more riders are out. There could be a bike there and you may not know,” Gardner said. “Look twice, save a life.”
Drivers can prevent accidents by checking blind spots, maintaining safe following distances and remaining aware of motorcycles sharing the road. Riders, on the other hand, can increase their visibility by wearing bright clothing, using proper lane positioning and ensuring other motorists can see them.
To attend a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course at Ramstein Air Base, contact the 86th AW Safety Office at DSN 314-480-7233 (Commercial: 06371-47-7233) or email them at Kmc.MotorcycleSafetyProgram@ramstein.af.mil).
