Woman revs up for motorcycle-riding lessons

LeAnn Sawyer has taught dog training classes, competed with her dogs in flyball tournaments and learned to ride a motorcycle so well that she teaches riding classes at Florence-Darlington Technical College.

And her expertise is such that her riding course Friday through Sunday is filled. The next course will be offered April 17-20 at Florence-Darlington Tech.

Sawyer is among several rider coaches who teach beginner, intermediate and experienced courses.

“Riding a motorcycle is 90 percent mental coupled with coordination and balance,” she said. “The acronym we teach is SEE: search, evaluate and execute.”

A cyclist searches with his or her eyes, ears and nose. One evaluates whether to speed up, slow down or move over. And there are mere split seconds in which to execute one’s plan.

Sawyer said “rider radar” is used during the evaluation process. This is divided into two-, four- and 12-second intervals.

She said one wants to be able to react in four seconds, although 12 seconds allow a rider to anticipate his or her path.

The beginner course consists of classroom instruction Friday evening and continues with riding experience Saturday and Sunday.

The first exercise Saturday is motorcycle familiarization and a “pretend ride.” Students learn about the gears, throttle, clutch and different parts of the motorcycle. Then they begin to ride their motorcycle back and forth across the course with their feet down.

The most important skill is learning how to coordinate clutch and throttle control, Sawyer said.

And it’s not a given that just because a person can pilot a straight-drive car, he or she can master the intricacies of shifting gears on a motorcycle.

As an example, Sawyer said, the left handle of a motorcycle contains the hand clutch, turn signals and horn, while the gears are shifted with the left foot. The engine cutoff, throttle, starter and front brake are on the right handle. And the rear brake is activated by pressing the right-foot brake pedal.

Students who come to class with a learner’s permit and successfully complete the course can earn a license waiver that they can take to the DMV to get a motorcycle endorsement on their license.

But the training should never stop, Sawyer said. Passing a beginner’s course doesn’t make one an experienced rider. Intermediate and experienced courses are offered to riders to improve their skills.

“I still go out and practice,” Sawyer said. “You can’t ever learn enough.”

And Sawyer practices what she preaches. Two years ago, she and her husband made a 26-day pilgrimage to Alaska on their Harleys.

“It was a challenging trip through the lower 48 and in Alaska,” she said. “The roads in Alaska had a lot of cracks in them. It was rainy and cold. The weather is a lot more powerful than you think. It will humble you in no time on a motorcycle.”

And Sawyer likes to quote another Florence-Darlington Tech rider coach who says, “In a car, the paint protects you, but on a motorcycle, you protect the paint.”

“That’s why,” Sawyer said, “it’s so important to wear protective gear when riding a motorcycle.”

Last year, Florence-Darlington Tech trained 133 riders, including 94 beginners, 33 intermediates and six experienced.

Those interested in signing up for classes should call Florence-Darlington Tech Continuing Education at (843) 413-2715, or visit www.scridered.org.