Photo By Cpl. Brian Gabriel Jr. | Marine Aircraft Group 39 officials opened Camp Pendleton's first motorcycle simulator...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Marine Aircraft Group 39 officials opened the first motorcycle simulator for training at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton on April 27. The simulator is an initiative started by 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing officials to improve rider safety and to combat the high number of motorcycle fatalities in the Corps.
The motorcycle simulator provides Marines with an opportunity to learn basic riding skills, improve their techniques and fix bad habits in a safe, controlled environment. Marines can now learn and make mistakes without the risk of damaging their motorcycles, personal property or themselves.
3rd MAW now requires all motorcyclists to hone their riding skills on the simulator at least once a year. All new and future riders must use the simulator before they can take the Basic Riders Course.
"What we're looking to do is start with the basic riders first—those individuals that have never been on a motorcycle," Maj. Brian C. Proctor, the MAG 39 Director of Safety & Standardization, said. "Then we'll start with the riders who have completed the Basic Riders Course. Then we'll push on to expert riders and get them through the advanced riders syllabus."
The motorcycle simulator, or Simulator Systems International EF-Bike, is at first glance an actual sport-bike stripped of its wheels. Designed to look and feel like a real motorcycle, the replica features genuine motorcycle parts, including an authentic instrument panel, gear shifter and handlebar controls.
In order to further immerse a student into the training, the simulator faces a wall of three, high-definition plasma monitors that display a variety of riding environments like city streets, country roads, interstates and parking lots. Simulator students can also hear their tires squealing, engine rumbling and horn blaring through a speaker system.
Although the motorcycle simulator offers the most realistic experience that a motorcyclist-to-be can get without touching a real bike, it can never replace actual hands-on training like the BRC, Gunnery Sgt. Dan E. Jackson, MAG 39 Ground Safety Officer, said. The simulator lacks natural forces like wind, gravity, engine vibration and noise that only a real motorcycle can provide.
Jackson notes that the differences between the simulator and a real bike may cause more experienced riders some difficulty during their first exercises.
"You have to realize it's not going to be exactly 100 percent like your bike," Jackson said. He also added that due to the lack of nature's effects on the simulator, students can dedicate more time to developing muscle memory for tasks like properly shifting, braking and accelerating.
"It's not an exact replication of a bike, but it will teach you how to operate it and how to operate it safely," Proctor said. "Its whole purpose is to get you familiar with the bike and teach you basic fundamentals. That's what the simulator does best."
Not only is the MAG 39 simulator a new effort to improve safety and save lives, but also a proving ground for future motorcycles simulators Marine Corps-wide. If the simulator proves to be a useful supplement to the motorcycle training already set in place, more bases may be able to obtain a simulator of their own, Proctor said.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2009 15:28 |
| Story ID: | 33064 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,156 |
| Downloads: | 810 |
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