2Wheeltips

I took my Yamaha fjr 1300 out for a spin yesterday. I haven't been on it much because it needs tires.....soon. I figure I have 500 miles before the only riding I can safely do will be in a straight line.

Anyway, while riding I noticed the bike didn't have much cornering traction and I could not lean it hot and heavy through the curves without it "drifting." In some curves I could feel the back tire slide out a bit. Even when making quick lane changes, I felt like I was riding on bubble gum or some other gooey substance. I knew immediately it was the tires. I decided to ride less aggressively and finish up the ride at a moderate pace.

So what happens when motorcycle tires need to be replaced? Well...cornering traction suffers...a lot! If you are used to leaning your bike hard and fast through curves, doing it on worn tires may land you in a ditch on the side of the road.  Also you may notice the bike drifting around when changing lanes. And finally, your stopping distance is impacted.

Will I try to get the final 500 miles in? Probably. But I know that I can not ride the bike like I normally do until I replace the tires.

Take a look around any motorcycle dealer, store or event and you will see tons of clothing for men but very few items for women. Even worse, the stuff you do see looks like warmed over men's clothing with pink or purple designs and a few plastic beads. No woman with any fashion sense would be caught dead in some of the stuff that is labeled "women's motorcycle clothing."

There are a few brands out there for women but the makers assume the women are passengers and not riders! In many cases the clothing is not sturdy and begins to fall apart after a few wearings. Women who ride their own bikes had to make a choice: wear men's clothing or wear the passenger quality stuff that will fall apart before the riding season ends.

Fortunately, some manufacturers are paying attention to the growing number of female riders and started making fashionable riding gear for women. One company that comes to mind is Scooter Girls. They make very fashionable motorcycle gear with all of the safety features, such as reflective panels and impact pads, that you would find in a men's jacket. Their stuff looks so good it could double as a regular coat! If you are into leather and don't want an ugly men's styled jacket, there is DeHall Designs. This company makes tons of women's jackets, some of which can be customized. Last I checked they were using fine Italian leather to make their gear.

So the next time you need some motorcycle gear, check out what these two companies have to offer before you buy men's styled clothing. You many be pleasantly surprised at what's out there for women.

One of the things I hear new riders talk about all the time is how much faster it seems they are moving on a bike, when in many cases, they are riding below the speed limit and cars are passing them.

One of the things I tell them is riding in a car is much different than riding a motorcycle. In a car you are isolated and can not accurately judge your speed. On a motorcycle, you are out in the open and the ground is rushing by a few inches beneath your feet. For a newbie, getting an accurate "feel" for how fast 55mph is can be scary and troubling.  If you are going to become a decent rider, it is something you will have to get used to.

So, how do you get comfortable with riding at highway speeds? Well....practice makes perfect. The more you ride, the faster you will you get used to it. We are not saying you should go out on a major freeway and hit the gas, but once you get comfortable riding around the neighborhood streets you need to spend some time on some major roads. Another thing that can help you is to keep your head up and look down the road where you want to go and not down at your feet or in front of the bike. We have a video on this so you can see the difference keeping your head up makes. http://www.2wheeltips.com/videos/view/keep-your-head-up_156.html?m=9

And finally, never rider faster than your skills allow. Now is the time to learn and build your motorcycle skills. Once you've mastered the basics, you will have plenty of time to ride fast if that's what you want to do. If you try to burn up the road before you are ready, you may end up a motorcycle statistic.

I was at a motorcycle class recently and one of the sponsors asked me to blog about a topic that he felt does not get enough attention; knowing when to hang up the helmet when you do not have the physical skills to manage a bike.

Why did this come up? Well... during the class, one of the students kept dropping his bike. During every exercise, we kept hearing a loud crash followed by cursing and a racing engine. This happened more than once. Of course the student blamed it on the bike. He complained there was something wrong with the throttle and that's why he could not maintain the speed needed to complete the exercises.

To see if the throttle was the problem, one of the class sponsors checked it out. He didn't find any problems. He was able to maintain a constant engine speed at various rpms.  He then asked the student to do it and he could not. Why? He seemed to have some nerve disorder that caused his hands to move back and forth! Because of this, he could not control the throttle.

For obvious reasons, he wasn't able to finish the class and left early. What was not obvious to him was he should not be on a bike. He is not only a danger to himself but to others as well. We all know the day is coming when we will have to hang up the helmet and move on to other hobbies. For me, it will be one of the saddest days of my life. Hopefully I will have enough sense when that day comes to think of the dangers I pose to others and myself by riding around unable to operate the controls.

Share your thoughts.....

I was reading through a few posts and messages I get each day and one of them was on first aid kits. Most people I know carry something for headaches, allergies and the occasional scrape you will get from riding. But this message spoke about the need to check your first aid kit to see if any of the medicines have expired. Something I haven't done in a while (sort of like TCLOCS....how many really do it every time they jump on their bikes?).

The message mentioned the need for sissors for cutting clothing and latex gloves if you need to help a friend.  Something I never thought about. Some of the examples I think are somewhat extreme (a stryofoam cup to contain a displaced eye).

It was a great article and had excellent information. The main point I got from it was a first aid kit should be considered part of your riding gear. Here is the link to the article.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670733698#!/notes/eric-shah/first-aid-kits-does-yours-need-a-check-up/120787724630466

Here are some pics I got from one of my friends on facebook and is a perfect example of what can happen to you if you are not careful at intersections. This is a classic case of a car turning in front of a motorcyclists and the rider not being able to stop. I don't know if anyone survived, but I seriously doubt it.

1 out of every 4 motorcycle accidents happen just like the one in these pictures. Always pay attention and reduce your speed when there are cars or blind spots at any intersection you cross.

In addition to having an ICE entry in your cell phone, check out this neat little gadget to attach to any helmet - bicycle, motorcycle, etc., for emergency responders to gain quick access to vital information, even before having to remove the helmet. In addition to having this for yourself, put it on your kid's bike helmet. And it's cheap enough for that little bit of extra security.

http://vitalid.ca/store/Scripts/prodView_sport.asp?idproduct=19

We know it has been a while, but we have completed the curriculum for the "after the BRC/BRT" set of videos.  They are grouped into 3 sets:

Introduction and reality check
These videos go over the basics to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. You last chance to bail out before it's too late!!

Parking Lot Practice
In your motorcycle class, you practiced on a bike so small and weak that no self respecting biker would be caught dead on one. Now that you have a license, you need to go out and practice what you learned again on a real bike.....your bike. These videos will show you what you need to practice and why.

Road Practice
Now that you can ride around a parking lot without loosing control of your bike, it's now time to hit the road. But the road is a very dangerous place for a newbie. These videos give you tips on how to handle situations that can help you avoid imortality in a youtube motorcycle crash video or worse.

We have  list of 50 or so videos so it is an ambitious undertaking to say the least. Let us know what you think and give us suggestions on videos you would like to see. If you have film or videos you would like us to use, let us know and we will let you know how to get them to us.

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. 

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! 

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.