Motorcycle Nation Podcast

Indiana motorcyclists are proud to have a Governor that not only rides a motorcycle, but is willing to get out and ride with the citizens of Indiana. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels leads a few rides a year that travel the state making stops in small towns all over. The most recent ride, August 14th, was on a beautiful day and surprised many of the first time riders with the route snaking us through some Southern Indiana backroads that had enough curves you would have thought you were on the Tail of the Dragon at times. The best part was that this ride was escorted start to finish by the Indiana State Police Motorcycle Unit. Thank you Gents!

Indiana State Police Electra Glides provided escort.

Whoever ordered the weather up for this ride did well but could have turned the temperature dial back about 10 degrees. I am not sure how many miles were covered as I left after the second stop so I could get back to Indy in time to see the Colts preseason game. The two stops that I did make were Milan and Madison. Milan is famous for their 1954 winning of the state high school basketball championship. The small town team beat the largest high school powerhouses that year and was the team behind the movie Hoosiers. The second stop that I made was in Madison, a really neat town on the Ohio River that looks across into Kentucky. This town also has a famous side as it is the host of the Madison Regatta, a hydroplane racing event held annually on the river.

Ohio River at Madison, IN

Riding with the Governor is free and we had over 400 waivers signed for the ride. If you are in the Hoosier state I encourage you to come out next time and ride with us. No matter what your political party of choice is, it is encouraging to have a rider in charge. The motorcycle rides that the Governor puts on are about motorcycle awareness and when a reporter questioned him on Friday about helmets he made a great statement. He told them that he chooses to always wear a helmet but that education, not mandatory helmet laws is what will save lives. Way to go Governor!

Staging at the State Capitol building.

On August 5th, Jay Jackson, Executive Director of ABATE of Indiana and Vice President of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame at a breakfast in Rapid City, SD during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Jay’s inclusion into the Hall of Fame is due to his lifelong commitment to fighting for the rights of motorcyclists all over the nation.

Jay Jackson, third from right, with attendees from Indiana and Ohio.

Besides his duties as the Executive Director of the largest State Motorcycle Rights Organization (SMRO) in the nation and his recent acceptance of the VP position with the MRF, Jay is often asked to speak at hearings and committee meetings in Washington, DC concerning motorcycle safety. ABATE of Indiana is proud of his accomplishments and congratulates him on his award. I am proud to work for and with him.

Blogging about critters in the last post brought back other memories of 2004 and my collision with the deer. It does not matter what causes your accident or object you might connect with there is always a lingering question on your mind. Like I said, my wreck happened in September of 2004. My injuries were minimal for the wreck that I had but still involved a long recovery period. My injuries consisted of road rash of course, a broken left ankle, and lacerated spleen. The ankle took about three months to heal up well which put me right in the heart of the Indiana winter. I am not sure if the timing of the accident was good or bad but I do know one thing. It gave me way too much time to think.

People tell their kids all the time, and I am guilty as well, that if they fall off their bicycle they need to jump right back on and keep going. Well, let me tell you, that is easier to say to your kid than it is to convince yourself of the same thing. I spent the winter and early Spring of ‘05 wondering if I had the guts to get back on the bike. So many doubts flowed through my head during this time. I spent many hours contemplating if I would be scared once I got back on. Could I get past the fear of the return and be totally comfortable on the road again? Or, would I have such a fear of going down again that I could not safely handle a motorcycle again? One thing that I tell my students is that they can never fear a motorcycle. They must respect it, but they can not fear it. Was I facing the same possibilities that my students faced? Yes I was.

My fears came from many different directions. The fear of going down again was a strong one. Then there was the thought of should I be riding if I have kids and a family? Or, will my injuries heal well enough that I could ride? The first hurdle was the question over riding while I still have a family. That hurdle was crossed fairly easy. People die after being hit by a softball or being shot while being in the wrong place at the right time. Any minute of any day doing any activity brings the possibility of accidental death so I could not see giving up something that I loved for a possibility. So, on to the harder to conquer fears. The fears that could only be answered by throwing the leg over the saddle and pointing the motorcycle down the road, kicking it in gear, and making it go.

I bought the items that were a must to rebuild the bike. As a sidenote, slight mechanical ability can save you a ton of money. The estimate provided by a local HD dealer to fix my bike was $4500. I bought the parts and repaired and replaced the bars, fork tubes, lowers, gear shift lever, and some left side chrome for less than $500. It did not get body work and paint until 2 years later. Anyway, after the repairs were done there was only one thing to do. This was the moment of truth. I can tell you that when I raised the bike off the side stand my hands were sweating and I had a knot in my stomach. I thumbed the start button and the V-Twin roared to life. The sound was like music to my ears. It had been such a long time. Now was the real test. I squeezed the clutch and pressed down on the shift lever and eased out the clutch. I rolled out of my cousins garage and made my way up his short driveway to the road, never having to leave first gear. So far so good. My next challenge was shifting as I was still in rehab and my left ankle was not strong enough yet to pull up on the shift lever without pain. So, I ventured out on the road and hung my leg over the top of the lever and pulled back and shifted. With the pull of each gear I gained a little more confidence and felt my love of the wind coming back. I finished the short shake down run and returned to the garage to clean up before taking her home and parking her.

I was excited about my ride to work the next day. I left the house with total confidence and made my way down the state road that leads me east to the plant. The next huge hurdle had to be conquered, riding right through the same area where the accident happened. If you have never heard of the butt puckering experience I have to tell you right now that it is real. I got to the stretch of road where I went down and I slowed way down, every muscle tensed, sweat formed on my brow, and I scanned aggressively. I made it through! There was no question now that I still had the love for the sport and the desire to ride. Fear did not stop me although I can see why some people call it quits after having a motorcycle accident. I raise my hat to all of us who have been down and jumped back on. But I also raise my hat to those who decided that the risk of going down again was enough to make them stop riding.

Have you had that fear of returning? Let us know your experience via comments, whether you still ride or not.

Some critters we encounter on pretty much every ride. That would be the birds and the bugs. From listening to the motorcycle riders that I follow on Twitter there are places in the US that your bike will be covered in bugs after even a mid day ride. Hope you all have windshields for that one. Other critters, domesticated and wild, only show themselves to us occasionally. This list includes the dogs, cats, raccoons, possums, and many others. Some states have the occasional bear or longhorn steer to contend with but in Indiana the most feared is the deer.

I hit a deer in September of 2004 on my Softail. I popped around a downhill blind curve and started down a short straight stretch and it was as if someone dropped him at the side of the road. I had little time to react so I applied max braking and scrubbed off some speed before seeing the inevitable. I dropped my left shoulder and went for the ride. I can still hear the sound of my helmet grinding down the asphalt. Whew, what a ride. More on that at a later date maybe. The funny thing that non motorcyclists asked me was, “Why didn’t you swerve?” well Sherlock, tell me which way he was going to go! How many times have you seen a deer decide to wheel around and run the opposite direction? I could not predict anything in that short period of time.

Anyway, back to the other critters. I have encountered a critter in the past weeks that I have never encountered before while on my motorcycle. It started with the Michigan road trip and I saw another yesterday on my way to lunch. I am talking about turtles. On the Michigan ride we saw about five turtles and then the one yesterday made it six for me. I am a little surprised to be honest with you. Anyone been noticing a rash of turtles on your rides? Anyone know someone who has hit one?

What is the feared critter in your neck of the woods? Leave some feedback. All I can say is thank goodness I don’t live in alligator country! I will take the deer any day.

Ride Safe and watch out for those critters!

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This episode starts off with a quick summary of my road trip to Cedar Springs, MI and then moves along to the loss of two very committed motorcyclists. One local, Mark Garback, a motorcycle safety instructor with ABATE of Indiana and the other Mike “Boz” Kerr, Vice President of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation.

Next up is an interview with Paul Holdsworth that you have to listen to. You will be floored by Paul’s experiences over his many years of motorcycling and he speaks of his role with IronWorks Magazine. Many thanks to Paul as he was patient with my screwed up schedule and waited many weeks to record this podcast. Thanks again Paul. You can find subscription info to IronWorks Magazine by following the link and you can enjoy the musings of Snakebit Sam at IWBlogger.

We close out the show with another Eclipse song, Green Fishing Line. Follow the link to their website and get your own CD if you have been enjoying the music we have been playing on the podcast.

Special thanks to my friend Dennis Tyger for taking the road trip with me. Better friends are hard to find. As always, we appreciate you, the listeners of the Motorcycle Nation Podcast, for taking the time out of your life to support and listen. Safe travels.

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So many times we hear people talking about an acquaintance or a loved one and you hear the words, “they died doing what they loved.” Now doing what they loved could mean so many things. It could be jogging in the park, snow skiing down the most challenging slopes, fighting a raging house fire, defending the streets from crime, or thousands of other activities. Mark Garback died due to the injuries he suffered while riding a motorcycle. Now this was not your ordinary, every day motorcycle riding. No, this was riding funeral escort, providing a clear path for the procession to move their loved one to their final resting place.

Mark was a 47 year old military veteran who loved motorcycling. Much of his everyday life involved motorcycling whether riding the funeral escorts, riding for pleasure, or teaching motorcycle safety. Mark was a long time instructor in the ABATE of Indiana Motorcycle Safety Program teaching both the Beginner Rider Course (BRC) and the Experienced Rider Course (ERC). I remember watching my first ERC back in 2002, my rookie year of instructing, where Mark was one of the instructors. In the experienced course the students ride their own motorcycles in the class and the instructors ride their personal motorcycles for the demonstration rides before each range exercise. As I observed this class, I noticed that there was an instructor on a white Fatboy that was showing amazing handling skills. That was Mark. A confident motorcycle rider and a confident person.

And let’s not forget, he was pretty confident with the ladies too!

It is ironic that tomorrow we will have the showing for Mark and on Wednesday the memorial service will allow friends and family to say their final goodbyes. As the motorcycle hearse takes Mark for his final ride, led by his beloved Fatboy, I will choose to remember Mark as he is in the pictures in this post, always smiling, and I am sure that others will choose the same. Goodbye Mark. It was a pleasure knowing you.

UPDATE
The last time that I had the opportunity to speak with Mark was early in the training season around the end of March. When Angie, Derek, and I arrived at the showing last night there was a Yamaha FZ1 parked outside the entrance doors in the grass. Marks boots were on the pegs turned backwards. I inquired about the motorcycle and was shocked to learn that on April 11th, Mark had traded his beloved Fatboy for the FZ1. He had always wanted a sportbike in addition to the HD and had quietly made the trade. So, Mark will be led home today by his newest two wheel love, this Yamaha FZ1.

I recently wrote about the release of the two gentlemen that managed the motorcycle safety program for the State of Indiana through the Department of Education. The state said they were “downsizing” due to the economy and felt that someone else within the administration could oversee the program. This allowed them to cut two salaries from the payroll.

The Executive Director of ABATE of Indiana, Jay Jackson, met with Superintendent Dr. Tony Bennett last week. Dr. Bennett assured him that the state was proud of the program and Jay came out of the meeting feeling confident that the existence of the program is solid. That is good to hear for the thousands of motorcyclists that wish to take a safety course.

I still have a problem with the way this is being handled. My problem is that the state has potentially placed an important program, one that saves lives, into the hands of a non motorcyclist. There was also no thought given as to much of the behind the scenes requirements. The biggest one is the red tape involved with receiving the motorcycle safety and awareness grant money that is available from the federal government. How does this person that is responsible for the program now know the who and how to apply? Do they even care as a non motorcyclist?

I am going to get off my soapbox. I am disappointed that two men that were dedicated to motorcycle safety have been downsized. I am sure that there were plenty of areas in procurement where money could have been saved. Why is it people that had to go? I am still unsure if this is over but only time will tell. Until then, we will continue on as normal teaching the people of Indiana the safe aspects of operating a motorcycle.

I really don’t think that I have to tell anyone that. The economy is clearly in turmoil and has been for quite some time. As discussed in earlier posts and throughout the motorcycling media community, the motorcycle industry is not immune. I have researched and read of the state of the industry in many places over the past months about the slump in motorcycle sales which impacts accessories and clothing sales as well. Many companies have been slammed by this.

Fortunately, the slump has been nonexistent in my little world…until yesterday. Two close friends, very dedicated and professional men, were “downsized” due to the ecomony. I realize that this is happening all over the nation but these men held very important positions. I am not going to mention their names to maintain their privacy but many of you that read this will know who they are. These men worked for the Indiana Department of Education and one of their main responsibilities was the motorcycle safety education program for the state.

These men have dedicated well over 25 years each in the motorcycle safety arena. They have served as administrators of a state program, motorcycle safety instructors, and instructor trainers. They are involved with the State Motorcycle Safety Administrators (SMSA) and one has held a board position with the organization. Their names are well known all over the nation in the safety community and both are very well respected. Their leadership will be missed. I wish them luck.

Their surprise departure, told around mid morning that they were being let go without notice, leaves a void in the Indiana safety program. We have not been given any feedback as to who our contact will be with the state. You see, these two men were Indiana motorcycle safety. They wrote the contracts to the subs like ABATE. They managed the money that was used to run the program. Now they are gone.

So, as we feel sorrow for the loss of employment for these two men we face another question. What is the state of motorcycle safety in Indiana? Was this a political move disguised as “downsizing”? We just swore in a new Superintendent of the Department of Education earlier this year. Or, is the state truly in that large of a financial crisis? Only time will tell where this leads but two good men are now out of the work that they love. What a tragedy.

Well, at least the Indiana version did. This weekend marked the first class of the season and it went off without the normal challenges. Years past have brought us major problems getting the bikes started but we only had issues with three this weekend. Not bad out of a fleet of 28 motorcycles. Since the site that I am co- coordinator at is a double range, we have to have 24 running motorcycles to start a class. Luckily the three with issues were easily fixed by a quick charge on the trusty battery charger. We had one casualty there though as one of our three chargers started smoking when I plugged it in.

The weekend was actually quite nice for an early April weekend. Friday night, which is four hours of classroom, was warm and brought in nice weather for Saturday. Saturday started out cold, about 35 degrees, so the ride in was chilly but by the time noon time rolled around we were down to t-shirts while teaching on the range. It was in the low 60’s and sunny and I managed to get my first raccoon face of the season and a pretty tender noggin. I felt that very well on Sunday morning when I pulled the razor across my head.

So, back to the class. Twenty-four people showed up to take the class. Some had experience and others did not. I had one person on my range pop the clutch and and hit the ground. Other than that it was a perfect training day. We even went to our last minute that we are allowed to train so that we could attempt to beat the weather that was predicted for Sunday.

Sunday morning was another awesome training day. We had two people decide that motorcycling was not for them and decided to stay home so they automatically failed. We also had one crash during training. If you have taken the course you all remember swerving around the bus I am sure. Yep, you guessed it. A handful of front brake during a swerve will introduce you to Mr. Asphalt. That was on the other range. Funny how the sound of a motorcycle sliding down range gets your attention.

The final crash of the weekend happened on my range and actually happened during the riding evaluation. Now, I would really like to see comments about this question. The curriculum allows for people to have two chances on the riding eval. I find this to be ludicrous. I totally do not agree with this and want to know what you think. Who will be the first to comment? Anyway, we had a gentleman score 28 on his first attempt on the eval. Again, you grads know that 21 or over is a failing score. So, on his second attempt he approaches the stopping area, which he was told to hold steady at 15 mph, at about 30.

My fellow instructor and I are cringing already knowing what is to come next. Yep, the front tire crosses the timing line and it is a fistful of front brake. Ouch. Automatic failure. So, 21 out of 24 make it through the first Indy Downtown class of the season. Congrats to them. Hope they continue to practice. Good class, the weather was dodged, and this one hits the books. Oh, yeah, a not so happy ending for me. After the paperwork was done and we, the instructors, were getting ready to leave the rain came down so fast and furious that the range flooded. We got to ride home in that. But, we got to ride which is all that matters.

Ride Safe

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Episode 7 brings us a tire recall from Metzeler and four motorcycle recalls from Kawasaki. Then we dive into Part 1 of the duocast with Paul Nielsen from Motoworld Media. You will find his blog, podcast, and a variety of photos at the site. After the discussion with Paul I share some good old motorcycling music from Indiana’s own Eclipse Band. Get a drink, have a seat, and kick back and listen to two motorcyclist from very different backgrounds discuss motorcycling.

Phone numbers for recalls
Kawasaki 866-802-9381
Metzeler 877-202-4993

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