2Wheeltips

By Dino Dogan
Now accepting friends on Facebook :-)

Here are some disturbing statistics.

People killed in motorcycle accidents for the years
2005=4,553
2006=4,810
2007=5,174
2008=5,290
How come the numbers are going up?

People injured in motorcycle accidents for the years
2005=87,000
2006=88,000
2007=103,000
2008=96,000
What happened in 2007 to cause the spike in injuries? 

Lets brainstorm and come up with ideas to lower these numbers in 2010.

What can we do about this?
How low do you think we can get these numbers?

 

This is a link to an article a client of mine wrote about his motorcycling trip to the United Kingdom.  It is a pdf and linked on my web site:


http://www.advancedmotorcycletraining.com/DavidHenke.PDF

Regards

Nigel

You hear a lot of ideas about making yourself seen while riding.  Well, one very simple tip is to turn your high beams on during the day.  High beams will not blind oncoming drivers during the day since our eyes are adjusted to daylight already.  And high beams will give you that extra bit of visibility that is so important.

Remember, high beams still should  be used selectively at night.  Just like high beams on a car, your motorcycle's high beams can blind an oncoming driver.

You need to modify your riding style when riding on new tires.,

New tires are very very slippery. There are conflicting reasons for this (mold release compound, chemicals used in the molding process etc.) but one thing is for sure, hard leaning and quick braking on new tires is a quick way to crash your bike.

Although some people will tell you to use  sandpaper, degreaser or do a "burn out", the only way to get rid of the slippery surface is through the friction caused by riding.  75 miles is usually enough to get it off.

The first 5 - 10 miles are the most dangerous. The tires have limited grip and will drift from even the slightest lean.  So take it nice and slow. As you get closer to 30 miles you can begin leaning a bit more to wear the tires closer to the edges. As you get closer to 75 miles, you will feel the tires grip more.

One final tip. Even after you have passed 75 miles, remember your tires are still new. Save the hard leans and braking for when you have a few hundred miles on the tires.

One of the simplest bike maintenance things you can do is making sure your tires are properly inflated.

Not only will your bike handle better with properly inflated tires, but you will get better gas milage and your tires will last longer.

You should check your tires when they are cold as the internal pressure increases when the tires heat up. For this reason, you should buy a pump and tire gauge and perform this basic maintenance before you take the bike out for a ride.

Motorcycle tires are small enough to inflate with a hand pump, but a foot pump is easier. Even better, many portable battery chargers come with electric pumps and can inflate a tire to the proper level within minutes.

Finally, do not over inflate your tires. The proper PSI is in your motorcycle manual and on the sidewall of the tire.

How often have you heard the slogan “loud pipes save lives”?  It is a common explanation by riders who either purchase bikes with loud exhaust pipes or replace the original exhaust pipes on their bike with loud ones.  Before you put loud pipes on your bike, consider the following:

    •    In some towns, you may be fined for riding with loud pipes.
    •    Motorists may still not hear you until you are right on top of them.
    •    Loud pipes can irritate drivers and pedestrians.

Accident avoidance is your goal, and you should practice the following tips:

    •    Wear bright clothing during the day.
    •    Wear retro-reflective clothing at night.
    •    During the day, ride with your high beams on.

Headlights on later model bikes come on whenever the bike is on but riding with the high beams during the day will make your bike more visible and it does not blind drivers as it can during the night.

   •    Use your turn signals!  Using hand signals will not help you be seen; lighted turn signals can.
    •    You can tap your brake to show drivers that you are slowing down before you actually start to brake completely.
    •    Use your horn!

  If you see a potentitally dangerous situation coming up, use your horn to get someone's attention.  Remember that your horn is not a substitute for maneuvering around a dangerous situation.  But, in some cases, it is all you need to get the attention of a driver or pedestrian who may be about to cut in front of you.  Don't hesitate to use your horn in the two most dangerouss situations:  oncoming vehicles making a left turn, and cars pulling out from side streets (never assume that others see you).

A common response from people who collide with motorcyclists is “I never saw him....he  came out of nowhere...”  By understanding that many motorists and pedestrians simply do not notice motorcyclists, and making yourself more visible to them with what you wear and what you do when approaching them, you can help prevent many accidents.

Rather than paying a lot of money to upgrade the pipes on your bike, consider upgrading the horn on your bike.  It will cost significantly less and you can bet that people will hear it!

It is dangerous enough to hit a deer with your car...but hitting a deer with a motorcycle is even worse.  And one thing is totally predictable about deer:  they are unpredictable.  You never know where they are going or what they are going to do.

Be prepared to encounter fawns whenever you ride in the Spring and early Summer.  They are curious animals and you will see them wander on to roads all the time, even when a doe is with them. Deer travel in groups, so if you see one, there are always others. If one jumps across the road, slow way down or stop. There is at least one more waiting to follow.

Ride with extra caution when going through wooded areas. It is amazing how quickly deer can appear.  In areas that have a known deer population, keep your speed down and be extremely attentive to the roadside.

If you can do so safely, slow down or swerve to avoid hitting small animals such as squirrels, skunks, groundhogs and racoons. Sometimes you may have to run over a small animal so prepare yourself for the impact so you do not loose control of the bike.