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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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To avoid hand fatigue while riding extend the first two fingers and grip with the others and it will prevent you from tensing your hands and forearms and causing fatigue. It also allows you to be able to react quicker in an emergency situation. Learn to ride natural and sit upright so you are not leaning on the grips pulling against them. Remember what your mother told you . . . “sit up straight.” Well it is not always about sitting up straight as much as it is about keeping your back straight. Allowing your back to “sag” is what makes you uncomfortable and causes the tired and run down feeling. Stop and stretch every two hours of riding to relax your muscles and to avoid road hypnosis. When you are tense you are not as aware of what you are doing and will have a tendency to let your mind wander. Road hypnosis is when you begin to stare straight ahead and stop scanning the road. It is also sometimes referred to as tunnel vision. This is dangerous as it is like driving down the road while looking through a tube. You also miss a lot of scenery and you may miss that babe in the bikini at the motel pool. Riding in the rain is not as much fun as singing in the rain and a lot more dangerous. When riding in the rain remember everything must be smoother and more deliberate. Avoid slick areas that are usually in the center of the lane and most of the time will have sheen to them. Stay smooth and if you feel yourself hit one of the slick areas, let the bike roll and remember everything must be smoother and more deliberate. This does not include tires as they definitely should not be smooth, but they should be very groovy. Good tires will give you a good grip even in the rain, just be sure you avoid making jerky moves. Save those jerky moves for later at clubs while you show off your cool dance steps. The tires because of their characteristics, grip much better in the rain than you would believe, as long as you have enough tread depth to direct the water from beneath the tire. Puddles on a bike will be different than in a car. A car will have more of a tendency to hydroplane while a motorcycle will have more of a tendency to slow or swerve. This sudden movement can cause a loss of control of the bike and if it is bad enough, a loss of control of the bladder. Try to maintain an upright position to help the bike avoid sliding. Above all be smooth Group riding can be a lot of fun if you know how to be a part of the group. Always stay in a staggered formation and two seconds behind the bike directly in front of you. Learn all of the hand signals and not just the ones that use one finger. Watch for emergencies, point out obstacles, and don’t get distracted by the biker chick in the leather halter top or the guy with the washboard abs. A group begins when you have two bikes. It does not have to be a lot of bikes, although it is a lot more exciting to know you have more than one friend. Talk to the people that will be riding around you to find out what their riding skills are. You do not want to be too close to the person that started riding yesterday and just bought one of those fancy big tour bikes. It may make you feel a little silly doing this but it could insure you are around for dinner and who knows you may find yourself a good friend. You may want to point out to the less skilled that they would be more comfortable at the front of the group to avoid the rubber band effect that happens when you have a larger group of riders. I have never quite understood how the lead rider is doing 60 mph and the last rider is doing 80 mph and they all arrive at the same time. It must be new math. Eating healthy while riding can not only make you healthier but it can also make the ride more pleasant. Avoiding heavy foods will keep you from feeling stuffed and miserable. It is better to eat sparingly and more frequently which will keep you more alert. You know how you feel after that big steak and potato . . . where is my easy chair and remote. Save that for the quiet time at the end of the day when you are sitting in the motel lobby watching TV. Long distance riding is much better when you are not tired. Learn to recognize the signs of fatigue such as indecision, failure to maintain speed, and not being able to concentrate. That is your brain saying it needs a little rest. Eat lightly, stop often, and avoid colas and coffee. It is not the time to stop at the all you can eat buffet just because it is a little quicker. Ride at a steady speed and avoid riding fast to make better time . . . it just does not work and it is dangerous. It is explained in the tortoise and the hare story. If you are riding through a slick area and feel the bike get slippery, while you are screaming oh ?#@ at the top of your lungs, avoid grabbing the brakes and let the bike roll through the slick area. If the tires pick up some of the oil, let the bike slow the bike down to a crawl and ride in the dirt to remove the slick stuff. Let it roll to a slow pace and then regain your composure and erase that look like you just saw Ms Hazel in her hair curlers. Oil is only your friend if it is inside of the motor . . . outside it is your enemy. The only thing slicker than the oil is antifreeze; and, it looks a lot like water when it is on the road. So when you are riding down the parkway enjoying the scenery, be aware that there may have been a few retirees riding around in their new motor home dropping a little antifreeze. Rocks in the road are not fun but you can make it through the rocky times. Do not accelerate and slow as much as you can prior to the rocks but once you reach the rocks let the bike roll through the rocks. Avoid using the brakes. If the bike slips then stand it up slightly and give it time to roll off of the rocks before steering it again. The bikes tendency to slide is reduced the more straight up the bike is. If you are in a turn then straighten up, gain control, then lean into the turn and take it wide as possible to avoid hitting something else. Then stop on the side of the road to regain some composure, and say a little prayer of thanks that you made it. Where did that big object in the road come from? You are riding and all of a sudden you are faced with a big object in the road. Now what? If possible, do the big swerve, by pushing the handle bars in a direction to avoid the object, assuming you have the room and time. If it is an object you could possibly ride over and are unable to avoid it, brake hard before the object, and then accelerate hard as you reach the object. This will cause the front of the bike to rise and lighten allowing you to mount the object and drive over it. I have seen Evil Kneivel do it several times but I would not try it if it is more than about 4 inches tall. Road gators are intimidating but not as dangerous as they appear or as dangerous as the Okefenokee Swamp gators. Most bikes will ride over them but you could have a tire puncture from the steel belts. The closer you ride to the rear of a vehicle the less notice you will get of objects in the road. If you can’t pass the obstructing vehicle, then ride to the left so you can see around. Notice is a good thing, unless it is the notice your get when your rent is behind. Ok so your bike fell over. Not a big deal if you just follow some basic rules. Yeah, I know it is really heavy but you can do it. If possible, put the bike in gear or if not hold the front brake lever to prevent the bike from rolling. If it is lying on the side with the shift lever just lift it up as much as you can then sit on the side of the seat and hold the front brake lever. Take baby steps backwards pushing with your legs and the bike will slowly right itself. When it is high enough put the kickstand down and take a rest. Check the bike for damage and don’t hurt your shoulder while patting yourself on the back. When it is on the opposite side use the same procedure except put the bike in gear and don’t worry about the brake lever. Also put the kickstand down before you start so you can have a way to rest it after you have it up. Once you have the bike up be sure to beat your chest and do a Tarzan yell because you deserve it. Avoiding cars pulling out in front of you is difficult at best. Watch the wheels. If they are not turning the car is not moving. If they move, so do you. When approaching a car in front of you wanting to make a left turn and does not consider you an obstacle, watch the driver’s eyes for a sign that he or she sees you. If you do not think they see you, do something to attract their attention and screaming won’t help that much. They are more than likely listening to some high volume funk music and will not hear you. When cars are approaching from the right side, ride close to the center line, it is not much, but it will give you a slight improvement of distance for reaction time. Always think they are going to pull out in front of you and when they don’t you will have something to smile about. Avoiding hitting animals is something I find extremely gratifying, especially deer. Turkeys are not much fun either. Road kill and turtles can also be a nuisance. Deer whistles do not work even though some people swear by them. I have heard riders say I have deer whistles on my bike and I have never hit one. I have elephant repellent in my bike and I have never hit one of those either. The best way to avoid animals, other than staying home, is to avoid the peak times of day when they are moving and areas where they are most like to be in large numbers. I found that paying attention and a good set of lights work as good as anything. You may also want to remember where you saw the deer so you can give that information to your friend that hunts. It may not help today but could prevent future occurrences. While we are talking about trying not to hit things, let talk about what to do if the bike in front of you goes down. The first thing to remember is the highway is self cleaning so where the bike falls is not where it will stay. It is very difficult to out guess where a sliding bike will end up, but the laws of physics tell us it will continue in the direction of the last force applied. That means unless it hits something that redirects its path it will slide away from us. If someone goes down in front of you, then your best choice is to not change directions. Continue on your path and the path will in most cases be clear when you get to the point the bike went down. Then it would be nice to stop and help the fallen rider. Sudden stops are another thing that will get your attention. When someone stops in front of you abruptly and your brain says “I don’t think I am going to be able to stop in time”, you probably won’t. So what do you do? Look for a clear path on both sides, and ride toward that spot. If that does not work then your options start to get to the “uh oh” point. This is when you will have to make a decision as to whether you will have to lay the bike down. I know that does not sound like a lot fun, but it will be a lot better than the flight you will take free of charge into or over an object. This is called a high side but it will quickly become a low point in your life as the physics will cause you to accelerate. This is not your best option, and as bad as it seems the abrasive ground slows you down quicker than clean air. Falling off of the low side is much better and your chance of injury is reduced slightly. Either way your first thought will be thank goodness for good riding gear or this is not going to be fun! Riding while intoxicated is never a good idea. Aside from death from crashing there are many other good reasons to not ride after you have been drinking. Even if you survive the crash you will still have to replace all of that chrome that gets damaged. If you feel the need to drink, then you will need a friend to give your keys to that you can trust will not give them back. You may also want to be sure he knows how to ride a motorcycle just in case he decides to take your bike home for you. It doesn’t accomplish much otherwise. Where motorcycles are concerned any alcohol on bike should be in the tank and the rider should not be tanked. If you are taking medications that may cause you to become drowsy or dizzy, you should not be planning to ride. How much alcohol is too much? Pretty much anything over a thimble full is too much! Avoid dehydration. Water is very important when riding in the summer. Riding and the wind will wick the water right out of your body . . . even if you feel like you don’t sweat much. It is easier to dehydrate, than it is to re-hydrate. Drink liquids before you need them on a hot day. Just think of it as saving for a non-rainy day. Not drinking enough when it is very hot can cause headaches, dizziness, and slow down your reaction time. Not good when Old Ms Hazel is returning from the store thinking about making that chocolate cake, and makes the turn into her driveway across your path. You want to be very alert. Drinking liquids with caffeine can hurt you more than help you, so wait on that coffee until later. Who knows, Old Ms Hazel may feel bad about turning in front of you and invite you in for some of her famous chocolate cake. Emergencies are something I try to avoid because quite frankly I just don’t like them. If one does occur around you it is best to be prepared. A first aid kit is essential to any emergency situation, so make sure you keep a good one with you. The shiny aluminum space blankets can be used to keep warm, keep dry, or to prevent shock. They are also cool for obtaining the best summer tan. Flashlights can be used while making repairs to your bike on the side of the road. If your head light goes out it will give you enough light so you can slowly ride to a safe area. Use a bungee cord or duct tape to attach it to the front of the bike. Most drivers will just think you are some stupid bicycle rider out way too late. Vice Grips are great for holding things on like a clamp. In an emergency then can become a clutch lever, shift lever, or used for securing something important to the bike. If you carry a cell phone you should put your emergency phone number in it under ICE. This stand for In Case of Emergency and is not the place you call to refill your cooler. Mechanical breakdowns are something that will usually occur at the least expected time in the most inconvenient place. If possible look for a safe place to pull to the side of the road which will be as far from the flow of traffic as possible. Your buddy should also stop with you. Do not try to stop the whole group. While two heads are said to better than one you don’t need a dozen or so. Medical emergencies are definitely not one of my favorite aspects of motorcycle riding, but they do occur from time to time. It is a great idea to take a course in managing medical emergencies and first aid. It may not make you an expert but hopefully you can keep the person comfortable and alive until the pros show up. One key thing to remember is . . . do not remove the helmet. You may want to put a sticker on the top of your helmet that says . . . Helmet should only be removed by medical personnel to prevent injury to the victim. Then you can only hope they will take the time to read it. When you are involved in a situation that may have serious injuries call 911 and then try to keep the victim stabilized. While I would not try to make you an expert in a few short paragraphs I do know that it is very important to apply pressure to any point that is bleeding in order to stop it. You should also keep the victim still and cover them to help prevent shock. This is where you can use that shiny space blanket. The victim will not be able to think clearly amidst any pain so keep them calm and stop them from moving around which may cause more serious injuries. I would recommend to those that will be riding in or leading large groups of riders to take a course in accident management, CPR, and First Aid. This will make you better able to handle emergencies and perhaps save a life. The first few minutes are critical so having a good knowledge of how to proceed will save you a lot of time. Contrary to the advertisements . . . staying at a Holiday Inn Express will not make you an EMT, though I have seen people try to fly helicopters after a night at the Inn! It is also important to be friendly while riding around the country enjoying the scenery. Remember to wave to all of the little kids along side the road . . . they think you are cool. Some of their moms may also think so. Take some time to hang around some of the small country stores you find on the back roads, especially if you can find one where all of the old guys are sitting around whittling on a stick. They are the ones with the best stories and you may learn how to carve out something nice. Waving at other riders has become a tradition, although no one probably knows why it started. I think it is a respect and a comradeship for other people that ride . . . or they have as few friends as you do. Whatever the reason, it happens when two motorcycles pass each other. How they wave depends apparently on the type of bike they ride. Most of the sport bike riders momentarily lift their hand slightly off the handlebar to wave. Probably to prevent them from falling forward since it only leaves then one hand to lean on. The “Geezer Glide” riders wave like they are in the Miss America pageant. Most of the Cruiser riders have adapted a wave by extending the arm out and down at an angle while pointing their fingers (usually at least two). This probably is to a make definite distinction from the arm raised upward at an angle pointing one finger. Whatever the reason, waving when you ride by another motorcycle makes the pastime of riding more enjoyable . . . and also shows you can ride with one hand. |