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Copyright © 2000 by M. Hilton Taylor. All Rights Reserved by T.A.M.S. It ain’t rocket science . . . is it. |
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Has anyone ever told you “it’s the little things that count?” Well it is true! Did you ever think about how fast your brake lights light up after you pull the handle? Did you know that a LED (not really a bulb) lights up 200 milliseconds faster than a halogen light? I know it does not sound like much but at 60 mph your bike will travel almost 18 ft. That is about the length of a car or said another way the car behind you stops 18 ft behind you instead of on top of you. This is much better. It also means you begin stopping 18 ft before the person behind will have an indication. Rup roh! This is a small thing that can become very important, so ride behind the bikes with the LED’s . . . you get more notice. LED’s are also brighter, last about 100,000 hours, draw about 33% less current, and are resistant to shock. While they cost more to purchase they are actually cheaper since they last so long. They also run cooler (ever touched a lighted halogen bulb) and most important . . . look cooler. Since they draw less current you can have more light and still not put a strain on the electrical system. Now if you learn to react only ½ second faster you can gain a total of 62 feet and we are still working with less than a second. So, all you have to do is convince the person riding in front of you to get some LED’s and then train your reflexes. Speaking of stopping, this is another place where little things count. If your brake rotors are not correctly aligned or warped then the pads cannot grip the rotor flat. This means you are stopping with less than full braking contact. One side could be gripping hard and the other side could be out by 1/64th of an inch, not much, but it still is not touching. Not good if you are looking at the side of a truck blocking your lane or if Old Ms. Hazel cuts in front of you. Remember, big things seem to take care of themselves, but the little things need a lot of attention . . . one tiny ball bearing kept a turbine car from winning the 1967 Indianapolis 500.
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