Tom Ewen

I’ve not come from a family of bikers or some heritage line of mad-keen riders/racers.

I first got interested in the idea of a motorcycle during my university days in Palmerston North, but back then you could only legally do 70km/h max on the open road and I couldn’t afford both a bike and car so it got put on the back burner.

Some years later I decided to stop procrastinating and get it done. I did a BHS course and was hooked immediately - why hadn’t I done this sooner!? I progressed through the licence stages and took on as much information as I could to get better. The biggest priorities for me were having fun and staying in one piece. So I did (and still do) multitudes of ACC’s Ride Forever courses and always tried to soak up as much info and learning as possible, as well as getting out and actively putting it all into practice.

My riding was, and is, all year round - rain, hail or shine. Motorcycling became my ideal commuting method, provided heaps of weekend smiles and took me travelling/touring around NZ. You learn a lot when you ride daily - like the importance of good wet weather gear and developing a sixth sense for what other traffic’s going to do.

In my normal work life I’d always enjoyed passing on knowledge and helping others, so in 2021 I decided to bring that to bikes. I got my Instructor Endorsement (Class 1 & 6) and soon after qualified as an approved assessor for the Basic Handling Skills test. Shortly after that I got involved with Roadsafe and contracted to them run Ride Forever courses in Napier, and then progressed to become an approved CBTA assessor.

Too often you see people getting their licence (car or motorcycle) and then thinking that they’re a pro and that’s it. There’s more at stake when you ride a motorcycle, so we have to be better. I firmly believe that you can always benefit from training and practice, but it’s got to be fun too! I want to help people learn, and provide them with the encouragement to be confident, safe and skilled riders. Motorcycling can be incredibly rewarding - being good at it means you can keep it that way.

So if you’re new to riding, want to learn/hone some skills or even if you’re just wondering if getting into bikes may be for you, then get in touch!

Cheers,

Tom.