The Motorcycle Wave – What’s There to Say?
I’VE BEEN SAYING TO MYSELF FOR YEARS I WOULD NOT WRITE ABOUT THE MOTORCYCLE “WAVE.” On the one hand – at least in North America – it’s a fine symbol of the brotherhood experienced by riders of all ages, races, religions, creeds, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. On the other hand, it can be tiring in areas [...]
Rider Control When Stopped – or Not (Video)
HOW OFTEN DO YOU DROP YOUR MOTORCYCLE? I don’t mean crash it, although that would certainly be a pertinent answer. In this instance, I simply mean dropping it while you’ve stopped, or while riding very slowly. One example would be pulling up to a stop sign and putting your foot down on some loose sand, [...]
He Said, “I’ll Never Ride a Motorcycle Again”
FELLOW MOTORCYCLISTS GET SMASHED ON THE PAVEMENT EVERY DAY. And many live to tell about it. This morning I learned that one of my neighbors, a young 21-year-old rider, has been in the hospital for several days and is expected to remain there for another 2 weeks, before he can go home for a projected [...]
Motorcycle Safety Ain’t For All Riders
WHERE ARE YOU ON THE SPECTRUM OF MOTORCYCLE SAFETY? If you are reading this, it could be presumed that you have some level of interest in motorcycle safety. But in my experience, what that means in terms of “how much” or “how little” you routinely demonstrate the “best practices” of rider safety may vary considerably. [...]
What Are Common Motorcycle Rider Characteristics?
HOW SIMILAR OR DIFFERENT ARE YOU, COMPARED TO OTHER RIDERS? Over the years, non-motorcycle riders have asked me to express common traits among motorbike riders that I’ve observed. But I’ve been hard pressed to identify truly universal common rider attributes – other than a love of motorcycles and riding. Perhaps you know of some that [...]
Motorcycle Touring Tips and Suggestions
WHAT ARE YOUR MOTORCYCLE TOURING SUGGESTIONS? A friend of mine just bought a new motorcycle (he’s been riding off and on for many years) and will be taking a trip with his wife and asked my advice regarding motorcycle security on the road; best gear for touring through mountains with variable temperatures and unpredictable rain; [...]
Motorcycle Riding on the Razor Edge of Life and Death
MOTORCYCLE RIDERS HAVE ALL HAD CLOSE CALLS Every motorcycle rider has had close calls. Which of yours were so close that you were in disbelief that a tragedy simply failed to materialize when it should have? (Write your experience below). The events that have really been on the edge of life and death for me, [...]
Should You Use That Front Brake Lever?
SPEAKING WITH NEWBIES ABOUT STOPPING MOTORCYCLES I was at one of the local motorcycle dealers this week. As I was walking around the large showroom, I happened to pass by a sales person while he was pointing out the motorcycle controls to a potential customer, “…and this is the front brake lever…” But before he [...]
We Don’t Need More Motorcycle Riders
“HOW COME YOU RIDE A MOTORCYCLE?” How many times have you been asked that question? Or, the more direct one that will be asked is, “Aren’t motorcycles dangerous?” I will often reply, “Of course motorcycles are dangerous. And that’s why they are not for everyone.” If the person is actually interested in taking the discussion [...]
“Rookie Mistakes” for Touring Riders
CONFESSIONS OF A VETERAN ROOKIE Fred Rau is one of my favorite motorcycle writers and I enjoy reading whatever he has to say every month. Over the decades, his words have been all over the moto mags so you have likely read him, as well. In the March 2009 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News, Fred [...]
Motorcycle Rain Riding: What to Wear
THE BEST PART ABOUT RIDING IN THE RAIN…. Having ridden through every imaginable type of rain condition all over North America, I consider the best part about rain riding to be that period for about an hour after the rain stops, when everything is wet and clean. Sort of like Mother Nature getting out of [...]
The Invisible Motorcyclist to the Rescue!
There are times when I really do wish I were an invisible rider: particularly during those instants of startled realization that my speedometer is indicating the wrong enjoyment factor at the wrong time – at least relative to some long-gone road engineer or lawmaker who determined the speed limit. However, regardless of how invisible we [...]
Motorcycle Survival in 3 Seconds
There are lots of different motorcycles. And at the rate manufacturers keep developing bikes for more and more and narrower niches, it won’t be too long before you’ll need to hire a consultant just to figure out whether you are best suited on a cruiser, dual-purpose, sport bike, tourer, sport tourer, standard, dirt bike, super [...]
Motorcycle Riding Gloves: How Many Are Too Many?
ARE YOU A MOTORCYCLE GLOVE JUNKIE? Do you have more riding gloves than might make sense to a casual observer? If you are a season rider, you’ve probably got a few pairs to select from, when you crank over your bike’s motor. Some gloves are easy to justify: Motorcycle gloves for hot weather. Riding gloves [...]
Hot Weather Survival Tactics for Motorcyclists
Whether you describe “Hot Weather” as 80 degrees or 110 degrees, if you are riding for several hours in heated temperatures, the main thing to prevent is also the most obvious: DEHYDRATION. Dehydration is excessive loss of water from the body. Motorcyclists should not think too lightly of this malady. Dehydration can lead to a [...]
Twisted Grip Personality Test
