Bama Rides

Archive for the ‘motorcycle safety’ Category

The event known as Dual Sportin’ the Free State started on a Friday, and ran thru Sunday, a fairly large gathering of DS riders from across the state, and outside.  Originating from ADV Rider, most of the guys came from there.  Interesting to meet some new faces, and ride with some guys that I have known of.  We came in Friday afternoon, in the rain and promptly set up a tent to have a dry spot to sleep.  We had a good chance to share some spirits and stories with the Goodwin boys and their families.  Brushy Lake is a nice spot to start from.

Plenty of time to gear up in the morning, as most of the riders only showed up a few minutes before  departure time.  A nice comfortable pace started the ride, gradually gathering speed until we ran across a group of horses with riders enjoying the forest.   Well maintained FS roads allowed us to maintain 45 MPH thru most sections.  Until we took  a section with a ROAD CLOSED sign moved to the side, we kept a good pace.  This road was composed of sticky, slick, OSFH (owl-shit from hell) that dumped at least 2 bikes at very low speeds – as turning your bars had very little effect on which direction your bike went.

After the adventure through 2 miles of the OSFH road, we stopped at the local market to regroup, refuel, and repair a broken brake lever from mud-falls.  Then off we went, back into the woods to find other unique spots.  Most of the moisture on the roads did not cause any real problems, but rather kept the dust to a minimum as a large group as this could make a real mess on a dry day.

Although there were several other “crashes”, the others were low-speed, made in some really slick mud.

The details of our crash (the bad ones) are more a tale of what not to do:

We (me and Jeep8) had just passed another member of the ride (doing a reasonable speed) and turned it up about 6 notches, just before a downhill turn.  The rider in front locked his rear and went sliding off the bluff – about 15 feet down.  I did the same, just to his right, and my bike was stopped by the tree to my right – luckily it did not follow me down the hill.  I remember 3 very loud thuds, and recovered 30 feet from the road, and 15 feet below…….. minus my breath, helmet screen, sunglasses, and tank bag – all were recovered in a few minutes.  Injured both shoulders, left knee, ribs/abdomen, right hip and ankle.  I also discovered a bruise to my forehead after returning home, and it looks like the helmet took a pretty good lick.  4,000 mg. of Ibuprofen, and 24 hours later, and I am walking like and 80 year-old man, but at least I am walking.  Given the circumstances I fell pretty lucky to not have severe and crippling injuries.  I heard Jeep8 had 3 cracked ribs.  I hope he heals up soon.  I hope to be riding next weekend.

Untitled from dredman on Vimeo.

Did ya know it’s officially Spring? Did ya know there’s a chance of rain in the Spring?

Did ya know it’s POSSIBLE to RIDE in the RAIN?

It’s been my experience that here in the Heart of Dixie, springtime is a glorious time to ride a motorbike. Yeah, it *MIGHT* rain, but not always, and it doesn’t always rain all day long, when it does rain. There’s no need to take your car keys just because there’s a chance of showers. Get out and ride, if it gets too bad, find cover / eat lunch / take a break, it will blow over and you can get back in the saddle.

As long as YOU can stay dry and comfortable, there’s no reason to postpone or cancel a chance to ride with your buddies (and buddi-ettes). Make sure your tires are good (not threadbare, no wear bars showing), your chain is lubed (best done while chain is warm, like right after you’re done riding), your lights are working… in other words, do your USUAL pre-ride checklist. Ever heard of T-CLOCKS?

What about you? What will you wear? Inexpensive rain wear is easily found at outdoor stores (Dick’s Sporting Goods, Academy, Wally-World) and can be made to work. Better yet, get something that will last more than one or two rides. This is not motorcycle protective gear we’re talking about – no pads, no armor, not designed for the crash. Just to keep you dry. Buy it large enough to fit over your protective gear. If the top piece has a hood, it’s nice to put the hood up, under your helmet, to save those cold chills from rainwater running down your back. <shiver!> Frogg Toggs is one example, about $60 a set, but is very waterproof and can be found in hi-viz orange if you look. Packs very small, can fit in a fanny pack, a tank bag, or even under your saddle.

Wet hands and feet get cold faster, even in warm weather, so make sure you have some waterproof gloves. This is where you may have to spend a little more. Some m/c gloves are already waterproof, so these would be a good choice, and you won’t have to bring another pair of gloves. Outdoor stores may help you here, too, as there are some Gore-Tex shells that will fit over riding gloves. Aerostich makes those Triple Digit over gloves for wet weather, and they work well. About $40 IIRC. Some riders pack those rubber or latex gloves like some mechanics and doctors use, to wear under their regular gloves. I don’t like this idea personally, because they always make my hands sweat. So my hands get wet anyway. And your outer gloves will still get wet. YRMV. There are many good waterproof work boots or hiking boots if you can’t afford waterproof motorcycle boots. Just be sure they cover your ankles, at minimum. Hands and feet are common collateral damage in a crash.

OK, so now you think you have all you need to survive a day ride, even if it showers in the middle of your ride. Here’s a tip… if the skies over the road ahead are dark and threatening, and the daylight seems to disappear, go ahead and stop. NOW. Put the gear on BEFORE it rains, or BEFORE you ride into it. Pull over at a safe place, with enough room for all your buddies to get off the road. Go ahead and take a couple of minutes to don the rain wear, so you don’t have to pull over in the rain. Putting on a rain suit over damp clothes kinda defeats the purpose, don’t you think?

Bottom line – you won’t be comfortable on a long ride with wet jeans and cotton t-shirt. Ditto for leather chaps / vest. Leather doesn’t do well in a heavy shower.

Get your bike in shape if you haven’t ridden in a while. Need an engine tune? Oil or coolant change? How are those tires? There’s lots of help around here… I can help. Get yourself in shape… remember, we riders have to work harder AND think smarter than the folks in cars and SUVs. Review your street survival skills. Practice your low-speed maneuvers in a safe parking lot, and practice those quick stops!!!

Enjoy the Spring.

All too soon, some of you will be whining about the summer heat!

Coming soon… how DO we ride a motorcycle in the rain?

A few interesting stats from a crash study done in 1981:

***The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is approximately 86 mph.

***Motorcycle riders with previous recent traffic citations and accidents are overrepresented in the accident data.

***The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.

***More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle, although the total street riding experience was almost 3 years. Motorcycle riders with dirt bike experience are significantly underrepresented in the accident data.

***Motorcycle riders in these accidents showed significant collision avoidance problems. Most riders would over-brake and skid the rear wheel, and under-brake the front wheel greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to countersteer and swerve was essentially absent.

***Seventy-three percent of the accident-involved motorcycle riders used no eye protection, and it is likely that the wind on the unprotected eyes contributed in impairment of vision which delayed hazard detection.

***Less than 10% of the motorcycle riders involved in these accidents had insurance of any kind to provide medical care or replace property.

From: Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, Volume 1: Technical Report, Hurt, H.H., Ouellet, J.V. and Thom, D.R., Traffic Safety Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, Contract No. DOT HS-5-01160, January 1981 (Final Report)

But why install an air horn? My bike already has a “horn”? For some reason, bike makers believe that the size of your horn should be proportionate to the size of the vehicle. Trains and semi-s have huge air-horns, and the smaller you go, the smaller the horn. Maybe scooters should have those old school thumb-triggered bells like the old bikes had?

Wrong!

The most vulnerable people on the road should have the biggest horn. I got tired of riding and not being heard when someone thought about doing something stupid, like sharing my lane with me.

The video DOES NOT do the horn justice, it sounds like a high-pitched train. Works at 70 MPH, and so far I have only used it inappropriately.

I will post the notes/pics if anyone is interested, but it comes with good instructions, and it is maybe an hour project, easy as cake, and I love my new toy!!

Also, a nice review of the horn is here