This morning brought the news of yet another motorcycle fatality on the streets of Indianapolis. This one happened on the South Side and the motorcyclist was riding with two others and were reportedly running a high rate of speed in what was reported as a 45 mph zone. The motorcycle went into a high speed wobble and hit a utility pole on the side of the road. This occurred at 1:00 am. Was alcohol involved? Information is not available yet to answer that.
That is one of the questions in my mind each and every time I hear about another motorcycle fatality. Very often the next question that I would like answered is “Was the rider professionally trained or self taught?” “What was the rider’s experience level?” “What actions could have prevented this tragedy?” I believe that there is a quick fix to all single vehicle accidents, motorcycle or automobile. Training and responsibility.
Have you taken the motorcycle safety course? Do a quick search online and find your nearest safety program and get signed up today. Do yourself and those that love you a favor and live to ride another day as my friend Tom Lowdermilk from SideStand Up would say.
Monday, June 21st marks the official start of summer. It is fitting then that it is also the official date for Ride to Work Day 2010. This annual event promotes the use of motorcycles as an option to cars for everyday transportation needs. Many people look at motorcyclists as nuisances that should not be on the road. What they fail to see is that motorcycles are a transportation option that help in many areas.
Let’s start off with the air quality factor. Yes, the fossil fuel motorcycles do still emit carbon emissions but in much smaller quantities than all the other cars, trucks, buses, and trains that clog our route to work every day. Want it to be even cleaner? Buy an electric motorcycle. Speaking of those other vehicles clogging the roadway, imagine all the advantages of the majority of vehicles on your morning commute being two or three wheelers. Less congestion equals less frustration. The added benefit is less wear and tear on the infrastructure. How many of you have to fight to find parking on busy city streets or in loaded parking garages? Yet another reason to ride a bike.
Also, think about the money that could be saved in gas. Most motorcycles get considerably better gas mileage than their four wheel counterparts. Who doesn’t want to save a few bucks? Less consumption in whole means lower gas prices as well. That great law of economics says prices will fall if demand dwindles. Take that OPEC!
OK, let’s stop and admit that there are many people who could care less about any of the environmental impacts that are discussed above. If you fall into that category, then think about this. You ARE saving money and you get to pick the bugs out of your teeth!
Enjoy your ride to work tomorrow and make it a safe one.
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This episode covers the recent rumors, or Trouble in Paradise?, of the Motor Company. There have been recent rumors of Harley Davidson being sold and we give a little info here. Most interesting is the spin the Todd B. Wilson, cohost of the Motorcycle Radio Network, takes. See his blog post here. Not all the trouble in the industry lies in Milwaukee though. We talk about the final sale of American Ironhorse and the sale of Ridley Motorcycles. Find out what will happen with them.
We also bring a little MotoGP news and provide you a link on how to get your chance to ride with the big boys in World Superbikes and World Supersport at Utah’s Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. There are wildcard spots to be filled if you feel like you have what it takes to get off the porch and compete. You can find out the requirements and fill out an application by clicking right here. In addition, we give information on an upcoming endurance ride, The HokaHey Challenge, that you can join. It is a run from Key West, FL to Homer, AK and covers some 7,000 miles.
Our final story comes from the UK and involves alcohol and riding. You gotta listen to this one.
As promised the interesting video on how sound checks are done on motorcycles courtesy of YouTube.
There may be trouble in Milwaukee Paradise but there is still plenty of true paradise in the Dominican Republic. Call my friends at MotoCaribe Motorcycle Tours and book your trip to fun in the sun the two wheel way. 800-877-MOTOFUN ext. 100
We have exciing interviews coming up with the creators of some unique products aimed at the motorcycling community and based on riders. Make sure you come back soon and check us out. Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or the Zune store or just listen right here on the website. Show recommendations are always welcome at Steve@mcnationpodcast.com
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This episode discusses the challenges of riding in the spring after the car operators have not seen us for many months. We discuss awareness, sand, and the potholes created from the winter freeze. If you live in certain states I provide you with information on how to get those potholes fixed so you don’t hit them later. We also talk about what a motorcycle safety class will do for you. Whether you have ridden for many years or you have the desire to step over the saddle for the very first time, there are things that you will learn by taking a course. Below you will find out how to find the closest Motorcycle Safety Foundation class to you. We also covered two recalls and you will find the numbers to the manufacturers listed below.
The popular Rider’s Edge® (RE) motorcycle safety program offered by the Motor Company® has been at the heart of many discussions lately after it was announced that Buell production would end. The big question that has popped up is what is the future of RE without the use of the Buell Blast?
I have long thought that the Blast was a less than suitable training motorcycle. This is my opinion only, although if you asked the question to many of my colleagues you would get that same answer. There are two main reasons that I feel this way. The first lies in the single cylinder 492cc powerplant. This is too much power to put in the hands of a beginner who does not have the concept of throttle control and friction zone yet. The first reaction that a novice has when a motorcycle gets away from them is to apply a death grip to the handle bars. As we all know, in our right hand is the throttle which a death grip tends to roll on causing even more power transfer. This spells a bad day. A 125cc or 250cc motorcycle, while definitely still dangerous, is much less forgiving in the same situation.
The second reason I do not agree with the Blast as a trainer lies in the brakes. This motorcycle was produced, as best I can tell, with an entry level sportbike rider in mind. It is small because its secondary target market is made up of females. Again, my opinion. Because it is directed at the sport bike crowd it has extremely aggressive brakes. No other motorcycle class on the market can compare with the brakes on sportbikes. Low motorcycle weight paired with excellent brakes make sportbikes some of the quickest stopping bikes on the market. New riders tend to “attack” the brakes instead of reaching and squeezing the front brake lever. They also tend to stomp on the rear brake pedal instead of applying steady, even pressure. Doing either one of these can cause serious consequences, many times reason one. Panic hits, the deathgrip is applied, and we are in trouble again.
Those are my reasons. Now, back to the original question. With the demise of Buell, what will the future training bike of Rider’s Edge be? I discussed this with a RE provider and the answer I got is this. The government requires that manufacturers who cease production on a product continue to provide repair parts for a period of seven years. The RE program was also granted permission to use used motorcycles that they take in on trade provided they fully inspect them. This was prohibited in the original rules of the program. So, RE will continue to use Buell Blasts in the near future. The most surprising piece of information that I was able to get was that the Motor Company® has told the providers that they will have a new training unit available within five years. Whether this means that HD themselves will build it or that they will contract it out remains to be answered. Whatever route they take, I hope that they address the two problems that I have noted here for the sake of their students.
This just in from our friends at SideStand Up! Grand Junction BMW has a group purchase offer from Arai helmets. Deep discounts are available on helmets but you must act fast. Place your order between now and Feb 26th. Call Sam Kloberdanz at 1-800-523-0594 Extension 11 to order your helmet. Don’t miss out!
Fall is a beautiful time of year to ride and one of my favorites. The air is crisp and cool and the colors are changing making for an all new experience on roads you travel every day. It is much like spring when the green begins to return to the grass and trees and it makes me feel alive again. After many months of leafless trees and gray skies color returns to the landscape and enhances the riding experience.
Speaking of leafless trees, fall brings us a special hazard. The season tends to be wet and the trees begin to shed their leaves after their beautiful change of color. As leaves fall to the ground and are saturated with the rain or dew, they become a great danger to a motorcyclist. Leaves on the road, once wet, become like a sheet of ice. Some motorcyclists that live in certain areas of the country have never had to experience this but we should all know what to do if we find ourself rounding a curve and see leaves covering the ground.
The way to handle this is the same way to handle almost any potential hazard that could be slick. First off, try to slow before reaching the hazard. Your speed should be slow enough that you can reduce or eliminate any lean angle required to continue on the path of travel. If going in a straight line all you need to do is scrub off some speed of course as you will not require lean angle anyway. Now that you have slowed and you are using very little or no lean angle, you should squeeze in your clutch and coast across the leaves. With the rear wheel not under power you have less of a chance of the wheel sliding out from under you. Once you have safely made it across the leaves ease the clutch out through the friction zone until you are back under full power. You don’t want to be quick on the clutch release as you do not know how much of that goo transferred to your tire. When the clutch is fully out, pick up your speed slowly and enjoy the rest of the ride.
Everybody ride safe out there and don’t forget that this is a good time of the year to experience deer and other animals. Keep your eyes open and Search, Evaluate, and Execute.
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In this episode we discuss some quick news. We mention the Vegas Bikefest and let you know that Jay Leno is auctioning off his 200hp V-Max to help a friend. We joke about Sen. Lautenberg from NJ helping to push a helmet law in Uganda (purely a joke). Motorcycle sales are down and we let you know just how bad the outlook is and we mention a study by the Freedonia Group that says that internationally, motorcycle sales are expected to rise 8% per year over the next 5 years.
The return of Casey Stoner to MotoGP this weekend and the trade off from World Superbike to MotoGP and vice versa of James Toseland and Ben Spies is mentioned as well. The majority of this episode involves the alarming trend over the past years of returning war vets losing their lives on motorcycles and what the Department of Defense has done in an attempt to stop these tragedies.
We close it out by mentioning friend of the show Adrian Blake, creator of the motorcycle show Ride! over on BlogTalkRadio. I urge you to go give Adrian a listen at Ride! Finally we close out the show by mentioning some interviews that we have in the works. Dwayne from Cycle Outfitters here in Indy will be joining us soon to talk about cold weather riding gear. Dwain DeVille, author of “The Biker’s Guide to Business” will promote the book on the Motorcycle Nation Podcast. This is a unique look at the world of business through the eyes of a biker. And we are in the process of setting up an interview with Jensen Beeler, Editor-in-Chief of Asphalt and Rubber, a website providing the latest motorcycle industry and racing news to the web. You won’t want to miss anything that is coming up!
Finally, we send you out with the song Ride by Adrenaline Factor. You can find this song and additional band information at MusicAlley.
We watch magicians on TV make things disappear all the time. And the illusionists amaze the masses by making things appear invisible. They both are well paid for doing this yet there is a group in this world that is able to do the same thing without making a dime and achieve the same results without even trying or wanting to. That group is called motorcyclists.
That is right. You, me, your spouse, your neighbor we are all invisible. Some people seem to have a problem picking up on a motorcycle traveling down the road. I find it hard to believe that someone can not see me, all 245 pounds of me, on a 650 pound motorcycle with a bright headlight traveling towards the intersection that they are getting ready to enter right in front of me forcing me to take evasive actions. Yet no less than three times the past two weeks I have found myself in this situation. I guess I am invisible. Are you?
This is just a reminder to you that you should make sure you perform your pre ride checks. wear bright colored and reflective clothing, and pay attention to the cars on the road. Taking all the precautions does not insure your safety though. After all, once you get past the texters, talkers, and make up artists you still have the blind drivers that make you invisible.
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Riding with Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Motor Company moving manufacturing to Indiana?
Competition Accessories leaving Ohio for SC.
Billy Lane is sentenced.
MotoGP in Indy this weekend
Other news and recalls.
