VIDEO: If you look down, you’ll go down

I was motoring down Park Avenue in Portland on two wheels today, muttering to myself in my helmet as I turned left on Forest Avenue.

“Head up. Squeeze both brakes. Let off. Roll on the throttle,” I chanted. “Look through the curve. You’ll go where you look.”

I’ve been doing this for a solid week, reminding myself of what I learned at an experienced rider course I took in Topsham, taught by LORE Motorcycle Education, on Aug. 23.

John Reeves of Lore Motorcycle Education teaches the experienced rider course in Topsham on Sunday in the rain. All riders participated free of charge thanks to a a federal grant administered through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

John Reeves of Lore Motorcycle Education teaches the experienced rider course in Topsham on Sunday in the rain. All riders participated free of charge thanks to a a federal grant administered through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

I was 23 years-old when I passed the test and got the motorcycle endorsement on my license. I’d gotten the motorcycle permit after an eight-hour classroom course. That’s been the sum total of my formal education and that was 20 summers ago.

When I heard federal grant money was allowing riders all over the state to take the course for free via the Maine secretary of state’s office, I signed up. I was not alone, the class was full, despite the rain.

“We’re still waiting on some of the reports but it looks like approximately 100 people (across the state) took advantage of the ERC scholarships,” said Kristen Muszynski of the secretary of state’s office in an email this week. “The scholarships were for $100 per student to the schools, which is the usual cost for the course.”

Lore Motorcycle Education co-owner John Reeves smiles despite the wet weather on Sunday in Topsham where he taught an experienced rider course aimed at riders with at least three months of experience behind the handlebars. All riders participated free of charge thanks to a a federal grant administered through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

Lore Motorcycle Education co-owner John Reeves smiles despite the wet weather on Sunday in Topsham where he taught an experienced rider course aimed at riders with at least three months of experience behind the handlebars. All riders participated free of charge thanks to a a federal grant administered through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

Rider coaches John Reeves and Cindy Brown of LORE took us through a series of skill-building, slow-speed maneuvers around a parking lot. The drills were deceptively hard and focused on cornering, stopping and swerving — the three skills you need when presented with an obstacle.

“You have to be able to decide whether you’re going to stop for it, you’re going to swerve around it or you’re going to go over it,” said Reeves, co-owner of the school.

But, said Reeves, the biggest problem for most riders, including me, is cornering technique.

“That is the number one place where single motorcycle crashes occur,” he said.

It’s no secret that motorcycle fatalities are up this year in Maine. Many of them happen when a rider enters a curve at a speed beyond his or her skill level. I feel like I’m doing that a lot, myself. That’s why I’ve been repeating the helmet mantra all week.

At the end of the class, Reeves evaluated those who wished to test their skills. Scores under 20 were considered passing.

The star of the class was Krystal Stone of Portland. She scored a single, sterling point and got a free T-shirt for her efforts.

“There were all sorts of things I learned today,” Stone said. “Things had become so second nature on the road, I wasn’t thinking ‘how do I approach this corner on the road?’ I just approached the corner. Now, I’m actually thinking more about it.”

Krystal Stone of Portland and Seth Wilhelm of Steep Falls, both riding Ducati Monsters, took Lore Motorcycle Education's experienced rider course in Topsham on Sunday. Stone had the high score in the rider evaluation portion of the class. All riders participated free of charge thanks to a a federal grant administered through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

Krystal Stone of Portland and Seth Wilhelm of Steep Falls, both riding Ducati Monsters, took Lore Motorcycle Education’s experienced rider course in Topsham on Sunday. Stone had the high score in the rider evaluation portion of the class. All riders participated free of charge thanks to a a federal grant administered through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

My skills garnered a 14 — passing but I’d hoped for better.

“As your evaluation revealed, cornering would probably be a good thing to work on,” Reeves said. “It’s so important to keep your head and eyes up, looking ahead. If you look down, you’re going to go down.”

According to the Maine secretary of state’s office, there’s still grant money left. They may offer more free classes this fall. Watch their Facebook page for updates or call the SOS at (207) 626-8400.

Troy R. Bennett

About Troy R. Bennett

Troy R. Bennett is a Buxton native and longtime Portland resident whose photojournalism has appeared in media outlets all over the world.