2Wheeltips

There are few principals of motorcycle riding that should be everyone’s mantra this riding season. So here is a reminder that might save your ass this spring.



1.    Consider yourself invisible.
2.    Maintain at least 3 escape routes out of every situation
3.    Maintain 360 degree awareness at all times
4.    Leave enough room between you and everybody else
5.    Ride your own ride
6.    Be protected (I got my 9mm)
7.    Get to know your motorcycle…again (T-CLOCS)
8.    Ride sober, well hydrated and well rested
9.     
10.   

That’s it. What? You only counted 8? So what? You guys can add the remaining two :-)

Motorcycle are a great source for motivational inspirations, so here are 39 motorcycle posters I have found on the net, plus one that's not motorcycle related (the last one)... 

Some are funny, but no worries, the others are insulting ;-)

Enjoy 

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

If you think that the back-seat of your bike is reserved for your “old lady” alone, then get a load of this.

A company called Beast Rider (http://www.beastriders.com/) makes a specialized basket for your canine companion. It fits on the back of your bike and has straps for added security.

Check out my dog blog at http://dogandogs.com for other facinating dog bits.

I have a blog explaining why niche sites (like 2wt) will survive the fate of myspace, flickr, friendster, etc.

If you're interested in Social Net Media, check it out at
http://dino-dogan.posterous.com/3-reasons-why-social-networking-is-dead-long

I would love to hear your thoughts...

Tony, Carol and I have a ton of interviews scheduled for this weekend at the Javits expo.

I was thinking though some possible interview questions for these motorcycle professionals (some of which are professional speed racers) and I think I came up with at least one good one. Here it is.

Which one is more dangerous…speed racing or street riding?

My guess is that most people will say that street riding is infinitely more dangerous then speed racing.

What do you think?

What other generic but good questions would be good for the show?  

When you strap-on your protective gear and mount your two wheeled steed, does it ever feel like you’re about to step onto the battlefield? Once out there, you are likely to encounter 18 wheeled monstrosities, 4 wheeled sardine-cans, and single-wheeled hamsters spinning inside the heads of absent-minded drivers.

To bring the battlefield analogy home, did you realize (as was pointed-out to me by Mr. David Hough) that more people die in motorcycle accidents each year than did on 9/11? So, we have the War on Terror, but we don’t have the War on Motorcycle-Ignorance. Perhaps it doesn’t have a ring to it…

When you go into the battle, you can choose to be like Sun Tzu, a master strategist and a supreme tactician. Someone who knows the enemy and – perhaps more importantly – knows themselves.
If you’ve taken the MSF class, you may have encountered this same advice in perhaps less colorful form when your instructor strongly encouraged you to ride within your – and your bike's- limits.

Or you can choose to be an ignoramus. Run into the battlefield with your pants down and wearing a blind fold.

Not having a good understanding of certain counter intuitive principles of motorcycling (like counter steering, vision casting, dangers of left turns, and so much more….) is tantamount to being that guy dying on the battlefield.

…but you are here, reading this, so I know you are Sun Tzu. And perhaps the ignoramus will have to learn the hard way. There is, however, the third category, and these soldiers need our help.

You probably have a friend – or a friend of a friend – who wants to get into motorcycling or would like to improve their skill set. These eager soldiers must be sent to the right bootcamp. This is how you can help.

Tell your friends about 2wheeltips via Facebook, twitter, and whatever other means you might have of spreading the good word. Point them to an article, or a cool video, or perhaps the upcoming interview with David Hough (and many more to follow).

Growing our little corner of the interweb will enable Tony and Carol to dedicate even more time to 2wt and bring us even better content.

Let’s show our gratitude and appreciation by thanking them right now. Thanks Tony and Carol…you guys rock.

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.....

Earlier this week I spent over an hour attempting to remove the battery from the battery box under the seat. I could not get the battery to budge because I was not able get a good grip on it. I thought maybe some water had gotten in the battery box and froze causing the battery to stick.  I called Mr TwoWheelTips and he suggested that I attach zip ties to the battery terminals to pull the battery up. Well it worked. The battery came out very easily and I was able to replace the battery within 5 minutes. Thanks again Two Wheel Tips.

…so I just finished watching an episode of Super Bikes on the Speed channel. If you’ve seen a cool bike-stunt in a movie (Torque, Biker Boyz…) chances are it was performed by the host of Super Bikes Mr. Jason Britton.

Well let me just say that those guys are just irresponsible and frankly I can’t believe someone would show such …oh who am I kidding…that was some cool ass shit.

Now I know most of you will say that wheelies have no place in motorcycle safety, but let’s take another look.

What does it take to become someone who can ride his bike on the front wheel, back wheel, no wheel, whatever…?

It takes a lot of practice for one.

For another, stunt-riding is all about getting outside of your comfort zone and teetering on the brink of falling as a “normal” thing. It sounds like these skills are directly applicable to accident-avoidance, right?

…or maybe I’m dead-wrong on this one…what do you think?