If the going is too easy, the enemy has mined that route.
If you’re moving right along without opposition, there’s an ambush ahead.
If you’re in a fair fight, you didn’t plan well enough.
As a motorcyclist, you, too, need to be alert and prepared when you ride. You can’t expect traffic or road conditions or weather to be the same from one day—even one hour—to the next. There’s a reason why so many accidents happen close to home. We ride the same route day in and day out—or we take the same streets to get to the highway every weekend—and we become complacent. We let our minds drift to the workday ahead or the country roads we’ll travel or where we’ll stop for lunch. We shirk that pre-ride inspection every once in a while—after all, the bike was fine last Saturday.
And then, a squirrel runs into the street, startles us, we hit the brakes, skid, and oops! Or that big curve is right here and we’re going way too fast, and yikes! Or the car ahead of us stops for no good reason, and bam! Or a damaged tire blows, and ouch! Sure, they’re all “accidents.” But inattentive riding is an accident waiting to happen.
Don’t let it happen to you. Take a cue from the military: Be prepared and stay vigilant!
Yet, there’s no denying it: Unless you plan to ride exclusively around the Southern United States, you’ll face some chilly winters. And even before it...
