2Wheeltips

Q: What drew him to this endeavor?  How do you see your accomplishments?  How have these efforst influenced the rest of your life and what sort of legacy do you plan to leave, want to leave, think you will leave?  (submitted by Ran B., Wilmington, DE)
 
A:  I think most of the serious riders who are spending their time on motorcycle safety are reluctant volunteers. We'd just as soon be out riding, but we recognize the need, and we're suckers for saying "OK". Of course, once you get involved--as a club safety coordinator, or an instructor, or the administrator of a training site, you get the constant feedback of seeing riders gain skill, or coming back to you and saying: "Do you remember me? I was in your class back in 1986. You've probably saved my life three or four times." That encourages you to say "yes" to teaching a class next weekend, knowing you'll have to cancel your planned ride. And it keeps encouraging you to maintain your certification and stay involved.
 
I know more than a few motorcycle enthusiasts who have spent much of their lives teaching and writing. I don't think any of us thought about leaving a legacy, other than seeing motorcyclists get more skilled and smarter in the future. Of course, many of us get burned out, or get discouraged by heavy-handed administration, or simply don't have the physical energy any more.
 
I remember the last class I taught. I had gotten up at about 5am to get to the training site, set everything up, taught the classroom, coached the range exercises, signed the completion cards, and filled out the paperwork. Then I had to pick up the cones, put everything away in a container, find dinner somewhere, and make the 3-hour commute home again. I was so dog-tired I stumbled on the stairs and fell on my helmet.

Q:   What are some of the formative experiences and training that led to you giving so much to the safety field?  (submitted by Bob S., Saratoga, CA)

A:  I happen to have a good mind for graphics, so when I started writing motorcycle skills articles, I had some skill in producing graphics that would communicate what was needed. I spent 36 years at the Boeing Company, mostly developing graphics for engineering and training organizations. So I've had the advantage of learning a bit about how pilots are trained, and I've realized that driving airplanes and driving motorcycles have a lot in common. I don't know where the drive comes from. I just write one more article, and deliver one more seminar, and the list gets longer and longer.
 
Q: What is the tallest thing you've jumped over while riding a motorcycle?
(submitted by Krishna V., Seattle, WA)
 
A:  That would probably be my ego. OK, I'm not into jumping motorcycles, but I did drive my dual sport sidecar rig in the Los Angeles-Barsto-Las Vegas desert ride one year. We were making good time across an angled plateau heading into Las Vegas, when I realized there was a dry wash ahead. There was no time to slow down, so we flew off the edge into the wash, plowed straight across, and slammed into the other side. The leading link compressed so far I heard the knobby tire zzzing on the underside of the fender, and then we were launched. I suppose we flew all three wheels in the air for 40 feet or so. Sorry, I don't think the jump was higher than 3 or 4 feet, but I sure remember it.

Stay tuned for more wisdom from David Hough!

1. The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror.
2. Four wheels move the body; two wheels move the soul.
3. I'd rather be riding my motorcycle and thinking about God, than sitting in church thinking about my bike.
4. Life may begin at 30, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 75 mph.
5. Midnight bugs taste just as bad as Noon time bugs.
6. Sometimes it takes a whole tank full of gas before you can think straight.
7. A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.
8. Young riders pick a destination and go; old riders pick a direction and go.
9. When you're riding lead, don't spit.
10. Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 75 mph can double your vocabulary.
11. If you can't get it going with bungee cords and duct tape, it's serious.
12. Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window

More words of wisdom from David Hough:

Q:  Tell us what you think about the economy of riding a motorcycle year-round (weather permitting)
Bikes emit less pollution into the atmosphere, what about the green aspect of biking. (submitted by Ivan W., Long Beach, CA)
 
A:  I always get a chuckle out of having some obvious non-rider come up for a chat, and the very first question is, "how many miles per gallon does it get?" That's sort of an American perspective, that people ride motorcycles to save money. Mile per mile, I suspect that a mid-sized motorcycle costs about the same as a compact car. My wife's $17,000 Toyota Corrola gets an honest 34 miles per gallon, can carry four people in comfort, and none need to wear expensive helmets or riding gear. I expect the tires to last for at least 40,000 miles, and I never expect to have to repack the transmission splines or change the driveshaft. An individual motorcycle pollutes about the same as an individual car, we're only "green" because there are fewer bikes than cars. The primary reason to commute on a bike is getting through slow moving traffic. And only one state doesn't prohibit lane sharing, so that takes away the big advantage. It's not that I dislike motorcycles, but let's be honest about the situation.
 
Q:  What kind of organizational politics (MSF and others) are preventing us from having a better, safer riders out there?
Has anyone ever entertained a though of creating a bike lane on the highway. Is there a precedent?

A:  Discussing the politics of motorcycle safety is a risky business, because big money is at stake. Ever since the late 1970s, the major motorcycle manufacturers have put between 5 and 8 million dollars each year into a foundation. Unfortunately, the foundation has has been given multiple and sometimes conflicting tasks. The first task is to show the government that the industry is doing something about the problem of too many motorcycle crashes and fatalities. The second task is to provide beginner rider training that's as cheap and simple as possible. The third task is to sell more motorcycles. Back in the good old days we thought the industry-funded foundation was set up to help riders get smarter and more skilled. Eventually we realized that the foundation was limited by the conflicting priorities. For instance, if your priority is to get a newly-trained rider to buy a new bike, you don't want to see him or her fail the tests. So, you make the exercises simple and friendly, and the tests easy to pass. You know he's not ready for the street, but he needs a completion card to get his endorsement--so he's ready and motivated to buy a bike.
 
This won't change until each state takes full responsibility for it's rider training, meaning it must tell any national industry-financed foundations to stay out of the way. The training courses need to be developed to answer the specific needs of that state, based on real-world crash statistics. What might change the marginal situation we now have, is a movement by motorcycle enthusiasts to regain control of their own state programs, and kick out the industry lobbyists and lawyers. Two states have done that so far, Oregon and Idaho. But other states are paralyzed by the political clout of struggling dealerships who need to sell more bikes NOW.
 
More to come from David Hough....stay tuned!!

Lee Parks Design has released its revised e-book on suspension set-up.  For those of you who are interested in knowing more about this topic, here is the link:

http://www.leeparksdesigntotalcontrol.com/Suspension101eBook.pdf

More words of wisdom from David Hough!

 Q:  Can you comment on the documentary "On Any Sunday"?  (question submitted by Paul B., San Diego, CA)
 
A:  On Any Sunday was a very interesting film, because it painted a wide-angle portrait of motorcycling, not a narrow focus. Of course, it was a rosey picture of everyone having fun. It didn't include the realities of serious crash injuries and fatalities.

Q: What are your comments about the perception that street riding is somehow inherently more dangerous with little or no regard given to the alertness/awareness of the rider. How can that perception be changed?
 
A:  I think the general public has a better perception of the danger of motorcycling than many riders have. Motorcycling is similar to flying airplanes. You can't do much to prevent injuries once a crash is set in motion. So, you have to put your energies into avoiding crashes. And that means developing some sharp skills, especially mental skills such as looking ahead and knowing what hazards look like.
 
When I see riders who appear to have no concern about the risks, I'd like to be able to wake them up with a dose of reality. In 2007, more than 5,000 riders died in motorcycle crashes, and maybe another 30,000 were injured severely enough to require hospitalization. I'm not talking about tipping over at a stop sign here, but really nasty crashes where riders spent time in the operating room getting stitched stapled and screwed back together.
 
One of my major concerns is that way too many motorcyclists don't appreciate how much skill and knowledge it takes to survive the ride.
 
Q:  What is your perspective on how the burden of safety can be shifted from vehicle to driver as it is clearly shifted as far to the vehicle side as possible in the interest of profits over safety. Do you feel motorcycle (and car) manufacturers have any responsibility in this matter? Do you think we will see a change in the way American's think about motorcycles from a purely recreational 'toy' vehicle to a viable, efficient means of travel? Do you think any efforts to accommodate motorcycles on streets and highways will ever be made?
 
A:  In the United States we have allowed a situation to develop where motorcycle manufacturers are building and selling what are essentially race bikes with lights and horns. How can we possibly expect that a testosterone-poisoned 20-year-old can control a bike with 170 or 180 horsepower, on roads that were engineered for maybe 55 or 60 mph? And how can rider training possibly affect the outcome when skills are practiced in parking lots at 30 or 35 mph?
 
If riders in the United States, especially riders of high performance machines, were more serious about the risks, and sought out advanced training like that in other countries, it wouldnt be as much of a problem. But it appears to me that way too many riders treat motorcycling as a recreational pursuit, like playing golf or basketball. Andy Goldfine, the boss at Aerostich, has been attempting to promote the "Ride To Work" day for a numbe of years, but the vast majority of motorcyclists treat their machines as toys rather than serious transportation, and I think the general public picks up on this. I wish Andy well, but I don't think this is going to change in the forseeable future.

Stay tuned for more words of wisdom from David Hough!


 

There have been a few emails going around the internet lately about a motorcycle air conditioning unit. Some think the idea is completely stupid while others think it may be what's needed on those 95F/35C days.

While it is unusual, we decided to reach out to the manufacturer, Entrosys, to get more information and to see if we can get a unit to test out.  We heard back from them yesterday and we are indeed getting a unit! They are in pre-production now but the units will be ready for shipment once the warmer weather gets here. We will film the installation and test it out. We will keep you posted. Of course, our other 2wheeltips.com product testers (you know who you are) are welcome to try it out once we are done with it.

 

If you think that the back-seat of your bike is reserved for your “old lady” alone, then get a load of this.

A company called Beast Rider (http://www.beastriders.com/) makes a specialized basket for your canine companion. It fits on the back of your bike and has straps for added security.

Check out my dog blog at http://dogandogs.com for other facinating dog bits.

In preparation for our interview with David Hough, the author of the Proficient Motorcycling books, we sent David some questions to consider.  His answers helped us format the interview.  We thought we would share some of his answers here.  We will be releasing more questions answered by David in future blog postings, so stay tuned!

Q:  Since you have clearly influenced many, who was your greatest influence?  (question submitted by Michael A from Vancouver, Canada)

A:  Probably the greatest influence on my writing was Bob Carpenter, the editor of Road Rider magazine back in the 1980s. Bob was a bit of a contrarian in terms of rider training and motorcycle safety conferences, but he was absolutely in favor of skills articles in the magazine, and knew how to give his contributors the "attaboys" to keep us interested.

Q:  What is the dumbest thing you ever did on a bike and why did you do it? (question submitted by Casey B.)
 
A:  I don't think any of us intend to do "dumb" things, but after the event we're suddenly aware that they were dumb. I've pulled my share of dumb stunts over the years, but one that sticks in my mind is attempting to ride a remote California desert road all by myself on a fully loaded BMW R1150 GS. I'd managed about 60 miles when the front tire hooked on a sand berm and the bike went rocketing out into the desert, smashing through the brittlebush.When I awoke gasping for breath, I realized that making the decision to turn onto this road wasn't too clever.

Q:  What motivated you to enter their field, if there were any turning points, and who do you turn to for inspiration.  (Submitted by Tiara S., Brisbane, Australia)
 
A:  I seem to have a deep curiosity about how things work. And when I took up riding in 1965 I realized there wasn't much information available on motorcycle skills. So I started collecting everything I could find. And later I began sharing my discoveries--which led to generating some articles of my own for Road Rider Magazine. In retrospect, my first attempts were pitiful, but you have to start somewhere.

Come back to check for more questions answered by David Hough!