MC Nation Podcast

I had planned on writing a blog post on functional motorcycle accessories vs cosmetic or dress up accessories in the upcoming weeks. But, I was reading a post on Twitter where one of my friends, dekkerd, made a post about riding his motorcycle to pick up some farkle. I felt stupid. I had no idea what farkle was. As much as I am around motorcyclists, I have never heard that term. So, curiosity got the best of me and I went straight to Google which led me to Wikipedia where I found the definition for farkle.

It is basically a functional accessory for a motorcycle. It differs from cosmetic accessories, also known as bling, because it is so much more than an item to make your motorcycle look more appealing. Wikipedia goes on to say that the word may be a combination of the words function and sparkle. I really hate to admit that one who professes to live, eat, and breathe motorcycles had not even heard of this saying. to make matters worse, Wikipedia also mentions that the word may have been coined as early as 1997. Eleven years later and I have to admit my ignorance. I guess I need to get out more.

Farkle must be big because during my search I even came across websites such as Farklemasters.com A whole website devoted to farkle. Shoot, even people across the pond know what farkle is as evidenced by the company that sells navigation and luggage called gofarkle.com Am I alone in not being “hip” to the latest jargon? Anyone know of good places to get farkle? Leave those comments and more in the comments section. I gotta go for now. I have a farkling headache.

Ride Safe

Steve and the MC Nation

We are seeing the greens coming to the grass and trees, the flowers and trees blooming, and we are hearing the birds singing in the morning. That can only mean one thing. It is time to ride every day. The temperatures are awesome in my neck of the woods and I hope that they are the same in yours. A little cool in the mornings but about 70 on the way home. It has been sweet.

I have some exciting news. Well, exciting news to me at least. Tonight, Motorcycle Nation bought it’s own domain name. This blog will be moving there shortly. The main reason that this is being done is so that I can host the podcast there. This blog, as I told all of you before, was born out of my desire to podcast. We will still keep the blog going when we move but I can finally quit running my mouth about doing the podcast and getting it out there to you. I hope that you will be able to hear two podcasts as of Sunday evening. I need your help when they come out. I need ideas for shows and I need for all of you to share the new domain with all your motorcycling friends. What is the new domain? I will tell you when it is out of construction phase. Until then, keep visiting right here.

I hope you are finding the time to ride. Ride Safe

Steve and the MC Nation

I am so glad that I am better at riding a motorcycle than I am at figuring out the finer points of publishing a podcast. It has proven to be an exercise in futility for me so far this week. But, I will overcome the obstacles and you will be listening to a podcast soon. Episode one has been recorded, although it may be a month old by the time you actually get to listen in. Let’s hope that is not the case.

I did not update the blog yesterday as I worked on getting this podcast publishing figured out. I wanted to let you faithful readers know that I did not forget a day, I just need to get the podcast going. The creation of this blog is the result of the desire to podcast. They are both important elements of what I want to do, bring motorcycling to the world, and I want both of them to be running simultaneously. In other words, I said there was going to be a podcast and I feel the need to deliver and live by my word. So, be patient. You should see a motorcycle related post either tonight or tomorrow.

Ride safe.

Steve and the MC Nation

Don’t take your attention totally away from the road, but start looking around the next time you go for a drive. Pay particular attention to the the motorcycles that you see during your trip. What is the main thing that you are noticing about riders today? The main thing that I am noticing is that the sport is enjoying an influx of lady riders. I have not only noticed this while out on the road, but we have experienced the same in our motorcycle safety classes. I would guess that the percentage of female students in our program is in the neighborhood of 35 to 45%. In a report on the Women Riders Now.com website (http://www.womenridersnow.com/PublicFiles/DepartmentViewer.asp?ArticleID=810), they say,

According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, the number of female riders has increased 36% since 1998.

I could not argue that point at all. Every class that I teach, the students introduce themselves and give the class an idea of why they are there. Two main reasons pop up in every class. One is that they got rid of the boyfriend or husband and had enjoyed motorcycling with them so much that they decided they would take up the sport on their own. The second is that the boyfriend or hubby is still around but they were tired of sitting on the back seat. They wanted to be in control of that motorcycle.

If you want to see the impact of women on motorcycling look no further than cyberspace. Pull a search on lady riders or lady bikers and you will be blasted with hundreds of thousands of website hits. Their impact is so great on the motorcycling community that new products are being introduced into the market every day, designed just for that woman who wants the freedom of the road. We are not just talking about riding gear any more. The motorcycle manufacturers are designing motorcycles just for the ladies. The Harley Davidson Motor Company (http://www.harley-davidson.com) with the Sportster Low that has a seat height of 25.3 inches. Or the Ridley Automatic (http://www.ridleymotorcycles.com) line of light weight, low center of gravity motorcycles that are targeted at both new riders and women. The automatic transmission takes much of the coordination factor out of riding which is appealing to many people. To each their own, as shifting is part of the fun of motorcycling in my opinion.

The boom of lady riders is not only a United States experience. It is also being witnessed in Canada according to my friend RonW who teaches the safety course there. They are experiencing the same influx of lady riders into their community that we are. I welcome the ladies to riding and encourage them to take a safety course and be responsible.

Steve (HarleyMac1) and the MC Nation

Man, I have had so much fun this evening. I spent quite a bit of time learning about podcasting from my friend, Daniel Brusilovsky. Daniel gave me some pointers on how to get set up and start the first show. The first podcast is recorded and edited. I will tell you this. Recording the podcast is as fun as riding your favorite twisties and editing is about as bad as either rush hour traffic or going down. It is about as fun as having road rash. Because we did not talk about it, I have not quite figured out how to publish it on the net so that all of you can listen but I will make sure to get that done asap. 

The first episode was more of an opportunity for me to tell you about the vision of the show and tell you a little bit about myself. It is pretty short and the only meat that was in the show concerned a motorcycle recall that I need to share here as well. Big Bear choppers has issued a recall on 2004 and 2005 Venom and Devil’s Advocate models and 2005 Sled choppers. It has been discovered that there was a lack of weld penetration in the neck, backbone, and downtubes that could cause the collapse of the front end. If you, or anyone you know, owns one of these motorcycles, call Big Bear at 909-878-4340 or take the bike to your local dealer for repair.

That is it for now. It is 4:30 a.m. and I need my beauty sleep. You all will agree that I need the beauty sleep once we start live streaming on Ustream.tv

Ride Safe

HarleyMac1 and the MC Nation

Seems like every time I look at the weather forecast this week all I see is rain today, thunderstorms tomorrow, rain Thursday, blah, blah, blah. I am so sick of rain I can’t see straight. I also know that things could be worse. That rain that we are getting right now could be snow and that would be even worse. But, life moves on rain and all. I have been teaching a weeknight motorcycle safety class this week and rain is one of the biggest fears of many riders, experienced or inexperienced. So, I thought that I would drop a few quick tips on you. I have struggled the past 24 hours to think of a topic for the post today and it has been in front of me the whole time. Go figure!

Being prepared is the first step to riding in the rain, and what I mean by being prepared is to have your choice of rain gear with you. Some people seem not to mind getting caught in the rain in pants and a t-shirt. The problem is that the longer you ride in that condition, the more apt you are to grow frustrated and uncomfortable. So we prepare ourselves for riding in the rain by having raingear available. There are different types of raingear and all different materials. You can purchase a one or two piece suit. It is advisable to choose gear that fits over your normal riding gear. Look for suits that have retro-reflective piping or patches built in for visibility (remember our earlier post on See and Be Seen?). It should also have elastic around the ankles and wrists for a snug, waterproof fit and rain flaps that cover all zippered areas. Some riders also choose to purchase a special type of glove for wet weather riding.

After our gear, we should make sure that our motorcycle is safe to ride in the rain which mostly entails insuring that we have a good set of tires that are not overly worn. Lack of sufficient tread will not allow the tire to disperse the rain correctly and could cause hydroplaning. That is one butt puckering situation that I don’t want to find myself in! We should also have good brakes but there are issues with that that we will discuss further here shortly.

Now it comes to the riding. The first point to make here is that if you are out and it just starts to rain, you should pull off the road and wait out about the first fifteen minutes. During daily highway travel, our friendly automobiles and trucks are leaking oil and it deposits itself on the roadway, usually down the center. During the first minutes of the rain, those oils and antifreeze rise to the top and make the surface slick. The slick stuff will eventually work itself to the side of the road and allow for safer riding. Basically, there is one action that we, as riders, can take in any situation that poses a hazard and that is to simply slow down. When riding in the rain, back off the throttle and don’t be in any big hurry. You also do not want to make any sudden moves such as a quick press of the handgrips to quickly change lanes. Make it a gradual, smooth press and keep as upright as possible on the slick surface.

If your motorcycle is equipped with disc brakes, you must allow for a greater stopping distance. When the discs are wet your stopping distance will double or triple at least. Keep this in mind. And finally, relax. Do not get in the panic mode and stiff arm the handlebars. You must ride with the gentleness and finesse that you do in other weather. Stiff arming the motorcycle will just make it more difficult to maneuver and stress you out even more. If you feel stress during the rain dance, park the motorcycle and wait the rain out.

Gotta Go

It is raining and I gotta ride!

Ride Safe

HarleyMac1 and the MC Nation

I want to tour. Some people want to cruise the town for a few hours. Some have the need for speed and play during track days. Some are perfectly happy riding a few miles to work once a month. I want to tour. I want to see North America from the seat of my bike and smell the smells and feel the weather changes. I want to spend hours a day on my motorcycle while racking up the miles stopping only for gas, food, and photo opportunities. I want to explain to those who ask what people from Indiana are doing in their state, town, or province on a motorcycle. It is just a dream of mine.

There are many places that I would like to visit via a bike. I have always said that my dream ride would be to fly to Australia and rent a motorcycle and ride as much as possible in two weeks and see as much as I could. From roughing it in the Outback to the beauty of Sydney harbor and the architectural appeal of the Sydney Opera house. Another dream ride that I have read about and I long to do is through Vancouver. Maybe my friend RonW could clue me in on that ride if he has ever made it that way. I have seen pictures and the views there are breathtaking. I have also always wanted to cross into Windsor Ontario and ride to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and cross back into the US and trek back home. Montana, Wyoming, and Utah are just a few of that states that I want to roll two wheels into. Motorcycling nirvana I am told.

My idea of the perfect ride is one with no schedule and no particular destination. I have a relative who takes two weeks off every year and he and his wife meet up with three other couples and do a ride. The agenda is that they have to be back to Indiana on whatever date. Other than that, no one knows where they are going. They take off on day one and one couple takes the lead. They stop at a decent hour and wash up and go to dinner. Then it is off to bed for a break of day breakfast and back on the road. The destination for day two is picked by couple number two by saying only that the group will be heading South or North or Northwest. That is my kind of ride. Three years ago the final trip tally was fifteen states in sixteen days and 6600 miles. Plus, there were a lot of great stories to tell.

What is your dream ride? Let us know by clicking on the comments link at the end of this post and telling us what and where your dream ride would take you. I look forward to hearing from you and you may just turn the rest of us on to a great riding destination.

Ride Safe

HarleyMac1 and the MC Nation

The next time you go to a rally, participate in an organized ride, or just on a Sunday ride, slow down for a minute and just do some people watching. Like the guy over there with the Honda t-shirt on. Or that guy over there with the vest on it that has about every patch Victory sells sewn on it. What about the young lady on this side of us with her Ducati shirt? Look over there, Harley t-shirt, Harley chaps, Harley half gloves, and Harley boots. What is it that drives us to be so loyal to the brand? Is it that we truly love the brand? For some that is true. Is it because we got the t-shirt when we bought the bike? I can buy that one. Do we feel the need of belonging? For many , I suspect that is the case. Or, is it the social status that it brings?

Ahhh. I think that I am on to something here. Perhaps the largest display of brand loyalty, for any reason, is to Harley Davidson. It has been said that HD makes more money on their line of motor clothes and accessories than they do on motorcycles. I have not researched this so don’t take it as fact. But, at about $25 for a t-shirt at any dealer, you gotta believe that this probably is true. After all, how many people do you know that own a Harley t-shirt that do not have a bike or probably never will? With other manufacturers, I believe that the people wearing their apparel are wearing it because they truly believe that their brand is the best. With HD, I believe that alot of people are wearing it because they want to be somebody. In their perception, it places them at the top of the motorcycling community or MC Nation. (Shameless self promotion there). It allows them to fit in with the best.

Why, is it the best? What makes HD the best motorcycle on the road today? Why are Harley enthusiasts arrogant, unfriendly a-holes? They won’t even wave back going down the road. These are all things that I hear in our community. And why? I don’t know. I love Harley Davidsons. I have two in my stable. But ask me if HD is the best made motorcycle on the road. No it is not. Am I any better than Joe Rider because he is riding that Yamaha? No way. I know I am stepping on toes here but let’s be realistic. There are better motorcycles on the road in terms of ride and reliability.

HD riders seem to be the most talked about but I have heard things about BMW riders and Ducati riders as well. Grumblings about having their noses stuck in the air. So it is not all HD riders. But here is what I am getting at. While we sit back and take our holier than thou approach we are shooting ourselves in the foot. As we put down those who share the same passion that we do, the love of the open road, we are letting our rights be stripped away one by one. The government moves in and takes us down roads that we don’t want to travel. We should be the Motorcycle Nation, but right now we are small villages. Kawasaki village, Suzuki village, HD village, etc. Take the same passion that you are putting into being better than your fellow rider and use it to band together and stop those who are trying to take away your rights.

Let’s lose our attitudes and respect all riders, no matter what ride they choose. There may come a day when there is another attempt to ban motorcycles outright and we will need all the firepower we can get. Let’s become a true Motorcycle Nation.

Ride Safe and With Respect

HarleyMac1 and the MC Nation

Yesterday I received a phone call from the ABATE state office asking if I would be able to show up at the safety site to meet up with two fellow instructors / site coordinators. Our local Fox news affiliate (WXIN FOX59) wanted to do some live feeds during the morning newscast concerning our motorcycle safety program. The past few years we have gone to their studios and posed in front of a few motorcycles and gave a quick overview of how our program works and our mission. Having live feeds from a site was a little different and we were wondering what the spin was going to be.

In recent light of US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters recent request to raid the funds earmarked for motorcycle safety (see letter to Dick Cheney here http://www.mrf.org/pdf/Dick-Cheney.pdf [a duplicate was sent to Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives]) to use towards the promotion of helmet usage, we were expecting to be asked about mandatory helmet laws. To our surprise, the subject never came up. It was a nice interview that really focused on our program and what we offer the Indiana motorcyclist. They asked many good questions about how we train and what we focus on.

I hope that there were many viewers this morning as I expect that motorcycle sales are going to rise along with the price of gas. More people are looking for an economic way to commute and the motorcycle is one of the most efficient and boasts gas mileage at least double most automobiles on the road. It is an excellent alternative mode of transportation and a way to save money, but it is not for everyone. My concern, and I am sure the concern of many others, is that we will have this onslaught of new riders with no experience attempting to teach themselves because the rider safety courses just do not have the resources to keep up with the demand. Fatalities will rise and with that rise comes the push for helmets and the increase in motorcycle insurance across the board.

Don’t get me wrong here. I encourage the use of helmets and I wear mine all the time. I must confess that that was not always the case. I started wearing my helmet religiously in 2004 after I hit a deer and went down. Luckily, I had just shaved my head for the first time a couple of months earlier and my head was cold that morning so I wore my helmet, only to keep my head warm. But, I do not agree with mandatory helmet laws. I believe in freedom of choice. I want to open this up to all of you. I don’t think anyone can argue that wearing a helmet is the smart choice. But, what are your thoughts on mandatory helmet usage? Fire away in comments and invite your friends to do the same.

Until next time!

Ride Safe

HarleyMac1 and the MC Nation

The two most critical things that are required for safe motorcycle operation are see and be seen. See means to position yourself in the most advantageous position that allows you to see ahead and to the side so that you can search for potential hazards. Seeing not only involves being able to scan to the front and sides, but also scanning for potential hazards from the rear, like that dump truck bearing down on you that does not see the light is red. Knowing he (or she) is coming is step one in stoplight / stopsign survival but the most important one. If you don’t know what is coming, knowing how to avoid it does not matter right? The other survival items are to not forget to downshift to first gear during the stop approach and to not sit at a stop with your motorcycle in neutral. Seeing that dump truck getting ready to run up your back does not do any good if you are not prepared to get out of the way.

Being seen is the most challenging part of motorcycling. How many times have you heard a car driver say, “I did not even see them!”? So, you wanted to turn left across oncoming traffic to go to the store. You were paying attention to traffic but you never saw the 275 pound biker riding his motorcycle with a headlight on high beam and two bright driving lights, one on each side of the headlight, shining brightly? You did not see him so you went ahead and made that turn right in front of him and he smashed into the side of your car? Give me a break. But, you must still strive to make yourself more noticeable in traffic. An accessory that can be used with the headlight to draw more attention to the motorcycle from the front is a modulating headlight. Modulators are not legal in all states or countries so check with your local law enforcement before installing. Modulators change the intensity of the headlight many times during a minute to make them cycle between bright and brighter. Picture the headlights on most police vehicles when they have someone stopped. The use of modulators came about because of the automobile industry. Many states allow the running of high beams during the day to bring more attention to the motorcycles. When the automobile industry started manufacturing cars and trucks with daytime running lights motorcyclists needed a new way to stick out in traffic. Modulators was the solution.

Not only are the bright lights on the front of the motorcycle a good way to do this, bright lights on the back of the motorcycle help as well. There are many accessories out today that help to bring attention to the back of the motorcycle. There are taillight bulbs that utilize LED’s to make them brighter than your normal brake light / taillight combo. You also have replacement bulbs that have a scrolling type pattern that constantly moves until you apply the brakes. These bulbs, along with many other variables of brake lights and license plate frame lights also blink a pattern at the first application of the brakes and then go solid as a normal. These are other attention getters and could help you stay alive. Check out the catalogs for available accessories as there at too many to mention in this blog post.

Another way to be seen is by your clothing. Bright colors and retroreflective materials are excellent ways to try to insure that other road users see you. I read an insurance industry survey a couple of years ago that polled automobile drivers and they were asked what color of motorcycle helmet was most noticeable as they drove on the road. Any ideas? I thought of red or yellow. The answer…white. So, when choosing riding gear, make sure that you choose bright colors and make sure that it has retroreflective materials built in. Retroflective materials will light you up at night. And for those of you that choose to not wear a helmet, maybe you could paint your bald head, like mine, with some reflective paint!

Finally, another excellent way to be seen is, again, to choose the proper lane and lane position. If you are riding on a two lane road and you are following an RV, is your best choice of lane position to be seen over closest to the line on the shoulder of the road? Can oncoming traffic see you? No, your best position is against the center line. This lets the oncoming traffic see your headlight and it also allows the RV driver to see you in his side mirror. Lane choice and lane position are constant changing matters and you will need to adjust them according to the current situation.

See and Be Seen. Live to ride tomorrow. Now that we have covered some early season safety tips we are going to move on in the upcoming posts. It’s time to ride and we are going to get into that and start talking some industry stuff along with some great rides.

Until next time!

Ride Safe

HarleyMac1 and The MC Nation