Motorcycle Safety Tips

Safety Tips

Gear Makes Safety Simple

Aug 5, 2018 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Gear Makes Safety Simple Women can handle a lot of the maintenance on their motorcycles—if they have the right equipment and training. The website WomenRidersNow suggests that women begin to equip their garages with these ten items: 1. Get the official service manual for your brand and model. You can back it up with a manual from Chilton, Haynes, or Clymer if the bike is from overseas and the English in its manual is hard to understand. 2. Get a comprehensive reference manual about how motorcycles work in detail, such as the one by Bruce A. Johns. 3. You’ll need good quality torque wrenches. Check your manual to see the range of torques (in ft-lbs or in in-lbs) you’ll need. Invest in quality, because you’ll need this tool for almost everything. 4. Buy a small socket set. It should include most of the sizes of sockets you’ll need, and you can take it with you when you ride. 5. A motorcycle lift can keep you from rolling in oil and dirt. Check out the types of lifts that are available and see what will work for you in terms of space, convenience, and price. 6. A mechanic’s roller seat makes it easy to move around your bike while you’re fixing it and it has a tray to hold the tools you’re using. 7. You’ll need a 12V battery charger if your bike sits still for any appreciable length of time. 8. A multimeter lets you check measure resistance, volts, and amperes. You can use it for many things, beginning with checking your battery voltage. If you won’t use it much, just get an inexpensive model, but for more extensive work, invest in a larger one meant for professionals. 9. You should check tire pressure before each ride, so get a tire gauge. 10. Robert Pirsig wrote Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance back in the 1960s, and it’s still one of the classics. It will help you take maintaining your ride to a whole new level. Any of these items would make a great gift for a woman who loves to ride. (Hint!)

Safety Tips

Stay Cool

Aug 5, 2018 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Keeping Your Cool This Summer Riding in very hot weather presents unique challenges. To keep safe, you’ll want to: Be alert for signs of heat exhaustion and even heat stroke. We wrote about those in an earlier blog. Bring plenty of water, more than you think you’ll need. Riding in heat causes your sweat to evaporate more quickly than when you’re sitting still. You need to drink more to compensate. Be sure your skin is covered. Again, it’s that evaporation problem. If your skin is covered, your sweat cannot evaporate as fast, and you’ll stay cooler and better hydrated. For a reminder, consider the Arabian Bedouin who live and work in the desert and keep covered from head to toe. A cooling vest can be a real life-saver. Eagle Leather stocks headbands, vests, and other gear to help you keep cool. Find them here. Schedule frequent stops, about a half-hour apart, to give yourself a chance to cool down in the shade or in the air conditioning and to re-hydrate. Have fun riding this summer and keep cool. - Mike

Safety Tips

Down To Earth Safety

Jul 11, 2018 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Up, Up, and Away It may be a few years before you own your own flying motorcycle, but we thought we’d share a few of the Rules of the Air printed in Australian Aviation—quotes from pioneers of the airplane. Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory. The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire. When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No-one has ever collided with the sky. A 'good' landing is one from which you can walk away. A 'great' landing is one after which they can use the plane again. Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain didn't get to five minutes earlier. Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another airplane going in the opposite direction. Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds. There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately no one knows what they are. You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck. Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, the experience usually comes from bad judgment. Remember, gravity is not just a good idea. It's the law. And it's not subject to repeal.

Safety Tips

Prepping the Next Generation of RIders

Jul 3, 2018 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Teaching Your Child to Ride When your child starts to ride, there are several safety factors you’ll want to keep in mind. First, get the right gear. At a minimum, your child should have helmet and goggles, gloves, a chest protector and motocross or other protective boots. You can find the necessary gear at Eagle Leather online or in the store. Remember that fit is important, and you’ll have to bite the bullet and buy new when your child outgrows gear. Be sure that the person who teaches your child to ride is an expert—even if that isn’t you. It’s important to know how to start and stop, including making an emergency stop and especially using front brakes, and how to turn. Of course, they need to know not to put fingers where they don’t belong. Choose a place to ride that’s free of fast traffic and big bikes. You might want to start with off-road riding, just because dirt is softer to fall into than concrete or asphalt. Walk through the area first and point out places where your young rider will need to be careful. You or another responsible adult must be on hand and ready to help in case of any difficulty. You will also be the one to fuel the motorcycle. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Florida Riding Safety Tips

Jul 2, 2018 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Safety Tips for Riding in Florida This week’s safety tip is comprised of information from Florida attorney Michael T. Gibson, PA. Inspect your bike before each ride; proper maintenance is a good safety precaution. Wear protective gear, including gloves, boots, jacket, and helmet. Be sure your helmet is DOT-certified. Drive to survive. Watch for brake lights and turn signals on trucks and cars. If you must pass through a blind spot, do it quickly, and always be aware that you are less visible to drivers. Remember that motorcycles accelerate faster than cars or trucks so you don’t rear-end something when a traffic light changes. Don’t drive aggressively—your bike doesn’t outweigh cars and trucks. No lane sharing in Florida! Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Boot Up

May 9, 2018 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Skimp On Boots And You'll Pay The Price When you’re uncomfortable riding, you are not paying complete attention to the road and yourself and your bike on the road—and that’s asking for trouble. We mention wearing boots that are comfortable as well as protective in the blog, but these factors can also cause discomfort and they are things you can fix easily: Be sure your seat is comfortable. If you’re buying a new one, try it first. And be aware that seats age and sag (sort of like people do) so the seat that was comfortable to begin with might not be so hot many miles later. If your bike style allows for it, consider adding a backrest. Get one that’s adjustable so you can make it suit you perfectly. If you’re reaching too far or leaning to reach the handlebars, that will cause back strain. Consider adjusting the handlebars or adding risers. Be sure the position of your foot controls is right for you. Some people prefer forward controls; others like mid-position controls. Try both and get the one that best fits your leg length and the way you sit and ride.

Safety Tips

What's New In The World of Safety

Mar 7, 2018 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week The Latest Innovations You might be able to increase your safety while riding your motorcycle by using some of the fancy new equipment that’s out there. Adaptive headlights are said to “show you what’s around the next bend.” Carmaker Opel introduced them in 2003, and in 2011, BMW put them on a motorcycle. The BMW’s headlights tilt according to the angle at which the bike is leaning. Brake lights can be tricky. Sometimes you don’t use your brakes to slow down, so the lights don’t go on. And motorcycles decelerate a lot faster than cars, so the vehicle behind you doesn’t know you’re slowing down or how fast you’re decelerating. There’s a startup in California, Vectolabs, that’s aiming to product Vololights. It will light automatically when the motorcycle slows down, even when you don’t hit the brakes, and it’s flash rate depends on how fast your bike is slowing. Studies have show that ABS brake systems can cut fatal motorcycle accidents by almost a third. They are expensive, but might well be worth the money, especially if insurance companies get on board and give a discount for them. What safety equipment would you like to see on motorcycles? Let’s talk on the Eagle Leather Facebook page.

Safety Tips

Don't Drink and Ride

Feb 28, 2018 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Don't Drink and Ride Parties can mean over-indulgence. Please don’t drink and drive or ride. Too many people have had the new year ruined because someone wouldn’t give up the keys when they should. And remember to watch out for pedestrians, riders, and drivers who have had too much to drink. If a friend or relative has had too much alcohol, try to take the keys. Remember that coffee or even a cold shower won’t sober anyone up—only time can do that. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Tailgating

Sep 8, 2017 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Tailgating The safety tip this week isn’t about the kind of tailgating that’s a picnic in the stadium parking lot. Instead, it’s about the kind of tailgating that has a car or truck breathing down your neck when you’re riding your bike. It can happen, and probably will happen, to you, no matter how safely you ride. When it does, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and Motorcyclist online magazine have some ideas that might save you from a serious accident: You don’t want to ride faster than is comfortable for you, but you might be moving more slowly than the rest of the traffic. If so, seriously consider finding a route that’s traveled at a slower speed. Leave extra space between you and the vehicle ahead of you. This decreases the chances that you’ll have to slam on your own brakes and risk being hit from behind. Odd as it may seem, most motorcycle crashes involve a front-end collision. When you’re being tailgated, you’re distracted—more reason to leave extra space in front. Try lightly tapping your brakes. Maybe the driver behind you isn’t aware of how closely their following. If that doesn’t work, just signal and pull over to the side when it’s safe to do so, let the tailgater pass, and then signal and return to the road. No, you shouldn’t have to inconvenience yourself because of a rude driver. But, it’s better to be safe than right. If the driver continues to tailgate, tap your brakes a few times before you use them to stop and signal turns early. This will give the tailgater time to slow or back off. Ride in the part of your lane that gives you the best view of what’s ahead so you can anticipate problems. When you’re stopped, if you’re in the right- or left-hand part of your lane, the driver has room to swerve and avoid hitting you. Keep an eye on your mirrors when you’re stopped and don’t hesitate to flash your brake lights. Whatever you do, don’t respond with rude words or gestures. This will only make the situation worse. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Safety Tips from Seasoned Riders

Aug 31, 2017 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Ride Guide Safety Tips When BuffaloChip.com asked seasoned riders for safety tips, the first on the list was to ride with people you trust who know how to ride. The tip comes from Masyn Moyer, who’s been riding for over a quarter of a century. She went on to say that no other safety precaution can save you from the danger of riding with someone who’s intoxicated, or who is grandstanding, or who lacks the experience to handle their motorcycle or the situation. When you look for a group ride on Eagle Leather’s Ride Guide, you’ll be able to see how long the group that’s sponsoring the ride has been around, and that will be some indication of the level of expertise and experience you can expect. Some rides list themselves as alcohol-free, but all rides expect riders to avoid riding while intoxicated. Most of the group rides listed on Eagle Leather’s Ride Guide invite all sorts of riders. They are not usually restricted about what brand of motorcycle you have or how long you’ve been riding—some of them even allow cars. But do be sure your motorcycle and you are both road-ready. Mind the rules of the road, follow the leader, don’t show off and you’ll have a great time—safely. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Taking a Turn

Aug 9, 2017 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Safely Taking a Turn Many motorcycle enthusiasts would like to improve their cornering. However, according to an article on Eat, Sleep, Ride, when you corner, you shouldn’t focus on speed, but rather on accuracy and smoothness. When you approach a turn: Note your line of sight through the turn. Lean just a bit. Apply the rear brake first. Apply the front brake just slightly after that. Sit upright a bit to use wind resistance. Adjust your weight balance to counteract momentum as you brake, using your abs and feet, but not your arms. Gear down one gear at a time while using both brakes. Use the “bripping” technique if you must, only using the throttle, never the brake lever. Your speed should be adjusted before you get to the point where you’ll lean. Just before you get to the lean-in zone, turn your head and chest to the exit of the corner. These eight steps will take just two or three seconds, so practice until you know how far from the corner you need to start. At highway speed (60 mph), you’ll need 300 feet, for example. And always remember to take these steps smoothly. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

How to Handle Curbs Safely

Aug 5, 2017 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Taking Curbs Safely We’re not sure what taking curves and turns on a motorcycle has to do with Father’s Day, but that’s the topic for this week’s safety tip. If you figure out the connection, let us know on Facebook! When you come to a curve, make it into a straight line (as much as possible) by starting on the outside portion of your lane. By the middle of the curve, you should be on the inside part of the lane, and at the end of the curve on the outside part again. Remember to look through the turn or curve. Everybody tends to drive aiming at what they’re looking at. If you stare at the curb or a tree, you just might hit it. Feathering you clutch on a tight curve or turn helps you keep control by giving you more momentum. Then you’re less likely to tip over. Stay safe out there! - Mike

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