I picked up the latest issue of sportrider yesterday and while flipping through it came across an article title 'soldiers on streetbikes' or something like that. As I was reading through the article i came across something that i had never heard about. And that is that due to the fact that many servicemen have been killed in motorcycle related accidents, most company commanders wont allow the men that they are in charge of to own or ride motorcycles. and the few that do, force their men to have completed some kind of prior training (msf) and where approved gear including reflective gear. Is this true?

This affects me a lot because i really cant wait to get back in the saddle and before i can do so i will be enlisting in the coast guard. personally i have no problem with taking the msf course or wearing gear (i always do). but is the business with the reflective vest totally necessary? does this apply only when 'on base' or everywhere? Even more importantly will i even be allowed to ride? Thanks in advance guys!

 

Just going out on a limb but i'm thinking your first shirt or commanding officer in the coast guard wouldn't have that much trouble with it...now army or marines that have the possibility of going to forward battlefront locations...sure i can buy that....i have no experience with it though...but i do know alot of airmen in the a.f. that ride..but we all know they're a bunch of slackers

 

Well for the chair force side and only AMC they are making it almost impossible to want to ride a sportbike of any kind. You have to accomplish the msf which threw out the military is common but now you have to have complete some gay military training, then they will track it. You have to do this every year unless you are deployed for over 90 days then you have to re-accomplish this again and for me i am gone 6 months out of the year so i would have to do this three times a year. As far as gear...helmet a must, boots ankle high, gloves, reflective vest(night only but recommended at all times), long sleeve jacket, shirt, ect...and pants.

 

^^^does that only apply to air force? sounds a little excessive to me. i would think that the guard would be a little more 'laid back' when it comes to this, at least i hope so

 

Well I am in the Air Force also, AFSOC though, and We have to complete the MSF and get a full saftey breif from our saftey manager. Then We have to have a record of all training and a commander aproved form so that if we get hurt insurance will actually pay.

While riding we have to have Helmet, over ankle boots, gloves, long sleeve shirt/coat, and reflective vest at night. I beleive we have to have the vest during the day also if you dont have a bright jacket. It sucks ***!

I always ride with gear , but the reflective vest thing sucks. I never wear it. It is just soo gay.

Edit...also if we crash and dont have any 1 of the protective equipment items insurance wont pay anything.

 

some bases you have to wear a orange vest, like the construction workers. I think that is Navy and Marin corps only though. I was stationed on an Air force base, although i was in the Navy and didnt have to wear one. I just never told anyone i had a bike, easy as that. They arent going to check if you passed some class just to get on base.

 

Yeah, but then you wont get any coverage paid if you get hurt.

AF it is manditory to have a vest now

 

The air force is trying really hard to make it harder for anyone with a sportbike to ride while being in the air force....365 days till i work at mcdonalds...would you like some fries with that sir??..haha

 

OK, I was on a bike while I was in the Navy from '96-'99 so things might be a little different though, but heres what I had to do.

1. Complete the safety course, which I think is equivalent to the MSF course.

2. You have to wear the proper gear at all times, proper footwear, pants, long sleeves (the standards for gear here easily surpass their expectations) and the infamous reflective vest. It DID NOT have to be orange though when I was in. It had to have two relective vertical stripes, I had a pretty cool black one at the time with two very visible lime green reflective stripes, it went well with my bike at the time.

3. IIRC, I had to inform my COC with a 'request chit' (Navy request form) that I was getting a bike.. They then counseled me on the regs and the expectations of the Navy for motorcyclists.

If you get into an accident and they find out in the investigation (oh, there will be one by JAG) that you weren't in proper gear, you will have to pay your medical bills, and may even be up for NJP, and if youre dead.... no SGLI for your family...

HTH

 

i take it that none of these rules apply to racing on the track?

 

what?

If you wreck your bike it doesn't matter if you're on the track or on the street, same rules would still apply. Improper or lack of gear = reduction or loss of benefits

I have no experience with the USCG in this matter, but I have served with them overseas, and they are big sticklers when it comes to safety stuff.

 

im talking more about the vest not the protective gear. i would wear proper gear regardless of what i was doing. i just want to know if i have to wear the neon vest evertime im on the bike including during trackdays

 

To get your bike on base you must have completed the MSF course.

They are pretty strict, in addition to having to wear they stupid vest.

 

Yeah if you race its a different form thathas to be filled out and aproved by the commander.

 

Icon to the rescue

This is their Milspec vest (conforms to base rules regarding reflection and a visible badge/ID holder)



Also a "better" looking alternative that construction worker vests for regular folks who want to be more visible riding at night.

 

Thats why its called the milspec....haso des' nay

 

using reflective gear for inlisted men has been policy for decades

 

Officers have to wear the stuff too. I bought my '97 CBR1100XX from a LCDR F-14 Pilot.

 

Those icon vests are actually pretty sweet. if i did alot of night riding i might consider one, even though im not in the military.

 

are you riding to floss the gear or are you riding to ride. if your biggest complaint is that you have to wear that ugly reflective vest the you are the type of rider that i hate seeing riding anyways. do you ride because you love riding or do you ride because you like to look cool.

 

I saw this article in my Motorcyclist mag too. Do all those rules apply to cruisers as well?

 

Officers don't (E)nlist?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Racer28 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">are you riding to floss the gear or are you riding to ride. if your biggest complaint is that you have to wear that ugly reflective vest the you are the type of rider that i hate seeing riding anyways. do you ride because you love riding or do you ride because you like to look cool.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i love to ride, thats why i do it (or did it). personally i could care less about the vest and what others think of it. i was just curious what conditions i had to wear it in and what my options were (icon vest vs. looking like a construction worker). and to see if this rule only applies certain branches. And more importantly if i will even be allowed to ride.

 

"are you riding to floss the gear or are you riding to ride. if your biggest complaint is that you have to wear that ugly reflective vest the you are the type of rider that i hate seeing riding anyways. do you ride because you love riding or do you ride because you like to look cool."

I ride because I love it, and I dont want to look like a retard while enjoying myself .

 

Yeah it really sad these soldiers are at war and get through the whole ordeal then come back stateside get a bike think they are invincible and end up killing themselves