Mid-Life Rider

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Bret Tkacs, super-guy, super teacher, and owner of Puget Sound Safety, one of the biggest providers of motorcycle training in the country. I was particularly interested in his views on “mid-life” riders and riding. He’s got lots to say. Enjoy.

How would you describe your involvement with motorcycling now?

I currently operate Puget Sound Safety Inc. with my wife Chrisie. We founded it together in 1996. We are now one of the largest motorcycle schools in country. In 2007 year alone, we trained over 4000 riders. We are expecting grow another 50% for 2008.

As an aside, with this kind of growth we are constantly training new instructors. If you know anybody interested, have them call us. Becoming an instructor is a perfect way to improve personal skills and works really well to complement a mid-life motorcycle crisis. If you can show the wife (or whoever) that the sport will pay for its self, it’s easier to keep it going.

My philosophy about teaching is that “we ride motorcycles to have fun, so improving our riding should be fun too”. As far as courses I teach I am a chief Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic instructor, Washington Motorcycle Safety Program and Motorcycle Safety Foundation (WMSP & MSF) instructor, and a certified MSF DirtBike School Rider/Coach.

I am also the Chief instructor and curriculum developer for the Advanced Street Skills program that we host at Pacific Raceways a few times each year, and I have written and instruct a Motorcycle Care and Maintenance course taught at our school.

In addition to teaching I also guest speak at rallies and events offering clinics on riding techniques and suspension theory. I have been chatting with Dave Hough for some time and figure at some point I will put out a few books. For now I am fine with just writing articles for local and on-line motorcycle magazines.

I have tinkered in the legal arena working as an expert witness but don’t have a lot of time for it. I have found it a challenging but often disappointing experience. I am always gung ho to support the motorcyclist but more times that not find that it is more the fault of the rider that the auto driver. This is one of the driving ideas behind the development of our exclusive Advanced Street Skills program.

The A.S.S. is designed to address many of those critical skills that I have found missing in accident-involved riders. Make no mistake, this is not the MSF Experienced Rider Course (now called Intermediate Rider Training). It is a full-blown, real-world speed clinic for street riders to master their judgment and cornering skills.

For 2009 we are working on a 2-day camp for riders looking into the Adventure bike scene. I try to be involved at the legislative level but have been limited by my schedule. Mostly I testify at hearings and hold memberships and support organizations like the American Motorcyclist Association and Washington Road Riders. I also seldom miss a meeting with the Washington Motorcycle Safety Advisory Committee, which is a DOL watchdog group and is open to the public to attend.

When did you first ride a motorcycle?

My first experience riding a motorcycle was in an orchard across from my high school. My brother rode me down on his 185 Yamaha dirt bike. He showed me each of the controls and what they did and sent me on my way. Lucky for me it was almost dark and so foggy I couldn’t see past the front fender so I had no idea how scared I should have been.

What was the first bike you owned?

The first bike I ever owned was a 1980 Suzuki GS550L, but since I never did get it to run and ride more than a few blocks at a time, I consider my 1975 Kawasaki KZ400 as my first rider. After doing an unintentional one-wheeled trip though an intersection, I wound up in a pile of bike and rider, I traded my car to my brother for the bike. I have been riding year-round ever since . . . from the time I was 16 years old.

How many bikes have you owned?

Not nearly enough. I have had 17 bikes that I have bought to ride, but over 40 including project bikes that I have built and sold.

How many bikes have you ridden?

I have no idea how many different bikes I have ridden; I very seldom turn down the opportunity to ride a different bike. The more bikes I ride, the better I understand the different characteristics and skills needs to master each.

What do you own now?

Right now I own a 2005 FJR1300A set up for distance riding, an Aprilia RSV Mille for sport riding and track days, A severely modified Ducati 900 Monster for those days I want to be a poser, and a Kawasaki KLX300s Dual-sport for trail riding. I am now in the market for a heavyweight Adventure bike.

How many miles do you expect to ride this year?

We won’t discuss how many miles I won’t get to ride. Ironically the more time I spend helping others master their riding the less I get to do myself. It looks like most of my riding this year will include attending rallies such as the national BMW rally and Sport-Bike North West as a guest speaker or doing product reviews. I am planning on attending a few new track schools this year. I try to find something new every year.

Helmet of choice?

Currently I wear a Shoei RF1000 on the street most of the time and a Scorpion in the dirt. Helmets are a very personal decision and in today’s market a rider’s choice is really determined by fit, price, and features. For me the Shoei has the right balance for me.

Riding gear (street) of choice?

I have an ample selection of street gear but my favorites are my AeroStitch synthetics and my French Furygan leather Jacket and pants. The Furygan leathers are quite exclusive in the U.S: the only importer in the US is right her in the Seattle area. They fit very well. It seems the European male is more slender at the waist than the average American. Lucky for me since garments cut for the “average” American male are always small in the shoulders and huge at the waist. My favorite footwear are my Bates leathers boots, which is a small company that makes them by hand right here in the good’ol US of A. They make a great product and have really good customer service.

Riding gear (track) of choice?

I wear a set of Frank Thomas one-piece leathers that I won in a drawing. They might not be my first choice if I was buying them but the price was perfect! I have done an abrasion test and they seem to hold up just fine. I am looking for a new set though and will get a new set and will most likely get a 1-piece Furygan or Dainese suit.

What bike would you recommend (and why)?

This is a question that is just to open… there are just too many variables so I think I will discuss bike categories and some of the bikes I like in each. First are the three most popular groups for the mid-life rider: Cruisers, Sport-standards, and Sport-tourers.

Cruisers still hold a tremendous market share and certainly fit many riders with what they want to do. These are best suited for short rides, putting around town, and hanging out. It’s hard for me to go on too much about this category since it has never really fit my riding style. If I had to ride a cruiser, I’d go for something like a V-Max for the motor, the HD Night Train for the look, or the Victory Vegas to be a little different. I personally prefer a bike with better handling, more comfort, and that is more suitable for everyday use.

Sport-standards and Sport-tours are very similar in this function. Both generally have good, but not groundbreaking performance, decent suspension, good range, and are good for everyday use. Both do well and everything but not great and anything. As I like to think of it, I could ride may Aprilia or Ducati on a long trip (and have), but you would hear a lot of expletives in my helmet on the looong boring straights. Riding those bikes, I also find myself taking a little longer to sit up straight when I stop for full then I’d like. You also won’t be able to get the smile off my face when we hit the corners.

On the other hand, I could pick a big touring bike like a Gold Wing or BMW LT and I will be in the lap of luxury on those same straights but be begging for something else when we hit the corners. For me that is what makes the Sport-Tours and Sport-Standard perfect.

My current Sport-Touring bike is the Yamaha FJR (best bang for the buck) and offers a great motor, big fuel tank, cheap insurance and reasonable comfort. Other bikes like the BMW RT, Honda ST1300, or Kawasaki C14 are also great. You just have to decide what fits you best. My Sport-Standard it a Ducati Monster which I have taken to both borders (Canada and Mexico).

The Sport-Standard it a good way to get one machine that can do it all. Bikes like the Ducati Monster, Kawasaki Z1000, Honda 919 or 599 are all good for this purpose. Other good choices are the Honda VFR or Triumph Sprint. The new BMW F800ST looks promising but it is still unproven. If you are into sport riding (track dedicated bikes are a whole different subject) I have grown very fond of riding twins. I have had or ridden, ZX’s, CBR’s, GSXR’s, SV’s, Ducati’s, and my latest bike an Aprilia RSV.

Of all the bikes my three favorites were the SV650s, Ducati Monster, and my Aprilia. It’s not that these bikes are superior to the others (the GSXR1000 was a monster!) I just find myself smiling more when I ride them. The twins give great feedback from the motor. This feedback lets me ride at lower speeds (a relative term) while still enjoying myself. I was seldom able to ride the GSXR without have temptations to do really dumb things… so I sold it. I also really like the sound and feel of the twins; they remind me of the old muscle cars.

Adventure bikes are a growing segment and offer many of the benefits of the Sport-Tourers, trading only a little off-road prowess in exchange for good on-road performance. The owners of these bikes almost never have anything to say negatively. The only problem is that many of them you have to approach with your eyes closed. I guess it may be acquired taste. I expect I will own one within the next year so I will have a better prospective at that time. Right now I have to decide between the ultimate road warrior (BMW GS) or the deal of the decade the KLR. The V-Strom has an excellent reputation but is too road biased for what I want to do. I want to get dirty!

Brets- Top 10 list (subject to change daily)

• FJR1300A- the ultimate sport tourer
• ST1300- the ultimate tourer
• Ducati Monster- the perfect poser
• Suzuki SV650- the biggest smile
• Suzuki DL650- the happiest owners
• KLR650- the deal of the decade (now in its 3rd decade)
• Ducati 848- lighter and more nimble than it’s bigger brother and still over 130hp
• BMW R1200GS- The ultimate, price is no option, do everything bike
• DR400SM- the ultimate around-town bike
• VFR800- Gentleman’s express

Re-entry list

Suzuki SV650, DL650, DR400SM

Kawaski 650 ninja, KLR650, EX250 ninja

Honda 599, VFR800. CBR600F4i

Yamaha FZ6, WR250. Supermoto

BMW 650GS. F800

Ducati Monster (anything up to through the 800)

Aprilia Shiver

Triumph Bonneville America, T100 Scrambler

What’s the coolest thing you’ve done on/with a motorcycle?

I rode my Ducati on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln while providing motorcycle training to crew as they sailed to their homeport here in Washington.

If you could pick one place you’d recommend as a riding destination / experience, what/where would that be?

Locally, I would recommend Highway 2 or Randle to Windy ridge on the east side of Mt St. Helens. Stay away from the weekends if you can help it since that is when the riders that get confused about where the racetrack is are out riding.

If someone handed you a blank check and said “go buy a motorcycle you’d enjoy riding (not just collecting), what would you pick?

If money was not a consideration and I could only own one bike I think I would have to try out a BMW R1200GS.

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Tags: AeroStich, American Motorcyclist Association, Bates Leathers, Dainese, Frank Thomas, Furygan, MSF, Pacific Raceways, Puget Sound Safety, Shoei, Victory Vegas, Washington Road Riders, WMSP, Frank Thomas, Furygan Leathers, Bates Leathers, Dainese, Victory Vegas, Night Train, Lee Parks