I recently read an article discussing the importance of realizing that many motorists are not looking for motorcycles and will not notice them when driving on streets and roads. This reminded me of one of my own memorable run ins with a car.
This was the same year that I had a deer accident. I was unable to ride from early June until the middle of August due to a broken wrist. When my cast finally was removed, I was definitely anxious to ride, although I was a little hesitant because of the accident.
I know that some of you more adventurous people will claim that you cut your cast and still rode with a broken wrist, but all that usually does is lengthen your recovery time by not allowing the bones to properly mend. I know a guy who did this exact thing and his recovery time went from six to twelve weeks.
Anyway, on my first ride, I came upon an area that a three lane road becomes two lanes. I was in the right lane and the lane on the left was the one ending. A car merged from the left lane, across the middle, and right into my lane, directly on top of me. Luckily I noticed this happening and veered to the edge of the road. Just when it appeared that I'd have to kick the cars door to get the driver's attention, she noticed me and swerved to the left.
Another accident was avoided and all was well. Actually, this incident pretty much erased all my hesitation from riding, as weird as that sounds. My advice to you about staying noticeable to motorists is the usual stuff you're going to hear. Wear bright colors or reflective clothing, stay out of blind spots whenever possible, and rev your engine when it appears a car is encroaching on your riding space (loud pipes save lives). As always, be safe!
"The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it." - Dudley Moore
A few days ago I posted this video on the KLK Cycles Facebook page. A sportbike rider has a severe mishap while riding on a track. His clip on handlebar becomes detached, which is basically catastrophic at the rate of speed this bike was going. The rider calmly straightens the bike out and slows down, eventually coming to a stop. The level of calm this rider had in a terrible situation is remarkable!
While, I hope you never find yourself in a similar situation, I think that a rider should be mentally prepared to react to an emergency without panicking. This is WAY easier said than done, but running through these situations in your head can never hurt. What would you do if one of your tires blew out, or your drive chain/belt snapped? Figure out the most likely mishaps you might find yourself in and think your way out of them. This will train yourself to react correctly in an emergency.
I've only had one major mechanical mishap in my motorcycle riding lifetime. It was on my first bike, a 1977 Yamaha DT 100. I had just replaced the throttle cable that day. As a twelve year old kid, my mechanic skills were far from perfect. I mis-routed the cable and it was nearly kinked in one place. When I made the initial ride with my newly replaced cable, the throttle became stuck at full, when I was in 5th gear (top speed for this bike)! Luckily, I didn't panic and just pulled in the clutch and quickly flipped the killswitch. I hadn't thought about any of this ever happening, but like I said, I was lucky! I guess you can say I learned that lesson early in my riding life!
"Life is ten percent what you experience and ninety percent how you respond to it." - Dorothy M. Neddermeyer
Last Friday was the warmest day of the year so far. It was 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which is unseasonably warm for spring in the north. I, of course, was stuck at work until the evening and wouldn't be able to ride until the commute home. Then at lunchtime, my wife called and recommended that we both use our paid time off to enjoy a motorcycle ride in the afternoon. At first, I thought that there was no way I could make it happen with the looming deadlines I needed to meet, but I decided that I really needed to take advantage of the beautiful weather.
We didn't end up going too far, but we rode about 80 miles in total for the afternoon. It was incredibly enjoyable and a huge stress relief. Also, what better way to kick off the weekend then a motorcycle ride.
So, if you are able, take advantage of good weather whenever you can. You'll regret not riding when winter starts next year. I guess my wife and I are lucky to have a jobs that are flexible enough to allow us to take a couple of hours off to do some riding. I think I'll be doing this more often in the future!
"One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching." - Gerard Way
It happened! I'm finally riding my motorcycle and it is outstanding! Like I've mentioned in previous posts, there's not much that can achieve the need to be in the present like riding a motorcycle. The stress from my day to day life fades away as I concentrate on the road in front of me.
With this being said, I'm not ashamed to admit that my riding skills are definitely rusty after the long winter. Taking off, handling corners, and braking don't feel as smooth as they normally do. I'm not sure if this is evident to anyone watching me ride, but I can feel it. With that being said, the fact that my new bike has riding modes is a huge positive.
My new bike has throttle by wire traction control and ABS. The riding modes change the input each of these systems have on the motorcycle performance. With the "urban" mode selected, the throttle by wire system not only stops the rear wheel from spinning, it actually reduces the rear wheel horsepower significantly. While, this may seem like a bummer in most cases, it comes in handy during a heavy rain, or when you need to re-acclimate yourself to your motorcycle. Also given the fact that the local roads still aren't completely clear of debris, this is the right choice right now. I'll have plenty of time to ride like an asshole as soon as I'm used to the bike again.
On a side note, I'd like to mention that if the me from 15 years ago read this, I'd berate myself for being a complete sissy. It's funny how time and life experience (also technological advances) can change a person's perspective. Part of my hope with this blog is to share some of my life experience to keep young riders from making the same stupid mistakes I made. Then again, I doubt I'd have listened at that age!
"My life is on the road, man. I need to keep moving." - Matthew McConaughey
