Sep 1st

It Ain't Just The "Cagers" You Have to Watch For.....

By Carol
So, you curse those darned "cagers" on the road as you are out there enjoying your ride....  Well, fellow bikers, it is not just the people in automobiles and trucks and buses that we have to watch out for; we also have to pay attention to the irresponsible bikers who share the roads with us.  Below is an e-mail I received today from a friend of mine who is a very experienced biker and an MSF rider/coach.  I thought it was worthy of sharing with all of you!

" I ride to and from work in Newark almost every day.  On my way home from work yesterday around 1620, as I merged on to Rt.78w,I was very nearly hit on the left side from behind by a sportbike doing well over 100mph. ( I couldn't tell you what brand of bike it was,color of bike or what rider had on if anything. Did have a dark full face.)
I was in the merge lane doing about 45,looked over my left shoulder,saw it was clear and continued to accelerate into the right lane when something screaming almost hit my left side,close enough to feel the wind blast and cause my body to jump.Two others blew past my right side an instant later.I felt rage flush through my body and wanted to give chase,but we were in moderate traffic and they were weaving through the traffic so fast they were more than a 1/4mi.ahead in a second. I even found myself wishing they'd crash!
Glad they didn't only because of the trauma they'd cause the innocents. They just pissed me off big time. You expect things like that at bike rallies,but not where we all travel on a daily basis. Guess I forgot I was in Newark NJ. It bothered me all the way home. I guess this is why I have always believed the "Angels" ride with me! (God's Angels,not the other ones)
We tell our RENJ BRC students to "Turn your head" after a mirror check. We urge Car drivers to "Look twice,save a life!"
I guess the moral of the story is   "Look twice, Save your own life!""

Jul 13th

"I Read the News Today, Oh Boy....."

By Carol
I was reading my local news online a couple of days ago, when a headline grabbed my attention:

"1 Dead After Crash on Route 18 in East Brunswick"
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100712/NEWS/100712019/1004/NEWS0102

Somehow, without the headline saying it, I knew a motorcycle was involved.  Sadly, I was correct.  Sadder yet, the motorcyclist died in the accident; the passenger on the bike was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition at the time.  Apparently, the 19 year old driver of the automobile that was involved was not injured.

I know nothing about this accident (other than what little was written up in the local paper) and I know none of the people involved.  But motorcycle accidents send chills down my spine whenever they occur, and especially when they occur on local roads that I travel all the time.  Perhaps many of you will agree with me when I say that it seems like we are often a bit too interested in the gory details of motor vehicle accidents.  Yet, hopefully, we can learn something from even the most tragic of accidents.  I looked at the photos that were taken of the accident (and there was controversy about the newspaper even posting some of them, especially the ones that show what appears to be covering over the body of the biker) in an attempt to understand better what had happened and I am baffled.  Was the biker making a right turn onto Route 18 from the side street?  Did the vehicles collide while merging into the same lane?  Was someone driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs?  Was one of the operators distracted?  I don't have an answer.  What I do know is that, regardless of the roads that we ride on, the moment we let down our guard is the moment that we will be in big trouble.  Defensive motorcycling is necessary on all roads at all times....because our lives depend upon it.

Take a look at the photos after this accident to see if you can learn anything from them:

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And, for those of you who might live in my area, and who just might have been witness to what happened on Sunday evening, this is what I found on the road today:

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Jul 2nd

Americade 2010 - Now For Something a Little Different!

By Carol
So, there we were...at Americade 2010...up in the beautiful Adirondack Mountain region of New York State...  And, like so many other Americades, which start on the first Monday of June, the weather was, as usual, unpredictable.  We arrived on Wednesday of Americade week and it was dreary, rainy, and cool.
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 This year, we didn't sign up for any of the scheduled tours, though, so we were pretty flexible when it came to what to do, where to go, and whether to brave the weather!  We clocked out a route from Lake George for a Thursday trip with some friends of ours.  Of course, Thursday morning arrived and guess what?  Yep...it was raining again.  So we canceled our plans for the day trip and tried to figure out what else we could do in the cool, wet weather.  Of course, going to a motorcycle rally, we wanted to get on our bikes and ride, not wander around the village of Lake George.  So, when the clouds cleared a bit, we decided to give it a go and we hopped on our bikes and headed north.  We rode up the western side of Lake George, on Route 9N, a very curvy, twisty and scenic road that snakes its way north.  Lake George comes to an end and Lake Champlain begins and we continued north until we got to Fort Ticonderoga, where there is a ferry (really just a little barge) that carries people, cars, and bikes across Lake Champlain between New York and Vermont.  Once in Vermont, we took a few more roads and before we knew it, we were at our destination:  the Woodchuck Cidery in Woodbury, Vermont. 
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Well, my friends, this is not your regular ol' cider mill.  These people make HARD cider!  Normally, the cidery is not open to visitors for tours but they made an exception for us, and in we went. 
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We were given a brief overview of the cidery and, although we weren't given any samples of the ciders they produce, they did send us away with tee shirts and cider glasses (on one side of the glass you get the proper measurement of Woodchuck draft cider and lager for a "snakebite" or turn the glass to the other side to get the measurements of Woodchuck draft cider and stout for the perfect "black velvet".  Sounds yummy!)

Our next stop was the Otter Creek brewery, a stone's throw from Woodchuck.  We walked in and were greeted by some really friendly people who   offered us samples of the ales that they brew! 
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We were given a few sips of a bunch of varieties and then off we went for a tour of their facility.  It was fascinating to learn a little about how they brew their ales.  We stood over some mightily large vessels that were used in the storage and fermentation processes.  Then, we watched as the different ales were bottled and packaged. 
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Of course, we had to find out who, in our area, sells their products since there were several that were delicious enough to want to buy! 

With our curiosity (and a teeny bit of our thirst) satisfied, we headed out to our bikes to continue our day trip.  And, of course, with such unpredictable weather, wouldn't you know it?  It was POURING!  Thank goodness for rain suits, waterproof boots, full face helmets, good tires and dependable bikes!!  We had a couple of other places on our list to visit but, due to the torrential downpour, we decided to just go grab some lunch and head back to Lake George.

One of the people at Otter Creek recommended a restaurant in downtown Middlebury, called "Two Brothers." 
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It was a GREAT place for lunch and it gave us enough time to dry out before heading out into the rain again.  After lunch, although the rain had let up a bit, we decided to just head back to Lake George Village.  I kept looking in front of us and behind us to keep track of potential rain clouds.  On the ferry back to New York, I turned around and saw some clouds that looked like they were following us! 
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Of course, at that point, what difference did it make?  I mean, we were dry INSIDE our riding gear….the outside of us was completely drenched. 

So, if you ever venture up to Americade, keep in mind that you are not limited to just the standard tours listed in the Americade brochure.  If you do a little research before your trip, you will find that there are lots of places that you can visit in the region.  And, DO keep in mind that, the first full week of June, when Americade is held, is a very unpredictable time, weatherise.  You should be prepared for cold, heat, sun, rain, and even (yikes!) the possibility of snow!!
Jun 21st

A Tragedy That Could Easily Have Been Prevented

By Carol
A couple of days ago, I read about an accident in my area where a couple riding a bike was hit by another biker who was drunk http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37815299/ns/local_news-delaware_valley_panj/.  The drunken rider went to pass the couple and, as he tried to pass, he hit their rear wheel.  The rider on the bike that was hit is now in critical condition in the hospital.  The passenger on that bike was thrown from the bike and was run over and killed by a car (the driver of the car left the scene and had not been located at the time of the news story).    The drunken motorcyclist who caused the catastrophe "sustained several cuts and bruises and was treated at the hospital before being taken into custody." 

So what is the reality here?  One biker dead, one biker in critical condition fighting for his life, and the biker who caused it all survives with minor bruises and a certain jail sentence and who knows how many lawsuits to plague him for the rest of his life.  All because he was stupid enough to ride drunk.
Jun 21st

Who's On First?...I Mean....Who's Up Front????

By Carol
My last morning at Americade 2010, I stopped in one of the local coffee shops for breakfast.  Parked outside the shop was a beautiful red Goldwing with a sidecar. 
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Well, I just sat there, enjoying my breakfast, sipping my coffee…waiting to see who the owner of the Goldwing/Sidecar was.  Along came a couple in their riding gear….heading right for that bike.  And I watched, in amazement….as the woman took the helm of the bike and the man sat in the passenger seat! 
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Jun 2nd

Intersections and Accidents

By Carol
Last week, there were several motorcycle fatalities in my area.  One of the accidents was close enough to where I live, and on a road that I travel often, so I was a bit rattled to hear about what happened.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100522/NEWS/100522009/Piscataway-crash-kills-South-Plainfield-motorcyclist-28

Here is another accident that did not have to happen.  Although I wasn't there, I know that road and the hill over the interstate, and if you go over it too fast, accidents like this can happen. 

Motorcycle season is underway and you need to be careful and put into practice the intersection skills that you find here on 2wheeltips.  Approach and ride through all intersections cautiously and the life you save may be your own.

May 12th

Novelty Helmets - Beware!

By Carol
I know…you like the look of that novelty helmet that you saw on someone and you know that you would look GREAT in the same helmet….  Riding down the road on your cruiser, wind in your face,  that's the ride and the look for you!  You'd ride without a helmet if only your state allowed it, so the novelty helmet is the next best thing, right?  After all, something is better than nothing, and you won't be pulled over for riding without a helmet.  All is good on the road, right?  Well, perhaps you should think again.

Complain all you want about the government getting involved in your personal business by requiring you to wear a helmet, but it's not the state official who will be injured if you crash with no head protection.  And, personally, I just want you to understand a little more about novelty helmets before you convince yourself that they do anything to help you in the case of a crash or fall.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tested some novelty helmets to see how they performed against the DOT certification.  All the novelty helmets tested failed.  I repeat…..all of the novelty helmets test failed. Not only did they fail but the test results even state that you have a "100-percent probability of brain injuries and skull fracture, indicating that the person wearing the helmet will sustain fatal head injuries."  Other findings from the tests….."All the novelty helmets failed to pass the impact attenuation, penetration, and helmet retention system requirements."

In plain english…..when they hit the ground, they will split open or get punctured by debris on the ground. What remains of the helmet will come off your head because the chin strap will stretch or snap from the stress of the impact. You will crack your skull and die or become a vegetable. Sounds nice, huh?

The bottom line is that your head gets little to no protection.  Good luck if your novelty helmet even remains on your head.  Most of the helmets tested could not even do that!  Some chin straps could be pulled off the helmet with a good yank. Why not just wear a baseball cap? They are cheaper and seem like they give the same amount of protection.

So, it seems to me, at least, that the choice is pretty clear.  Like your head?  Care about your brain?  Wear a helmet that is DOT and/or Snell certified.  Think about it now, before you need it, before you have an accident or fall…because if you wait until AFTER that accident or fall, it is too late.
Dec 22nd

Biker Nicknames

By Carol
Ride a motorcycle and soon you will realize that one of the most personalized accessories you can get  speaks volumes about you, but costs you absolutely nothing:  your biker nickname.  In this column, I invite everyone to respond by answering the following questions (and I'll be the first to provide my own answers!):
    1.    Do you have a biker nickname?  If so, what is it?
    2.    Now, for the really interesting part:  How did you acquire that nickname (without being too offensive, and avoiding those dreaded TMI (too much information) bits and pieces…?
    3.    If you don't have a nickname, what do you want it to be, and why?

Okay, everyone, here I go!

1.  My biker nickname is "Cookie".
2.  Friends that I ride with know me for my homemade cookies, so "Cookie"  seemed the appropriate nickname for me.
Do I look like a "Cookie"….who knows (you can decide for yourself when you meet me in person)?  But, "Cookie" it is, and "Cookie" I am!

Now, it's your turn to share!  What's your story?
Dec 6th

Americade, My Camera, and Me....

By Carol
Well, motorcycle friends, I had the shock of my life when I received my copy of the Americade Times in the mail a couple of days ago.  I was thumbing through the magazine, reminiscing about all the great events they had, the well organized tours, the wonderful people I had met...  I was looking at the photos and I almost felt like I was looking at my own photo album of Americade.  As I found out, it was for a good reason!  At least four of the photos they used in the magazine were mine!  Damn, I thought!  I must have won the photo contest.....Nah...I thought again....I am just imagining things...so many other people were up at Americade....so many cameras clicking away...so many people entered the same contest I did.  Better yet, I had never been notified by Americade that I had won, so I just enjoyed the magazine and put my strange thoughts aside.  But wait, I said to myself!  Check the photo credits in the front of the magazine....(of course, this is me, talking to me....)...if your photo or photos are in here, they will give you credit, right???  RIGHT!  And there was my name with the photo credits!  I was ecstatic.  And, in addition to the use of your photos, there was a monetary prize involved...so, I thought (again, me talking to me...)...now I KNOW they used at least one of my photos, I mean my name was listed in the photo credits, but no notification and no check in the mail.  Well, maybe it got lost?  I mean the US Postal Service isn't perfect....it's pretty damned good but it's not perfect.  So, I just put the magazine aside and figured I would send an e-mail to Americade and tell them thanks for picking my photos but I never got any letter (or check....lol) in the mail telling me I had won.  And then, yesterday, I brought in the mail.  And in the mail was a letter (and, yes!, a check) from Americade!  The letter told me I won!  The check floored me!  It was for far more than I had expected to receive (see, I kind of figured that ONE photo was mine....the others, although they sort of looked like mine...well...I figured other bikers had taken similar shots and mine were like the others so I was just imagining things).  So, back I went, to the magazine and, this time, my computer, and found that FOUR of the photos they used were mine!  I was (and I still am) thrilled!!!  So, for those of you who are curious (or just like to hit hyperlinks), here is the link to the online version of the Americade Times magazine.  http://www.tourexpo.com/data/content/view/1612/272/
My photos are in the 2009 magazine and they are:
Page 8, the photo of the ski jump at Lake Placid
Page 9, the photo of the red covered bridge with bikes going through it
Page 17, the photo of sunrise on Lake George
Page 20, the photo of a man working on a bike (with license plate "DEANS")

For those of you who have ever attended an Americade rally, I think I need say no more.  You know what Americade rallies are like....

For those of you who have never attended (or never even heard of) Americade rallies, take a look and read the magazine.  If you are interested in going to Americade (the first week of June 2010 in Lake George Village, NY), and you have questions, you can always pose your questions here.  If there are questions that we cannot answer, I know people who work for Americade and I will get an answer for you!

Americade is a fantastic, huge, incredibly well organized touring rally, and bikers get a chance to mingle with tens of thousands of other bikers of all walks of life, from all parts of the country (and, even from other countries), all who share at least one common interest:  their love of motorcycling.  And, maybe next year, YOUR photos will be in the Americade Times magazine!
Dec 2nd

Harry Hurt, the Man Behind the Hurt Report, Dead at 81

By Carol
Harry Hurt, the motorcycle expert behind the 1981 Hurt Report, has died at the age of 81.  Many motorcyclists are familiar with Harry Hurt; the research he did analyzing 900 motorcycle accidents from 1976 - 1977 resulted in the Hurt Report, the most extensive report ever written about motorcycle accidents and their causes.  For those of you who would like to know more, we are listing the link to the article about Harry Hurt from the LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-harry-hurt2-2009dec02%2c0%2c1034954.story

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