Famous Geezers who ride!
Famous Geezers or baby boomers or older than baby boomers, famous and infamous, whenever I hear about some old person who is famous and rides a motorcycle, I get one of those half-smiles. You know, the one that says "But of course!"
But of course it is only natural that someone who has become an icon (and survived to become a living baby boomer or older) amongst us mortals, should ride a motorcycle. But of course!
Ride Within Your Ability
Statistically, a lot of motorcycle accidents are lone rider accidents. No car involved, just a lone rider crashing. Riding beyond your ability results in things like;
Overshooting the curve because you came in too fast and are unable to correct without going down. You end up on the wrong side of the road riding right into the traffic or off the edge of the road.
Inexperienced at splitting lanes and just generally riding too aggressive for your skill level can bring you down in traffic with disastrous results.
Baby Boomers Ride Again!
A couple of years ago I was the local Harley shop checking out the new bikes. I was talking to a salesman, an older guy, whose sales technique was very laid back. He was not pushy, just giving me information. Just the kind of salesman that I like.
We were going from bike to bike and he was telling me about the pros and cons of each different model. When we came to a new Wide Glide, he commented that he has been riding this particular motorcycle back and forth to work every day for the last week.
Stuck at the Red Light…forever!
If you have not yet been stuck sitting in a left turn lane red light, don't worry, you will.
Everyone gets stuck some time or the other. When it happens to you, here's what you can do about it.
But first, what's happening anyway? why doesn't the light change? Well, as we all know (and if you don't, go sit in the corner for ten minutes - time out) there are wires under the road which detect the presence of cars and trucks waiting at the stop light. These wires feed data to the traffic light controller which actually turns the light red, yellow and green based upon the presets and the presence or absence of vehicles.
Motorcycle Rider Basics: Test Your Knowledge
Have you ever said to yourself, Wow, I wish I would have know that years ago, what a difference that would have made? I have. I hate re-inventing the wheel. Here are ten questions that will test your motorcycle rider basics.
Scooter Schmooter
Scooters, hey, I thought this blog was about motorcycles, not scooters.
Scooters have come a long way, baby. My 1960’s “Nifty, Thrifty, Honda 50” has migrated into today’s super class of scooters like the Suzuki Burgman. This Suzuki Burgman has a 650cc, fuel-injected motor and electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission scooter. It weighs 518 pounds and is a freeway machine with a top speed of 115 mph. It will set you back over $10,000 brand new.
How to Stretch Your $4 Gal of Gas
OK, my car gets 22 mpg on an average, that’s not too bad. It’s around 18 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. I commute 40 miles roundtrip 5 days a week to work, or 200 miles per week. At $4.00 per gallon for gas, it cost me...
200 miles/22 mpg = 9.09 gal per week
$4.00 per gal X 9.09 gal = $36.36 gas cost per week
My motorcycle (HD FXDWG Wide Glide) gets 44 mpg or twice the mileage of my car. It is twice as efficient as my car when it comes to gas consumption. So, using the same commute to work mileage,
Time To Go Ridin’ In The Rain
When it starts raining on your ride, three things happen;
a) Tires will have less traction
b) Vision is impaired
c) You will get wet
All three of these things are going to happen no matter what you do. Your option is to A) either hide out in a coffee shop or under an overpass until it stops raining or B) just deal with it.
Start At The Beginning: Basic Rider Course
There are a lot of different courses available and they vary from state to state. They may be sponsored by different government agencies. The one you will hear about the most is the MSF course. MSF stands for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. When someone starts talking about the “Motorcycle Course” this is usually what they are talking about.
Couldn’t Pour ‘What’ Out Of My Boots?
I see riders wearing tennis shoes everyday and I am always amazed. Penny loafers, slaps and dress shoes just do not have any place in your protective equipment inventory. I have even seen people riding bare foot. I mean, how do you even shift? That must be brutal. So, in my book, what goes on your feet is a pair of boots. It is not a question of “if” it is a question or “what type” of boots.
BUY MY BOOK! TODAY! :o)
Ten years and 100,000 miles ago I bought a Harley and re-entered the world of motorcycles and I have been having a blast ever since! The single best thing I did when I started riding was to go through the MSF Basic Rider course. The next best thing I could have done would have been to buy this book. Categories
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