Cranbrook's Wally Eddy has become the first ICBC motorcycle instructor in the East Kootenay. After teaching people how to ride as a hobby for over seven years, he has now gone the next step and become fully certified at the request of ICBC.
Eddy has lived, with his wife Patty, in Cranbrook for 13 years, after moving here from Prince George. He has worked at Investors Group for 22 years as the region director and 10 years as a senior consultant.
RidersWest sat down with Eddy to find out about his passion for the ride and how East Kootenay residents can now benefit from his riding experience.
What have people done in the Kootenays to get certified before you came along?
I have been helping people, as a hobby, with motorcycle basic and intermediate training without being certified with ICBC for over seven years. ICBC wanted a certified instructor in this area so I challenged all of the process to attain it. I am also certified with the Gold Wing Road Riders Association and conduct advanced training for them as well.
How will people benefit from your instruction?
I believe they will be safer motorcycle riders. The course can be 10 hours or 50 hours long – whatever it takes to ensure the students are capable of passing the skills test and the road test. I have never had a failure in the past seven years.
What are some of the challenges of learning to ride? How do you help students overcome them?
The first thing is weight and balance of the bike – riders forget they have two wheels and not four under them so cornering, stopping quickly, weaving to miss pot holes, etc., are a real challenge to new motorcycle riders. We work on the two "C’s" of riding: confidence and control. Without either, the new rider needs a lot of time with an instructor to learn the basics of clutch and rear brake control, while staying over the centre of gravity on the bike.
What are some tips for people to stay safe while riding?
First thing is to ride “loud” which means put on some reflective gear so you are seen by other vehicles – always be watching other drivers because they cannot see you on the two wheeler. Stats show that when a motorcycle and vehicle are in an accident, the driver of the vehicle states that they did NOT see the motorcycle.
How long have you been riding a motorcycle? What do you love most about it?
I started riding when I turned 52, 10 short years ago. I always wanted to learn to ride a motorcycle and could finally afford it at that time. When you are riding you see everything and smell everything. The freedom of the wind and the rain is what I love most about it. Helping people become better riders was soon a passion that took over, hence the idea began to help new riders become safer riders.
You have done something special with the proceeds you've earned from teaching, can you tell our readers about this?
Because I work full-time at Investors Group in Cranbrook, I have been doing this as a hobby and have given ALL proceeds to charities within this community. We estimate approximately $6,000 per year have gone to charities for the past seven or so years. Now with ICBC, I need liability insurance – bonding and a lot of other stuff that cost me to become certified with ICBC – so we will do what they wish at this time, and the charities will do with out for now.
What does the future hold with your motorcycle instruction?
I intend to continue my hobby of coaching motorcycle students for another five years or so and in the meantime, continue to search for a partner that would like to take over from me. Our new motorcycle school is called, Fisher Peak Motorcycle Training Academy.
If you are interested in receiving motorcycle instruction by Wally Eddy, you can call his cell at 250-417-1990, call him at the Investors Group office at 250-489-6100, or email him at [email protected].
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