Road Hazards
By Tony BPerfect, dry roads exist only in a perfect world, and this is not a perfect world. Being prepared for the unexpected will make you a safer rider and will enable you to ride on many roads during most seasons of the year. Always use the “S.E.E.” (search, evaluate, execute) riding strategy as taught in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses. Here are some road conditions that you should be prepared to encounter:
Leaves on the
Road
Although Autumn is a beautiful time of year for riding, leaves
on the road can be potentially deadly for the inexperienced
rider.
A few leaves, when dry, are often nothing more than a light obstacle in the road, often blown around or away by the slightest breeze. However, when there are large piles of leaves in your path, you must be cautious; if you cannot view the road surface below the leaves, you do not know what you will encounter when riding over them. You should try to avoid riding over any hidden area of road surface, assuming that there is another portion of the road that can accommodate your bike. Maneuver to avoid a pile of leaves as you would to avoid any other road obstruction. Wet leaves are very slick. Slow down and proceed cautiously. Also avoid sharp leaning and quick braking. A road covered with wet leaves gives your tires very little to grip and you can easily get into an accident.
"Tar
Snakes"
Many road cracks are temporarily repaired by filling them
with tar. These long, narrow tracks are called "tar snakes"
and can be catastrophic for the unprepared
motorcyclist. In cold weather, they freeze faster than
the rest of the road surface and they stay frozen even when
the rest of the road has thawed. In hot weather, they
melt. When wet, they are more slippery than the surrounding
road surface. To make matters worse, some tar snakes are
thick and high.
You will encounter them everywhere you ride, so be prepared. You need to slow down before riding over them, especially if you are leaning a bike through a curve. If you have to brake on a road surface that is covered with tar snakes, be prepared to brake slowly, steadily, and use a longer distance to execute a total stop. Once stopped, be prepared to put your feet down on a potentially slippery road surface.
Pot Holes and
Puddles
Pot holes exist on many roads and, even if repaired, can
produce an uneven and dangerous road surface. You
should avoid riding over a pot hole as you would other road
hazard. You don't know how deep it is or what is in
it.
Puddles can be a deep pothole that has filled with water or
other liquids. Since you do not know the depth of a
puddle, you should avoid them as you would other road
hazards.
Engine Guards & Sliders
By Tony B
Not only are engine guards
and frame sliders a great way to improve the look of your bike,
they can protect your bike from serious damage if you get in an
accident or your bike tips over.
Here I scraped up my bike
when it tipped over on uneven ground.I had to replace the clutch
lever and the mirror. Not cheap.....wish I would have had an
engine guard. They are good investments and come in many styles,
so shop around. You can find many deals online and at
motorcycle shows.
Curved Mirrors
By Tony B
Here is a quick tip I got
from a friend. Many sport and sporting touring bikes have large
blind spots. One solution is to go down to your local dealer and
plop down a few hundred dollars for a new set of mirrors with a
wider field of view.
Another is to go over to the local auto store and buy the
"bubble" or "curved" mirrors. They stick on with two way tape and
do an excellent job of eliminating blind spots. The set I got for
my bike cost about $8.00 and are adjustable.
EZ Pass Holders
By Tony BIf you live in the northeast and regularly use E-Z Pass to pay tolls on bridges and highways, you should consider getting a transponder for your bike. Fumbling around for loose change with riding gloves on is no fun and drivers will start blowing their horns at you if you take too long to pay.
One quick tip; avoid the
motorcycle E-Z Pass holders and use the adhesive strips that come
with the transponder. Most of the holders we have seen use
suction cups to hold the transponder to the windshield or tank.
Whoever makes these things must have forgotten that bikes
vibrate.....a lot. After a few miles of riding, your $25.00
transponder and your $15.00 holder will come loose and be gone
with the wind.
If you don't have the adhesive strips, call your local E-Z Pass center for new ones. They will send them to you for free. For advanced riders, you can keep the transponder in your pocket and hold it in the air as you approach the toll booth. If you have a passenger, have him or her hold it in the air for you.
GPS Units
By Tony B
If you are in the mood to splurge on a big ticket item for your motorcycle, consider putting a GPS unit on your list.
First off, get one that is specifically made for
motorcycles and resist the urge to rig up your car GPS to
your bike. Motorcycle GPS units are rugged and built to handle
road hazards such as bike vibration, flying debris and rain. Most
have glare resistant screens for easy viewing and can be easily
operated while wearing gloves.
Top end motorcycle GPS units have bluetooth for
connecting to your phone and a motorcycle bluetooth headset. Some
even have satellite radio, mp3 players and weather
alerts.
They all come with mounts for easy installation on
your handlebars.
Motorcycle Service Manual
By Tony B
Your
motorcycle comes with an owners manual. It covers very
basic things you can do to keep your bike up, with the most
important being the maintenance schedule. You should familiarize
yourself with the owners manual and carry it with you to service
small items that may happen when you are on the road.
But if you want to go beyond the basics, you need to buy the motorcycle service manual for your bike. The service manual is what your dealer uses when fixing your bike and it covers everything from changing the oil to taking apart the engine.
Although you
will not need everything in it, it will pay for itself the
first time you change your oil (easy) or do your first brake
job (very easy). With it, you can change your spark plugs,
change your coolant, adjust engine idle speed, wire your
GPS unit, lube your chassis and more. Just about all of the
items in the maintenance schedule you can do yourself if you
have the service manual. Also, the service manual will tell you
what special tools to use, if any.
Gone are the days
of paying a mechanic $250.00 for a brake job or $150.00 to
drain and replace the coolant. One of the biggest savings is
learning to take off the wheel. Instead of paying your
dealer $500.00 to install new tires every year, you can buy
tires over the internet, take the wheels off yourself and
only pay for installation and balancing.....around here,
that's about $25.00/tire.
If you are serious about doing your own maintenance, stop by your local dealer and buy a copy of the service manual. It can save you thousands of dollars over the life of your bike.
Tire Pumps
By Tony B
It is important to keep
your tires properly inflated, and checking the tire pressure
should be done when the tires are cold. For this reason, you need
to have a tire pump and not drive to the local gas station for
air. Below are a few tips we have encountered along the
way.
Hand Pumps
A good hand pump can do the job of adding 1 - 3 PSI to a tire.
Not very good if you need to add 8 or more PSI. Our high pressure
hand pump required between 20 - 25 "pumps" to add 1
PSI.
Foot Pump
A good foot pump can quickly add a good amount of pressure
without wearing yourself out. A good one will have a gauge so you
can check the pressure as you pump.
Electric Pump
The best option I have come across is an electric pump. Most of
the portable battery chargers come with a pump and a built in
gauge. They can quicky add 10 or more PSI to a tire in a few
minutes.
