Marshall Keller: Rider of the Month August 2017
Last Updated: February 5th, 2021
MARSHALL KELLER: RIDER OF THE MONTH AUGUST 2017
Serendipity. Funny how wheels turn, cogs align, and people find their way into your life. In this case, Marshall showed us the money when he bought one of our track bikes. At the time of the transaction, we didn’t know what to expect from this simultaneously brash and introspective individual. Would he listen to us when we flapped our gums about getting training? Would he take the time to work on the fundamentals before pushing to go fast? We’re happy to report he’s taken a metered approaching to track day riding and are proud to say he’s become a welcomed addition to the TEAM Arizona family.
On The Journey to Cool
The back story. We all have the tale to tell about what kicked off our motorcycling glory, and Marshall is no different:
I first started riding at age 12. My father got me my first bike, a Chinese 100, even though he had never owned a motorcycle himself. Later I was able to commandeer my brothers CRF250R just about every weekend, where I would explore the high desert and local motocross tracks.
At 15 and 7 months I made it a point to get my motorcycle permit and began taking my self to school- I thought I was so cool! After that it was game over, anywhere I went it was on my handed down (from my father, his first bike, at age 45) 05 Suzuki DR650. I didn’t even have a car until I was 18! Things began to get dangerous at age 21 when I bought my first Ducati, a Monster 821; it was the first bike that really pushed me to higher performance riding.
I signed up for the Confident RiderCourse to save on insurance at 21 on my new Ducati, and afterwords I realized I had learned a ton of stuff that I hadn’t learned in 8 years of riding (this really made me fall in love with riding), so I always planned to go back.
PUTTING IN THE WORK
One mistake we often see young riders make is that they try to do too much too soon. The fundamentals never go out of fashion. Making sure that elements like throttle control, brake pressure control, vision and additional orders of the sport are within one’s command are the keys to being a faster, safer rider. Some folks want to skip these elements and go right to “riding fast” without the fundamentals in place; an almost certain disaster. To Marshall’s credit, he is putting in the work to develop the collective skills needed to achieve motorcycling competence. His attitude and his approach to learning is crucial.
Get coached. I’d tell this to the experienced rider. Some skills come with experience but there are many that can only be passed down to you. Motorcycles aren’t intuitive, if your riding isn’t evolving or improving, seek knowledge through coaching or reading.
In the past 6 months I’ve transitioned from a few Ducatis to the Suzuki and the Triumph, I’ve read several books, attended three classes including a track clinic, and ridden 9 track days. My riding has improved threefold and will only continue to improve as my plans unfold. I want to learn all there is to know about riding, including things like maintenance and adjustments. More importantly I want to become proficient at all types of riding, from trials to road racing!
We love witnessing that kind of passion and enthusiasm for the sport of motorcycling. We’re excited to see what the future holds for Marshall. Look for him at DRRO Track Days!
Riders, we want to honor YOU! Do you know someone who should be TEAM Arizona’s Rider of the Month? Entering their name is SIMPLE.
- Email Bill (bill@motorcycletraining.com )
- In the subject line, type “Rider of the Month”
- In one paragraph, tell us why this rider deserves the title TEAM Arizona Rider of the Month!
Let’s have some serious FUN with this gang! There are some great stories out there and we don’t want to miss them, so tell us about yourselves!
Good Job Son!
Good job Dad!