2Wheeltips

We just got this from our contact and Snell Foundation, the company that does helmet testing.  Their new motorcycle helment certification M2010, is the highest motorcycle helmet standard in the world. Helmets with this certification are coming to the market now and this site have information on the M2010 testing and other helmet safety info.

http://www.snellm2010.org/

We are going to Americade this year....leaving on Wednesday morning from central NJ. We should be there around 2pm.

On Thursday, we are going to the Woodchuck Cider Mill in Vermont. It is just across the ferry from Ticonderoga....perhaps 20 minutes. If you are free, you are welcome to join us. Just let me know.

Earlier this week I renewed my insurance policy. I decided to do it online and while I was waiting for the confirmation number, I decided to take a look at what my policy actually covered.  What I saw was confusing so I decided to call up the customer support line to get some details. What I was told was scary.

In a nutshell, I had the bare minimum coverage of 15k per person/30k per accident and 5k for property damage. I told the agent that I could kick a car and cause 5k worth of damage and that 15k would barely cover a broken arm. I asked what happened to the larger amounts I had in the past? I was told that last year that if you didn't specifically request the same amounts, you were given the lower coverage by default! Ummm......interesting. I told the agent that I definitely needed more coverage (50k per person/100k per accident/50k per car/bike/etc) and asked how much would it cost? What I heard shocked me.....it will cost $20 more per bike!!

Of course I got the coverage but was upset that I rode around for a year with basically no coverage at all. I'm sure the "notice" was on the back page in small print somewhere. I'm writing this as a warning....make sure you check not just your bike.....but your insurance as well. You never know what you may find. Check your insurance.

1. The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror.
2. Four wheels move the body; two wheels move the soul.
3. I'd rather be riding my motorcycle and thinking about God, than sitting in church thinking about my bike.
4. Life may begin at 30, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 75 mph.
5. Midnight bugs taste just as bad as Noon time bugs.
6. Sometimes it takes a whole tank full of gas before you can think straight.
7. A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.
8. Young riders pick a destination and go; old riders pick a direction and go.
9. When you're riding lead, don't spit.
10. Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 75 mph can double your vocabulary.
11. If you can't get it going with bungee cords and duct tape, it's serious.
12. Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window

There have been a few emails going around the internet lately about a motorcycle air conditioning unit. Some think the idea is completely stupid while others think it may be what's needed on those 95F/35C days.

While it is unusual, we decided to reach out to the manufacturer, Entrosys, to get more information and to see if we can get a unit to test out.  We heard back from them yesterday and we are indeed getting a unit! They are in pre-production now but the units will be ready for shipment once the warmer weather gets here. We will film the installation and test it out. We will keep you posted. Of course, our other 2wheeltips.com product testers (you know who you are) are welcome to try it out once we are done with it.

 

I figure it is time to let everyone know about the David Hough (pronounced "Huff") interview.  David is the author of Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling; the best selling motorcycle books of all time and a must read for every new rider. (both books are available in the 2wheeltips MarketPlace in the recommended reading section)

I'm sitting here reviewing the video now and I must say......I am just as impressed as I was 2 days ago. The interview lasted close to 2 hours!!  It was an amazing interview and we are all still.....totally speechless!!! We thought we knew a thing or two about motorcycling......that was until we got him talking. Not only is he full of knowledge, he doesn't have a problem sharing and he is genuinely  a very nice person.

I will try to clip a section or two from the interview to post here later tonight or tomorrow. The good thing is we will have a chance to work with him more in the future. Stay tuned.....

I was reading an article from the October 2009 issue of GQ magazine titled "Easy Riding - A GQ Motorcycle Primer".

There is a very interesting quote by one of the MSF coaches who contributed to the article. I've included part of it below:

"Once you pass (the BRC), you can ride on any road in America. "But practically speaking, you are qualified to ride in an enclosed lot with two instructors watching."

One of our members said that his BRC instructor told him:

"Congratulations, you are now qualified to ride a 125cc motorcycle around cones in a closed parking lot"
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As bad as they sound, the above quotes reflect reality.  Passing the BRC does not make you an instant skilled motorcyclist. You are now a person who has spent a few hours practicing the most basic motorcycle skills on a bike you cannot even purchase at a dealer.

I am not putting down or critizing the BRC or other basic training classes because they are important. Most motorcycle accidents involve people with no training. But once you get your license, you need lots of practice to become a skilled and safe motorcyclist. The BRC is the foundation on which you build your good skills.

It matters what and where you practice. Riding around in parking lots will help your slow maneuver skills and as a new rider you should go to parking lots and practice as often as you can. But you also need to practice road skills such as merging into traffic, switching lanes, target fixation, going around curves, wet weather riding, braking and acceleration. To become a skilled rider you should practice all of these things.

Think of the BRC as an excellent beginning rather than the finish line. You spend a few years, many hours and quite a few miles on your bike before you become a skilled rider.

Last week I dropped my bike while turning onto the street in front of my place. It wasn't anything major but it was definitely a shock. I've been riding since 2005, have 3 bikes and the worst that has happened was a tipover when the bike was warming up in the driveway.

So what happened? Well I decided to take out my Yamaha FJR 1300 sport tourer which I hadn't been on in over a month. I did my regular pre-ride inspection including checking the tire pressure. Afterwards, I rode up to the main street and prepared to make a left turn. After checking traffic, I eased into the friction zone, rolled on the gas and halfway through the turn the rear wheel kicked out and down I went. The bike slid 6 feet and I was fortunate that I was able to get off and didn't get hurt. I ran over to pick up the bike. No major damage....just a few scrapes on the hard bag and no damage to the clutch.

I've made that turn too many times to count and couldn't help but wonder what happened? Did I hit the gas too hard? Were the tires cold? Since I hadn't been on the bike in a while, did I forget how powerful the bike is? After getting the bike up and moving it to the side of the road, I decided to check the tires again to see if I missed anything. Sure enough there was some oily residue on the tires! I did have oil on my garage floor and some of it must have gotten on the tires. The combination of oil and cold tires was enough to cause the rear wheel to slide out.

I waited a few minutes, started the bike and was able to ride 100 miles that day. I was initally reluctant to lean the bike hard through curves but after the tires warmed up I could feel them gripping the road. Near the end of the ride, I was going around my favorite curves with confidence.

Next time I will make sure to double check my tires for any oil or grease and take it extra slow until my tires warm up.

Every rider should know about crampbusters and throttle rockers. They are plastic "paddles" you wrap around your throttle. You rest the heel of your hand on the paddle and it keeps the gas open. Sorta like a poor man's cruise control. 
 

You can get the permanent metal ones that are more stylish,  but the originals work great and are very affordable.

So, if you don't have a few hundred dollars to give your dealer for electronic cruise control, throttle rockers and crampbusters are the ticket.

You never know when you will need to park your bike on a soft surface, be it grass, sand or loose gravel. For that reason you will need a kickstand puck.

A puck is a small plastic disk you slip under your kickstand that gives a wider area to support you bike. If you plan on going on tours, you will definitely need one because you never know where you will need to park.

Many cheap hotels use soft asphalt to pave their parking lots. Your kickstand will sink into that stuff in no time flat. I experienced this while at Americade in '07. Luckily, I went out to check on my bike....and found that the kickstand had sunk about 3 inches and the bike was about to tip over.

Most motorcycle rallies will give you a puck for free so there is no need to pay $5 - $7 at the dealer. If you are in a pinch, just use a crushed soda can.