Photo By Sgt. Kevin Alarcon | Iwakuni Thunder Run riders pose for a group picture at Marine Corps Air Station...... read more read more
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The Torii Riders hosted the Iwakuni Thunder Run at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, May 24, 2019.
The Thunder Run was an inaugural station sanctioned motorcycle ride hosted by the Torii Riders, the Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron Motorcycle Mentorship Program, to encourage ongoing rider education and skill development to reduce the risks associated with motorcycle riding during the 2019 Critical Days of Summer season.
“As the weather warms up and people get out, statistically that’s when accidents occur most often,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. John Harris, the executive officer of MCAS Iwakuni. “This is part of our awareness campaign as the weather warms up.”
Harris said the club began as a group of friends riding on the weekends in the mountains until they came to the realization that H&HS was required to have a club per Marine Corps Order 5100.19.F.
MCO 5100.19F states any battalion sized command, or larger, is required to have a Motorcycle Mentorship Program and hold quarterly rides for safety training. While the Torii Riders are required to hold quarterly training; the Thunder Run was an event that Harris wanted to hold for all motorcycle enthusiasts on the station, to include both Japanese and American civilians.
“There’re a lot of pockets of riders and lots of enthusiasts around, but there’s no big overarching group or organization and that’s what we kind of want to get after,” said Harris. “There’s world class riding in this area. What we want to do with the Motorcycle Mentorship Program, or the Torii Riders, is create an umbrella organization, sanctioned by the station, where we can get out and talk about safety, safe riding habits and see this beautiful country.”
Harris was dedicated to bringing together the community of riders on base for a sanctioned event. From service members to civilian contractors, if participants had a registered bike and their license, among other requirements, they were able to participate.
“I love riding and I love to encourage people to ride,” said Harris. “A lot of times we downplay the dangers you know, ‘don’t ride motorcycles because they’re dangerous,’ but it’s really like anything else. If you learn how to ride it safely, it’s a fantastic way to get out, destress and just enjoy the countryside,” said Harris.
Paul Evans, a civilian cable installation contractor with H&HS and fellow enthusiast, agrees with Harris.
“Anyone that rides a motorcycle can tell you once they get on the bike and they feel that self-sufficiency and independence when they twist the throttle and put their helmet on, everything else clears from their mind,” said Evans. “They forget about all the bills that they have to pay, and whether or not that girl at Starbucks was flirting with them when she said, ‘have a nice day.’”
Harris said the importance of coming together as a community for the ride was to share the joy of motorcycling, discuss wearing proper safety gear how to use proper techniques when learning how to control the machine.
“It’s like any kind of tool,” said Harris. “It’s a lot of fun, but it’ll hurt you if you don’t respect it. So, it’s a reinforcement of the joy of riding and getting out there and seeing this beautiful country.”
The Thunder Run started at the air station and traveled roughly 90 km. to Suo-oshima Island.
The ride had three resting points where participants were able to stretch their legs, share stories and discuss their rides. The first resting point was in Kuga, Yamaguchi with the two final rest stops on the Suo-oshima Island.
After the group arrived back at the air station Harris had everyone gather around and he gave a speech, thanking everyone for coming together and giving the Thunder Run a successful outcome. He then asked what some of the participants noticed were dangerous, or potentially dangerous, during the ride. After Harris provided the group some final safety tips the Thunder Run was officially complete.
Shortly after the ride, Harris traveled to the Iwakuni Police Department and presented a plaque to Osamu Koizumi, the Superintendent Chief of Iwakuni Police Department (IPD), to show his appreciation for the effort of IPD to help the group travel their route safely.
| Date Taken: | 05.31.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 05.31.2019 04:12 |
| Story ID: | 324722 |
| Location: | IWAKUNI, YAMAGUCHI, JP |
| Web Views: | 115 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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