Meet your Host, Retired Maryland State Trooper Sergeant Rick Sullivan.
After attending several of the “Bike & Breakfast” events in Poolesville, Rick decided that we all should have one in central Maryland, and Eldersburg was chosen. Rick is a Maryland State Trooper who retired as a sergeant in 2005. He is the franchise owner of the regional “ProRider” advanced skills and training program. During his distinguished and impressive thirty-year career with the Maryland State Police, Rick spent twenty-plus years as a motor officer. In 1986, he was a driving force behind bringing motorcycles to the patrol programs within the Maryland State Police after their use had been discontinued in the early 1960s. Rick learned to ride at age eight and became a licensed rider at seventeen. While serving as a motor officer, he developed his appreciation of all motorcycle brands. He rode a variety of Harley-Davidsons, Kawasakis, and BMWs as his patrol motors. This influence is evident in the mix of motorcycles in his collection today. Rick and his wife previously owned and operated a motorcycle education business called “The Flying Wheel,” where motorcycle enthusiasts learned about proper riding apparel and safety equipment, applicable motor vehicle law, motorcycle servicing and transporting, and other topics. This course helped riders understand the safety, maintenance, and rules of the road. He completed his initial motor officer certification through the United States Park Police in Washington, D.C.
Rick also earned his instructor’s accreditation through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and again through the Maryland State Police. As a recognized and skilled rider, Rick has represented his agency multiple times in various Police Motorcycle Safety competitions on the east coast.
He also had an opportunity to compete in the Dallas, Texas, area and has had the fine distinction of participating in the Police Motorcycle Road Racing World Championships in California. During his second career as a sergeant with the Maryland Transit Police, Rick was asked to take responsibility for their patrol motorcycle program. He subsequently developed the motorcycle officer’s operational manual and related SOP documentation. He also defined purchasing specifications for new motorcycles. Today, when Rick is not teaching and sharing his love of riding with others, he’s off on adventurous road trips with his wife, who is also a motorcycle owner and rider. Rick believes that as long as the roads are clear, it’s time to ride!