2Wheeltips

A couple of days ago, I read about an accident in my area where a couple riding a bike was hit by another biker who was drunk http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37815299/ns/local_news-delaware_valley_panj/.  The drunken rider went to pass the couple and, as he tried to pass, he hit their rear wheel.  The rider on the bike that was hit is now in critical condition in the hospital.  The passenger on that bike was thrown from the bike and was run over and killed by a car (the driver of the car left the scene and had not been located at the time of the news story).    The drunken motorcyclist who caused the catastrophe "sustained several cuts and bruises and was treated at the hospital before being taken into custody." 

So what is the reality here?  One biker dead, one biker in critical condition fighting for his life, and the biker who caused it all survives with minor bruises and a certain jail sentence and who knows how many lawsuits to plague him for the rest of his life.  All because he was stupid enough to ride drunk.

My last morning at Americade 2010, I stopped in one of the local coffee shops for breakfast.  Parked outside the shop was a beautiful red Goldwing with a sidecar. 

Well, I just sat there, enjoying my breakfast, sipping my coffee…waiting to see who the owner of the Goldwing/Sidecar was.  Along came a couple in their riding gear….heading right for that bike.  And I watched, in amazement….as the woman took the helm of the bike and the man sat in the passenger seat! 

At Americade for $10.00 or $20.00 you could have your riding position check for the comfort of your bike. I wanted to know, what could I learn that would help my riding to more comfort and less, "Oh, My God", and rubbing my hind parts after a 120 mile ride without getting off the bike. Well, I had a pressure mapping system check and discovered that certain areas of my body had more pressure on the seat.  Overall after much discussion I was infomed that I needed a back rest and to proper inflate my airhawk to get rid of the tail bone pain, and have a better reach, and to adjust the armor in my knee pads to get rid of the pain that I would feel in my knees.   I went and purchased a back rest (first called the Harely Davidson in Ann Arbor to check their price; and found out it was cheaper at Americade).  Went to the booth where they sold airhawks and received instruction on how to properly inflate.  Well, what I discovered was that the backrest, placed me forward on the bike, which gave me a better reach to the handelbars, and took my tailbone off the padding of the seat. The airhawk properly air adjusted, gave me the rolling feel of a massage and I could do a certain lean on the bike for release of pressure and sit back on the bike and the ride felt great.  Before, I could ride on the airhawk for about 100 miles and my butt would start hurting.  I would get off the bike and when I got back on the bike, my butt felt like I was starting new on the ride.  But, since I did the adjustment, I could change positions while riding the bike and my butt then felt like I was starting new.  My ride home from Americade, 671 miles felt a lot better and less tiring than the 577 miles I did the first day on my way to Maine.  Riding with the backrest, suprisingly placed me in a position that was more comfortable and I was sitting straight-up.  The backrest costed me more than $20.00, I think it was $200.00 or more.  I found myself, after parking the bike, putting my backrest in my touring pack---did not want to walk back to my bike and the $200.00 backrest, not being there.  I got to the point where, I started leaving it on the bike.

I'm finally getting some time to write about my trip to Lake George, NY from central NJ for the Americade rally. It isn't a big ride, about 250 miles, and it's something that can be done in less than 5 hours. I rode up with a group of local friends.
The weather was clear but a little cool and breezy for a summer morning and scattered showers were in the forecast. With that in mind, I decided to pack my waterproof summer gloves, my rainsuit, my windbreaker jacket and a long sleeve compression shirt just it case the temperature dropped.

We started with 4 riders, road up the Garden State Parkway to a rest stop just south of Union, NJ and picked up 8 more riders. By then, it was chilly, so I put on the windbreaker. I got a few cross looks about having on too much clothing, but I always get that. After all, I'm "mr. safety" in these parts of the woods.

After hanging out there for an hour we got on the road. About an hour later we arrived at the first rest stop on the New York thruway. Along the way, the temperature dropped quite a bit. Those who didn't change at the previous stop were now cold and didn't look too happy. The clouds were rolling in and I put on my compression shirt and my raingear. Some did not bring warm shirts, rain gear or waterproof gloves, thinking they would make it to Americade before the rain.

We soon got back on the road and agreed to stop for lunch at a rest area just south of Albany, NY. Along the way, the temperature dropped again and it rained on and off some more. We all made it there in one piece but those who took a chance were now even colder and a little wet.  After a group lunch, we got back on the road for the final 90 minute ride to Lake George and that's when the fun began.

As soon as we got on the road, the sky opened up and it started raining....hard.  Those without rain gear got soaked and those with half helmets had to slow down because the rain hitting their faces was too painful. Still others had no experience riding in the rain and they too had to slow down. I hate passing other riders, but we were getting separated from other riders. At the next tool, I passed all of the ill-prepared riders and caught up with the others who were at least a half a mile ahead.

As we neared Lake George, the rain eased up some and we all made it there in one piece. I was warm, dry and in good spirits. The others were wet, cold and grouchy.

Moral of the story? Be prepared. Better to have it and not need it than to curse yourself for leaving it behind.

We just got this from our contact and Snell Foundation, the company that does helmet testing.  Their new motorcycle helment certification M2010, is the highest motorcycle helmet standard in the world. Helmets with this certification are coming to the market now and this site have information on the M2010 testing and other helmet safety info.

http://www.snellm2010.org/

We are going to Americade this year....leaving on Wednesday morning from central NJ. We should be there around 2pm.

On Thursday, we are going to the Woodchuck Cider Mill in Vermont. It is just across the ferry from Ticonderoga....perhaps 20 minutes. If you are free, you are welcome to join us. Just let me know.

I know…you like the look of that novelty helmet that you saw on someone and you know that you would look GREAT in the same helmet….  Riding down the road on your cruiser, wind in your face,  that's the ride and the look for you!  You'd ride without a helmet if only your state allowed it, so the novelty helmet is the next best thing, right?  After all, something is better than nothing, and you won't be pulled over for riding without a helmet.  All is good on the road, right?  Well, perhaps you should think again.

Complain all you want about the government getting involved in your personal business by requiring you to wear a helmet, but it's not the state official who will be injured if you crash with no head protection.  And, personally, I just want you to understand a little more about novelty helmets before you convince yourself that they do anything to help you in the case of a crash or fall.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tested some novelty helmets to see how they performed against the DOT certification.  All the novelty helmets tested failed.  I repeat…..all of the novelty helmets test failed. Not only did they fail but the test results even state that you have a "100-percent probability of brain injuries and skull fracture, indicating that the person wearing the helmet will sustain fatal head injuries."  Other findings from the tests….."All the novelty helmets failed to pass the impact attenuation, penetration, and helmet retention system requirements."

In plain english…..when they hit the ground, they will split open or get punctured by debris on the ground. What remains of the helmet will come off your head because the chin strap will stretch or snap from the stress of the impact. You will crack your skull and die or become a vegetable. Sounds nice, huh?

The bottom line is that your head gets little to no protection.  Good luck if your novelty helmet even remains on your head.  Most of the helmets tested could not even do that!  Some chin straps could be pulled off the helmet with a good yank. Why not just wear a baseball cap? They are cheaper and seem like they give the same amount of protection.

So, it seems to me, at least, that the choice is pretty clear.  Like your head?  Care about your brain?  Wear a helmet that is DOT and/or Snell certified.  Think about it now, before you need it, before you have an accident or fall…because if you wait until AFTER that accident or fall, it is too late.

NHTSA has just released accident statistics for 2008 (it takes them 2 years to collate the data).

This info was brought to our attention by the great David Hough, author of Proficient Motorcycling  and other must-read titles

Note that the total motorcycle fatalities continued to climb, even though the fatality rate for 2007 dropped a mere 2%.

Read the details here http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/811159.pdf

 

Earlier this week I renewed my insurance policy. I decided to do it online and while I was waiting for the confirmation number, I decided to take a look at what my policy actually covered.  What I saw was confusing so I decided to call up the customer support line to get some details. What I was told was scary.

In a nutshell, I had the bare minimum coverage of 15k per person/30k per accident and 5k for property damage. I told the agent that I could kick a car and cause 5k worth of damage and that 15k would barely cover a broken arm. I asked what happened to the larger amounts I had in the past? I was told that last year that if you didn't specifically request the same amounts, you were given the lower coverage by default! Ummm......interesting. I told the agent that I definitely needed more coverage (50k per person/100k per accident/50k per car/bike/etc) and asked how much would it cost? What I heard shocked me.....it will cost $20 more per bike!!

Of course I got the coverage but was upset that I rode around for a year with basically no coverage at all. I'm sure the "notice" was on the back page in small print somewhere. I'm writing this as a warning....make sure you check not just your bike.....but your insurance as well. You never know what you may find. Check your insurance.

Riding an early motorcycle entailed a certain preparation that went like this:

1. Set the throttle at a very small opening (there would likely be no spring returning the throttle to idle position)
2. Set the choke at a position judged the appropriate one for the ambient temperature, and retard the spark timing manually by several degrees.
   
3. Then approach the kick-starter with due apprehension, bracing yourself for yet another blow to your chronically bruised shin.
   The thing about kick-starters is, they tend to kick back. This is especially likely if you don't retard the timing far enough, as then the motor backfires mechanically, as it were, through the kick-starter, sending your shin to its fated meeting with the foot peg.
   
4. With the bike balanced on the center stand, and you on one foot, use your whole weight on the kick-starter to ease the motor slowly through its power stroke and well into its exhaust stroke, judged by listening for air escaping from the open exhaust valve.
   
5. Having positioned the piston at the start of its intake stroke, you are ready to kick-start the bike. But first check to make sure there are not attractive women present to witness your display, nor any of your rivals, for it is likely to be a drama of strenuous impotence.

Before taking that first kick, it is traditional to light a cigarette and set it dangling at an angle that suggests nonchalance. While you're at it, send up a little prayer for fuel atomization. You woudln't be riding a motorocycle if you weren't an optimist.

Ten or twelve kicks later, sweat dripping form your brow, you might get to ride the motorcyle.

This is a rewrite from Matthew B. Crawford's Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work

It really makes you appreciate the level of sophistication we've achieved since then...or did we lose something in the process?

I've had the privilage (or misfortune -I guess it depends on one's point of view) of riding motorcycles that seemed like they came from 1930s. There is a certain sense of accomplishment in mastering an unwieldy stallion who is unwilling to submit to most.

What do you think?