Virtual Safety

We recently received a press release entitled, "THE UK'S FIRST RESEARCH MOTORCYCLE SIMULATOR" so naturally we jumped headfirst into the body text.

The document went on to tell us that British Midlands University of Nottingham was busy constructing a first -of-its-kind research simulator for two wheelers. The machine - consisting of a Triumph motorcycle mounted on a unique rig designed and built at the University - is said to be state of the art and capable of giving researchers valuable information on rider and road safety, motorcycle design and motorcycle engineering.

This interactive moving platform will then be linked to driving simulation software that will project different scenarios onto huge screens in front of and behind the motorcycle, recreating a realistic riding experience for the motorcyclist. More excerpts from the press release follow:

" This unique system will allow engineers to study aspects of motorcycle ergonomics and rider human factors - a relatively new research area. Thiscovers all aspects of motorcycling, from motorcycle design and rider equipment to rider behaviour and competence and road safety.

Dr Alex Stedmon, a lecturer in the School of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering's Centre for Motorcycle Ergonomics and Rider Human Factors, is leading the project. "The simulator offers unique research on a number of levels," he said. "The motorcycle allows riders to operate controls and lean on the motorcycle as they would in the real world. The software also allows us to model different weather conditions, hazards, traffic and pedestrians so that we have completely interactive scenarios.

"We've taken guidance from bikers about the important factors in developing a simulation of real riding. What we are building is much more sophisticated than current gaming technology that allows us to capture data from a rider performance and research perspective."

By putting the rider into tailor-made scenarios and measuring both their and the motorcycle's performance, the simulator will produce valuable data, both for academics and the motorcycle industry - manufacturers and road safety organisations have already shown interest in the project.

Anything from hazards - such as children or animals running out into the road - to different light, traffic and weather conditions can be programmed into the simulator, allowing researchers to measure the responses of different riders riding the same scenarios.

The simulator will also feature a rear road view projector, which will be viewable through the motorcycle's mirrors. This provides a more realisticriding experience as well as allowing riders to perform lifesaver checks - glances over the shoulder to check the way is safe and clear.

The simulator is expected to be up and running by June 2008.

The British Midlands Development Corporation is the North American economic development agency for central England. As an agency funded by the UK Government, The British Midlands Development Corporation provides specialist advice and support to North American companies seeking to establish a presence or expand a current operation in the region. The British Midlands Development Corporation provides access to business networks, details about sources for grants and funding, business support services, and information to help companies identify opportunities to develop and grow.

For more information, please visit http://www.thebritishmidlands.com.

Don't Mess With Truckers
If you're a biker, you know that trucks can be your mortal enemies. Semis, pickups flatbeds - it doesn't seem to matter. It's just the mechanics of the things; they're so long and wide, they can't see and react to smaller and faster motorcyclists that easily. We got hold of a couple of informative bulletins written with the everyday rider in mind.One is a short quiz testing your knowledge of on-the-road truck awareness and the other is a set of safety guidelines for motorists, compiled by the American Trucking Associations (who had a small demonstration at Americade this year).

Check out the helpful (if somewhat overlapping) information in the following releases:

Many drivers are often confused about how to safely share the road with trucks. 70 to 75 percent of all truck-related auto fatalities are caused by car drivers, according to AAA and the Department of Transportation. Safe highway merging and stopping distances are essential for highway driving. To quiz your knowledge on truck safety, consider the following questions.
Where is the largest blind spot on a large truck?
The right side of the truck. If possible, avoid passing a truck on the right side.
True or False: Big trucks have more tires and larger brakes so they can stop faster than smaller vehicles.
False. It takes a loaded truck traveling 60 mph the length of a football field to come to a stop.
How many lives could be saved by staying out of trucks' blind spots?
Approximately 1,300 lives per year in the United States are lost in crashes where vehicles are in a truck's blind spot. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 35 percent of all fatal accidents with large trucks occur in blind spots.
What is a safe traveling distance for a car when following a truck on the highway?: Stay 20 car lengths behind the truck so you have time to react to any changes in the road ahead including debris or accidents. Keep the trucks' mirrors in your sight at all times.

Never cut in front of a truck - Fully loaded trucks weigh up to 80,000 pounds and take the length of a football field to stop. Most cars weigh only 3,000 pounds.

Don't linger alongside a truck - There are large blind spots around trucks where cars momentarily "disappear" from view and the truck driver can't see you.

Pass trucks quickly - To make themselves visible cars should not linger near trucks, and should move past them or slow down to back off, out of the blind spot.

Changing lanes - Change lanes when you can see both of the truck's headlights in your rearview mirror.

If possible, pass a truck on the left, not on the right - A truck's blind spot on the right runs the length of the trailer and extends out 3 lanes. Motorists should try to avoid passing through this large blind spot.

Keep a safety cushion around trucks - Try to leave a 10-car length safety cushion in front of a truck and stay back 20-25 car lengths. Following a truck too closely obscures your view.

Check the truck's mirrors - If you're following a truck and you can't see the driver's face in the truck's side mirrors, the truck driver can't see you.

Allow trucks adequate space to maneuver - Trucks make wide turns at intersections and require additional lanes to turn, so motorists should allow a truck the space it needs to maneuver.

ATA Blind Spot Illustration
Shaded areas represent "blind spots" or areas where a car disappears from a truck driver's view

For additional information about Share the Road, please contact ATA at 703-838-1836

For more information, visit the American Trucking Associaton's website at: http://www.truckline.com

For some folks, winter simply marks the end of daylight saving time. For many motorcyclists, though, it signals something far more important-the end of the riding season. But just because the days are short and the air is cold, it doesn't mean you have to stash the ol' scooter. With a little knowledge and the right combination of gear, you can feasibly ride year-round (except for those of you located in the icy, snowy, northern climes).

When it's cold, your primary goals should be to keep your body warm and to avoid hypothermia (which often means keeping a lid on perspiration, too). Hypothermia is a condition brought about by the body's temperature dropping lower than it needs to function normally. The initial symptoms include shivering, which can occur with as little as a 1.5-degree (Fahrenheit) decrease in body temperature. At this point, just stepping inside from the cold and getting something warm down your gullet usually is all it takes to recover.

But if your clothing gets damp (from either perspiration or the elements), it's a good idea to change into dry togs pronto-wet gear offers very little (if any) protection from the cold. Don't take wind chill for granted, either. As air moves past your body (either as wind or while you're riding through it), it causes greater loss of heat than would occur with no air movement. In other words, wind makes conditions feel colder than they are (most of the chilling effect occurs by 30 mph).

Fortunately, the right gear can mitigate potential riding misery. For protection from the cold, the wind and the rain, consider the following:

Helmet: A lid offers insulation as well as crash and wind protection. If it's downright frigid outside, add a balaclava with thin, insulating material on the head (so it's easier to slip on a helmet) and thicker insulation around the neck.

Base Layer: This is the layer of clothing closest to your skin that keeps you comfortable (and, ideally, wicks away moisture). There is a variety of fabrics to choose from-wool blends, silk, silk blends and various nylon and polypropylene materials-but there's only one rule: no cotton. Cotton can be wonderful in the summer, but in the winter, it retains moisture and dries slowly. Also, when choosing tops, pick one that claims to be odor resistant. You'll thank us later.

Mid-layer: This layer provides the bulk of the warmth, retaining body heat and letting perspiration escape. It's usually made of man-made fabric, like fleece, which comes in different weights for varied temperature ranges. Some of these garments even have their own windproof and/or waterproof/breathable membranes, making them suitable for wearing off the bike.

Outer Layer: This is where your jacket and riding pants come in. Think textile-despite leather's superior abrasion resistance, it's usually neither windproof nor waterproof, and thus not ideal for winter wear (unless, of course, it has a built-in windproof and waterproof barrier).

Gloves: Again, windproof and waterproof/breathable barriers are your friends, and a little insulation goes a long way, too. Extra glove liners will come in handy if it's really cold.

Boots: As with the gloves, jackets and pants, an included windproof and waterproof barrier is essential for riding comfort. And don't forget the synthetic socks! You can choose from a variety of motorcyclist-specific designs these days, and ski and snowboard socks work well, too. Additional liners can help keep things cozy and dry.

With the right wardrobe and a smart approach, it shouldn't be too difficult to get out of the garage and onto a backroad for a comfortable winter ride. If the temperature starts to warm up, you can always stop and peel off a layer; if you're really cold-blooded, there's hope, in the form of our buyer's guide to electrically heated riding gear in this issue's BTL section.

The arrival of warmer temperatures in spring means a long-anticipated return to the road for a number of winter-weary riders. For those climate-challenged enthusiasts forced to store their ride over the winter months, the first ride of the season should be preceded by a thorough check-up.

Nationwide Insurance offers the following "First Ride" checklist for motorcyclists heading back out on the road:

.Tires.
Look carefully for signs of weather cracking and test the tread depth in several places. If your tires are cracked or worn, invest in new ones. Also, be sure to check the tire pressure. If your tires are the originals, inflate to the pressure specified in the owner's manual. If they aren't the originals, it is best to consult the tire manufacturer'srecommended pressure on the sidewall of the tire.

.Wheels.
Check your wheels for loose spokes or bent rims.

.Lights.
Check for cracking and condensation in the lenses. Test your headlamp, turn signals, tail and brake lights to ensure they are in working condition. Replace failed bulbs.

.Battery.
Make sure your battery's fully charged. Replace it if the case is bulging. Clean battery terminals before installing.

.Fluids.
Check the levels of your engine oil, hydraulic fluid, brake fluid, coolant and fuel. Replace or refill those that need it. If your bike didn't get an oil and filter change prior to winterizing, take care of it now.

.Controls.
Ensure the throttle twists freely and snaps back in the off position. Examine cables and hoses for damage and be sure they don't interfere with suspension and steering.

.Brakes.
Inspect your brake pads and liners, and replace them if they are worn.

.Supplies.
Examine your tool kit and first aid kit to make sure you have the items necessary in the event of an accident or breakdown.

.Review your insurance policy.
Be sure your policy is up-to-date and you're covered for any valuable accessories you added during the winter.

"Other resources to ensure the first ride of spring is a safe one are owners' manuals and, of course, a professional mechanic," says Mitch Roggemann, national sales director for Nationwide's Property & CasualtySpecialty Products. " These resources will make the return to the road enjoyable."

Nationwide offers motorcycle and powersports insurance policies that cover theft, collision, vandalism and damage caused by uninsured or underinsured drivers. To learn more about motorcycle insurance or powersports insuranceor to find an agent, visit http://www.nationwide.com

Ears Are for More Than Hanging Sunglasses On

Imagine you're getting dressed for that all-day ride-riding pants, jacket, boots, gloves and helmet. Did you forget anything? Yes-hearing protection. But before you dismiss this as just another safety article, you should know that reading these words may save you from years of debilitating hearing loss.

Most riders think that the majority of noise associated with riding comes from the motorcycle itself. However, wind noise created by air turbulence produces almost all noise over 35 mph and can exceed by 10,000 times (over 40 decibels higher) the sound level of ordinary conversation. That doesn't sound good-and it's not. (Sound is measured in decibels on a logarithmic scale. This means a sound 10 decibels higher is actually 10 times louder, 20 decibels is 100 times louder, etc.)

If you look at the chart, you can see various sound sources, their approximate intensity and the amount of time in a 24-hour period that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says exposure to that sound should not result in hearing damage.

Measurements of motorcycle riding noise levels vary, but are generally around 85-95 dB at speeds up to 35 mph, climbing to 110-116 dB at 65 mph. According to the chart, you shouldn't ride on the highway for more than 15 minutes a day.

Which is why you need hearing protection-it's ridiculously easy to exceed hearing-safety thresholds in a short period of time. Don't think wearing a full-face helmet will cut it, either; studies have shown that, at best, they only provide a 3-5 dB reduction in sound reaching the rider's ears.

What's the answer, then? Simple: earplugs. Earplugs lessen the amount of sound reaching your ears, with most having a noise reduction rating of between 20 dB and 33 dB. Looking at our example-at 115 dB and only 15 minutes of time before exposure is harmful-if we put in 33-dB-rated earplugs, we'd then be able to ride for as long as we wanted without hearing loss. (Don't forget: Any hearing loss is permanent.)

Foam earplugs will last for at least several days of riding. They're inexpensive and come in a variety of sizes, shapes, materials and even degrees of hardness.Reusable earplugs can be worn for months on end and can be cleaned. These are usually made of soft silicone rubber and may contain special filters that allow a greater range of sound frequencies to reach the ear at lower sound levels (such as conversations at stoplights) and provide a higher level of sound attenuation at higher sound levels, using technology similar to that found in earplugs worn by gun users.

Finally, there are custom-molded earplugs. These are made of silicone rubber molded to the user's ear and can last for years. They provide a snug fit, exactly matching the contours of the user's ear canal. Custom earplugs can also be made with the same kind of filters found in the reusable plugs for the "ultimate" earplug. They can even have earphones molded in.

Now you can hit the road for that all-day ride.

Special thanks to Tom Bergman of The Ear Plug Super Store (earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net).

NOISE SOURCE	SOUND LEVEL (in dB)	Maximum OSHA Exposure Time
conversation	65	unlimited
motorcycle (at rest, idle)	85 to 88	16 to 10.6 hours
lawn mower, shop tools	90	8 hours
leaf blower	95 (up to 105)	4 hours (at 95 dB)
chain saw	100 to 105	2 hours to 1 hour
woodworking shop, stereo	110	30 minutes
sandblasting	115	15 minutes
ambulance siren, rock concert	120	7.5 minutes
jet engine	130	1 minute, 52 seconds

If it's a choice between riding our bike or trailering it, we'll take the former any day-even if it's to a rally in another time zone or on a troll through the local hills in the rain. Sometimes, though-like when wrangling multiple bikes to the dragstrip for this issue's comparison test-we don't have a choice.

You know the drill-humping 700 pounds of V-twin magic up a narrow aluminum ramp, gingerly easing 'er into the truck and strapping the whole enchilada down for a 60-mile haul. Everyone has to do it sooner or later, and we wondered if there was an unofficial bible for this thankless gig. We polled colleagues, our test-fleet manager Michael Candreia (who wrangles a half-dozen bikes on a slow day) and the experts at Steadymate (a securement-product company) for the scoop. Everyone had his own preferences, but we distilled 'em down to a few basics.

Job One, obviously, is the security of the bike; you don't want your Precious budging after she's strapped. The best tools for that job are a series of tie-downs attached to the bike to pull it down and forward in the tow vehicle (preferably against a chock).

Tie-down straps come in two flavors-ratchet or cam buckle-style. Cam buckles use friction created by the strap as it passes through a spring-loaded, cam-shaped buckle to hold the strap in place. Ratchet straps operate in much the same manner, but with a ratchet buckle to progressively tighten the strap. Both allow you to secure the bike yourself and bump up tension on the suspension to reduce shock loading. Shock loading occurs when the vehicle hauling your bike hits a bump in the road, causing the bike's suspension to compress. When the suspension compresses, the straps go slack, but as it rebounds, the tie-downs snap taut again-which can eventually loosen or break them. The more you load the suspension during tie-down, the less it will compress during towing. Some folks claim that ratchet straps are more effective at maximizing compression, but Candreia says he's comfortable with the cams because they're easier to work with.

How you tie down your bike depends greatly on the model you own, but everyone agrees on using either the frame or a solidly mounted part on the frame as an attachment point. Two ties up front and two on either side are adequate for most street bikes, but if you're paranoid, six ratchet tie-downs-four in front and two out back-will offer max security, even for a Boss Hoss.

The Main Event

The first order of operations is to get your trailer/truck as level as possible. Hook the tie-downs to your floor or frame loops and extend them out as far as you need to attach to your motorcycle (and where you can reach them).

If you're using extension loop straps around the lower triple tree, have those ready too (the lower triple tree is the most secure location for this setup).

Set up your ramp so it's in line with the wheel chock in your truck bed and push or ride your bike onto the truck bed or trailer, straight into the chock.

While still on the bike (and in gear), attach the rear straps' S-hooks (if you're using them) to a structural member on the bike, gripping the loose end and pulling tight (or ratcheting down).

If you're not using rear straps, conventional wisdom says to snug the left front tie-down (attached high on the bike) first, just enough to get the slack out.

Repeat with the right front tie-down; at this point the sidestand should be off the floor, with the bike upright.

When tie-downs are snug, check the side of the front tire and brake rotors to be sure they're clear of the chock. Give the tie-downs a final yank to guarantee they're even and securely tightened and the bike is vertical.

If you're loading two dressers and their handlebars or fairings interfere, try reversing one of the bike's positions in the trailer. It's usually best to load the biggest bike in the forward position to properly distribute the load.

After you've locked down the front, it's time to strap the rear for extra stability. Pick a high area on the chassis to attach tie-downs to for leverage. The tie-downs should pull down an inch or two forward of your attachment point-make sure the bike doesn't rock forward, back or sideways. With cam buckle ties, it's best to have someone compress the rear suspension while you tighten the tie-downs.

Check tie-down points for tightness; the straps should form a 45-degree angle between the bike and floor (see diagram above); your results may vary slightly.

Word On The Street

Some contributors to Honda Gold Wing and Yamaha Venture online owner forums recommend using a soft loop around the triple tree and tying off the loop with two ratchet straps-one pulling forward into the chock and the second pulling forward and out to the side. For the backs of those bikes, the same sites recommend tying a soft loop around passenger handgrips, passenger footpegs or the rear frame.

For some Harleys and other bikes with inverted forks, we've noticed a few sites advocating attaching tie-downs to the front of the engine where the frame meets the crashbars and repeating the four-strap tie-down method. The bottom line is you should feel free to experiment with attachment points, as your bike may have parts that interfere with the strap or cut it. And there's also a long list of don'ts. For example

Don't ...

....use rear bag guards as attachment points; they'll be pulled off .

....tie down at the handlebars. Some dealers are OK with this, but it's not kosher with us because a few handlebars are rubber mounted and can compress, causing tie-down slippage. Regardless of the motorcycle, handlebars aren't designed to deal with stresses generated by hitting a pothole at speed when tied down. (Note the bike in our illustrations is a sportbike; you wouldn't attach tie-downs to cruiser bars.)

....go for the cheapest straps. The price of repairing your bike will be far greater than the cash you pocketed by buying economy straps.

Steadymate Securement Tips

We also talked to the guys at Steadymate (www.steadymate.com), a securement-product company formed by Kinedyne Canada, and they added their own tips on successful vehicle securement:

1 Securement points Check that the securement points on your truck are structural members of its body. Whichever you choose, the securement point must have the same capacity as the tie-down (see No. 3).

2 Number of straps Regardless of the application, owners should use at least two pairs of straps for vehicles in transit-one securing the front of the vehicle and a second for the rear.

3 Relationship of parts Each component of your system has an impact on every other component. For example, if your tie-down strap has a higher rating than your anchor point, the rating on your strap drops to that of the anchor. (A 1000-pound tie-down with a 600-pound pan fitting reduces the tie-down rating to 600 pounds.) Examine the tag on each part.

4 Manufacturer's rating When purchasing tie-downs, be sure to look for the manufacturer's certified rating and make sure the rating matches your needs. Steadymate recommends that one of the straps be rated to secure the "entire" weight of your vehicle. It's not uncommon that one strap will be called upon to take the brunt of restraining your load during a sharp turn.

5 4x45 rule This method assures the complete securement of your vehicle. Four securement points are the minimum required by law. A 45-degree angle from the bike to the floor at each point creates optimum balance and tension.

So you've nailed down a destination, and now you're chompin' at the bit. Throw a few Jockey shorts in the backpack and off you go, right? Not so fast-any overnight trip requires a bit more forethought. And if you're headed on an extended tour on two wheels, remember, "less is more." Even if your week-long odyssey is on a full-blown touring bike, you'll have to make every inch of cargo space count (especially if there are two of you). That ice bucket will start looking pretty dumb after Mile Marker 3. We talked with Tom Mehren, author of the new book Pack Light, Pack Right! (available at www.mm411.com). Mehren's also a proponent of the less-is-more theory. Following are his main packing points:Heavy On The BottomStuff heavy gear closest to where the bag will be mounted on the bike. I like to use a three bag system on extended trips: one big sack for the large stuff, a medium bag for necessities and a smaller one for traveling fast and loose. (This one comes in handy off the bike.) The big bag should be weather- proof, durable and flexible enough to accommodate different loads on different bikes. Attachment points, stiffeners or frames help the cause too. The medium-sized bag should essentially be a stuffable, soft bag that can be rolled up, and I usually grab a backpack for light, off-bike excursions.

Pack Small

For clothes, two shirts, two pants, two pairs of socks and underwear, one pair of shoes (not including riding boots) and two pairs of gloves are all you need. Group smaller items into small, plastic freezer bags. Clothing gets rolled up and put into a mesh bag. Store these separate bags vertically, so they're easier to access.

Dump Your Cotton

Cotton is bad-you get so much more space out of your luggage if you stock up on synthetics instead. A laundromat is usually easy to find, and washable garments made of Coolmax can dry in a few hours.

Multitask

Pack items that have multiple purposes to minimize space. A Leatherman tool can handle three or four chores, while a waterproof dry bag can be used for laundry, storage on the bike or a beer cooler at the campground.

Spread The Load

First Aid kits-only one rider in the group needs to carry one. Same with other large items-one person can stow the pump, the other a set of jumpers and so on. And don't buy cheap stuff! Once you purchase quality gear, you should be done shopping for years. It's worth it in the long run.

Touring Resources

Even modern-day Magellans need some sort of third-party support. The following tools should help you fine-tune your target.

Harley-Davidson Great Roads And Ride Planner

Harley's Web site is a wealth of info. On www.harley-davidson.com, under the "Experience" tab, you'll find great online tools for riders. The "Great Roads" section is chock-full of destinations and roads (currently 52) that are rated for ride and scenic value. Click-and-drag maps allow you to view the lay of the land and access lodging info.

Mad Maps

If you prefer hard copies of a certain region, check out the Mad Maps series. These foldable, weather-resistant charts are a real boon for motorcyclists, listing color-coded routes, attractions, fuel stops and tips on each area. Regional maps are $8.95 each; Get Outta Town series $5.95 each. See the whole series at www.madmaps.com.

Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007

This software has helped us plan dozens of forays flawlessly, and the new version's even more intuitive, featuring an interactive GPS locator that you can plug into your computer. It'll even figure fuel mileage for you. Get it for $129 at www.microsoft.com.

Harley-Davidson Ride Atlas Of North America

Here's a rubber-covered reference atlas covering ride maps, along with detailed U.S. state and city maps tailored to riders' needs, with minor highways and secondary roads highlighted in bold color. It's produced by Rand McNally and available at www.randmcnally.com or Harley-Davidson dealerships for $34.95.

AAA TripTik

You can always go back to the classics too; we heard that AAA recently made its famed online TripTik service available to non-members too. This mapping tool is more auto-biased, but it's an interactive resource for things like road conditions, gas stops and construction zones. You can even book a hotel online and check fuel prices. See www.aaa.com.

Ama Ride Guide To America

A fine selection of road trips, routes and scenic suggestions around the country from the good (and knowledgeable) folks at the American Motorcyclist Association, it's divided by region for easy access. The guide is $24.95. Check www.whitehorsepress.com for more info.

The Essential Guide To Motorcycle Travel, By Dale CoynerIf you need help preparing yourself and your bike for a long-haul ride, this one's for you. Whether you're getting ready for a weekend trip to the local mountains or a transcontinental odyssey lasting several years, good planning is the key to enjoyment on the road. Get it for $24.95 at www.whitehorsepress.com.

MedjetAssist

But what if things don't go as planned? There's now a new medical evacuation program designed specifically for riders. MedjetAssist's Motorcycle Protection Plan protects bikers who fall sick or get injured while riding virtually anywhere in the world. If a member is hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, MedjetAssist will fly them to the hospital of their choice aboard a medically equipped aircraft. Pre-paid annual memberships for individuals up to 75 years of age are $225 each. For more info, visit www.medjetassist.com.

On The web

We've also found the following route-specific Web sites to be invaluable for trip planning:
Motorcycle Roads

www.motorcycleroads.us

America's Byways

www.byways.org

Firestone Legendary Drives

www.firestonelegendarydrives.com

Road Notes

www.roadnotes.com

Motorcycle Cruiser's mothership, Motorcyclist magazine, recently published the following advice to an overwhelmingly appreciative response. We have decided to republish the list of living-saving techniques-in its entirety-for our own readership.

Assume you're invisible
Because to a lot of drivers, you are. Never make a move based on the assumption that another driver sees you, even if you've just made eye contact.

Be considerate
The consequences of strafing the jerk du jour or cutting him off start out bad and get worse. Pretend it was your grandma and think again

Dress for the crash, not the pool or the prom
Sure, Joaquin's Fish Tacos is a five-minute trip, but nobody plans to eat pavement. Modern mesh gear means 100-degree heat is no excuse for a T-shirt and board shorts

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
Assume that car across the intersection will turn across your bow when the lightgoes green, with or without a turn signal.

Leave your ego at home
The only people who really care if you were faster on the freeway will be the officer and the judge.

Pay attention
Yes, there is a half-naked girl on the billboard. And the chrome needs a polish. Meanwhile, you could be drifting toward Big Trouble. Focus.

Mirrors only show you part of the picture
Never change direction without turning your head to make sure the coast really is clear.

Be patient
Always take another second or three before you pull out to pass, ride away from a curb or merge into freeway traffic from an on-ramp. It's what you don't see that gets you. That extra look could save your butt.

Watch your closing speed
Passing cars at twice their speed or changing lanes to shoot past a row of stopped cars is just asking for trouble.

Beware the verge and the merge
A lot of nasty surprises end up on the sides of the road: empty McDonald's bags, nails, TV antennas, ladders, you name it. Watch for potentially troublesome debris on both sides of the road.

Left-turning cars remain a leading killer of motorcyclists
Don't assume someone will wait for you to dart through the intersection. They're trying to beat the light, too.

Think before you act
Careful whipping around that Camry going 7 mph in a 25-mph zone or you could end up with your head in the driver's side door when he turns in front of you.

Beware of cars running traffic lights
The first few seconds after a signal light changes are the most perilous. Look both ways before barging into an intersection.

Check your mirrors
Do it every time you change lanes, slow down or stop. Be ready to move if another vehicle is about to occupy the space you'd planned to use

Mind the gap
Remember Driver's Ed.? One second's worth of distance per 10 mph is the old rule of thumb. Better still, scan the next 12 seconds ahead for potential trouble.

Beware of tuner cars
They're quick, and their drivers tend to be young and aggressive, therefore potentially hazardous

Excessive entrance speed hurts
It's the leading cause of single-bike accidents on twisty roads-some cruisers can make unheard of amounts of power. Use it on the way out of a corner, not in.

Don't trust that deer whistle
Ungulates and other feral beasts prowl at dawn and dusk, so heed those big yellow signs. If you're riding in a target-rich environment, slow down and watch the shoulders.

Learn to use both brakes
The front does most of your stopping, but for a lot of heavy cruisers a little extra rear brake can really help haul you up fast.

Keep the front brake covered-always
Save a single second of reaction time at 60 mph and you can stop 88 feet shorter. Think about that.

Look where you want to go
Use the miracle of target fixation to your advantage. The motorcycle goes where you look, so focus on the solution instead of the problem.

Keep your eyes moving
Traffic is always shifting, so keep scanning for potential trouble. Don't lock your eyes on any one thing for too long unless you're actually dealing with trouble

Come to a full stop at that next stop sign
Put a foot down. Look again. Anything less forces a snap decision with no time to spot potential trouble.

Raise your gaze
It's too late to do anything about the 20 feet immediately in front of your fender, so scan the road far enough ahead to see trouble and change trajectory.

Get your mind right in the driveway
Most accidents happen during the first 15 minutes of a ride, below 40 mph, near an intersection or driveway. Yes, that could be your driveway

Never dive into a gap in stalled traffic
Cars may have stopped for a reason, and you may not be able to see why until it's too late to do anything about it.

Don't saddle up more than you can handle
If you weigh 95 pounds, avoid that 795-pound cruiser. Get something lighter and more manageable.

Watch for car doors opening into traffic
And smacking a car that's swerving around some goofball's open door is just as painful.

Don't get in an intersection rut
Watch for a two-way stop after a string of four-way intersections. If you expect cross-traffic to stop, there could be a painful surprise when it doesn't.

Stay in your comfort zone when you're with a group
Riding over your head is a good way to end up in a ditch. Any bunch worth riding with will have a rendezvous point where you'll be able to link up again.

Give your eyes some time to adjust
A minute or two of low light heading from a well-lighted garage onto dark streets is a good thing. Otherwise, you're essentially flying blind for the first mile or so.

Master the slow U-turn
Practice. Park your butt on the outside edge of the seat and lean the bike into the turn, using your body as a counterweight as you pivot around the rear wheel.

Who put a stop sign at the top of this hill?
Don't panic. Use the rear brake to keep from rolling back down. Use Mr. Throttle and Mr. Clutch normally-and smoothly-to pull away.

If it looks slippery, assume it is
A patch of suspicious pavement could be just about anything. Butter Flavor Crisco? Gravel? Mobil 1? Or maybe it's nothing. Better to slow down for nothing than go on your head.

Bang! A blowout! Now what?
No sudden moves. The motorcycle isn't happy, so be prepared to apply a little calming muscle to maintain course. Ease back the throttle, brake gingerly with the good wheel and pull over very smoothly to the shoulder. Big sigh.

Drops on the faceshield?
It's raining. Lightly misted pavement can be slipperier than when it's been rinsed by a downpour, and you never know how much grip there is. Apply maximum-level concentration, caution and smoothness.

Everything is harder to see after dark
Adjust your headlights, carry a clear faceshield and have your game all the way on after dark, especially during commuter hours

Emotions in check?
To paraphrase Mr. Ice Cube, chickity-check yo self before you wreck yo self. Emotions are as powerful as any drug, so take inventory every time you saddle up. If you're mad, sad, exhausted or anxious, stay put.

Wear good gear
Wear stuff that fits you and the weather. If you're too hot or too cold or fighting with a jacket that binds across the shoulders, you're dangerous. It's that simple.

Leave the iPod at home>br />You won't hear that cement truck in time with Spinal Tap cranked to 11, but they might like your headphones in intensive care.

Learn to swerve
Be able to do two tight turns in quick succession. Flick left around the bag of briquettes, then right back to your original trajectory. The bike will follow your eyes, so look at the way around, not the briquettes. Now practice until it's a reflex.

Be smooth at low speeds
Take some angst out, especially of slow-speed maneuvers, with a bit of rear brake. It adds a welcome bit of stability by minimizing unwelcome weight transfer and potentially bothersome driveline lash.

Flashing is good for you
Turn signals get your attention by flashing, right? So a few easy taps on the pedal or lever before stopping makes your brake light more eye-catching to trailing traffic.

Intersections are scary, so hedge your bets
Put another vehicle between your bike and the possibility of someone running the stop sign/red light on your right and you cut your chances of getting nailed in half.

Tune your peripheral vision
Pick a point near the center of that wall over there. Now scan as far as you can by moving your attention, not your gaze. The more you can see without turning your head, the sooner you can react to trouble.

All alone at a light that won't turn green?
Put as much motorcycle as possible directly above the sensor wire-usually buried in the pavement beneath you and located by a round or square pattern behind the limit line. If the light still won't change, try putting your kickstand down, right on the wire. You should be on your way in seconds.

Don't troll next to-or right behind-Mr. Peterbilt
If one of those 18 retreads blows up-which they do with some regularity-it de-treads, and that can be ugly. Unless you like dodging huge chunks of flying rubber, keep your distance.

Take the panic out of panic stops
Develop an intimate relationship with your front brake. Seek out some safe, open pavement. Starting slowly, find that fine line between maximum braking and a locked wheel, and then do it again and again.

Make your tires right
None of this stuff matters unless your skins are right. Don't take 'em for granted. Make sure pressure is spot-on every time you ride. Check for cuts, nails and other junk they might have picked up, as well as for general wear.

Take a deep breath
Count to 10. Visualize whirled peas. Forgetting about some clown's 80-mph indiscretion beats running the risk of ruining your life, or ending it

This spring, when Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger collided with a car that turned left in front of him, breaking his face and causing a concussion, it triggered a media uproar about the need for helmet laws. Few remarked on the irony or hypocrisy of the situation, the fact that the soapboxes came out when a sports star merely sustained recoverable injuries, but not when dozens of other riders in the same state died because they weren't wearing helmets. The life and death of Joe Rider apparently doesn't much interest editors and readers of general-interest publications, but the chance that a star quarterback might not be fit for football season is a big deal, one that should be prevented with helmet laws or even banning all players from riding motorcycles, as some teams do.

The press devoted much less attention to the revelation that Roethlisberger, who had previously said he didn't believe he needed a helmet because he rode carefully, didn't even have a license. Riding without a license isn't smart. In fact, unlicensed riders are more likely to crash than those who get properly licensed. In Pennsylvania, you have to be licensed before you can ride without a helmet. So not only is riding without a license not smart, it's also breaking the law. One witness to the accident reportedly said the quarterback seemed to be looking somewhere other than at the car that was preparing to turn left, which also doesn't sound very wise.

No one paid much attention to the guy who said that even if there had been a helmet law and Roethlisberger had been wearing a helmet as a result, it might not have made a lot of difference. You should note it, however, because the guy who said that was Harry Hurt, the lead author of Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures (a.k.a. the Hurt Report), which 25 years later is still the most comprehensive study of motorcycle crashes in America. Hurt also runs the Head Protection Research Laboratory (www.hprl.org), which tests and studies helmet performance and motorcycle accidents.

In a letter to a Pasadena, California, newspaper, Hurt commented that the Roethlisberger crash was not an unusual one in terms of the events that caused it, the way the rider went facefirst into the car's relatively soft windshield (colliding with the front of the roof or one of its pillars could have resulted in much more severe brain injuries), and the injuries sustained by the rider. Hurt went on to say that merely complying with a law that required motorcyclists to wear a helmet wouldn't necessarily have made a difference. Unless Roethlisberger had worn a full-coverage helmet with an EPS chin bar, his uncovered face would still have been susceptible to the same sort of injuries. In such face-first impacts, wearing a helmet with a chin bar can also save your life by keeping facial bones from being pushed into your brain.

Nonetheless, open-face helmets offer some real comfort advantages over the full-face helmets I and the rest of this magazine's editors favor. They tend to be slightly lighter than full-face-coverage hats. Oddly, they are sometimes quieter than full-coverage models. Because it's exposed to the world, your face cools off better on a hot day. Of course, that also exposes it to bugs, gravel, and rain. I don't even like to think about being caught in a hailstorm with an open-face lid or what an errant bird could do.

I bought my first full-face helmet back in1968, when Bell put the first one, the Star, into production. (Yeah, it was orange too.) It took me a few days to adjust, but then I used it for a three-month ride through Mexico. That first Star was a work in progress back then, mostly because of the eyeport. It was substantially smaller than the eyeports on today's full-coverage shells, and the faceshield was fixed inside the molding of the eyeport. You couldn't flip it up for cooling or to put on sunglasses. If you wanted to use a dark shield, you had to pry out the clear shield and coax the tinted one into the eyeport's molding. But there was EPS foam (the material that actually absorbs the energy of an impact) all the way around your head and on the chin bar. I was very pleased to have it when a bird smashed into the top of my chin bar at about 60 mph.

By the time we returned from the ride through Mexico, wearing an open-face helmet made me feel unprotected. I wore one around the block once after that and never went back. (Actually, that's not true. I sometimes wear an open-face motorcycle helmet while riding my bicycle.) However, the flip-up-shield kit that was soon available was a real advance, and the second Star I owned had a larger eyeport, so my peripheral vision was no longer limited.

Folks who have never really spent time in one imagine that full-face helmets create all sorts of problems, like muting the world around you so you can't hear other traffic or limiting your view. There is some truth to the concern about limiting vision, but just vertically. On a cruiser with tank-top instruments, the chin bar sometimes blocks your view, so you have to tilt your head forward slightly to read them. It's not enough to block your view of the road ahead, though. In some helmets, I can't even see both sides of the eyeport with my eyeballs at full-lock, so peripheral vision is not compromised. While a helmet does muffle external sounds some, that's generally a good thing, since most of the ambient noise is just that, noise. It's the sound of your engine, drivetrain, exhaust and most of all the wind passing your head. The sounds that you need to hear-the tire or engine sounds of approaching vehicles, emergency sirens, the voices of pedestrians, a change in your bike's drivetrain, something falling off the bike-have to be picked out from the general din, and that's easier when the ambient noise is knocked back a bit. In particular, a properly designed helmet shell can make your passage through the wind smoother and therefore reduce the wind's roar compared with your bare head, which is not as streamlined. Riding without a helmet or other ear protection will quickly cost you hearing capacity from the effects of wind noise. If you have a loud exhaust, the loss will happen even faster.

I can understand some of the common complaints about helmets with more coverage. Riding in stop-and-go traffic in a hot, humid climate can make more coverage less pleasant. If you are actually claustrophobic, it might get to you (but you need to try a 1968 Bell Star to get the full effect). I am less sympathetic to complaints about weight (in fact, if you ride behind a windshield that buffets, a heavier helmet can sometimes damp out the buffeting). Helmets used to be a lot heavier, and I never thought of it as an issue, though I suppose some neck conditions could make it one. I have never found a rider who says that helmets are uncomfortable who has actually tried a lot on. The complaints about full-coverage helmets may be valid if you shop at a discount auto-parts store, but there are a variety of shapes and sizing options these days, and motorcycle-helmet makers have gotten much more sophisticated about making their products comfortable. These days you no longer have to deal with tight spots, lifting at speed, faceshields that rattle and are hard to change, heavy shells or lack of ventilation. It used to be that just two or three high-end brands offered consistent comfort. These days you can find that sort of comfort and protection down in the budget end of the spectrum. With all the advances in fit, venting, faceshields and materials, finding a comfortable, convenient, well-vented, lightweight full-coverage helmet is no longer a challenge.

The universal take of the Motorcycle Cruiser staff is that full-face helmets are significantly more comfortable and convenient than other types, and certainly much more pleasant than riding any distance bareheaded. But the real payoff comes on the first bounce. Of course, no one ever expects that to happen to them, not today, not on this ride. Roethlisberger obviously didn't. Lots of folks who ended up on slabs or in long-term care from head injuries didn't. Many of them probably didn't appreciate how effective a helmet can be and what sort of devastation it can prevent.

Wearing helmets will provide protection, although a novelty helmet-that is, one without DOT approval-will do virtually nothing for you in a crash, and some riders have even been injured by fragments. You're just fooling yourself if you wear one in the belief that they will protect you from anything beyond light abrasions. Shorty helmets with DOT certification offer significant protection...if your head impacts on the area that's covered with EPS foam. That area is extended with a three-quarter, open-face helmet. But your face is right up there in front, pointed at what you will probably hit when things go wrong.

If you do a Roethlisberger and hit face-first, you may only appreciate what a full-face helmet can do for you if you aren't wearing one. Helmet wearers who take a hit that would have scrambled their eggs if they had been bareheaded often just think, "I'm glad I had that on." But it's hard to fully appreciate what you avoided.

Roethlisberger has said that if he rides again, it will be with a helmet. I'm guessing it will be a full-face helmet, since he now probably understands its value. None of his comments that I read suggest he ever bought into the BS about helmets breaking necks or contributing to accidents. He just never thought it could happen to him, at least not that day. Every day in the U.S., riders die because they didn't think they'd be in a crash or need helmets. Others see their lives devastated for the same reason. It's hard to believe any of them would have been there without the best full-coverage helmet they could take a mortgage out on had they known what was coming.

Yet every day thousands of riders still bet everything that nothing will go wrong out on the road when they decide to ride without a good helmet strapped on securely. I'm a pretty optimistic person, but I've never been starry-eyed enough to take that bet, especially since I don't see any upside. And there have been a few days when that decision has kept me from being wiped out for good.

Riding a motorcycle isn't dangerous,but crashing is. Sooner or later, most riders crash. Once that event begins, the only decision that matters on a life-changing level is whether or not you chose to wear a good helmet.

Marketplace advertising space is available in 1" to 3" units for black and white and two-color ads. Four-color advertising space is available in 2" to 1/6 page units. Please call for rates for 2C and 4C ads.

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This spring, when Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger collided with a car that turned left in front of him, breaking his face and causing a concussion, it triggered a media uproar about the need for helmet laws. Few remarked on the irony or hypocrisy of the situation, the fact that the soapboxes came out when a sports star merely sustained recoverable injuries, but not when dozens of other riders in the same state died because they weren't wearing helmets. The life and death of Joe Rider apparently doesn't much interest editors and readers of general-interest publications, but the chance that a star quarterback might not be fit for football season is a big deal, one that should be prevented with helmet laws or even banning all players from riding motorcycles, as some teams do.

The press devoted much less attention to the revelation that Roethlisberger, who had previously said he didn't believe he needed a helmet because he rode carefully, didn't even have a license. Riding without a license isn't smart. In fact, unlicensed riders are more likely to crash than those who get properly licensed. In Pennsylvania, you have to be licensed before you can ride without a helmet. So not only is riding without a license not smart, it's also breaking the law. One witness to the accident reportedly said the quarterback seemed to be looking somewhere other than at the car that was preparing to turn left, which also doesn't sound very wise.

No one paid much attention to the guy who said that even if there had been a helmet law and Roethlisberger had been wearing a helmet as a result, it might not have made a lot of difference. You should note it, however, because the guy who said that was Harry Hurt, the lead author of Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures (a.k.a. the Hurt Report), which 25 years later is still the most comprehensive study of motorcycle crashes in America. Hurt also runs the Head Protection Research Laboratory (www.hprl.org), which tests and studies helmet performance and motorcycle accidents.

In a letter to a Pasadena, California, newspaper, Hurt commented that the Roethlisberger crash was not an unusual one in terms of the events that caused it, the way the rider went facefirst into the car's relatively soft windshield (colliding with the front of the roof or one of its pillars could have resulted in much more severe brain injuries), and the injuries sustained by the rider. Hurt went on to say that merely complying with a law that required motorcyclists to wear a helmet wouldn't necessarily have made a difference. Unless Roethlisberger had worn a full-coverage helmet with an EPS chin bar, his uncovered face would still have been susceptible to the same sort of injuries. In such face-first impacts, wearing a helmet with a chin bar can also save your life by keeping facial bones from being pushed into your brain.

Nonetheless, open-face helmets offer some real comfort advantages over the full-face helmets I and the rest of this magazine's editors favor. They tend to be slightly lighter than full-face-coverage hats. Oddly, they are sometimes quieter than full-coverage models. Because it's exposed to the world, your face cools off better on a hot day. Of course, that also exposes it to bugs, gravel, and rain. I don't even like to think about being caught in a hailstorm with an open-face lid or what an errant bird could do.

I bought my first full-face helmet back in1968, when Bell put the first one, the Star, into production. (Yeah, it was orange too.) It took me a few days to adjust, but then I used it for a three-month ride through Mexico. That first Star was a work in progress back then, mostly because of the eyeport. It was substantially smaller than the eyeports on today's full-coverage shells, and the faceshield was fixed inside the molding of the eyeport. You couldn't flip it up for cooling or to put on sunglasses. If you wanted to use a dark shield, you had to pry out the clear shield and coax the tinted one into the eyeport's molding. But there was EPS foam (the material that actually absorbs the energy of an impact) all the way around your head and on the chin bar. I was very pleased to have it when a bird smashed into the top of my chin bar at about 60 mph.

By the time we returned from the ride through Mexico, wearing an open-face helmet made me feel unprotected. I wore one around the block once after that and never went back. (Actually, that's not true. I sometimes wear an open-face motorcycle helmet while riding my bicycle.) However, the flip-up-shield kit that was soon available was a real advance, and the second Star I owned had a larger eyeport, so my peripheral vision was no longer limited.

Folks who have never really spent time in one imagine that full-face helmets create all sorts of problems, like muting the world around you so you can't hear other traffic or limiting your view. There is some truth to the concern about limiting vision, but just vertically. On a cruiser with tank-top instruments, the chin bar sometimes blocks your view, so you have to tilt your head forward slightly to read them. It's not enough to block your view of the road ahead, though. In some helmets, I can't even see both sides of the eyeport with my eyeballs at full-lock, so peripheral vision is not compromised. While a helmet does muffle external sounds some, that's generally a good thing, since most of the ambient noise is just that, noise. It's the sound of your engine, drivetrain, exhaust and most of all the wind passing your head. The sounds that you need to hear-the tire or engine sounds of approaching vehicles, emergency sirens, the voices of pedestrians, a change in your bike's drivetrain, something falling off the bike-have to be picked out from the general din, and that's easier when the ambient noise is knocked back a bit. In particular, a properly designed helmet shell can make your passage through the wind smoother and therefore reduce the wind's roar compared with your bare head, which is not as streamlined. Riding without a helmet or other ear protection will quickly cost you hearing capacity from the effects of wind noise. If you have a loud exhaust, the loss will happen even faster.

I can understand some of the common complaints about helmets with more coverage. Riding in stop-and-go traffic in a hot, humid climate can make more coverage less pleasant. If you are actually claustrophobic, it might get to you (but you need to try a 1968 Bell Star to get the full effect). I am less sympathetic to complaints about weight (in fact, if you ride behind a windshield that buffets, a heavier helmet can sometimes damp out the buffeting). Helmets used to be a lot heavier, and I never thought of it as an issue, though I suppose some neck conditions could make it one. I have never found a rider who says that helmets are uncomfortable who has actually tried a lot on. The complaints about full-coverage helmets may be valid if you shop at a discount auto-parts store, but there are a variety of shapes and sizing options these days, and motorcycle-helmet makers have gotten much more sophisticated about making their products comfortable. These days you no longer have to deal with tight spots, lifting at speed, faceshields that rattle and are hard to change, heavy shells or lack of ventilation. It used to be that just two or three high-end brands offered consistent comfort. These days you can find that sort of comfort and protection down in the budget end of the spectrum. With all the advances in fit, venting, faceshields and materials, finding a comfortable, convenient, well-vented, lightweight full-coverage helmet is no longer a challenge.

The universal take of the Motorcycle Cruiser staff is that full-face helmets are significantly more comfortable and convenient than other types, and certainly much more pleasant than riding any distance bareheaded. But the real payoff comes on the first bounce. Of course, no one ever expects that to happen to them, not today, not on this ride. Roethlisberger obviously didn't. Lots of folks who ended up on slabs or in long-term care from head injuries didn't. Many of them probably didn't appreciate how effective a helmet can be and what sort of devastation it can prevent.

Wearing helmets will provide protection, although a novelty helmet-that is, one without DOT approval-will do virtually nothing for you in a crash, and some riders have even been injured by fragments. You're just fooling yourself if you wear one in the belief that they will protect you from anything beyond light abrasions. Shorty helmets with DOT certification offer significant protection...if your head impacts on the area that's covered with EPS foam. That area is extended with a three-quarter, open-face helmet. But your face is right up there in front, pointed at what you will probably hit when things go wrong.

If you do a Roethlisberger and hit face-first, you may only appreciate what a full-face helmet can do for you if you aren't wearing one. Helmet wearers who take a hit that would have scrambled their eggs if they had been bareheaded often just think, "I'm glad I had that on." But it's hard to fully appreciate what you avoided.

Roethlisberger has said that if he rides again, it will be with a helmet. I'm guessing it will be a full-face helmet, since he now probably understands its value. None of his comments that I read suggest he ever bought into the BS about helmets breaking necks or contributing to accidents. He just never thought it could happen to him, at least not that day. Every day in the U.S., riders die because they didn't think they'd be in a crash or need helmets. Others see their lives devastated for the same reason. It's hard to believe any of them would have been there without the best full-coverage helmet they could take a mortgage out on had they known what was coming.

Yet every day thousands of riders still bet everything that nothing will go wrong out on the road when they decide to ride without a good helmet strapped on securely. I'm a pretty optimistic person, but I've never been starry-eyed enough to take that bet, especially since I don't see any upside. And there have been a few days when that decision has kept me from being wiped out for good.

Riding a motorcycle isn't dangerous,but crashing is. Sooner or later, most riders crash. Once that event begins, the only decision that matters on a life-changing level is whether or not you chose to wear a good helmet.

Marketplace advertising space is available in 1" to 3" units for black and white and two-color ads. Four-color advertising space is available in 2" to 1/6 page units. Please call for rates for 2C and 4C ads.

Experts say that fatigue contributes to between a fifth and a sixth of all car accidents. That may not be true in motorcycle accidents across the board, but fatigue is definitely an issue for riders on trips of three days or more. It's something that you need to consider and prepare for. If you are riding with other people, it is an issue that you should discuss and accommodate as you plan your trip. Different riders will have different requirements for rest, and if the trip is to be a safe one, all members of the group should be willing to accommodate each other.

Before you head out on the highway looking for adventure, coniser a few steps that you can take and plans you can make to avoid having one of your adventures involve falling asleep on your motorcycle.

Rest:
Adequate sleep can be a bit hard to come by before and during a multi-day ride. I am always thinking of things I want to do or remember to bring as I try to get to sleep on the night before I depart. I also have trouble getting to sleep while traveling. Many people also have trouble getting a full night's sleep as they get older. If I combine that with early departures, I quickly have a sleep deficit. For that reason, I like to plan to allow myself to sleep late every two or three days, setting no departure time.

Don't use alcohol as a sleep aid; it actually tends to reduce both the quantity and quality of sleep. You might think that you can't fall asleep on a motorcycle, but I have known riders who simply fell asleep while riding, waking up as they bounced through a ditch — or in the hospital. Riders who experienced these sorts of adventures often said they didn't even realize they were tired.

Experts say that you'll have "tired times" during every 12-hour cycle, most often between 3:00 and 5:00 (a.m. and p.m., you local time). You may want to plan to arrive by that point or stop for an early dinner. If you can or need to, take a day off just to relax and catch up on your sleep.

Physical Preparation:
Unless you ride your motorcycle almost every day or take rides of three hours or more almost every weekend, you may not be completely adapted to your bike. After a full day or two of riding, you will become acutely aware of muscles that you are using full-time to ride. You may be able to overcome some of this discomfort by properly setting up your bike and fitting components, such as a good aftermarket saddle, that make it more comfortable. However, you also need to give your body a chance to adapt. Taking breaks every hour or two, especially during the first few days of a long ride, will help this adjustment.

Calm:
Extended exposure to wind and sun dehydrates and fatigues you much more than your routine two-hour weekend jaunt. Riding in a tanktop and open-face helmet may seem like the best way to deal with the heat, but will actually wear you out and heat you up much faster than if you wear a vented or mesh jacket and a helmet that protects your face from the wind. Perspiration gets a chance to stay on and cool your skin if the wind flow is reduced but not eliminated. You will sharply reduce sunburn and windburn and their fatiguing effects by covering yourself fully. A windshield also reduces the amount of wind that's tearing at you but leaves enough to cool you.

Quiet:
Wind noise (and exhaust noise if you have loud pipes) will not only permanently damage your hearing, it will fatigue you quickly. Both noise sources are at their worst if you don't wear a helmet, but even a full-face helmet that seals your ears well won't attenuate these noise sources sufficiently on an extended ride, so you should wear earplugs as well. If nothing else, you'll appreciate them when you try to go to sleep at night and the roaring in your ears isn't as loud. A windshield can also reduce wind noise.

Clear:
Vision clarity can be an issue on extended rides too. About 15 years ago we did a comparison test where one bike had significant distortion in the top of its windshield. Several riders said riding it made them feel disoriented or tired or gave them headaches. If your windshield creates this problem, or if you have a faceshield or sunglasses that are optically imperfect, you should find a replacement or eliminate the problem, perhaps by trimming the top of your windshield. If your vision has changed so that your prescription is no longer adequate, update it before you leave.

Caffeine and Alcohol:
A coffee or cola can briefly boost your alertness, but isn't a substitute for adequate rest. Having a beer before or during a ride is a bad idea for many reasons, but especially if you are slightly tired or fatigued. Discouraging your riding companions from having one also does both of you a favor.

Good Habits:
Those boring admonitions about diet and exercise also apply to fighting fatigue. They increase your energy level, which makes you stronger and more alert. Of course, drinking adequate water is important too, especially considering that you are being dehydrated more rapidly because of your exposure to the wind. I don't hold with the theory that you aren't drinking enough if you don't have to urinate every 30 minutes though.

Fighting fatigue provides benefits that go beyond safety. If you are alert and refreshed, the ride itself is more enjoyable, and you'll get more out of the sights and experiences that you came to enjoy.

It could be that my favorite thing about riding motorcycles is the way they turn, leaning over to balance all the forces involved in making a single-track vehicle change directions and go right where you want it. Even after riding through corners hundreds of thousands — probably millions — of times, the process of riding a motorcycle around a turn in the road or racetrack is still exciting and challenging. I'm also sure that there haven't been more than a handful of times in more than 40 years and a million miles of riding that I arrived at the entry to a corner and entered it just perfectly, with exactly the right amount of handlebar pressure, body English, throttle opening and lean angle to deliver me to the ideal point at the apex of the turn without minute adjustments. You virtually always have to make some sort of adjustment as you commit to a line around the turn. To keep all those forces balanced, you can't make any violent changes or you'll quickly find yourself flat-side-down. To avoid doing that, you need to to be sure of what lies ahead .

Yet the moment of commitment to a corner is the crucial one, and the way you do it should depend almost entirely on what you see as the corner appears ahead of you. Maybe you have ridden it thousands of times. Maybe this is your first time drawing an arc on this particular stretch of pavement. But even in a corner that I ride every day, one where I know every crack and ripple in the asphalt, I can't commit until my eyes have evaluated the surface first. Even if you have ridden through just minutes before, the situation may have changed. A car might have stopped just behind the embankment or bushes that hide the exit to the corner, or a passing vehicle could have left oil, water, sand, tacks, a ladder, an inflatable wading pool or hundreds of other things in the corner that will upset the perfect balance you created on your last pass.

So before I commit, I need to be able to observe and evaluate the entire surface I will ride across while I'm leaning over. Many turns don't permit you to see completely through them as you arrive. Any number of roadside objects can block your view of the road ahead. So what do you do? Well, I don't commit myself to more than I can see. I reduce my speed and, if conditions permit, enter the bend on the outside of my lane, which normally gives me the best and earliest view of the road ahead.

However, there are circumstances where entering a curve wide may not be the best approach. A wide entry to a right-hander means you are closer to the centerline and therefore more likely to come eyeball-to-hood-ornament with a car (or another rider) that has crossed the center line to straighten out the corner. And if the corner is questionable — say it looks sandy or greasy — straightening up in response to that squirming sensation from your tires could make you cross the center line. In that situation, I'll forego the added up-the-road visibility and tiptoe around the inside of my lane at a speed that permits me to respond to anything I might encounter. Just imagine that there may be a boulder up ahead and you'll probably approach at a safe speed. I have learned that this is easier to visualize once you have actually come around a turn and found a recently arrived boulder there to greet you.

As I proceed around the corner, my eyes repeatedly trace the line I plan to take as far as I can see up the road and back to a short ways in front of the bike. The standard recommendation is to look as far as you can up the road, but perhaps because my vision is less than perfect, I want to double-check and reevaluate the road surface as I get closer. When I can see all the way to the exit, only then do I commit to leaning over hard.

Unfortunately, not all hazards are visible. Freshly spilled diesel fuel and some coolants are virtually invisible on the road surface, though your nose can often alert you to their presence. A thin sprinkling of sand can reduce traction but can be very hard to spot, and you certainly won't smell it.

Lighting can also limit you. A low sun glaring into your eyes can make it very difficult to see much of anything, and I frequently end up riding one-handed as I use my left hand to shade my eyes in this situation. A low-hanging sun can also throw shadows across turns. On more than one occasion I have watched a rider dive into a shady corner and emerge sliding on his butt after encountering sand, leaves or some other slippery material hidden in the shade.

Shade can actually create a hazard. The coastal mountains around Los Angeles frequently get a nice coating of dew overnight, and the winding roads that traverse them are often slippery until the sun reaches them and dries the dew. However, during the winter months, the sun may never get high enough to remove the dew from a corner, so the shaded portion remains wet all day. These moist patches will often exactly match the shaded area, making it very difficult to tell that the road is wet unless you are aware of this situation. In colder places, the shaded area may hide black ice, and in fact this dew sometimes freezes on cold nights, even in the SoCal mountains.

Anyway, whether it's shaded dew, sand, oil or a warthog, any hazard that you discover on your intended line as the turn reveals itself requires an alternate plan. If you have entered the corner at a reduced speed, you should have enough reserve traction to do some braking, even though you are leaned over. The slower you are going, the more options you have, including perhaps stopping. And if your only option ends up being an off-road excursion, reducing your speed means you will do less damage to the guardrail or tree that you hit.

If you are going slow enough, you can simply straighten up and ride across something slippery. If the hazard is in the middle of the lane, with some reserve in hand you can go around it. I prefer to tighten my line and go inside, because that allows me more options for the rest of the turn if there are further hazards. Also, if I misjudged, I can straighten up and still have pavement left to use for further slowing and changing my line. Going around a hazard on the outside often leaves you leaning over close to the edge of the road, so there is no room to straighten up and remain on the road if things don't go according to plan.

Fortunately, there are plenty of brightly lit, perfectly clean corners that you can see all the way through before you have to commit to a line and speed. Those are what make all the dirty, slimy, frog-infested ones worthwhile.

New research dispels some of the myths about effective brakingMotorcyclists have no shortage of opinions about how to use their brakes. Get a group of riders talking about how to make a hard emergency stop and you'll hear all sorts of opinions:

"I never use the back brake. It doesn't do anything anyway."

"You need to go out in a clear parking lot and practice."

"Sportbikes can stop in much less distance than a big, heavy cruiser."

"Antilock braking is OK for beginners, but an experienced rider can stop much better with conventional brakes."

"I never use the front brake. It'll make you crash."

Hopefully, deliberate avoidance of the front brake is limited to a few dinosaurs (who are likely to be extinct rather quickly). However, the don't-use-the-front-brake concept shares one thing with all those other braking theories: It's wrong.

I'll admit to believing that sportbikes, with their lighter weights and stickier tires, would devastate a cruiser in a braking contest. But that belief didn't stand up to actual science. It turns out that measured stops with expert riders from 100 km/h (just over 60 mph) required an average of just 7 inches more on a Honda GL1500 Valkyrie than on Honda CBR929RR. Of course, that assumes you use proper technique. Proper technique involves using both brakes quickly and effectively.

This and other results of research and testing conducted by the Promocycle Foundation of Quebec were presented at the International Motorcycle Safety Conference in March. They made more than 800 measured stops on instrumented motorcycles. Here are some of the highlights of Promocycle's findings and advice on how to perform the most effective emergency stops.

The rear brake is important: Even if you ride a sportbike that transfers most of its weight to the front wheel, during that first half-second or so, while the rear wheel is still weighted, any braking you perform will have the greatest effect, since you are moving faster than when the weight has been transferred. Most riders can begin to apply the rear brake slightly sooner and harder than the front. Of course, on a cruiser, the rear wheel continues to carry substantial weight and the rear brake continues to be effective right through the stop. Finally, the rear brake also applies some stabilizing effect, so the back wheel won't try to pass the front. One of the test riders was in the habit of not using the rear brake, but even his braking improved noticeably when he was instructed to use it.

Which is your more important brake? We hope that everyone knows that the front brake provides most of your motorcycle's stopping power. Testers using both brakes on conventional braking systems made stops with a mean deceleration of .776 G. With just the front brake, that dropped to .711 G. But if they used only the rear brake, their stops developed a mere .425 G. That even applied to bikes with linked braking systems (LBS), which typically apply both brakes when the foot pedal is pressed. Using the pedal only developed .583 G, but using both controls brought braking force to .74 G. However, using just the front brake control on an LBS bike made only .44 G. So no matter what you ride, you should apply both brakes using both controls.

Pull in the clutch, but don't downshift: The study found that downshifting added about 10 feet to stopping distances, compared to not shifting and pulling in the clutch. Pulling in the clutch improved stopping performance compared to leaving it engaged and not shifting.

Practice, practice, practice: The researchers recommend practicing long and hard, so that you can immediately and automatically apply maximum braking in an emergency situation. This means making stops from highway speeds, not from 20 mph in a parking lot, where the braking cycle doesn't last long enough for you to thoroughly adjust to the motorcycle's changing weight bias and the pressures on your body. Of course, they were using bikes with outriggers, so over-braking didn't have disastrous results. A rider practicing stops from 60 mph risks crashing if he locks the front wheel.

ABS is better: The eight experienced riders, who spent days doing hundreds of stops on motorcycles protected from crashes by outriggers, made their hardest stops using antilock braking systems (ABS). And that was on clean, dry, consistent pavement, where the advantages of ABS are minimized. Stops improved from .776 G with conventional brakes to .866 G with ABS. That's a substantial difference and reflects how much better ABS is at modulating braking pressure for changing conditions than our minds, which are still mulling over how hot that girl on the bicycle looked. With ABS, you make very aggressive initial braking inputs without having to "feel" for traction. In a panic stop on wet, slippery or dirty pavement, the ABS would be even more effective. Once you use ABS, especially in a hairy situation, it's easy to love it, which makes you wonder why we have exactly zero 2006 cruiser models offering this life-saving feature. (Actually, we know the answer swirls around cost and the legal repercussions of putting a $2000 system on more expensive bikes, where its cost can be absorbed, but not on smaller bikes ridden by beginners who probably need it most.) And, ABS enables you to practice straight-ahead high-speed panic stops in relative safety, since the risk of a lockup-induced crash is eliminated.

Handle the pressure: Maximum braking loads your body tremendously, throwing you and your passenger forward and putting lots of pressure on your arms and upper body. The researchers said that the pressure was equal to what you'd feel if the bike was angled 64 degrees nose-down. The pressure on your body also makes tall handlebars very awkward as you try to hold your position under full-force stops. The researchers also pointed out that once you are on the brakes, you become "a prisoner of pressure." The forces effectively lock you into a single posture until the brakes are released. You can't even change the number of fingers on the brake lever, so your practice needs to condition you to wrap the right number of fingers (usually all of them) around the lever. Of course, once you're braking this hard, you are committed to going straight; there is no traction reserve for swerving, and releasing the brakes to change direction uses up a lot of time and distance.

For best results: Basically, there are two major components of a typical hard, short stop: quick and effective initial braking and then modulating pressure as the bike's weight shifts and speed decreases. The researchers offer this sequence: 1) Close the throttle and apply the rear brake; 2) Straighten the motorcycle and adjust your posture and hand position; 3) Apply the front brake and declutch; 4) Adjust brake pressure. The initial weight transfer takes about .6 second, and the whole stop from 60 mph requires about 3 seconds from initial brake application.

That's not a lot of time, of course. However, immediate and effective braking may be enough to avoid the impact and, if not, it will certainly lower the speed at which you make contact.

So when was the last time you practiced braking from high speeds?

Experts say that fatigue contributes to between a fifth and a sixth of all car accidents. That may not be true in motorcycle accidents across the board, but fatigue is definitely an issue for riders on trips of three days or more. It's something that you need to consider and prepare for, and if you are riding with other people, it is an issue that you should discuss and accommodate as you plan your trip. Different riders will have different requirements for rest, and if the trip is to be a safe one, all members of the group should be willing to accommodate each other.

Rest: Adequate sleep can be a bit hard to come by before and during a multi-day ride. I am always thinking of things I want to do or pack as I try to get to sleep on the night before I depart. I also have trouble getting to sleep while traveling. Many people also have trouble getting a full night's sleep as they get older. If I combine that with early departures, I quickly have a sleep deficit. For that reason, I like to plan to allow myself to sleep late every two or three days, setting no departure time. Don't use alcohol as a sleep aid; it actually tends to reduce both the quantity and quality of sleep. You might think that you can't fall asleep on a motorcycle, but I have known riders who simply fell asleep while riding, waking up as they bounced through a ditch-or in the hospital. They often said they didn't even realize they were tired. Experts say that you'll have "tired times" during every 12-hour cycle, most often between 3:00 and 5:00 (a.m. and p.m., local time). You may want to plan to arrive by that point or stop for an early dinner. If you can or need to, take a day off just to relax and catch up on your sleep.

Physical Preparation: Unless you ride your motorcycle almost every day or take rides of three hours or more almost every weekend, you may not be completely adapted to your bike. After a full day or two of riding, you will become acutely aware of muscles that you are using full-time to ride. You may be able to overcome some of this discomfort by properly setting up your bike (see "Just Adjust: Set Up Your Motorcycle to Fit You" on www.MotorcycleCruiser.com) and fitting components, such as a good aftermarket saddle, that make it more comfortable. However, you also need to give your body a chance to adapt. Taking breaks every hour or two, especially during the first few days of a long ride, will help this adjustment.

Calm: Extended exposure to wind and sun dehydrates and fatigues you much more than your routine two-hour weekend jaunt. Riding in a tanktop and open-face helmet may seem like the best way to deal with the heat, but will actually wear you out and heat you up much faster than if you wear a vented or mesh jacket and a helmet that protects your face from the wind. Perspiration gets a chance to stay on and cool your skin if the wind flow is reduced but not eliminated. You will sharply reduce sunburn and windburn and their fatiguing effects by covering yourself fully. A windshield also reduces the amount of wind that's tearing at you but leaves enough to cool you.

Quiet: Wind noise (and exhaust noise if you have loud pipes) will not only permanently damage your hearing, it will fatigue you quickly. Both noise sources are at their worst if you don't wear a helmet, but even a full-face helmet that seals your ears well won't attenuate these noise sources sufficiently on an extended ride, so you should wear earplugs as well. If nothing else, you'll appreciate them when you try to go to sleep at night and the roaring in your ears isn't as loud. A windshield can also reduce wind noise.

Clear: Vision clarity can be an issue on extended rides too. About 15 years ago we did a comparison test where one bike had significant distortion in the top of its windshield. Several riders said riding it made them feel disoriented or tired or gave them headaches. If your windshield creates this problem, or if you have a faceshield or sunglasses that are optically imperfect, you should find a replacement or eliminate the problem, perhaps by trimming the top of your windshield. If your vision has changed so that your prescription is no longer adequate, update it before you leave.

Caffeine and Alcohol: A coffee or cola can briefly boost your alertness, but isn't a substitute for adequate rest. Having a beer before or during a ride is a bad idea for many reasons, but especially if you are slightly tired or fatigued. Discouraging your riding companions from having one also does both of you a favor.

Good Habits: Those boring admonitions about diet and exercise also apply to fighting fatigue. They increase your energy level, which makes you stronger and more alert. Of course, drinking adequate water is important too, especially considering that you are being dehydrated more rapidly because of your exposure to the wind. I don't hold with the theory that you aren't drinking enough if you don't have to urinate every 30 minutes though.

Fighting fatigue provides benefits that go beyond safety. If you are alert and refreshed, the ride itself is more enjoyable, and you'll get more out of the sights and experiences that you came to enjoy.

Send Friedman fatigue-fighting hints at artofthemotorcycle@hotmail.com.

Get a group of motorcyclists talking about crashes and safety, and you will almost certainly hear some of them—popular misconceptions, incorrect assumptions, urban legends, and intuitive explanations about motorcycle safety that turn out to be wrong when you actually check out the facts. The problem is that believing these misconceptions can increase your chances of being involved in an accident or getting hurt when you do crash.

Maybe you know BS when you hear it, but maybe you have heard some myths repeated so often or by people whose expertise you respect that you think they are actually true. Unfortunately, there are a lot of motorcyclists who do believe them. We thought that some of these fallacies should be brought out into the light of day so that riders have the right information upon which to make informed riding-safety decisions. We also hope it will keep more motorcyclists from repeating such misconceptions to riders who turn to them for advice.

These are the Deadly Dozen, the motorcycle safety myths and urban legends ones that we hear most frequently.

Myth 1: Other Drivers Don't Care About Motorcyclists

It may seem hard to believe at times, but other drivers almost never actually want to hit you. Most of those near-misses come about because they don't always know you are there, even when you are right in front of them, seemingly in plain view. You can be obscured or completely hidden by glare, by other things on or along the road, by the cars roof pillars, the handicap hangtag, or by other traffic. Of course, not all drivers "think motorcycles" and make the effort to look that extra bit harder to see if there might be a motorcyclist hidden by that obscuration or in their blind spot.

Instead of assuming that they will ignore you even when they see you, you should help make it easier for drivers to spot you, especially as the population ages and more drivers have greater difficulty in picking you out. To overcome the fact that you might be hard to see and harder to notice, wear bright colors, especially on your helmet and jacket. Run your high beam during the day. Think about things that can hide you and your bike from other drivers, things that can be as common as the sun behind you, the car ahead in the next lane, or a couple of roadside poles that line up on the driver's line of sight toward you. Make an effort to ride in or move to a location where drivers with potentially conflicting courses can see you before they stray your way.

Myth 2: Loud Pipes Save Lives

Yeah, there are a few situations—like where you are right next to a driver with his window down who is about the to change lanes—where full-time noise-makers might help a driver notice you, but all that noise directed rearward doesn't do much in the most common and much more dangerous conflict where a car turns in front of you. Maybe it's the fatigue caused by the noise, maybe it's the attitudes of riders who insist on making annoying noise, or perhaps loud bikes annoy enough drivers to make them aggressive. Whatever the reason, the research shows that bikes with modified exhaust systems crash more frequently than those with stock pipes. If you really want to save lives, turn to a loud jacket or a bright helmet color, which have been proven to do the job. Or install a louder horn. Otherwise, just shut up.

Myth 3: Motorcycle Helmets Break Necks

It seems logical—you put more weight out there on the end of your neck and when you get thrown off the bike, that extra weight will create more pendulum force on your neck. Turns out, it doesn't work that way. In fact, the energy-absorbing qualities of a DOT motorcycle helmet also absorb the energy that breaks riders' necks in impacts. Studies show that helmeted motorcyclists actually suffer fewer neck injuries when they crash compared to riders who crash without helmets.

Myth 4: Helmets Block Your Ability to See or Hear Danger

The thing you learn when you dig into the research is that motorcycle riders who use helmets crash less frequently than those who don't. Maybe that happens because motorcyclists who decide to wear helmets have a better or more realistic attitude about riding. Maybe it's because putting on a helmet is a reminder that what you are about to do can be dangerous and the act of accepting protection puts you in the right mindset. Maybe it's because a helmet provides eye protection and cuts down wind noise so you can actually see and hear better. Maybe its because, by cutting wind pressure and noise, a helmet reduces fatigue. Whatever the reasons, wearing a helmet clearly does not increase a motorcyclist's risk of having an accident and wearing one correlates to reduced likelihood of an accident.

Myth 5: A Helmet Won't Help in Most Crashes

People look at the seemingly low impact speeds used in motorcycle-helmet testing and assume that if you are going faster than that, the helmet will no longer be up to the job. That ignores a few critical facts:

The numbers clearly say that riders using DOT helmets simply survive crashes more successfully than those without them.

Myth 6: A Helmet Will Leave You Brain Damaged in an Crash When You Would Have Simply Died

Of course that's possible—your helmet attenuates the impact energy enough to keep the injury from being fatal but not enough to keep all of your eggs from getting scrambled. However, that's rare, and if you hit that hard, you are likely to get killed by some other injury. It's actually the un-helmeted rider who is likely to cross from animal to vegetable kingdom, and often from a relatively minor impact that would have damaged nothing but his ego if he'd been wearing a DOT helmet.

Myth 7: A Skilled Rider Should Be Able to Handle Almost Any Situation

The sharpest, most skilled motorcyclist in the world isn't going to be up to the task when a car turns or pulls out in front of him a short distance ahead and stops directly in his path broadside. Believing that your superior skills will keep you of trouble is a pipe dream, even if they are as good as you think. No matter how skilled you are, it's better to ride to avoid situations that can turn ugly. Slow down, scan farther ahead, and think strategically. And dress for the crash.

Myth 8: If You Are Going to Crash, Lay It Down

I suspect this line was developed by riders to explain why they ended up flat-side-down while trying to avoid a crash. They over-braked or otherwise lost control, then tried to explain the crash away as intentional and tried to make it sound like it wasn't a crash at all. Maybe motorcycle brakes once were so bad that you could stop better off your bike while sliding or tumbling. If so, that hasn't been true for decades. You can scrub off much more speed before and there be going slower at impact with effective braking than you will sliding down the road on your butt. And if you are still on the bike, you might get thrown over the car you collide with, avoiding an impact with your body. If you slide into a car while you are on the ground, you either have a hard stop against it or end up wedged under it. Remember that the phrase "I laid 'er down to avoid a crash" is an oxymoron, often repeated by some other kind of moron.

The only events where being on the ground might leave you better off are: 1) on an elevated roadway where going over the guardrail will cause you to fall a long way, or 2) in that situation you see occasionally in movies, where the motorcyclist slides under a semi trailer without touching it. That's a good trick if the truck is moving.

Myth 9: One Beer Won't Hurt

Maybe not while you are drinking it, but if you get on your motorcycle after that, the effects of a single beer can get you hurt for life. No matter how unaffected you are sure you are, all the studies say differently. You increase your risk to yourself and to others when you drink and hit the road. Also, as you age, your metabolism slows down, and those "coupla drinks" you had last night may still be affecting you when you hit the road the next morning.

Myth 10: It's Better to Stay in Your Lane than Split Lanes

In most parts of the world, motorcycles split lanes all the time, everywhere traffic is heavy. Here in the U.S., people often act as if lane-splitting is insane. But when someone actually studied it in the only place in the U.S. where it's legal (California), they discovered it's actually slightly safer than staying in the lane in heavy, slow-moving traffic. Still many motorcyclists berate others who do it, when they should in fact be endorsing it.

Myth 11: I'm Safer on the Street than on an Interstate

The thinking here must be that slower is safer, but that's only really true after the accident begins. Controlled-access roadways are inherently safer because all the traffic is going the same way, and there are no side streets from which someone can pop into your path, no pedestrians, and, often, less roadside "furniture" to hit if you depart the roadway. Running down the road at 70 mph side-by-sidewall with the whirling wheels of a semi may feel hairy, but you are actually safer than at half that speed on a city street or even a country road.

Myth 12: A Skilled Rider Can Stop Better with Conventional Brakes than with Anti-Lock Brakes

Extensive testing done recently disproves this popular notion. Even on clean, dry, flat pavement, skilled, experienced riders (who did hundreds of panic stops for the testing on outrigger-equipped motorcycles) stopped in less distance with anti-lock brakes (ABS) than with conventional or linked braking systems. Though the tests didn't include samples on surfaces with slick, dirty or wet spots, ABS certainly would have performed even better under those conditions while eliminating much of the risk of crashing.

The other cool thing about ABS on a motorcycle is that allows you to safely practice panic stops without risking a crash caused by lock-up.

Anyway, the next time tells you that he had to "lay it down" or that green bikes crash more than purple ones, you can nod and snicker internally or challenge them. Just don't base your own riding choices on what other people assume unless their is some solid science to back it up.

For more information on safe-riding equipment, strategies, techniques and skills, see the Street Survival section of MotorcycleCruiser.com.

Photo Gallery: A Dozen Deadly Motorcycle Safety Myths - Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

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]]>http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/dangerous_motorcycle_safety_mythshttp://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/dangerous_motorcycle_safety_mythsSat, 01 Apr 2006 04:04:00 -0700Riding Around The Corner - Street Survival

It could be that my favorite thing about motorcycles is the way they turn, leaning over to balance all the forces involved in making a single-track vehicle change directions and go right where you want it. Even after doing it hundreds of thousands of times, it's still exciting and challenging. I'm also sure that there haven't been more than a handful of times that I arrived at the entry to a corner and entered it just perfectly, with exactly the right amount of handlebar pressure, body English, throttle opening and lean angle to deliver me to the ideal point at the apex of the turn without minute adjustments. You virtually always have to make some sort of adjustment as you commit. However, to keep all those forces balanced, you can't make any violent changes or you'll quickly find yourself flat side down.

Yet the moment of commitment to a corner is the crucial one, and the way you do it should depend almost entirely on what you see as the corner appears ahead of you. Maybe you have ridden it thousands of times. Maybe this is your first time drawing an arc on this particular stretch of pavement. But even in a corner that I ride every day, one where I know every crack and ripple in the asphalt, I can't commit until my eyes have evaluated the surface first. Even if you have ridden through just minutes before, the situation may have changed. A car might have stopped just behind the embankment or bushes that hide the exit to the corner, or a passing vehicle could have left oil, water, sand, tacks, a ladder, an inflatable wading pool or hundreds of other things in the corner that will upset the perfect balance you created on your last pass.

So before I commit, I need to be able to observe and evaluate the entire surface I will ride across while I'm leaning over. Many turns don't permit you to see completely through them as you arrive. Any number of roadside objects can block your view of the road ahead. So what do you do? Well, I don't commit myself to more than I can see. I reduce my speed and, if conditions permit, enter the bend on the outside of my lane, which normally gives me the best and earliest view of the road ahead.

However, there are circumstances where entering a curve wide may not be the best approach. A wide entry to a right-hander means you are closer to the centerline and therefore more likely to come eyeball-to-hood-ornament with a car (or another rider) that has crossed the center line to straighten out the corner. And if the corner is questionable-say it looks sandy or greasy-straightening up in response to that squirming sensation from your tires could make you cross the center line. In that situation, I'll forego the added up-the-road visibility and tiptoe around the inside of my lane at a speed that permits me to respond to anything I might encounter. Just imagine that there may be a boulder up ahead and you'll probably approach at a safe speed. I have learned that this is easier to visualize once you have actually come around a turn and found a recently arrived boulder there to greet you.

As I proceed around the corner, my eyes repeatedly trace the line I plan to take as far as I can see up the road and back to a short ways in front of the bike. The standard recommendation is to look as far as you can up the road, but perhaps because my vision is less than perfect, I want to double-check and reevaluate the road surface as I get closer. When I can see all the way to the exit, only then do I commit to leaning over hard.

Unfortunately, not all hazards are visible. Freshly spilled diesel fuel and some coolants are virtually invisible on the road surface, though your nose can often alert you to their presence. A thin sprinkling of sand can reduce traction but can be very hard to spot, and you certainly won't smell it.

Lighting can also limit you. A low sun glaring into your eyes can make it very difficult to see much of anything, and I frequently end up riding one-handed as I use my left hand to shade my eyes in this situation. A low-hanging sun can also throw shadows across turns. On more than one occasion I have watched a rider dive into a shady corner and emerge sliding on his butt after encountering sand, leaves or some other slippery material hidden in the shade.

Shade can actually create a hazard. The coastal mountains around Los Angeles frequently get a nice coating of dew overnight, and the winding roads that traverse them are often slippery until the sun reaches them and dries the dew. However, during the winter months, the sun may never get high enough to remove the dew from a corner, so the shaded portion remains wet all day. These moist patches will often exactly match the shaded area, making it very difficult to tell that the road is wet unless you are aware of this situation. In colder places, the shaded area may hide black ice, and in fact this dew sometimes freezes on cold nights, even in the SoCal mountains.

Anyway, whether it's shaded dew, sand, oil or a warthog, any hazard that you discover on your intended line as the turn reveals itself requires an alternate plan. If you have entered the corner at a reduced speed, you should have enough reserve traction to do some braking, even though you are leaned over. The slower you are going, the more options you have, including perhaps stopping. And if your only option ends up being an off-road excursion, reducing your speed means you will do less damage to the guardrail or tree that you hit.

If you are going slow enough, you can simply straighten up and ride across something slippery. If the hazard is in the middle of the lane, with some reserve in hand you can go around it. I prefer to tighten my line and go inside, because that allows me more options for the rest of the turn if there are further hazards. Also, if I misjudged, I can straighten up and still have pavement left to use for further slowing and changing my line. Going around a hazard on the outside often leaves you leaning over close to the edge of the road, so there is no room to straighten up and remain on the road if things don't go according to plan.

Fortunately, there are plenty of brightly lit, perfectly clean corners that you can see all the way through before you have to commit to a line and speed. Those are what make all the dirty, slimy, frog-infested ones worthwhile.

Art Friedman gets email at artofthemotorcycle@hotmail.com.

Photo Gallery: Riding Around The Corner - Street Survival - Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

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]]>http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/0604_crup_riding_around_the_cornerhttp://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/0604_crup_riding_around_the_cornerTue, 17 Jan 2006 00:01:00 -0800The Passing Game

I was motoring along southbound on a four-lane Oregon road, barely overtaking another motorcyclist who I'd first seen over a quarter-mile ahead of me. By now the distance had shrunk by about two-thirds and, even over the wind noise I could tell from the considerable rumble that he was riding a big twin. I was still a few hundred feet behind when he gradually overtook a van towing a big house trailer. This rider had been favoring the right side of the lane, and when he got right up behind the trailer, he made a quick flick into the left lane, again on the right side, close to the van-trailer. It was going almost as fast as we were, and I could hear that he didn't accelerate when he drew alongside of it. He had probably been in passing position for almost a minute when the van-trailer signaled, then began to move over (a deer carcass lay in the road ahead). The rider apparently didn't see the signal and didn't react until the vehicle began crowding him. Then he pulled ahea