Articles
Introduction
Why am I doing this? As I taught BRC/NRC (Basic Rider Course/New Rider Course) classes I found myself digging through my memories and coming up with a lot of information I’d like to share with the students. However, giving out too much information is a rabbit hole Rider Coaches must avoid. There is limited time available in the course and that time must be spent ensuring the objectives of the course are met. One Sunday evening following the completion of an NRC, I was on my two-hour ride home. As I was rolling through the miles I got to thinking about all the things that could be shared with a new rider if the time allowed. I began thinking about a few things that could be put on a couple of sheets of paper and passed out to the new riders at the end of the course. Over the next few weeks I found myself developing an outline of subjects I’d like to address in this hand out and fleshing out some of the topics with details. Eventually, I sat at the keyboard and began pounding the keys. The more I typed, the more I realized I could share.
As time went by, I decided that rather than giving my riders a booklet, I would do it online. Much of the initial material I’ll be posting on this site will be related to general riding and safety. As things develop, there is no telling where my mind might go.
Much of what I’ll be posting is my opinion. It’s not sanctioned, approved, or reviewed by the AMA, MSF, DOT, NHTSA, Harley-Davidson, or any other body of “experts”. It’s just me pounding on the key board trying to make a point or two.
I hope you find my ramblings helpful.
I am not a politically correct person. One of the PC things I do not subscribe to is the him /her pronoun nonsense. If the subject of a sentence is of undetermined gender, I use “he”. If my writing style or something I say offends you, please remember that being offended is up to you. It’s not my responsibility to ensure you get through the day unoffended. If I have somehow offended you or if any of my comments strikes a sensitive nerve, all I can say is “Oh well”.
Are the articles on this website original with me? No. They come from several sources; including books, magazine articles, MSF documents, other riders, various safety studies, and my experiences. Will these articles eliminate the risks you face while riding? No. But they may help you better identify those risks and hopefully help you avoid them. Does reading this material make me responsible for your safety? NO! There is only one person responsible for your safety – YOU! Riding a motorcycle is risky! Your reading the information in these pages does not make me responsible for your safety. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY!
Contributions to the discussion are welcome. If you feel I’m putting out misinformation, please let me know. If you have additional topics you would like discussed, please let me know. If one or more of the topics seem pointless to you, please let me know. If you like it or don’t like it, please let me know. If you do have comments for me, please don’t just say xxx topic sucks. Tell me why you think it sucks. Tell me how I could make it better. “It sucks” comments with no additional information will just go into the trash bin with little, if any, consideration on my part.
Hang on. I hope you enjoy the ride.
mdm
MSF/HDRA Rider Coach
mdm.rider@ourlg.org
Intersections
Unless you live and ride in a very unique place, intersections are a part of every ride. There is no way to avoid them.
Intersections are pretty much the most dangerous place for riders.
How do you get through intersections without getting hit? The most important thing is to PAY ATTENTION. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted. What are the drivers around the intersection doing? Turn signals aren’t very reliable indications of what the drivers are actually going to do.
Read More ...Curves
The joy and feeling of freedom I experience as I roll through a series of sweeping curves can hardly be described to those that are doomed to their cages with seat belts and air bags. I’m certainly not alone in this, curves are why many riders ride.
However, we must keep in mind that curves are where numerous single vehicle motorcycle crashes occur.
Some of the primary causes of crashes in curves:
- Curve taken too fast.
- Poor rider skill (which can also relate to trying to take the curve too fast).
- Debris, road surface damage, obstruction (slow/stalled vehicle, animal, people, sand, gravel, mud…). Again, this can go back to trying to take the curve too fast.
Passengers
When a rider carries a passenger, he is taking that person’s life into his hands. There are few times most civilians will have this huge of a responsibility for another person’s life. I feel thisresponsibility ranks up there with the responsibility a soldier in combat has for the lives of his fellow soldiers. When carrying a passenger, your every act impacts on the safety of the person that trusted you enough to get on the back of your motorcycle – don’t let her (most passengers are female) down.
When a rider carries a passenger, he is taking that person’s life into his hands. There are few times most civilians will have this huge of a responsibility for another person’s life. I feel thisresponsibility ranks up there with the responsibility a soldier in combat has for the lives of his fellow soldiers. When carrying a passenger, your every act impacts on the safety of the person that trusted you enough to get on the back of your motorcycle – don’t let her (most passengers are female) down.
Read more ....Normal Stops
First of all, you do have good brakes, don’t you? Periodically check the pads and rotors. Replace them before they become a problem. Brake fluid doesn’t last forever, change it as your manual recommends. You don’t have an owner’s manual? Get one. While you are at it get a service manual for your motorcycle as well. Even if you don’t do your own maintenance and repairs it will help you know your motorcycle better and have a better understanding of the discussion when speaking with the folks that you are trusting to repair/maintain your motorcycle. Do your brake lights work properly, both front and rear brake?
The foot dragging method of stopping may have been adequate for Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble but it has no place on a motorcycle. Understand how to use your brakes (both front and rear). Use your front brake along with the rear. A lot of riders will caution you against using the front brake but THEY ARE WRONG! Your front brake gives you 70% of your braking power. Do you really want to rely on just 30% of your braking power to stop you?
Read more ....The Other Guy
Get a group of motorcyclists together and the conversation will usually quickly turn to the “Other Guy”. You know who I mean, that car driver that is out to kill you. The guy that is responsible for all the risks we face out there on the road.
Take a closer look at it and some very interesting things become apparent. A study of 10 years of motorcycle crashes in Florida gives us some disturbing numbers. About 34 percent of motorcycle crashes are one vehicle crashes. If you look at the really severe and fatal motorcycle crashes, 50 percent of them are one vehicle crashes. Many one vehicle crashes happen in curves because of too high a speed and/or poor rider skills (see section on Curves). It sounds like we may be our own “Other Guy” a lot of the time.
Read more ….Booze and Drugs
Here are some interesting numbers, from various sources, to ponder.
- 34% of motorcycle crashes are single vehicle crashes
- 40% of motorcycle single vehicle crashes involves booze
- 50% of motorcycle fatalities are single vehicle crashes
- 33% of fatal crashes involve speeding
- 29% of fatal crashes involve booze.
