Bill Muneio

The AIRHAWK Seat Cushion

I thought it was time to review the AIRHAWK seat cushion. I’ve been using one now for almost 4 years and though I’ve had to patch it a couple of times, it’s still providing me comfort on every ride.

First, a little company background and theory on why it works; taken from the company website
“It’s only air, but it’s what we do with it that makes a world of difference…”
Shape Fitting Technology is a system of soft, flexible air cells interconnected by small channels that allow air to flow from one cell to another at a controlled rate. This is what sets ROHO Shape Fitting Technology apart from the others: the ability to protect the body from multiple forces – pressure, friction, shear, shock, and vibration – and maintain the same level of comfort and protection indefinitely.
ROHO products all have something in common – a valve that allows you to adjust the amount of air it holds. This valve lets you customize the product to your specifications and achieve your precise level of comfort. It is designed to perfectly match your shape and contour, redistributing your body weight to minimize pressure “hot spots.”
The pressure mapping photos below illustrate the difference between a conventional cushion and one using Shape Fitting Technology. Red and yellow areas in the first photo highlight pressure points. The second photo shows how the ROHO cushion redistributes the pressure over the entire surface area, allowing for better blood circulation and ultimately more comfort.

The manufacturing process

They use a neoprene rubber which apparently can’t be injection molded. So it’s a tedious process in which a mold is dipped into the liquid neoprene rubber repeatedly to build it up to the desired thickness, and then a combination of air curing and oven curing is used. The cells which basically look like a waffle on steroids are then attached to a backing, making sure each cell remains connected to its neighbors. This is done by hand. And according to ROHO it takes about 24 hours to complete each cushion!

Getting the right amount of air

This is perhaps the trickiest part of the whole deal. But once you figure it out it’s really a piece of cake. What you want to avoid is over inflation because this will make you feel like your sitting on a large ziplock filled with Jello, not good unless you’re into that kind of thing. On the other extreme, under inflated; and well it’s like sitting on the same uncomfortable seat you have always had. So here’s the trick: fill it up by blowing into the small filler valve (unscrew tip to open, screw back to close. See pic) Then sit on the bike, preferably on the center stand so you can get both feet off the ground in a normal riding position. Now slowly open the valve releasing air until there’s only about ¼” – ½” gap of air between your butt and the seat. This may take a few tries but once you’ve got it, you are good to go. Mine never seems to need any adjusting due to loss of air or anything like that, with the exception of the two leaks I’ve gotten over the last 4 years.Fortunately each pad comes with a repair kit and it’s about as easy as patching a bicycle tube; actually much easier because there’s no wheel or tire to remove just the fabric cover.

Fabric cover

I’m not hip to exactly what the fabric is but it’s soft, quick drying and has held up extremely well. There’s a couple of straps attached that make it pretty easy to put on or take off and this leads me to another bonus of these pads. You can switch it between bikes. In fact I took mine with me on a 2 week ride in New Zealand where I rented a BMW 800GS from South Pacific Motorcycle Tours (more about my New Zealand trip here) I was told the 800GS didn’t have the most comfortable seat in the world but with my AIRHAWK it was sweet!

AIRHAWK 2

Since I got my AIRHAWK back in 2007 they have come out with a new more affordable series the AIRHAWK 2 and according to their website, this is the difference:

What’s the Difference?

The launch of AIRHAWK 2 has caused the question “What’s the difference?” to come up many times when people are reviewing our product. While the original AIRHAWK and the new AIRHAWK 2 are similar, there are some difference. These difference are outlined in the chart below.

Summary

The AIRHAWK isn’t for everyone; I’ve had friends that just didn’t like the feel. Some say they felt disconnected from the bike, but I love it and really appreciate the comfort it adds, especially on those longer rides. To me it feels totally natural. Maybe because I’ve ridden with it for over 4 years now but even when it was new I adapted quite easily to it and the level of comfort it provided. I would highly recommend this product and though the initial investment seems high, the overall CPR (cost per ride) is really quite minimal.

Thanks for reading, and as always leave your comments below.

Manufacturers website: airhawk.net

BMW City Pants
This review is on the original BMW City pants although the new City 2 pants are essentially the same except for some slight styling changes.

The City pants are made from a highly abrasion-resistant combination of cotton and Cordura® and are a summer-weight motorcycling pant. (although not as cool as the BMW Airflow pants I reviewed here earlier) The  cotton Cordura®  fabric gives the pants a relatively soft-feel and they fit almost like a pair of jeans. They are some of the most comfortable motorcycle pants I’ve owned. They also look great, like regular pair of cargo pants, unlike some armored pants that can look like some sort of transformer space suit.

The pants are designed to be worn alone (i.e., not as over-pants) and they have a soft mesh lining sewn inside, which is made from a material rather like taffeta.  This keeps the heavier outer fabric away from the rider’s skin and offers some comfort and provides space for a bit of air to circulate against the rider’s skin. On cool mornings, I put a pair of thermals underneath for a little added warmth and this works quite well.

The City pants are made in the simple unisex XS to XXXL sizes unlike most of their pants which are in numeric sizes. I have a 34 inch waist and the large fits me well. The City pants also come with integrated belt loops and belt made of nylon webbing. The original City pants have a fastec type buckle where as the City pant 2 now has a double-ring buckle with the rings made of plastic. They have a metal hook at the waist, which I think is better than the single snap used on most other pants. The fly features a nylon YKK locking zipper. They also have a connecting zipper at the waist for attaching to a BMW jacket.

The front hand pockets in the City pants are one of the slight style changes that were made between the 2 versions, basically they’re at more of an angle on the front of the City 2 pants.  They close with locking zippers and large zipper pulls that are easy to find and use. The left pant leg on the original City pants has an unlined cargo pocket along the outside of the thigh.  It closes with a flap using hook-and-loop fastener whereas the City 2 has a zippered “hidden” pocket. The right pant leg on both has an additional zippered pocket, “hidden” on the City 2. I personally like the cargo pocket for its ease of access / use.

The City pant leg cuffs have a 25 cm zipper on the outside with a fabric dart underneath.  The cuffs are adjustable by repositioning the hook-and-loop fabric on the outside and they can be made narrow enough to fit into a pair of boots, or wide enough to fit over the boots.

The City pants have a full set of the BMW removable NP protectors at knees and hips with maximum impact-absorbing properties (developed by BMW Motorrad, with EN 1621 certification).  The knee padding is pre-shaped and becomes quite flexible as it warms up. It wraps nicely around the sides of your knees much more so then most motorcycles pants. The padding can be adjusted up or down slightly by repositioning the hook-and-loop tape that holds it in its pocket.

All in all, the BMW City pants are super comfortable with excellent styling that fits a rider’s shape (not baggy and non-fitted like most). Like most BMW gear, this product is very well made. At $255, they are not cheap but not ridiculously priced either. They have quickly become my go to pants for days when it’s not blistering hot or cold and wet. I highly recommend them.

I finally had to replace my old SPOT 1 satellite messenger.
For those of you who are not familiar with the SPOT, it’s a one-way satellite communication device. Turn it on and it locks onto GPS satellite signals. You can then send messages back into the civilized world. With the new SPOT 2, you can send 4 different types of messages:

• If you are in a life-threatening situation, you push one button to activate a global 911 network and search-and-rescue will come running.
• Have an injury or your bike breaks down and you need help, but it’s not so desperate that you want to call 911? You can send a pre-written message to your emergency contacts via email or text and have them come get you or send for non-emergency assistance.
• If you just want to keep in touch, SPOT lets you create two different pre-written messages to send to friends, family and contacts. This is the feature I use the most; I use one message to tell everyone that I’m okay and give them my lat-longitude coordinates and the other to let them know I’ve arrived safely at my day’s final destination.

The beauty of it is, this all works via satellite so even with no cell service you can still keep your friends and family in the loop. In addition, you can subscribe to the tracking feature which     allows  them to track your progress in near real time using Google Maps.

Now as you may have read in one of my earlier posts, my SPOT unit fell off my bike. Well, it fell off again D’oh! and once again I lucky enough to recover it. But after the second fall, it started working very erratically. I figured it was time to send it in for repair; when I contacted SPOT, I learned that there is no repair service available on these things (disappointing, I know). Regardless, I ended up buying the new and improved SPOT 2.

Here’s the differences I’ve observed between the SPOT 1 and SPOT 2:

• Appears to have a better GPS receiver; it definitely locks on to the GPS signal quicker and sends messages out faster
• Smaller and 6oz. lighter
• Customizable message function in addition to OK, Help, and 911

• Covered 911 and Help buttons so they can’t be turned on accidentally
• GPS Status and Message Sent indicators lights
• Comes with a removable stretchy cover (but don’t rely on this to hold it securely, mine is already tearing!)
• Uses 3 lithium AAA batteries. The older one took 2 lithium AA’s

SPOT 2 isn’t exactly cheap. At $150 (street price), plus $100 a year service fee, and the optional $50 additional subscription fee for tracking. You’re going to think twice about whether you need it or not. Well, here’s my take: After two years of use, I use my SPOT as an additional layer of safety and as a way for my family and friends to follow along on my rides (via tracking) as well as a way to send messages that I’m still alive and kicking. I’ve come to rely on the peace of mind SPOT gives us.

Ok so works been slow and it’s been raining a lot lately. In order to stay sane I’ve been looking for a creative outlet. After designing a logo to put on t-shirts for one of our local riding club I started to play around with other designs. With a little research I discovered a whole sub culture of t-shirts artists. I had no idea how evolved this has become I mean I played around with designing t-shirts back in high school, learning how to screen print etc. But it’s gotten so sophisticated theses days. Anyways I created about a half dozen designs and had a blast so there will be more. Here’s some samples and I even set up a store called Placebo Tees. (shamless plug, did I mention work was slow?).

Placebo Tees Store

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

by Jeff Cobb as written for Motorcycle.com

It’s ironic that while our machines are practically one step removed from Star Wars technology, the culture surrounding their use is one step removed from the Wild West.

The American approach to safety for motorcyclists and scooterists – that is, our attitudes and practices – is essentially a world of anything goes; each person must choose amidst a culture fraught with mixed messages and conflicting agendas.

Helmet? No helmet? Full face? Half helmet? Head-to-toe gear? Leather jacket and jeans? Shorts and T-shirt? A little training? A lot? None?

In 2007 (latest data available), according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number of on-road motorcycles registered topped 7.1 million. But while fatalities among other roadway users have declined – particularly auto drivers, which in 2008 recorded the fewest deaths in 47 years – NHTSA contends that motorcyclist fatalities have increased steadily for the past 10 years even when factored for increased registrations.

This is further contrasted to the fact that in nearly every other human endeavor today, people are clamoring for – and basically getting – more and more safety.

You have air bags and other safety devices in cars, protection from pesticides in foods, safety in children’s toys to the point of being ludicrous, such as the lead ban, safety on walkways for shoppers and restaurant-goers, heck, even campaigns to promote safe sex…

But when it comes to powered two wheelers, there are no universally agreed upon standards. None.

Today about 21 states require full-time helmet use and most require eye protection. Other than that, if you want to tour the country on your turbo Hayabusa in a Speedo (or realistically, jeans, T-shirt, no helmet), have at it. Or, if you want to wear head-to-toe armored gear, you can do that too.

Try exercising the first option in Germany.

In America, we call it freedom. And just to be clear: Freedom is great. We all love freedom, and this is no pitch to remove our rights as riders.

But this country’s founders said freedom is a social contract assuming some responsibilities on citizens. One price of freedom is people must agree to do their best to exercise good judgment and do what’s best to improve their quality of life, which is what freedom is supposed to be for. Self-restraint and wise personal choices are supposed to be in place if external laws are not.

These kinds of arguments are what justified our extremely free country in the first place.

As it is, the U.S. is unlike other countries with nationally mandated standards for rider safety. Here each state decides what if any gear is appropriate.

This is what We the People have chosen. But in spite of this, injuries and deaths continue to increase, and a lot of people shake their heads in disbelief.

When I asked Andrea Nalesso, sales marketing manager for Dainese, which country has the least regard for motorcycle safety, he said it’s “very much the U.S., which is the worst among the countries that I know.” In the phone interview, which took place from Indianapolis a year ago, he added, “The United States is the country with the least awareness about safety.”

Nalesso – an Italian who happened to be in the States that week helping Valentino Rossi as his safety gear supplier – travels the world and he’s in the business, so he has some perspective. Nor is he the only person with this view. Many others say the same.

About the only safety measure America has pushed that Germany has not is artificially low speed limits. By catering to the lowest common denominator, this minimizes competence required to get on (and stay on) the road.

Germany also has tiered licensing, which requires you to qualify to ride a big bike, but this will likely never happen here, as long as every state is doing its own thing.

As it is, in the absence of clear standards, motorcyclists and scooterists generally agree that we cannot really agree on much of anything. What we have are different camps, each with their own innate sensibility of acceptable safe practices.

There are extremes too, each pushing opposite agendas. On one hand, you have the ATGATT crowd (all the gear all the time) – usually racers, ex-racers, safety instructors, marketers selling safety gear and services, and others who believe gear is your only protection in a nasty get-off.

On the other extreme are the motorcyclists’ rights organizations, or MROs. These groups – while also made up from experienced riders – have a different take on things.

Since 1975, they have successfully employed grassroots efforts leading to nationwide lobbying techniques to wage campaigns advocating libertarian ideals for riders. They can sometimes come across as the new American patriots.

Their most active advocates have made it a mission of writing editorials, creating fact sheets and assembling statistics to show state legislators and other decision makers why helmet laws should be not universally mandatory for those of adult age (usually 18 or 21).

On the far fringe of this group, some go beyond the neutral message of “let those who ride decide,” and suggest or state outright that crashing with a helmet could be more dangerous than without a helmet.

Yes, there are some who’d like to prove a helmet is often an anti-safety device and are very energetic and determined to do so (and this is putting it politely).

Citing anecdotes and some statistics, such far from center evangelists say helmets could cause a basal skull fracture, or neck snap due to whiplash, or could impair hearing or visibility.

To help preserve our freedoms, arguments against helmet laws have been presented by bikers, who have been known to roar their bikes (some believe loud pipes save lives, after all) to the capitol building to share the information with legislators pending a helmet law repeal vote.

But these folks are not against safety. They just don’t agree – and that is their right – that the helmet is such a major issue. They would much rather talk about avoiding the crashes in the first place.

And that particular argument does have a lot of merit. Drivers are often way too distracted as they send text messages, fiddle with food or makeup, argue with kids as they try to help each child load his or her personal DVD player. What is more, larger, taller vehicles make for nasty body slams, and four-wheel vehicles on average are now bigger than ever…

So absolutely, a large number of motorists are unwitting vehicular homicides waiting to happen. But does that mean a helmet is still not a better bet?

Why would enlightened free citizens even need a law to force them to be safe? Sure, “let those who ride decide.” To whom it applies: How about voluntarily deciding to gear up?

There’s a reason why every powersports race sanctioning body in the U.S. mandates helmets (and full gear) for racers.

There’s a reason why American football players wear a helmet – and full pads. Now granted, football is a contact sport where you are guaranteed to collide.

In motorcycling, you hope you will not make contact. But if you did, how would you want to be dressed?

In any case, what ever your situation, it is a gamble. And like gambling, it’s fun to win, but not fun to lose. If you ever found yourself with multiple fractures, it might change your feelings about your level of risk tolerance.

Which brings us to another topic: Inherent risk.

Motorcycles are a carryover from a time when everyone faced greater risk. In 1899, when motorcycles were in their infancy, we had far less effective healthcare and medicine, and no insurance. Our lives were altogether less secure and there was practically no one you could sue.

And while in nearly every other arena security has since improved, motorcycles can only be so safe. Honda, BMW, and others are experimenting with airbags and improved ABS, but you’ll probably never see a crash cage on a motorcycle.

This is the risk you accept. This is reality. You are a 21st century person enjoying a 21st century version of a 19th century experience.

And for some risk takers, the perverse or interesting thing – you decide – is that it’s a blast to get away with flirting with disaster. Researchers have found brain chemistry for die-hard risk takers (such as dopamine levels) is amped up while taking chances, and they live for the rush.

In contrast, there is another element in society that does not quite see it the way we do: those in favor of safety legislation.

Some are known to ask: If a rider splats himself on the highway, racks up huge medical bills, and becomes dependent on the state, why should society have to pay?

And, they ask, is it fair that individual rights take precedence over the rights of the many? If a rider was breaking the law when he went down, that is all the more egregious to people of this mindset.

These people do not look at motorcyclists as enlightened citizens enjoying their rights as free men and women. They see the effects of some adults acting like adolescents, not taking all reasonable precautions. They see an unruly group that needs to be controlled.

Their arguments take on further legitimacy because they mirror the reasoning that’s already been used to push other safety legislation – such as seatbelt usage – into existence.

The back and forth rhetoric gets a fresh rehash every time a local rider dies without a helmet, and some editorialist spouts off about how stupid riders are for not using one.

If a big enough splash happens, it has been known to help tip the scales, such as when Gary Busey suffered brain damage in 1988, and in 1992 California went back to being a helmet state.

Today, the debate has become a public relations battle, and the holy grail of rights is to go without a helmet, particularly by MRO advocates in front of lawmakers. And frankly, I mostly agree with the MROs; a person should have the right, as long as they do not cost other people.

To me, the real question however is what is smart? What level of risk are you willing to take, and have you thought it all the way through? If carrying a passenger, have you explained it to him or her so they can make informed decisions?

Motorcycling is often a pursuit of passion, not always guided by strictly rational, logical thinking. A lot of riders will not bother with gear simply because it seems too expensive, too hot, too inconvenient, or not in style with their crowd.

And this lackadaisical attitude doesn’t just apply to safety gear and helmets, but also to training.

Getting properly trained, taking refresher courses, or at least proactively doing your own practice drills is a great idea. Simply riding does not prepare you as well for accident avoidance.

But, objectively speaking, how can we really know what’s safer? Is there any science behind these opinions?

Some research has been done. About 10 years ago, the Europeans did the comprehensive MAIDS study, and there is the 1981 “Hurt Report” (Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures).

This year, even though Harry Hurt says his findings are still basically valid, the first American “motorcycle crash causation study” since 1981 was intended to begin forensically examining 900 motorcycle accidents over a three-year period.

To fund the study, in 2006 Congress promised a whopping $2.5 million. In 2007, the motorcycle community came up with their part of the deal pledging $3 million. And by the time it was ready to start, costs were estimated at $8-10 million. So it has gone nowhere.

The per-American expenditure to shed further light on saving lives – at a time when motorcyclist numbers were peaking along with their incidences of death and injury – was astonishingly low.

In their defense, some say the feds – which in any case found billions to bail out corrupt insurance industry execs and mismanaged businesses – offered too little only because the motorcycle community underestimated the costs.

Further the motorcycle community “stakeholders” had within its ranks those not exactly gushing with enthusiasm. There were some who, A) said they doubted the study could get quality data, and B) did not want to see more data confirming ideas that could threaten their lifestyle – such as findings that a full-face helmet (as Hurt already demonstrated) was absolutely a better idea.

So where do things stand today? The U.S. culture of motorcycle safety, while seeing some terrific innovations in gear and training, exists in a largely unregulated environment where some riders disagree with and contradict other riders regarding best safe practices.

But while it may be like the Wild West, if you get trained, continue to train throughout your motorcycling career, wear the best gear you can, honestly assess your risk – and use your freedom wisely – you can be like the hero who wins the gunfight, instead of one of the hapless characters who gets shot down.

What do you think? Leave your comments below.

Jeff Cobb is the editor and publisher of Motorcycle Safety News.

GoPro’s excellent Hero Wide just got a whole lot better!

Read More

GoPro Official Site

Summary
The Caberg Sintesi is comfortable and it has modern styling and many interesting features. It can be worn with the rotating visor down or up and it meets the ECE 22.05 safety standard for use in both positions. The helmet is very heavy, however, and our example also has a few minor quality issues.

Click here to read the full review

From The BMW MOA “ride and tour/camping”
by Tom Bowman

It takes just one night to get it right!

Fred rode up in front of Ernie’s garage and shut off the engine. Ernie was tying an army surplus duffel bag across the back of his bike with a length of nylon rope. A pair of leather saddle bags were strapped across the back of the seat, and a sleeping bag was lashed to a rack on the rear fender. Fred swung his leg over the rubberized “dry bags” containing his clothes, strapped to the seat, as he got off.

“Hey, Freddie, my man! Ready to go?” Ernie grinned as he walked over to Fred’s bike looking over the gear. “Yo: what’s these?” he said, looking at the dry bags… “Zip Lock baggies? Hey, you ready to go, or what?”

Fred had been looking forward to this initiation into motorcycle camping. Ernie had teased him at work with stories of rallies and weekends on the bike until his head was spinning, and this Saturday’s club ride up to the state park would be ideal to start. Fred had gone to the big camping store out by the mall and spent nearly two hours talking to sunburned clerks in sturdy cleated-sole shoes that looked like people from the pages of “Out of Africa.” He’d scanned a dozen books on camping and scoped aisles crammed with lighter-than-air-pots, complete meals that came in a bag (just add water and heat), tiny stoves to heat them with, and gadgets that filtered water. He crawled into tents that nearly set themselves up on command and snuggled into sleeping bags fit for Antarctica. At the end of the visit, he had a basket full of books on camping and a dozen food bars with different names and flavors ranging from “Mountain Berries” to “Gorp” and a lot to think about.

After Fred soaked up the basic ideas he went back. The clerks listened carefully to his needs, envious that he wouldn’t be lugging the stuff around on his back, and when he got his new gear home he set it up in the backyard to try out. He first tried out the bag and pad in the tent, greatly amusing his busybody neighbors. His dog woke him up nosing the mosquito netting and whining. Then he figured out how to pack it all so it would fit on the bike and wouldn’t fall off. He rode around the block to check it, and when he got to Ernie’s house and shut off the engine Saturday morning, he was as ready as he was going to get.

Ernie finally got all his gear tied on and they took off. The ride up was pleasant, a nice wind-down to the week at work, save for having to stop to collect Ernie’s sleeping bag from the road shoulder. When they reached the campground, Ernie pulled in to the first empty space and began to unload. One of Fred’s books had mentioned that a level site without rocks or roots made for an easier setup, but Ernie was already unloading. Fred began to unpack and spread his tent when he noticed that there was a large depression in the middle of the spot and moved his tent a few feet to get on ground with a little “crown” so that if there was rain it wouldn’t collect under him. He also positioned the tent door so that it was in the “lee” of the wind. Ernie was complaining about all the sites near the stream at the edge of the meadow being taken, but Fred had read that the cold night air collected in the hollows, and figured it would be warmer up here on the rise. He carefully positioned the tent so his sleeping bag would be mostly level, with his head up slightly higher than his feet, and “swept” the area of sticks and rocks. That was when he noticed the ant hill right behind Ernie’s tent.

Ernie was puffing red-faced into an inflatable air mattress as Fred went up to the campground tap to fill his packable water bag. He came back and unpacked the tiny stove, got it going, and in a few minutes was heating prepackaged Noodles Casino. Shortly, Ernie came over with a can of his favorite beverage in hand and remarked; “Hey, I got some Vienna sausage if you get hungry later.” Fred just shook his head: he’d tried out the ready-to-make meals for himself at home and was looking forward to it. As the sun went down, Fred set up the tent vestibule that gave him a place to store wet boots or gear and made sure that his flashlight was where he could find it when the sun went down. Shortly after Fred finished eating, Ernie returned from the camp store with an armload of firewood and proceeded to build a fire in the ready-made pit provided.
The smoke drifted downwind and promptly filled Ernie’s tent, but he didn’t seem to notice. As the sun went down over the tall pines, they talked avidly about bikes and camping and stuff like that with the other club members until it was time for bed. Fred could hear Ernie coughing and fumbling in the tent as he zipped up his sleeping bag.
Near morning, he was roused by the sound of rain hitting the tent and was glad he’d taken a second to cover his bike before retiring. He quickly went back to sleep and awoke just as the rain ended. As he opened the tent door and rain fly flap, he saw Ernie standing forlornly looking at the small lake surrounding his tent.

“Morning, Ernie. How’d you sleep?” he asked.

“Pretty bad, man,” he replied, scratching at the ant bites. “The air mattress wouldn’t stay up, I kept sliding down in the corner of the tent, and everything’s wet,” Ernie said in a low voice.

“Bummer,” Fred said.

Some homework and his willingness to listen to the voice of experience made for a trouble-free first outing for Fred. His equipment had kept the rain off and allowed him to rest and rise refreshed, and his site selection and consideration of all the elements that made up the campsite had allowed for avoidance of some common mistakes:

• a rough, inclined tent surface that might be uncomfortable or pest-infested
• low areas in which rainfall may collect
• prevailing wind that may carry smoke or insects into one’s tent
• a site in a “hollow” in which cold night air can collect and chill
• gear that can fail at an inopportune time, or be non-repairable
• awkward or hard-to-transport gear, or unnecessarily-complicated gear

The many tips and tricks available through knowledgeable camping stores, experienced campers, or growing Internet sources make it possible to learn from the experience of thousands of campers to the best effect. With just a little homework, one can become knowledgeable very quickly and have a great, trouble-free motorcycle camping experience.

See ya at the campground!

To see the article in it’s original context and for other related articles go here: http://www.bmwmoa.org/ridetour/camping

Agree or disagree with an item posted on my blog? Spot an inaccuracy?  Have your voice heard! I welcome all readers to leave comments or suggestions.

By Richard Pierce

There I was on a customized BSA 650 racing bike skidding sideways at more than 40 MPH through a full yellow light at a busy intersection and wondering if not having my rear wheel directly behind me meant I was about to automatically take a spill. It was my first year as a rider and there was nobody to ask if a big bike could be maneuvered successfully through a skid like that. Well, obviously, it could and I managed to hold the bike through the skid and not destroy myself after all.

From that intersection began more than 25 years of appreciating and applying survival rules and strategies for serious riders of large motorcycles. Make no bones about it, your life is on the line every moment you are on a motorcycle. That’s why riding is so special. It can humble you at any moment. That’s why you should move up to the biggest bike you can handle as soon as possible. Bigger bike, bigger brakes! Bigger bike, bigger acceleration — bigger chance to get away quicker from trouble. Bigger bikes are safer bikes.

Here are what I consider to be the most important rules to ride more safely:

Watch Out! — Intersections are extremely dangerous. Intersections are the most dangerous objects you encounter in everyday riding. Never trust a clear intersection if there are buildings blocking your view to the left. Any 4 wheeler traveling at 40 MPH or more is still out of sight during the first few seconds after the light turns green and, worst of all, if he has already decided to run the light, he is actually accelerating as he enters and occupies the intersection. If you collide, you can be seriously injured or worse.

Rule #1: NEVER jump a green light! If you are lined up first to make a left turn at a busy intersection, do not jump the arrow. Take your sweet time. A delay of only 3 or 4 seconds can save you and your bike. Always take an aggressively defensive posture with all 4 wheelers. All 4 wheelers are extremely dangerous. Assume that they can’t see you. Don’t trust their turn signals. Watch the wheels of all parked 4 wheelers for movement as they are prone to pull out without warning. On the highway, try to not let them pass you. You should move a little faster than they do and pass them instead.

Rule #2: Above all remember, drivers won’t see you and they don’t care. Assume all 4 wheelers have low-skill-level drivers. Never underestimate the risk factors that cars represent to riders. Drivers have not studied safe driving strategies. They do not realize that a 3500 pound automobile is several magnitudes more dangerous than a fully loaded and cocked handgun. Drivers do not concentrate on driving when they are behind the wheel. They make phone calls and think about work. They look at maps and even read books. They often take their eyes off the road for a wide variety of reasons.

Rule #3: Expect the unexpected from all of the 4 wheelers. Believe it or not, up to 80% of your power to stop resides in your front brakes. In fact, the rear brakes are often referred to as “trailing” brakes used only to keep the bike in trim during normal braking. They should be “feathered” only. You should squeeze the front brakes with authority and not worry about going over the handlebars, you won’t. It is also suggested that you hold on to the bike with your knees whenever you are executing any maneuver beyond casual cruising, like turns and heavy braking. It will help you “stay” with your bike in an emergency. Hold on to your bike. Ride it as long as you can.

Rule #4: Your ability to stop is almost entirely in your right hand. Don’t under use it. Don’t throw your weight around. You can’t control the direction of a large frame motorcycle correctly by throwing your weight from side to side as you can with a small bike like a 250 cc or even a 400 cc machine. In drastic situations, such as severe avoidance or heavy braking, a working knowledge of counter steering can save your life.

The good news is that you are already using this technique unconsciously so it is easy to master it once it has been explained. The term “counter steering” gets its name from the fact that moving the handlebar of a two wheeler at speed seems to act backwards from what the untrained rider might expect. If you push the right handlebar forward just a fraction of an inch the motorcycle will dive to the right not the left. Push the left handlebar forward and the bike dips sharply to the left. What is really happening with the change of the handlebar position is a change in the attack angle of the front tire. As it moves up the side wall, the bike is forced to travel in the corresponding direction. Try practicing to get a feel of just how little correction is needed to change the direction of travel. Just a touch will amaze you. It is a powerful steering technique.

Rule #5: Big bikes are controlled best by counter steering the handlebars. Focus on the moment. Don’t let your mind wander. Don’t think about anything not related to exactly what is happening at each moment of your ride. Be totally alert to your surroundings as if your life depends on it. It does. Take heart, one of the reasons that people never tire of riding is because they must focus on it entirely while they are doing it and the fact that their very life is on the line.

Rule #6: Be Here Now

Selecting your gear

Always make sure you are riding in a gear that will allow you to accelerate sharply at the slightest provocation, because being able to accelerate faster than any 4 wheeler is one of your main defensive advantages. Getting caught at 30 miles an hour in 4th gear slowing down for a light makes you a sitting duck if evasive maneuvers become necessary.

Rule #7: Down shift as you slow down so you can zoom away at all times.

Corollary: All turns should be made in 2nd gear and your RPMs should never be allowed to dip below 2000.

Controlling lane placement

Take a good look at a well travelled highway traffic lane and you will immediately notice a ribbon of discolorization running down the middle. That’s oil, dirt and grease deposited by the cars. Don’t ride on it! Ride where the car’s tires ride; either to the left or right of the center. This is especially important during the first half hour of rainfall as the water brings up the oily deposits to a very slippery state.

On two lane country-type roads choose the right side as far away from oncoming traffic as possible. On three lane highways, choose the left side of the fast lane where possible and NEVER ride on the entrance (right) lane any longer than necessary.

Corollary: When crossing steel mesh bridges, choose the extreme left or right side and cross the span diagonally at an angle to the mesh. This will limit vibration and wobbling and remember to not fight the wobble — it is normal to wobble a little even using the diagonal strategy.

Dealing with a possible fall

They say there are two kinds of riders. The ones who have fallen and the ones who are going to fall. If that’s true, then knowing what you can do if and when you do fall is valuable information. Based on that please observe the following:

You won’t feel yourself falling. It’s instantaneous.  If you can stay with your bike, stay with it. If you find yourself skidding without your bike stay with it without trying to slow yourself down. Keep your arms and legs elevated. Try to position yourself so that your legs are leading the skid and keep your eyes open so that you can hopefully use your legs and knees to cushion anything you might bump into before to come to a complete stop. Please note that skidding is preferable to rolling because rolling is conducive to broken bones. There is little you can do to protect yourself in a roll except to use your arms to form a barrel shape and hold it rigidly until you lose enough energy to attempt to stop.  When you stop, don’t try to get up unless you are still in danger from other vehicles. You may be injured more than you can know. Stay down and wait for help.

Rule #8: Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.  You may never fall, but don’t count on it. Be prepared mentally and physically. Dress for the worst situation imaginable. Dress for a fall. That means leather gloves. Leather jacket and pants or, at least, jeans. Real leather boots, a SNELL rated helmet with chin protection and some form of eye protection like shatterproof glasses or Lexan eye shield.

Rule #9: Riding on the back of someone else’s motorcycle. In two words, DO NOT! After more than 25 years of riding, I can’t think of a worse place to be than on the back of someone else’s bike. All of the danger and none of the control. Sheer folly and life threateningly stupid.

Rule #10: Don’t ride on the back of anyone else’s motorcycle, ever. You bear all the risks with none of the controls. Even a sport bike handles like mush when there is someone up on the back.

Final thought

Getting lost: Be advised, getting lost on a bike ups the danger quotient to all situations. Your mentality is burdened by factors to be considered because you are lost. Be more careful than ever as these factors make your mind work on more problems simultaneously.

Richard E Pierce is a long-time Livingston resident, President of the Livingston Sunrise Rotary Club, and long-time motorcycle safety advocate and rider.

Agree or disagree with an item posted on my blog? Spot an inaccuracy?  Have your voice heard! I welcome all readers to leave comments or sugesstions. Submit below.

To see atrticle in it’s original content go here: http://thealternativepress.com/column.asp?COL=guest&ID=689