So you’ve decided you want to ride a motorcycle. You feel the call from the open road, the wind in your face, the pure two-wheeled muscle beneath you. What’s behind you is not important. The very thought quickens your heart and you’re getting itchy. I know… we’ve all been there. It’s an indescribable experience where, for those who ride no explanation is necessary yet for those who don’t, no explanation is possible.

But – not to burst your two-wheeled bubble – you have to remember; riding a motorcycle is a high-risk activity. And particularly vulnerable are you squids. By “squid” we mean newbie (don’t sweat the distinction, we were all squids at one time). My first riding experience, at the age of twelve, ended with me sprawled on the ground, the Honda Mini-trail 70 banged up and bent, and some really healthy gouges taken out of a light pole.

As a fellow rider, and one who has seen his share of no-so-pleasant moments on the road, I want to be as supportive as I can. So I am once again, combining my experience with that of other veteran riders and conveying to you, a few suggestions of what you should do before you ride. It’s all about keeping you safe and properly welcoming you into the wonderful world of having the breeze at your knees!

Before you ride:

The absolute first thing you need to do is rather simple. That is to accept, from this moment forward, you will at some point, spill it. Why? Because there are only two kinds of rider; those who have… and those who will… go down.  Ask any veteran rider and they will most certainly agree.

Sign up for a safety class now, with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation . This should be your first

foray into actual riding. The beginner MSF riding class is designed to teach you basic motorcycle operation and riding techniques and quite frankly, is a must do for any new rider (and a few veterans). In California, passing the MSF class qualifies you for your motorcycle endorsement, only having to take the written test with the DMV. If the MSF doesn’t work in your state, seek out other such classes and ask lots of questions before signing up.

Study the Motorcycle Riders Handbook from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. While the MSF class will convey a lot of this, laws vary from state to state so it pays to understand the requirements of where you live.

Get your endorsement. This should be a major “duh” but you’d be amazed at the number of those who ride without a motorcycle license. Beyond it being illegal, an unlicensed rider is a one from whom I’d like to maintain a lot of distance. I’m sorry, but unproven riders make me nervous. 

Gear up. I once made fun of a friend of mine who actually bought a jacket, gloves and helmet before he ever looked at a bike. In retrospect, he had the right idea. So with that in mind, it pays to take some time before riding to amass a basic set of riding gear before you get onto a bike. In my Tips article for Pillion riders , I noted some pretty useful info about being properly attired. From that article, here is a list of basic gear to have before you get onto a bike;

Footwear: A good pair of boots is made of durable leather or other protective material, and covers the ankle (think high-tops) as well as the foot. It should offer some ankle support without being inflexible, and should not have any dangly laces of other stuff that can possible get wrapped up in the mechanics of the bike. The sole should be of a material that offers good traction (I like rubber) and should not have much of a heel. Please, no sandals or open-toed shoes. And by no means should anyone ever wear spiked heels on a bike.

Pants: In an ideal world they’d be made of leather with a Kevlar lining. But most of us don’t have that. So, a good pair of heavy denim jeans should be okay. These should not be so long that they extend beyond the length of the leg, and should fit snugly without being so tight as to encumber movement. For added protection, consider a pair of leather over-pants or riding chaps.

Jacket: Should be leather or some other protective material that will cover the entire arm, fits snugly around the torso so as not to have any loose bits but not so tight as to encumber movement. Summer riding jackets are of breathable material and are typically lined with some sort of protective armor.

Helmet: The basic rule is to wear as much helmet as you can tolerate. Whether you choose a half-helmet or a full-faced helmet, or anything in between, make sure it is DOT or Snell approved and fits appropriately. To determine the right fit, consult the manufacturer’s guides. Or, check out WebBikeWorld’s FAQs on motorcycle helmets.

Gloves: There are many styles, rated for many riding and weather conditions. A good pair of gloved will be made of leather or some other protective material and will offer protection for fingers, knuckles, palms, and wrist. Check out Motorcycle USA’s Gloves Buyers Guide

Determine the right bike for you. From a high level perspective there are essentially two things

to take into account; what type of riding you intend on doing, and what your skill level is. Not all bikes are for all riders so this is a very crucial element in keeping you safe. There are several ways to make this decision. My way is to sit on as many bikes as you can that fit within your chosen riding style and in doing so, you will “feel it.” But realizing this is a sort of new-wave, touchy-feely way of doing things, perhaps it’d be better to study some of the fine publications out there that will help you to determine the best bike for you. One such publication is the Buyers Primer from Sound Rider. It explains the differences between motorcycle types and gives a few examples of good bikes in each category. Beyond that, it is in fact very important to get the feel of a bike and take into account a few things, regardless of type. Some things to consider are:

Is it the right size for your skill level? This has to do with engine size. Too small and it will leave you woefully underwhelmed with the riding experience. Too big and it places you into a position of heightened vulnerability. Talk to professionals about this.

Is the riding position comfortable and does it afford you appropriate management of all hand and foot controls on the bike? You need to be able to maintain an appropriate riding position and still reach the handgrips, foot pegs, breaks, and shifter.

Check the seat height. While astride the bike, can you place both feet flatly on the ground? Or are you on your tip-toes? If you are slight in stature, or if you’re a big person, be honest with yourself and take that into account.

Read reviews about the bikes you like. Check safety and reliability ratings, warrantee offerings, maintenance intervals and associated costs.

A final note about your first bike. I’ve said this time and again, your first bike should be one that you expect will be dropped. Some people opt to buy a good used bike as their first, just to get some experience in the care and feeding of a motorcycle before they get THE bike. Others go brand new right out of the gate. Whatever the case for you, just remember that the likelihood of dropping your bike is great.

Now that you’ve taken the MSF class, know the laws in your state, have your endorsement, have your gear, and have purchased your bike, you’re ready to ride! Please be safe, don’t be a hotdog, take special care of your passengers, and enjoy yourself.

See you all on the road…

General, Karl's tips

Riding weather is fast approaching. We’re readying for the season with tires, oil, chrome polish, and cool gear. And because riding seasons are closely tied to spring-time, the romance season, it’s likely many of us are looking forward to that special someone putting his or her delicate bottom onto the pillion and enjoying the vibrations, sights, sounds, scents, of the ride with us. After all, riding is important to us and as such, we share the things that are important with the important people. Right?

Let’s say you meet someone – as I have – who by all accounts captures your interest such that you want to share your joy of riding. But while she expresses interest and dare I say it, just a little excitement, she also admits she doesn’t have a tremendous amount of experience on the pillion. Perhaps you’ve already experienced that. Maybe instead of a romantic interest it’s your sister, best friend, son or daughter taking their first ride with you, your grandkids.

Whoever it is, and being the responsible rider that you are, you want to be certain your passenger is relaxed but protected, while at the same time assuring her (or his) wellbeing is not at odds with yours. Generally, like many riders, you give the “how to be a good passenger” lecture. Which is the primary impetus for this post. I want to help you with that. Let me mention briefly however, that what you’re about to read is not limited to my personal view. Rather it comes from my years of riding experience, coupled with the learned opinions of others who have logged a bazillion miles of saddle time.

My approach:

I try to approach this stuff somewhat conversationally, tending to shy away from the proverbial checklist. But for ease of consumption, I’ll list it all bullet-style in this post. How you approach it is up to you, just make sure to cover the finer points.

Generally speaking I divide such a conversation into two parts. The first is a discussion about being appropriately attired. This is an oft-neglected conversation frequently leaving the new pillion rider left to his or her devices. So we’ll spend a little time on that. Next is the conversation about the actual ride and how, even for the passenger, it’s a very active experience. Remember, we are responsible riders and know that the health and safety of the person seated behind us is ultimately and solely, our responsibility.

Riding attire:

From a high-level perspective, there are essentially two rules to follow; dress for safety (which includes the ability to see and move), and dress for the weather. With those two perspectives in mind, the following items should be considered must have’s;

• Footwear: A good pair of boots is made of durable leather or other protective material, and covers the ankle (think high-tops) as well as the foot. It should offer some ankle support without being inflexible, and should not have any dangly laces of other stuff that can possible get wrapped up in the mechanics of the bike. The sole should be of a material that offers good traction (I like rubber) and should not have much of a heel. Please, no sandals or open-toed shoes. And by no means should anyone ever wear spiked heels on a bike.
• Pants: In an ideal world they’d be made of leather with a Kevlar lining. But most of us don’t have that. So, a good pair of heavy denim jeans should be okay. These should not be so long that they extend beyond the length of the leg, and should fit snugly without being so tight as to encumber movement. For added protection, consider a pair of leather over-pants or riding chaps.
• Jacket: Should be leather or some other protective material that will cover the entire arm, fits snugly around the torso so as not to have any loose bits but not so tight as to encumber movement. Summer riding jackets are of breathable material and are typically lined with some sort of protective armor.
• Helmet: You supply that. Just be sure it’s DOT approved and offers as much protection as possible with out being encumbering. Personally, I have two full-faced helmets reserved for passengers.
• Gloves: I typically supply these too and carry a variety of styles and sizes, all designed to offer maximum protection to the fingers, knuckles, and palms.
• Things that the passenger should always have on their person: ID, cash or a credit card, cell phone. One should never be separated from their phone. The other two should be obvious.
• Finally, some items not to wear: Anything that will fly about in the wind like overly long scarves or jewelry, short sleeves on a bright sunny day, halter-tops, flip-flops, etc. Common sense should apply here, yet I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen women riding in a bikini-top and shorts. Ugh!

The ride:

As mentioned earlier, the experience for your passenger is one in which she or he actively participates. This will not be a time when the passenger can nap or pass the time by text messaging her BFF! The passenger must be equally aware of surroundings, where they are headed, and the conditions of the road. And we haven’t even touched on the physical elements yet.

• Leaning: Simple, always lean with the rider. Expanded, this means the passenger should align her shoulders with that of the rider and keep them that way with only slight variation. If the rider has the bike in a turn and is leaning into it, his body will be in one of two positions as they relate to the position of the bike. It will be leaning into the turn, or leaning against the turn (Counter-balancing). The key is to match the movement of the rider in all cases. This also includes moments when the rider is leaning forward or is seated straight and tall. When in doubt, plaster your body against the back of the rider, wrap your arms around his waist and let him make all the right movements.
  Depending on riding conditions, the rider may choose to slide forward or back on his seat. You should match that as well. I typically explain it thusly; If I need to pay extra attention to handling (like when canyon-carving) I slide my body forward on the seat and dig in. When that happens you should also.
• Your legs: With your feet comfortably placed on the pegs/floor boards, be sure your knees are drawn close to the bike. This allows you to use your legs to “grasp” the bike in those moments of aggressiveness on the road. In truth, your legs should be considered a primary means of holding onto the bike.
• Signaling: It also helps to have some signals for each other. It absolutely sucks riding along the slab at 80 MPH and you really need a rest-room stop but have no way to communicate that to the rider. The actual gestures to use are up to you. Just be sure that your basic list of signals includes the following;
  • Rider executed:
    • I need to stop
    • Brace yourself!
    • Relax
    • Are you ok?
    • Yes
    • No
  • Passenger executed:
    • I need you to stop
    • Slow down
    • Are you ok?
    • Yes
    • No
• Finally, the number one… absolute… never to be broken… rule… is under no circumstances do you attempt to put your feet down. Even if you know you’re going down. Consider this one very carefully. There are arguments, each compelling, on both sides of this rule. My personal view is the risk of suffering catastrophic and permanent damage goes up the moment the passenger attempts to put a foot down.

All this may seem a bit too much to consider if all you want to do is take a ride around the block. Nevertheless, and I cannot stress this enough, the safety and wellbeing of your passenger is solely in your hands.

General, Karl's tips