Tips and info pertaining to riding... |
Downloads
| NHTSA 2008 Data | |
| MCN Article on Cornering Judgement | Group Riding Safety Video |
| Group Riding Safety Pamphlet (PDF) | Guide to Group Riding |
| Chapter 154 Parking and Hand Signals | |
Member Tips - Provided by Zippo - March - 2010Group Riding - Stopping and Starting When on a group ride you'll often be confronted by a stop sign or signal. How this situation is handled is covered by the Group Riding Handbook but, to reiterate, all riders must come to a full stop at the signal or sign. A full stop is usually indicated by at least one foot contacting the ground. Riders should stop two abreast. When proceeding forward after the stop the rider on the left always proceeds first followed by the rider on the right. Following pairs of riders stop and proceed in the same manner. If cross traffic is coming don't try to hurry through the stop to beat the traffic. If the group gets separated no one will be left behind. The Ride Captain will either pull the group over as soon as it's safe or will wait for the rest of the group to catch up at the next scheduled stop. As always, rider safety is the first concern. Ride Safe ! |
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Member Tips - Provided by Zippo - February - 2010Road Rash
Road rash is what happens when your body is sliding down the road and your skin meets the pavement. Skin is removed from your body as quickly as a cheese grater removes cheese from the block. In worst cases the skin and muscle can be ground off right down to the bone. Not only is the injury itself very painful but the treatment is often at least as painful as the original injury. First the wound needs to be completely cleaned and often new skin will need to be grafted from other parts of the body. Both procedures are painful. Road rash can usually be prevented by the wearing of proper apparel when riding. While none of us intend to crash our bikes the unexpected does occur. Good boots designed for motorcycle riding offer much more protection to your feet or ankles than "flip flops" or "sneakers". Chaps or , better yet, padded riding pants offer more protection than blue jeans or (gasp!) shorts. An armoured riding jacket is much more protection than t-shirts or halter tops. And a quality pair of gloves will protect your hands much better than nothing at all. Last, a full face helmet can help prevent your nose and chin from being ground off should you be unlucky enough to slide face first along the pavement. Modern riding gear offers much more comfort than it used to. Modern mesh gear can help to keep you cool in the summer along with saving your skin in the event of a fall. Modern helmets have better venting systems and the field of view is mandated to be larger than your peripheral vision. Good venting systems help to keep the helmet cool in the summer and drop down sunshades improve your vision when riding into the rising or setting sun. You may decide that you're willing to take the "risk" of injury during a fall but keep in mind that it's not only you who is taking that risk; your family will be injured as well. They'll be injured by having to see you in pain as you suffer through medical treatment and, perhaps, more months of rehabilitation. They'll suffer from the loss of your income as you recuperate from your injuries and they'll suffer the loss of you as a companion as they go home at night after visiting with you in the hospital. It's your choice to make but think about wearing your personal protective gear ATGATT - All The Gear All The Time... Ride Safe ! |
Member Tips - Provided by JohnG - January - 2010A Reminder To RTFM! Each winter we have a little more down time than during the warm weather months. Please take this opportunity to read over our Guide to Group Riding. Your safety and the safety of all riders in our group depends on everyone following the same guidelines. Some of our rides will include segments of interstate. Make sure you know how to participate when entering the freeway and your role in a lane change maneuver. Are you interested in stepping into the Road Captain or Tail Gunner role? The details about those responsibilities are included in the guide. Even if you are not ready for those special roles, it’s good to know what they may ask of you, the pack rider. How do we park as a group? Check the Chapter 154 Parking and Hand Signals. Ride Safe ! |
Member Tips - Provided by Zippo - October 2009Turn Off Those Turn Signals! I see a lot of riders remembering to signal before changing lanes or turning a corner (a good thing) but I also see a lot of those same bikers forgetting to cancel those turn signals after the lane change or corner; a very bad thing. Leaving your turn signal on while tooling down the road is an open invitation to cagers to turn in front of you and leaves the rest of traffic around you confused as to your intentions. Most of us are so used to our turn signals canceling after we make a turn in our cars that we forget that many of our bikes don’t come with self-canceling turn signals. So we forget and leave them on. Don’t do it! Ride Safe ! |
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Member Tips - Provided by Steve O - April 2009Never assume the positive thinking of a Deer. I do a lot of night riding back and forth to work since I work the third shift, and I pass a lot of deer on my way. Now living on Whidbey Island for those of you that do not know we do have a good population of deer yet they are much smaller than their cousin the Mule Deer from eastern Washington. Well my story begins like this. I was on my way to work on a late April night the temperature was a comfortable mid fifty range and very clear sky , I had passed several deer along the road each night that I had traveled the same route to work with the same results they just stood there and watched me go by. But tonight was different, I had just started my route and the speed was only about thirty to thirty five and I came upon a Mom deer and her yearling standing along the road, I started to slow down about the time she turned her head and looked across the road, in my mind I said they will just do the same they always do and just watch me pass, wrong. This time she decided to dart across the road in front of me and junior decided to follow mom, so I locked up the brakes and stopped just in time for Junior to slide into my right leg and bounce off, he or she gained their balance and continued to follow mom to the other side. Luckily both sides came out unharmed and we both continued our trip for the night. Moral of the story never assume the deer will be on their best behavior and do the same thing every time you see them. Ride Safe ! By Steven Oldemeyer - Chapter #154 |
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Member Tips - Provided by Bruce S - April 2009As we approach the 2009 riding season, it is important to be aware of those of us with medical conditions and their safety. A Medical condition is often a private matter that people wish to keep to themselves. But if you have such a condition it is important to let another rider with whom you feel comfortable ( other than your passenger) be aware of. Or ,if you prefer , write it down on a piece of paper and carry it in your right rear pants pocket so that it may easily be found. Be sure to include how to treat your condition as well. Common medical conditions are allergies to bee stings, diabetes, pollen allergies or heart conditions. Remember to carry your epi pens, inhalers, nitro or any other such medicines. The Tin Star will carry a first aid kit but it is not a bad idea to carry your own “mini kit”. Other items to consider are sunscreen, lip balm, extra sunglasses, small tool bag, tire repair kit,ear plugs, Toasty Toes or Hot Hands for the unexpected weather, Benadryl for insect bites, Gatorade or water,spare pair of contacts ( if you wear them)and last but not least, your emergency contact information or ICE. Ride Safe ! Bruce S - Chapter #154 - Tin Star |
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Member Tips - Provided by Lenny - February 2009This article is used with permission from - Smart Ride MagazineShiny Side Down - 1St Time In 40 Years By Capt. Ed “Clyde” Langford - Navy photos by Dan Steber Naval Safety Center |
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With my left arm in a sling, I look just like I walked out of a commercial for an insurance company. The truth is that I wiped out on my motorcycle while traveling home from work. I want to use this venue to pass along some lessons learned from this experience... so that the rest of you can learn from what I did wrong and also what I did right. Forgive me for lapsing into SIR (safetyinvestigation report)-speak, but it’s appropriate. |  The author and his sling. |
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Mishap motorcycle operator (MMO) has two motorcycles for family use: One is a touring model, and the other is a sport cruiser. MMO routinely rides touring motorcycle to work but on this day had decided to ride the sport cruiser to charge the battery— spouse doesn’t use it much. This motorcycle was configured for a shorter rider (e.g., height of the motorcycle had been lowered to accommodate a lower straddle-high, resulting in less clearance for the foot controls). MMO had had approximately two hours of riding on this motorcycle in the last 30 days. |  His scraped and gouged helmet. |
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At approximately 1630 EDT, MMO (sole occupant) departed base work center. He had been riding for 40 years without a mishap. Weather was day VFR (visual flight rules): clear skies, no rain in the past 24 hours. Road conditions were dry, with no loose gravel or sand. Less than a half-mile from residence, MMO approached a 90-degree, flat turn to the left. He had traveled through this curve on the touring motorcycle hundreds of times in past years and about 20 times in the past week. However, he had not correctly assessed foot-peg clearance on this sport cruiser while in a tight turn. MMO customarily traversed this 90-degree turn at a reduced speed... below the current approximately 20 mph. About a quarter of the way through the turn, MMO increased his lean into the turn to maintain ground track. The motorcycle’s left foot peg hit the ground because of the increased angle of bank, and MMO immediately detected a loss of friction between the back wheel and the road. A lateral-directional departure (aft wheel skidding out to right) followed, during which the motorcycle developed 90 degrees of sideslip and 90 degrees of left-wing-down AOB. Bike went down in approximately one second. MMO hit left shoulder on asphalt, separated from bike, and proceeded to body-surf approximately 5 to 10 feet, while motorcycle slid approximately 10 feet, coming to rest next to him. It soon shut itself down from fuel starvation brought on by its unusual attitude. MMO was completely protected from road-rash injury by personal protective equipment: light-colored long-sleeve shirt and pants, boots, leather gloves, DoTapproved helmet, and goggles. Motorcycle had only minor damage. MMO collected what remained of his wits and fortunately wasn’t run over by following traffic, which came along about 15 seconds post-mishap. Passersby called 911 after MMO discovered that his left arm wasn't responding to control inputs. MMO sustained no other apparent injuries but still got to ride in a big red ambulance. Follow-up X-rays revealed MMO had fractured his collarbone and No. 2 rib [no surgery or physical therapy required, though].
Causal Factors
Contributing Factors • I got lucky. Had traffic been a factor—following, or worse yet, opposing—I might be pushing up daisies right now. The motorcycle also stayed away from me, instead of catching up and sliding into or over me. • Experience doesn’t always make you better. If it breeds complacency—and it usually does—it actually can work against you. Put another way, just because you get away with something 100 times doesn’t mean you’ll get away with it on the 101st time. I was too comfortable with the same road I drove on every day and had developed habit patterns on a different motorcycle. Know and understand what’s different today and what your limitations are for the current conditions. • There’s no such thing as a short ride. I wiped out less than a half-mile from my driveway. • The biggest take-away: PPE works. My shoulder injury is an impact injury. The motorcycle gear I wore was a canvas-like material. My boots worked; my toes and ankles weren’t hurt. Afterward, I noticed a slight bump on my left knee, but there was no road rash. My helmet, goggles and leather gloves did the rest. Even at such a low speed, my helmet was gouged and scraped. If not for the PPE, I really don’t believe I would be here today writing this article. There isn’t a smidgen of road rash on me—I didn’t leave a single skin cell on the asphalt. In the past year or so, I’ve become religious about not driving 50 feet on my bike without suiting up completely, even on the hottest and most humid summer days. That discipline saved me a lot of pain. I strongly recommend that all motorcyclists invest in good riding gear. Don’t just stop with the helmet and jacket; buy some lower-body protection, too. In other words, skimp on the motorcycle before you skimp on the safety gear. One last thing: Reread my “causal factors” listed earlier. They apply to a lot more than just motorcycling— flying, for one. Complacency is complacency in any environment. Pardon the length of this article, but if it helps just one person anytime in the future, it will have been worth all the one-handed typing.
The author is head of the Aviation Safety Programs
Directorate. |
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Member Tips - Riding in the Cold Weather - Bruce S - January 2009With the cold weather, hypothermia is a concern we all should have. Some things to be aware of are shivering/shaking. When you or fellow riders are experiencing this (pay attention to your fellow riders, they may not be aware they are shivering/shaking), it means you are getting too cold and your body is attempting to generate heat. You are too cold and need to warm your self.Some ways to prevent this condition are to wear warm clothes and stop often so your body can re-heat itself by getting out of the "wind chill". Some people wear heated gear (check with SKAGIT POWER SPORTS in BURLINGTON) about heated, plug in gear. It's comfortable and truly warm. Heated inserts, such as "toastie toes", are great to put in your boots/gloves. They last for hours. Remember to wiggle your fingers/toes while riding and wear ear plugs. They are not only for hearing protection but also to help keep the heat from escaping through the head, the greatest place of heat loss on the body. Ride safe Bruce |
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Member Tips - In Case of Emergency Information (ICE) - John G - December 2008Here’s two links to places for details about the USB thumb drive for your emergency information. If you have a computer, you can add all of your info to one of these.http://www.medictag.com/ Requires Windows XP or Windows Vista, USB 1.1 or 2.0, MS Word http://www.familyonboard.com/IdentaKeyUSBFlashDrive.html Plugs into any Windows 2000, XP or Vista computer USB drive and launches its own secure software. Remember, if you lose your USB ICE drive, anyone with a computer can view your emergency information. DO NOT include your Social Security Number. Check your cell phone contacts for an entry called ICE.911. Take a look at your entry and complete any missing information. In case of emergency (ICE) is a program that enables first responders, such as paramedics, firefighters, and police officers, to identify victims and contact their next of kin to obtain important medical information. The program was conceived in the mid-2000s and promoted by British paramedic Bob Brotchie in May 2005.[1] It encourages people to enter emergency contacts in their cell phone address book under the name "ICE". Alternately, a person can list multiple emergency contacts as "ICE1", "ICE2", etc. The popularity of the program has spread across Europe and Australia, and has started to grow into North America. Here’s a web site link for acquiring a laminated card that can be attached to a lanyard. http://www.incaseofemergency.com/fundraiser.php |
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Member Tips - Riding In The Rain - Zippo - November 2008As riders in the Pacific Northwest we will almost all get caught out in the rain sometime during a ride. Along with all of the usual risks and hazards we face each time we venture forth, rain poses additional concerns of comfort, traction, and vision. Riding wet will make you miserable and anything that makes you miserable is bound to detract from your ability to concentrate on traffic around you. We can deal with the comfort issue by dressing in layers for warmth and ensuring that we use a top layer imprevious to rain and wind. You'll also want to be sure that whatever you wear, the portion nearest your exhaust pipes should be heat resistant, as I've learned the hard way, or you'll be scrubbing the resulting mess from your chrome. Warm gloves that are waterproof and flexible, and waterproof, over the ankle boots, will complete your wet weather riding gear. Whatever gear you choose, it should be capable of fitting into your saddlebags or elsewhere with you as you ride. Having the best wet weather gear in the world won't help a bit if it's at home in the garage when you get caught in that downpour. Modern motorcycle tires have a surprising amount of traction in wet weather and a lot of people put a lot of miles on a lot of motorcycles each year in wet weather but, of course, exactly how much traction is available to you is going to depend on many factors including speed, lean angle, tire wear, and road surface. Some of these factors can be controlled by you, the rider. Slowing down will allow you to take the turn with a lesser lean angle giving more traction back to your tires. Change your bike's tires when they become worn beyond safe limits - see your service department if you're unsure how worn your tires are. Worn tires will tend to hydroplane (ride on top of the water instead of contacting the road surface below) and will provide poorer braking performance. Be on the lookout for other traction reducing circumstances such as manhole covers, painting road markings, piles of wet leaves, puddles and anything else that may reduce your ablity to turn, brake, or accelerate, safely. Vision is often poorer when riding in the rain and reduced vision is another reason to slow down a bit. It's tough to get a good view of the road when other drivers are throwing up sheets of water around you but there are a couple of things you can do that will help a bit. Make certain you keep your visor or glasses scrupulously clean. No use adding to the vision problem with dirty glasses or faceshields. Make sure that you're looking over your windshield; not through it. The less rain speckled items you have to peer through to see the road ahead the better off you'll be (within reason, of course). When riding at speed it's sometimes helpful to stick your helmet out into the slipstream and let the wind blow some of the drops and spatters off of your faceshield or glasses. Moving your head around, a little bit, more frequently helps you to get a better picture of the road and traffic ahead of you when drops and runs are affecting your vision. At low speeds, around town, it may be possible to raise your faceshield for a bit, if you're wearing one, to provide an unobstructed view of the road ahead. A little rain shouldn't be a reason to stop riding if you pay little bit of attention to your comfort, traction and vision. |
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