Motorcycle safety takes center stage at Kirtland Published May 4, 2015 By Ryan Stark Nucleus writer KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Around 150 Airmen and civilians converged on the Base Theater Friday to learn about motorcycle safety. The event featured presentations on safety and an outdoor riding clinic by the Bernalillo County Sherriff's Department. James Rubeor, executive director of the Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland also spoke. Although he is also a rider, Rubeor pointed out that it is a dangerous activity. On average, motorcycle-related accidents kill far more Airmen than combat, he said. "The message today is that the most dangerous thing a United States Airman does is get on a motorcycle," he said. "What we have to do is give energy and attention to doing it safely." In 2014, 15 Airmen died in motorcycle accidents and "less than half a dozen" died fighting the Taliban, Al Qaeda or the Islamic State, Rubeor said. The main causes of motorcycle accidents are excessive speed, failure to navigate turns and accidents at intersections. BMW Motorcycles spokesman and professional racer Nate Kern also spoke at the event. His promotional tours for BMW include stops at military bases like Kirtland on a regular basis. Kern, who has won of several racing championships, knows his way around a motorcycle. He said he can explain everything about motorcycle riding, but he can't make Airmen want to be safe. "There are two things I can't teach: common sense and desire," he said. He used phrases like "gyroscopic effect," "lean angle" and "center of gravity" to illustrate his views on safe riding practices to the assembled Airmen. Along with talking about navigating turns and riding safe at high speed, Kern also talked about things as basic as how riders dress and use personal protective equipment while riding. "We all want to look good," he said. "But how good do you think you'll look if you're on the side of the road twisted up like an Auntie Annie's pretzel?" Kern said there are dangers inherent to human nature. Pride, arrogance and peer pressure lead riders to get themselves in dangerous situations where they are often "running out of skill" and get injured. The course filled an Air Force-mandated requirement for an annual briefing on motorcycle safety. The Kirtland Air Force Base Riders program offers regular classes to fill additional requirements for riders. For more information, or to sign up for a course, go to sites.google.com/site/kafbriders/ home or call 846-4227.