MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAIII -- Marine Corps Base Hawaii and the Keith Code’s California Superbike School hosted a beta test Track Day for active duty service members on the flight line near the crash fire rescue building Saturday and Sunday.
The two-day event attracted approximately 140 riders who were able to ride their sport bikes at high speeds as they navigated a winding half-mile course designed by professional CSS riding instructors.
“Their speed depended on the individual rider,” said Mario Duprete, safety specialist for MCBH. “Most of the riders got up to 100 mph and easily covered 35 miles and performed 500 turns.”
Track Day was divided into four sessions, two on Saturday and two on Sunday. Each session divided riders into four 15-minute riding groups.
The free event allowed Marines and Sailors a chance to operate their sport bikes faster than permitted on base, said Duprete. Track Day included coaching from CSS instructors so motorcycling enthusiasts could learn to improve their handling skills in a safe and controlled environment.
“[MCBH] is the last base on California Superbike School’s list of military installations to conduct this beta test,” said Duprete. “This means the base will analyze the safety of the event and participant feedback to determine if we will host it again.”
Participants of the event were given a safety brief from the instructors of the California Superbike School before they were allowed on the track.
“Safety is paramount,” said Dylan Code, a riding coach at CSS, while speaking to riders. “The main thing for cyclists to practice on this course is throttle control and entry speed going into turns.”
According to the Naval Safety Center, 67 percent of all motorcycle accidents involving Marines and Sailors occur while taking a curve on the road.
Thirty-three Sailors and 25 Marines died in motorcycle accidents in fiscal year 2008, according to the Naval Safety Center. These motorcycle deaths have increased 49 percent since 2007. Since that time, there have been more Marine lives lost due to domestic motorcycle accidents than combat related deaths.
“This is a good event,” said Duprete. “It will help to spread awareness about motorcycle safety.”
Riders were required to wear personal protective gear including full-faced helmets, jackets, gloves and boots. All
participants also had to pass a pre-ride inspection of their motorcycles.
After a safety brief, the motorcyclists were broken into three groups and preceded to ride the approximately one mile-long circuit track.
The course included a long straightaway and also several twists and turns to help riders practice braking and control when approaching a corner, said Duprete.
“I probably got up to 90 mph on the straightaway,” said Seaman Richshard C. Brown, aviation mechanic, Patrol Squadron 47, a Track Day participant. “I definitely liked the course and now I want to go to a sport bike school.”
Instructors from CSS offered assistance to riders on the course by flagging down and coaching any cyclist who needed help navigating the track’s turns.
The main thing for riders to learn from Track Day is to always practice safe techniques while operating a motorcycle. As long as motorcyclists have proper control over their speed and direction, riding can always be fun, said Code.
The track offered many challenges for riders and the turns were hard to navigate at first, but the on-course instructors offer a lot of advice, said Staff Sgt. Vladimir Shurik, Russian linguist, 3rd Radio Battalion, who participated in the event.
“It’s a great opportunity for us,” said Shurik. “Sport riders around [MCBH] do not usually get the chance to be exposed to teaching from a bike school.”
Participant response has been overwhelmingly positive, said Duprete. Since the event was warmly received and there were no accidents, MCBH may see another Track Day soon.