Bad Motorcycle Habits
April 23, 2015
Learn the bad motorcycle habits that cause the most motorcycle fails, and you just might make it through the first year without a dropped bike, broken bone or life-threatening injury.
Tunnel Vision
Don’t get lost in the tunnel. It’s easier than you might think. You’re cruising along with an itch for speed. You begin riding faster and faster, and you tend to focus farther and farther down the road. Pretty soon you’re travelling faster than your eyes can process, and all peripheral vision disappears. This is an incredibly dangerous situation.
Low Speed Incompetence
Many people are surprised to find out that they are terrible low speed riders. Having mastered moving at high speeds, they decided not to work on building that low speed confidence. However, it’s the low speed maneuvers that most often result minor motorcycle mishaps.
Riding Without Situational Awareness
Riding a motorcycle takes a finely-tuned mind. One must be constantly aware of their surroundings, seeing miles down the road while glancing peripherally and keeping mental notes about surroundings, road conditions and weather fluctuations. Without situational awareness, riders become road hazards.
Thinking You Know it All
The worst habit you could ever develop as a rider is developing a bad case of know-it-all-ism. No rider ever knows it all. Keep on learning, studying, and practicing. Mental agility is the key to riding safe.
Control
September 22, 2014
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Control has a very special meaning to motorcyclists. When you’re on a bike, there are many things that you cannot change. Things such as road conditions, other drivers and the occasional deer or squirrel that darts into your path… these are out of your control.
However, your own riding behavior, reaction time and motorcycle intelligence are things that you can change. These three integral parts of accident avoidance should be well-known before any new motorcyclist takes their first ride.
Riding Behavior
Good riding behavior is the first step in preventing a motorcycle crash. Get into the habit of riding safely and carefully, wearing all the gear all the time (ATGATT), and keeping an eye out for dangerous drivers and other road hazards. Don’t become one of those careless riders that speeds, weaves in and out of traffic, tailgates and cuts people off, and ignores highway safety laws.
Reaction Time
A quick reaction time is essential to avoiding fatal motorcycle crashes. As soon as you mount your motorcycle, shift your brain into a hyper-alert state, ready to respond to any circumstances with lightning-fast speed. Never attempt to ride when you are sleepy or inebriated.
Motorcycle Intelligence
Take a motorcycle safety course. Then, take it again next year. Take it as many times as you need to refresh your riding skills each year, especially after the long hiatus of winter. Motorcycle safety courses teach everything you need to know about avoiding and preventing motorcycle accidents, as well as give you the opportunity to practice some life-saving riding techniques.
These important tips will help you to change the things that you can, and help you gain control no matter what happens while you are out on the road. While others may blame their accidents on the weather, the road conditions, the traffic or the wildlife, you will be able to brag about how well you handled your own motorcycle to avoid crashing entirely.
Too bad you can’t make “how I avoided crashing” reports to your insurance company.
A Message From Motorcyclists
September 9, 2014
Dear Motorists,
The riding season is waning, and fewer motorcyclists are out on the road these days. Extreme August heat will soon give way to freezing winter temperatures. But, don’t let our dwindling numbers fool you. WE ARE STILL OUT THERE.
Fall weather makes for prime riding time in many parts of the country. Meanwhile, some bikers in harsher environments will brave the elements no matter what the seasonal weather brings. So remember to stay alert and keep these motorcycle awareness tips in mind, even as the riding season comes to a close:
- Allow the motorcycle the full width of a lane at all times.
- Always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic.
- Check all mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes or merging with traffic, especially at intersections.
- Always allow more following distance – three to four seconds – when behind a motorcycle. This gives us more time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.
- Motorcycle signals are often non-canceling and could have been forgotten. Always ensure that the motorcycle is turning before proceeding.
- Put the cell phone away, and never drive distracted!
We will do our best to ride safely, but you can make our lives easier (and longer) by keeping an eye out for motorcyclists all year long.
Sincerely,
Your friendly neighborhood motorcycle rider.
Summer Safety Tips
August 26, 2014
Motorcyclists are out on the road in full-force. They’re enjoying the freedom of summer while it lasts, before the first fall frost sends their beloved bikes back into storage for the winter.
It’s been a great riding season so far, but let’s not forget these summer safety tips as this motorcycle-friendly weather comes to an end:
Summer Safety Tips for Motorcycle Riders and Other Motorists
A Letter from Cyclists
August 8, 2014
The message is simple: Motorists need to respect cyclists, and cyclists need to respect motorists. Both need to follow the laws of the road, drive and ride responsibly, and be safe out there so that everyone can #ArriveAlive.
See the powerful letter read from mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters… cyclists.
Distracted Driver Survival: RIDE LOUD!!!
June 27, 2014
One of the best tips for Distracted Driver Survival: Ride as if you are invisible. The reason this is such great advice is that most drivers DO NOT SEE YOU. Whether they are distracted, inattentive or just happen to have you in a blind spot, car and truck drivers often fail to notice motorcycles on the road.
That’s why today’s Distracted Driver Survival tip is to RIDE LOUD! Wear loud (aka bright) clothes and gear, use the horn when necessary, and don’t be afraid to give the throttle a little love. Don’t be obnoxious – in fact, some cities actually have noise restrictions for motorcycles – but don’t ride quietly, either.
There are some very innovative ways to ride loud these days. For instance, many people use bright LED lights for night riding. These bad boys are just too cool not to be noticed:
Day or night, a loud motorcycle horn can be a lifesaver. The Banshee Horn is sure to make your presence known:
FUN FACT: Wikipedia defines Banshee as: (“woman of the barrows“) a female spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the underworld
Be sure to check with local law enforcement before trying out these more creative ways of riding loud. Every city has different restrictions.
However, you can always #ridesafe by wearing bright-colored gear, riding a bright-colored motorcycle, and using the lights and sounds already available on any standard bike. The important thing is that you make your presence known.
Distracted Driver Survival: Tip of the Day
June 24, 2014
Distracted driving is something all motorcyclists have to deal with. It is a fact of life. No matter how many laws are passed or how many awareness campaigns are run, some people just never learn.
That is, until it is too late. Don’t become a victim to distracted driving. Our survival tips will teach you how to handle that most deadly of highway breeds: the distracted driver.
So without further ado, we give you the first Distracted Driver Survival Tip of the Day: Never ever, ever, ever, ever stop in the middle of the lane.
When approaching a stop light or rolling to a stop in traffic, stop on the side of the lane, plan an escape route, and keep an attentive eye on the rearview mirror. Why? Because sometimes drivers fail to notice stopped traffic.
Using this strategy, you will see the distracted driver, have an escape route planned, and be half way out of harm’s way by the time they get within collision-distance. The motorcycle can be maneuvered onto the shoulder of the road, or between the cars ahead depending on the situation.
Using these Distracted Driver Survival Tips, motorcyclists can #ridesmart, #ridesafe, and #stayalive as they enjoy the ride.
Hill Country Riding Tips
May 11, 2014
Hill country riding is an amazing experience. The lack of traffic, abundance of natural beauty, and back road bars and BBQ joints make it a trip well worth the mileage. However, there are a few road hazards to be aware of before taking off on your journey.
- Cell phone service. Never rely too much on a cell phone when riding through the hill country. Bring an old fashioned paper map and plan your route carefully.
- Wildlife. Always look out for wild animals, especially deer.
- Country drivers. On some back country roads, locals rarely see many tourists passing through and tend to drive with less caution. So, keep an eye out for lane-drifters.
- Gas. Be sure to fuel up before heading out, because some routes are seriously lacking in gas stations.
Eyewear for Night Riders
May 10, 2014
Night riding can be a great experience. There are fewer cars on the road and the air is cooler, but visibility issues pose a greater risk for motorcyclists without the right night gear. So we put together this handy list of vision-improving gear for your night cruising pleasure.
Night Riding Glasses. Improve your night vision with a good pair of night riding glasses. These bad boys are a bargain buy, starting at just 99 cents.
Night Riding Goggles. Another low-cost option for night riders, these goggles designed for motorcyclists are designed with yellow shatter-proof lenses for added safety.
Photochromatic Visor. Some helmets come with photochromatic visors. These visors darken in the sunlight and become clear at night for better visibility. There are also helmets with interchangeable visors, so you can switch to the clear visor as the sun goes down.
Motorcycle Safety and Speeding
May 7, 2014
As the hype over Motorcycle Awareness Month spreads across the country, law enforcement will be on the lookout for unsafe drivers as well as unsafe riders this summer. One of the riskiest riding habits, as well as the easiest traffic ticket targets, is speeding. So ride easy this summer and coast along at a comfortable speed. Those speed limit signs are set for your safety, as well as everyone else’s. #ridesafe.