Motorcycle Safety Tips

Safety Tips

R-2 Detour

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

A Little Humor A Robotic Server Argues with a Ventriloquist Carol rode her hands-free, never-fall motorcycle-of-the-future to her favorite comedy club. It was so simple: Just put the address into the GPS unit and enjoy the ride. At the club, a ventriloquist was onstage. He asked the dummy, “What do you call a vehicle whose GPS always takes the long way?” The dummy “answered,” “I don’t know, what do you call it?” “R-2 Detour.” The audience snickered, but the robotic beverage server stopped in its tracks and yelled at the ventriloquist: “What gives you the right to insult artificial intelligence? You should be ashamed!” The ventriloquist was astonished and ashamed. He began, “I’m sorry, I didn’t …” “You keep out of this,” the robotic server hollered. “I’m talking to that little twerp on your knee.” Carol’s ride home was less carefree.

Safety Tips

Top safety Tips for Riding in Groups

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Tips for Riding in Groups The last group rides of the year are coming up—check Eagle Leather’s Ride Guide—so it seems wise to repeat some safety tips for riding in groups. Choose your companions wisely. Avoid riding with people who are intoxicated—or will be when the ride is over. Don’t ride with people who show off or over-estimate their abilities. Remember that trouble doesn’t stay in its own lane, but tends to drag in innocent bystanders. Decide how often the group will stop. It’s not safe to ride tired, so time stops for the riders who need to top most often, usually somewhere between every 75 and 125 miles. If you map out the stops ahead of time, slower riders can find the group easily, even if they arrive later. Ride at your own speed. Try to find a group at your experience level. And if the group is going too fast for your comfort-level, just slow down. Perhaps some other riders will be happy to join you at a slower pace. If not, you’ll catch up at the next stop. Keep a good cushion—twenty feet is recommended—between the riders in front of you and those behind you. You’ll want to extend that cushion on curvy roads and in bad weather. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Tips for Riding with Kids

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Tips for Riding with a Child Please think twice before taking a child for a ride on your motorcycle. Suppose you just grab your little one and hold him or her in front of you. What happens when you need both hands to steer? What happens if you have to brake hard? What if? What if? You can take older children on your motorcycle safely and these tips will help: Be sure the child has a DOT-approved helmet that fits correctly. A loose helmet will fly off and the helmets made for off-road vehicles will not always provide protection against street surfaces. If the helmet doesn’t have a face shield, the child should wear safety-lensed goggles. Leather gloves are important, too. Use snug gloves that have straps to guarantee good fit. A leather jacket is best, and it can be too big for the child if need be. Failing that, use a heavy denim jacket. Heavy jeans will probably suffice. Be sure boots go above the ankle. Remember that shoelaces can tangle in wheel spokes and cause a disaster, so try to find boots without them. It is unsafe to carry a child in front of you. Instead use a child seat that attaches behind you. Be sure the child is correctly belted in to the seat. Use a child’s riding belt that fits around the child like a harness and then goes around your waist. That way you don’t have to worry about the child letting go or even falling asleep. Teach the child to always mount the bike from the left side, to beware of the exhaust pipe, and to keep their feet away from the wheel. Start with slow rides on lonely roads and be patient. You want your child to grow up to be a motorcycle enthusiast, just like you, so keep it safe and keep it fun! Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Tire Pressure Tips

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Ideal Tire Pressure Tire pressure is critical when it comes to riding your motorcycle—a small change in psi can have a big effect on braking and on handling. Therefore, it’s critical to your safety. You know that the recommended pressures listed for your ride are valid when the tires are cold. So, you always check tire pressure before you start out. You can get a tire-pressure gauge from Eagle Leather here. The manual that came with your motorcycle has recommended tire pressures. If you can’t find it, check the swing arm. You might find a sticker with the tire pressures on it. If all else fails, call the manufacturer and get the right numbers. Some folks think that they can get a softer ride using a lower-than-recommended tire pressure. That can cut the lifetime of the tires to as little as half what it should be and can make the bike harder to handle. (Adjust the suspension to get the ride you want.) Since air shrinks with cold, you might find your tire pressure is down on these wintry mornings. Just use an air pump to bring it up to the recommended level. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Beware of Black Ice

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Black Ice Safety Tips It’s that time of year again, when black ice is a particular danger to motorcycle enthusiasts. Black ice forms from vehicle exhaust, so no precipitation is necessary. It also forms when it’s raining or sleeting and the air temperature at the road surface is at the freezing point (32 degrees) or below. Black ice also forms when snow and ice melt and re-freeze. Because it’s clear in coloration, it’s hard to spot. It’s up to you to be aware of the danger and alert to it. Look for black ice especially in unlit areas, such as under bridges and overpasses or where trees line the road. It forms most often when temperatures are lowest: at dawn and in the late evening. If you see dark glossy spots on dry pavement, that’s probably black ice. Avoid ice wherever you can, but if you do hit it, steer steadily through it and don’t hit the brakes. Don’t accelerate and don’t over-correct if you start to slide. And go slow whenever there’s a chance you’ll encounter black ice. Avoiding it is always the best way to proceed. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Tips for Passenger Safety

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week How to Ensure Passenger Safety Many motorcycle enthusiasts carry passengers. Here are a few things to consider before the passenger gets on board: Is your motorcycle equipped to carry a passenger? Does it meet the requirements of the state where you’ll be riding? Some requirements might be: footrests the passenger can reach and/or a separate seating area. If the passenger is a child, is he or she old enough according to your state laws? Do you have the consent of a parent or guardian? Can the child reach the footrests? Does the child have a helmet and protective gear? Can the child hold onto you or passenger handholds? Check your operator’s manual to see if any adjustments or alterations could be made to make carrying a passenger safer, including the suspension and tire pressure. Be sure you won’t exceed the weight limits given in your manual. In another Safety Tip we’ll cover the passenger’s part in safe riding. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Long Trip Kits

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week What To Carry With You on Long Trips As the weather becomes more and more spring-like, the urge for the open road hits motorcycle enthusiasts. Let’s take a quick look at the stuff you should carry on longer rides into the countryside. Bring water, because dehydration causes lapses in judgement and even more serious problems. Consider packing a change of clothing so you can layer up when it’s colder and layer down when it’s warmer. (This is where removable liners come in handy.) Remember your rain gear—this is the Pacific Northwest, after all. Take a road map; GPS is great, but not infallible or omnipresent. Take along a first-aid kit. Include bandages, disinfectant, aspirin and so on. Take your mobile phone—and be sure it’s fully charged before you leave. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Lane-Splitting Safety Tips

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Lane-Splitting Guidelines The California Highway Patrol’s 2013 guidelines for safe lane-splitting are not only good to remember in case your home state makes lane-splitting legal, they are good rules to remember when passing and when riding in general. If you can't fit, don't split: Some lanes are narrower than others, leaving little room to pass safely. Some vehicles are wider than others -- it is not advisable to split near wide trucks. Wide bars, fairings, and bags require more space between vehicles. Avoid splitting on unfamiliar roads to avoid surprises such as poor road surfaces. Be careful of wide or uneven seams between lanes. Wear brightly colored protective gear and use high beams during daylight. Be very aware of what the cars around you are doing: Always be prepared to take evasive action if a vehicle changes lanes. Account for inattentive or distracted drivers. Constantly scan for changing conditions. Do not weave back and forth between lanes. Avoid lingering in blind spots. Never ride while impaired by drugs, alcohol, or fatigue. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

How to Master Specific Riding Skills

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Tips for Improving Riding Skills Whether you feel the need for more speed or just want to be more at ease on a motorcycle, the key starts with being present. It’s sort of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Riding. To begin, identify a riding skill you would like to improve. Just one at a time, please. Get one thing down really well and then move on to another. Suppose you want to become better at scanning your riding environment. If you practice scanning when you are not riding, or when you are stopped, you’ll be able to focus on that one skill. Daily practice, even if it’s for a short time, will have you seeing improvement. You can apply the same principle to other standard skills, such as hitting the throttle when you start. Keep a daily log of your successes and failures. Yes, you’ll have bad days. The key to changing habits and improving skills is determination and persistence. Those who succeed at anything push past their mistakes and disasters and get on with doing their best every day. If you need help identifying the skills you need to improve, or you can’t quite figure out how to do it better, seek out a coach. Even expert racing bikers have coaches, so why shouldn’t you? Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Footwear Safety Tips

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Safety Tips for Your Footwear Here’s a good test of how your footgear will protect you from a sprained ankle: Take the heel in one hand and the toe in the other and twist. Hard. Harder. Still not the force of foot against pavement in a crunch, is it? Now imagine your foot is in there. Would the twenty-six little bones in your foot be broken? Would your bare-naked ankle be scraping the pavement? You now have a good idea about whether or not you’re feet and ankles will be okay in a crash. If you’ve been wearing sneakers or work shoes or dressy boots, you might want to think about getting a pair of serious motorcycling boots. If you plan to take on a new aspect of the sport—such as off-roading—you might need a new style of boot. We’re going to do a blog post on the various kinds of boots from which you can choose, but don’t wait for that. The professionals at Eagle Leather will help you choose the best boots for your needs. Okay, so your boots were right last year, and your riding habits won’t be changing. Here are some areas you should check before you ride this spring and frequently during the season: Worn soles won’t keep you from slip-sliding away at a stoplight. If the sole is nearly smooth or is de-laminating (coming off in strips), you can get the sole fixed or get a new pair. If the uppers on your lightweight boots now feel loose and/or the Velcro won’t stay fastened, the structural elements might be weak. A good repair shop might be able to fix that, or you can buy new boots. If your boots leak and they aren’t waterproof, you probably have a crack or hole that’s letting in water. Wet feet are a dangerous distraction. You can try waterproofing your own boots, or take them to a professional for repair—or get new ones. If you have waterproof boots and they begin to leak, they need to be replaced. If the inside ankle padding is worn through, the safety reinforcement at the ankle is compromised. Further, the boots have grown loose, so they can’t give you the sturdy support you expect from them. Time for a new pair. One thing you don’t have to worry about is plain old scuffs. They might not be pretty, but they don’t affect your safety. Stay safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Road-Sharing Tips

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Tips for Riders and Drivers Sharing the Road May is National Motorcycle Awareness Month, which is intended to make drivers more aware of motorcyclists. Often motorcycle/automobile collisions happen when the car drive is going too fast, or is impaired by intoxication or distraction, or is not watching for motorcycles. In addition to avoiding those obvious problems, drivers are urged to maintain a three-or four-second following distance to avoid rear-ending motorcycles. Further, they should check their blind spot before passing or changing lanes. Motorcycle enthusiasts have responsibilities, too. Of course, they should avoid riding while impaired or distracted. Motorcyclists going at excessive speeds are in greater danger than those who observe the speed limit. And, before you get on your bike, make sure that you (and any passenger) have the right gear—preferably with reflective elements. Make yourself as visible as you can. Ride defensively. Be on the alert for distracted drivers. Act as though no one can see you—not the guy approaching the intersection, not the woman driving ahead of you, not the person texting while driving the car in the next lane. Let’s be safe out there! - Mike

Safety Tips

Safety Tips for Older Riders

Oct 30, 2019 Eagle Leather

Safety Tip of the Week Stay Focused and Safe No matter how expert we are, as we get older, things change. If you take medications, check with your doctor or pharmacist to see if they might interfere with your motorcycling. If you haven’t had your vision checked for a while, maybe it’s time for a re-check, especially if you have trouble with night riding. Reaction time changes. If you notice that you’ve been making lots of “panic stops” or “quick swerves,” try slowing down, leaving more speed between you and the vehicle that’s ahead of you, and even avoiding the busiest roads at the busiest times. Left turns can be especially dangerous when your reaction time is reduced. Avoid them if you can, unless there’s a green arrow signal to give you a safe zone. You’ll feel aches and pains more acutely as you age, and they’ll stay with you longer. So, if something is making you less than comfortable when you ride, fix it. Maybe you need a different seat, or handlebar risers. Whatever it is, indulge yourself. It’s hard to be safe when you’re in discomfort. Take lots of breaks for a walk-around and a good stretch. Don’t push yourself when you’re tired. It’s not macho; it’s just foolish. Stay safe out there! - Mike

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