The Connecticut Rider Education Program (CONREP) recently purchased a pair of Honda Safe Motorcyclist Awareness and Recognition Trainer, or SMARTrainer. I recently had the opportunity to experience the trainer and I was really impressed.
The SMARTrainer uses state of the art software and actual motorcycle controls and can be used to give the beginning rider an opportunity to learn basic motorcycle control operations such as clutch, brake, throttle, and gearshift coordination in a computer simulation environment. This is not a riding simulator. The SMARTrainer does not lean or countersteer, but it is a powerful computerized traffic simulator that allows intermediate and experienced riders the opportunity to operate a motorcycle in more risky traffic situations giving them a chance to evaluate and address the various safety scenarios in a controlled environment. Riders experience and respond to a variety of on-screen scenarios as they travel along virtual streets and highways. To succeed in this world of pixels and bytes, students have to make the right decisions as they Search, Evaluate and Execute (SEE) their way past computer generated cars, trucks and pedestrians. The objective of the on-road simulation is to safely negotiate a series of routes, while developing effective road hazard awareness. Fifteen different routes under a variety of road and environmental conditions are in the training package, so there are plenty of challenges. While the SMARTrainer creates a virtual environment, I found that the lessons learned are real. You will be able to experience the SMARTrainer for yourself. They will be available to the public at the motorcycle show at the Connecticut Expo Center in early January. I do not have the exact dates, but will post the info when I get it. -- Steve Smith, COG #3184 COG Northeast Area Director (somewhere in south central CT)
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.