WI-A Rider Education Information

Rider Education is an important part of our organization.
With emphasis on both Safety and Knowledge, Rider Education is not meant to place demands upon our members, but rather to educate our members so that they may make better decisions on their own.
Please understand that we are NOT removing "Fun" from our motto, but instead we want to enhance your opportunities for Fun.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Denny Paffel.
Denny not only "talks the talk", but he also "walks the walk."
Denny is a Senior Master Tour Rider who firmly believes in the position that he holds.

Here are some common hand signals

START ENGINE

HAZARD AHEAD HAZARD LEFT HAZARD RIGHT

LEFT TURN RIGHT TURN

SINGLE FILE STAGGER FORMATION

SLOW DOWN SLOW DOWN SPEED UP

TIGHTEN UP

Wisconsin has some really great road along the Mississippi river. The road conditions are like any other state I guess, more bad than good. The primary things to watch out for on WI roads are:

Amish buggies can be found scattered throughout the country side. Be careful not to spook their horses when you pass, it may run right into you. I always give them plenty of room when I pass.

Bad Drivers. You will come across everything, kids racing their parents car or truck on the back roads, old couples out for a Sunday cruise, tractors with manure spreaders, milk truck drivers racing to get their jobs done. Dump trucks filed with sand/dirt/rocks which will pelt you or sandblast a layer of skin off. And your typical jerks who think they own the road. Expect the unexpected!

Farmers and Live stock. You will find this on any of the back roads around WI. The Farmers may or may not check behind them before turning into fields or driveways, so be careful passing them. Also you could get hung up behind a tractor on any of the roads, Its been my experience that passing them as soon as possible is the best option. It would be far to easy for a car to come up behind you on a blind corner and drive over you.

Fuel Stops. Check your fuel level often. It may not seem like you have travelled far, but these back roads can be longer than you think. Check your fuel every time you come through a town with a gas station and keep an eye on it after that. I always reset my trip meter when I fuel up so that I know I will need fuel again in 150 miles.

Gravel. Abundant amounts of gravel in the corners, on the hills and scattered everywhere in between. The hills in early Spring and Late Fall may have a layer of sand on them. the sand is spread for winter conditions and remains of the road until we get a fairly strong rain storm.

Livestock may be found standing in the country roads. Don't think you will hit one of our beef cows and live to talk about it. Those things can weigh a ton or more. Also keep an eye out for deer. Especially in the fall when they are rutting and moving allot.

Tar Snakes. Instead of making new roads WI just fills in cracks with Tar and Toilet Paper. Many great county roads have been destroyed due to this. The tar is ok in the cooler temps, but once it warms up the stuff can be like ice. Watch your lean angles as the rear end will slip right out from under you. The other one you have to watch out for are roads that have had a covering of tar and or tar/rocks. This is done to prolong road life, but it makes for a sticky cleanup and dangerous conditions on the hot days.