Motorola has its Motorola University. McDonald's has its Hamburger University. Why shouldn't we have our own Motorcycle University? Motorcycle University would have few admission standards. Regardless of whether you never graduated from high school or hold a doctoral degree from a prestigious, world-renown college, you would be eligible for enrollment at good ole MU. The only admission requirement might be a valid motorcycle operator’s license.

But, wait! Such an institution of higher learning already exists; and we are all enrolled whether we care to attend classes or not. That sounds pretty unique, doesn't it? The other unique thing about our Motorcycle University is that there is no graduation. But then most educational institutions wrap up their programs with a commencement, which means "beginning." Ours, good ole MU, is never ending. It has all the camaraderie of sororities and fraternities, all the social events of college football games and student centers, all the fun and activities normally associated with college life. And the learning is never ending.

"An institution of higher learning for motorcycling already exists; and we are all enrolled whether we care to attend classes or not."

Another name for our Motorcycle University is riding. As we ride, we have the opportunity to continuously learn. As we ride, we continuously encounter new experiences, new situations. Sometimes these situations catch us off guard and we have to take drastic actions to avoid unpleasant results. Other times these situations are less threatening as they occur, but could have been more severe in a different setting.

Each of these is a learning opportunity. If we analyze what happened and think about what we might have done differently, learning occurs. If we file that away for future reference in case we ever see that situation developing again, we'll be better prepared to handle it the next time. If we keep looking for learning opportunities, we will sharpen our skills and continue to grow as we ride.

We must realize that we can never know too much to survive on the road. Riding gives us the opportunity to continuously learn more. The road becomes the "bricks and mortar" of our Motorcycle University. Our trusty iron horse becomes our "desk." The other users of the road become our "professors," challenging us with new learning opportunities. But it's up to us to attend its classes. Just remember, the tests will still come whether we learn or not.

Ride Smart! Ride Safe!