Freeway Danger

This article recently came across my newsfeed. The topic is the danger of riding on multi-lane highways (freeways) and how to avoid them. Statistically, these roads are much safer than others, but there is no doubt that the higher speeds traveled on freeways definitely make for a more nerve-racking ride.

I absolutely have felt some anxiety when first entering an on ramp leading onto a freeway. Don't get me wrong, I am pretty comfortable with riding a motorcycle at high speeds (probably a little too comfortable). It's the other vehicles weighing well over a ton traveling at eighty miles per hour that get my attention. Any wrong move from a car will obliterate a motorcycle.

I like all of the advice this article lists. The main takeaways are to avoid drivers' blind spots and to keep as much distance between you and other vehicles as possible. A method of limiting the amount of time in blind spots that I like to practice is to accelerate hard through them. When passing, do so as fast as possible. Will you break speed limits? Probably, but I'd rather have a speeding ticket that a catastrophic accident.

Another thing that I notice on freeway travel is that I always begin my ride on high alert, but I grow more comfortable as the ride goes on. I tend to let my guard down. If you're anything like me in this instance, then you have to remind yourself to remain mindful of the other vehicles. This will minimize the chance of anything bad happening.

"Be careful going in search of adventure - it's ridiculously easy to find." - William Least Heat-Moon

Fighting Fear

Lately, I've been trying to figure out when I discovered my affection for motorcycles. I think it really began when I was eight years old. That year my dad bought a late seventies Kawasaki KZ 1000. He hadn't had a motorcycle for four or five years because he was focusing on raising me and my sister, but couldn't handle life without riding any longer.

My sister actually went for a ride with my dad before I did. While they were out touring the country roads, I sat on the living room floor dreading their return. I was terrified to ride on a motorcycle. The fact that you're in the open with little protection must have been the reason

My dad walked in the front door and instantly asked if I was ready to go for a ride. I flat out refused. I can't remember how long it took for my mom and dad to convince me to give it a try, but I guarantee it wasn't just a couple of minutes. I finally grabbed a helmet, strapped it on and put on my jean jacket (I didn't own a leather jacket yet). I climbed in the back of the bike and clung to my dad with all of my strength. My dad proceeded slowly down a back road.

As we continued our ride, I felt my grip lightening and my body relaxing. I actually began to giggle with enjoyment. We rode through a corner and I made the common beginner mistake of fighting against the lean of the bike. My dad corrected me and the next corner was much smoother.

When we returned home, my first comment was, "When can we go again?" I guess you can say that I was hooked from that moment on. I also learned the valuable lesson that trying an activity in spite of your fear can lead to great things.

"Limits, like fear, is often an illusion." - Michael Jordan

Balancing Act

Photo Source: http://world.honda.com/news/2017/c170109eng.html

Just when I thought I was done writing about new motorcycle technology for a while, this article comes across my newsfeed! Honda has developed a motorcycle that can balance itself at speeds under 3 mph. Is this technology that I think will benefit me currently? No. However, I can definitely see some real world benefits that it may have.

My first thoughts after learning about Honda's concept were about my father-in-law. Last year he sold his Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic because his surgically repaired knee was no longer stable enough to support the weight of the motorcycle. Large touring motorcycles are the ones that I can see gaining the most benefit from this technology.

The first comments that I read below the articles were a bunch of whiners who believed that this technology would only attract unwanted people to motorcycling. The comments read something like this, "A bike that can't fall over? Now everyone will be able to ride. This is bullshit!" Of course these people have the wrong outlook on this. I think of older riders having an alternative to a trike when they aren't strong enough to support a motorcycle.

Another concern that was voiced was the worry of people trusting this technology too much. What if this system fails while you are expecting it to keep the motorcycle upright? Being a guy who has some experience in engineering, I can guarantee that there will be multiple failsafes to eliminate any reasonable probability of this type of failure causing an injury. This would definitely be a non-issue by the time this concept reached production.

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Peter Drucker

Moto Honesty

It's been a little over a month since I've ridden my motorcycle. I can honestly say that I haven't been missing it all that much. Am I saying that I no longer enjoy motorcycling? Absolutely not! I'm just saying that if I honestly think about it, I didn't miss it that much over the past month or so. I guess my mind has been occupied with other things, with the holidays and other family things going on.

It's interesting that as I get older I can more honestly assess things like this. I know for a fact that I would never admit that I didn't miss riding ten years ago (maybe even 3 years ago). That would spoil my image as a hardcore rider, who always had motorcycling on my mind and couldn't stand it the instant snow fell because I couldn't ride my bike for a few months. Now I realize that "my image" doesn't really matter and I don't need to prove how "hardcore" I am to anyone. The truth is that a break from an activity (even one you love) can be a welcomed thing.

As I'm writing this, a winter storm warning is flashing on my news feed, ensuring that the winter is nowhere near its end. Slowly, I'm sure that the desire to ride will be creeping up on me and by February I'll be driving myself crazy with my longing for two wheeled enjoyment. Right now I'm just happy that I'm not at that mindset quite yet.

"The truth may hurt, but fooling yourself will enslave you." - Charles F. Glassman