The OTB old testament
 

Probably the one thing I miss most from the old twf was the wealth of OTB threads. They're all entertaining and educational and they should really be brought to this forum. I'm taking the liberty of copying and pasting some of his most informative ones here.
Hope you don't mind OTB.

Used Bikes: Making A Deal

The warm winds of spring are blowing, and just as sure as God made little green apples, some of you have got the "BUG". You know, the "I gotta have a bike, right now!" BUG. So keep yer money in yer pocket for a couple of minutes, and I'll share with you a couple of hints to hold on to as much of that "green" as possible, and still get the bike you "need", (want, lust after, have an aching hole in your soul for).

I am making a couple of assumptions: You've picked out a used bike, gone over it with a fine toothed comb, by yourself or with a knowledgeable buddy, checked the title, and you have a source of cash, and that this is from a private seller. Used bikes from a dealer and new bikes are a different kettle of fish because you are purchasing the bike from a business, so, for the business, it is strictly a financial transaction. Why is this distinction important? In a moment, you'll see.

Without getting all Zen on you, I'll say that in order to get the best deal, you have to know a little about what it is you are buying, yourself and other people, and that if you take the time to get this knowledge and apply it, you will achieve success in both this transaction and others in life.

Knowing your own motivations and limitations can be used to keep you from "giving away the store". What does that mean? It means that if you go look at every bike with a hyper kind of "I gotta have a bike, RIGHT NOW!" attitiude, you will cue the seller that he has an "easy mark". If you blurt out that "THIS is the bike I want!", you have just given away any bargaining position you may have held.....and that's OK if money isn't important to you.

But if getting and keeping dollars is as tough for you as it is for most of us, read on.

I'm NOT talking about "driving a hard bargain". Far from it. I'm talking about understanding what is really taking place in the process of buying and selling, and then using that understanding and a little self control to make everbody happy.

THE PROCESS

In order for a "sale" to take place, a couple of things have to happen. You need to have someone willing to sell something (in this case a used bike), you need to have a party willing to buy the product, you need to have the correct product (the "right" bike) and you need to agree on a price (and sometimes terms of the sale).

What frequently happens, is that our intrepid buyer (that's you, with money burning a hole in your pocket) find that bike you may be interested in in the classifieds, or Craigslist; listed at a price you think you can afford. You look up the bike, pouring over sexy photos of the bike and rider in full leathers in full lean, watching your buddies go riding with envy, building up a good head of Buyer's Fever...you've convinced your wife, your SO, and/or your parents that you NEED a bike, and they've OK'd it (or at least you've worn them down to the point where they've given up protesting and say "Fine, but don't come to ME when you kill yourself"). So, you rush on out with money in hand "Before someone else can get THAT bike", kick the tires, fondle its smooth lines, drool on the aftermarket pipe and make a halfhearted attempt to knock the guy down a couple hundred; and when he says the price is "firm", you hand over your hard earned cash for the asking price.


Try another way.

First, understand that there are PLENTY of good used bikes out there, ALL THE TIME. So if the one you want gets away, there will be more. So do your homework. Settle on a couple of models AND MODEL YEARS you may be interested in and then check out pricing for those models and years in KBB.com and NADA.com.

Now, start looking for and AT bikes; talking as little as possible, except to ask questions; questions like, "Why are you selling this bike?" ....and then LISTEN to the answer the seller gives. "How soon do you want to sell?"...and then LISTEN for the answer. Frequently, a motormouthed seller will give you all the information you need to make a great deal in answering just those two questions. Why?

Have you ever heard the term "motivated seller"? It's a catchall term for someone that wants to unload something as fast as possible...and that's what you are looking for; a motivated seller. We already know that you are a motivated buyer; you've got the bug so bad that you can barely sleep at night. If you listen carefully, sellers will tip you off to what's going on in their lives that motivated them to list that bike to begin with.

I once looked at a like-new 929rr that a VERY serious and intimidating cop was selling; after asking him the two questions, the dam broke and he poured forth with the fact that he had a new house, new furniture, and his wife just found out they were expecting and he needed the money RIGHT NOW. I asked him how much he "needed" for the bike, and he gave me a number almost a thousand below what he listed it for. I handed him the cash and rode it away. He was happy and so was I.

I looked at another bike that I had tried to see several times, but the seller kept cancelling and we kept missing each other; I nearly gave up. He called me out of the blue after a couple of weeks of this, I popped on over and inspected the bike. It had some mild neglect issues, and I told him so. I then asked him my two questions and then listened. He was going through a divorce, really didn't want to sell, but if he didn't have some cash TODAY, he was going to lose his house. I asked him how much he needed for his bike: he gave me a number almost 1500 below his listing. I gave hime the cash and took the bike. He was happy and so was I.

Notice I didn't make a "counter offer". I didn't have to. Yep, I could have saved another hundred of so, at the cost of good will. But I knew that both deals were well below what I knew they were worth ('cause I had done my homework), so I didn't have to embarrass myself or "beat the other guy up".

Ask questions, pay attention, and keep your mouth shut.

Happy hunting.
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Simple But Effective
I have two tips for new(er) riders to help with getting through the early stages of riding. Both are simple (so simple that people wonder if they really work; trust me, they do) but highly effective.

A. Remember to breath while riding, ESPECIALLY when tense. This is true of any physically challanging endeavor; instinct (flight or fight) has our bodies take in air and hold it during high stressor times; a holdover in our "lizard" brain times of "puffing up" to appear more intimidating to a foe. Great for making us look bigger to a competing organism, but most decreasing radius corners aren't impressed. The only result is a stiffening of our whole body (bad when you need to be able to react quickly) and oxygen deprivation (even worse). When you find yourself tensing up, remember to take large slow breaths; this will keep your blood more oxygenated and have the natural benefit of keeping muscles more relaxed and supple.

B. Kind of related, but more specific: don't lock your elbows or your wrists! Many modern sportbikes force you into the "monkey humping a football" posture, with much of your upper body weight on your wrists and arms. Newer riders have a tendency to lock their wrists and elbows in an effort to take some of the pressure off their back muscles. The end result is that all of the jostling and front suspension effect gets fed right up into your upper body, ecouraging a phenomenon known as "weave".

Little, minor oscillations get refed back into the frame/suspension interface by a tense, frightened rider, amplifying the oscillations and worsening the problem.

You also have less throttle and brake control when the controlling wrists are stiff:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...arch&plindex=3

This vid is a classic, but also because it is a classic "fear" reaction; the bike starts doing something the new rider does not expect, he tenses, the bikes starts to buck because of poor/stiff throttle control, the bucking causes his locked arms/wrists to feed more motion into the throttle, which increases the bucking motion and on and on until loss of control.

Tense, fearful, unsure of yourself? BREEEEAAAATHE and cock your elbows, relax your wrists and take up some of the weight with your stomach muscles (what better way to six-pack abs anyway?)

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Clutchless Upshifting
OTB started a discussion about this article on how clutchless upshifting is underrated way of shifting smoother. It made me adopt the practice and it saves tons of time and makes riding a lot more enjoyable.

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The hypothermia thread...
I was out delivering furniture yesterday; temp was around 50-55 and sunny in the early afternoon. Saw a number of bikers out; as the afternoon progressed, the sky clouded up and temperatures plummeted into the lower forties. I pulled up to a traffic light on Rt2 S next to a fellow on a TLR (Blue and White with Arrow cans; anybody here?) and noticed he was shivering almost uncontrollably while waiting for the light. Helmet, no bandanna or balaclava, tight fitting leather Suzuki leather jacket, jeans and high tops, regular gloves, no insulation or gauntlets (skin showing between jacket cuff and glove). Guy took off from the light poorly, wobbly and missed a shift, then disappeared into the distance. Hope he made it home ok.

You would think that anybody riding this time of year would be prepapred for rapid temperature drops; the rapidity of loss of heat when temps cycle down even 10 degree can be astounding. One minute the sky is sunny, warm and inviting, the next minute air temps can drop 10-20 degrees, putting the unprepared rider at risk.

Wikipedia describes Hypothermia as follows:
Normal body temperature in humans is 37(98.6°). Hypothermia can be divided in three stages of severity.
In stage 1, body temperature drops by 1-2°C below normal temperature (1.8-3.6°F). Mild to strong shivering occurs. The victim is unable to perform complex tasks with the hands; the hands become numb. Blood vessels in the outer extremities constrict, lessening heat loss to the outside air. Breathing becomes quick and shallow. Goose bumps form, raising body hair on end in an attempt to create an insulating layer of air around the body (limited use in humans due to lack of sufficient hair, but useful in other species). Often, a person will experience a warm sensation, as if they have recovered, but they are in fact heading into Stage 2. Another test to see if the person is entering stage 2 is if they are unable to touch their thumb with their little finger; this is the first stage of muscles not working.
In stage 2, body temperature drops by 2-4°C (3.6-7.2°F). Shivering becomes more violent. Muscle mis-coordination becomes apparent. Movements are slow and labored, accompanied by a stumbling pace and mild confusion, although the victim may appear alert. Surface blood vessels contract further as the body focuses its remaining resources on keeping the vital organs warm. The victim becomes pale. Lips, ears, fingers and toes may become blue.
In stage 3, body temperature drops below approximately 32°C (90°F). Shivering usually stops. Difficulty speaking, sluggish thinking, and amnesia start to appear; inability to use hands and stumbling are also usually present. Cellular metabolic processes shut down. Below 30°C (86°F) the exposed skin becomes blue and puffy, muscle coordination very poor, walking nearly impossible, and the victim exhibits incoherent/irrational behavior including terminal burrowing or even a stupor. Pulse and respiration rates decrease significantly but fast heart rates (ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation) can occur. Major organs fail. Clinical death occurs. Because of decreased cellular activity in stage 3 hypothermia, the body will actually take longer to undergo brain death . (emphasis is mine)

I have had mild hypothermia a couple of times while riding; it was terrifying, unpleasant and took a long time to recover from (like in the better part of a day). I grew up in Minnesota, and spent one year with no car and just a bike, so I've ridden in just about every type of weather, including snow and sub-zero (though I don't recommend it).

Hypothermia can occur up to 5 times faster when you add in rain or spray. Remember that with riding, we're not just concerned with ambient air temp, we're also concerned with wind chill. Riding a motorcycle (even a fully-faired sport bike) is pretty much like standing outside in a 60 mph wind blast. AT 40 degrees, that would have you suffering frostbite to exposed flesh in about 30 minutes...add rain with no raingear and you're looking at serious problems in a matter of minutes.

For safe cold-season riding, the key elements are gear that can first BLOCK the wind and water, INSULATE the rider from cold ambient air, and BREATHE enough to prevent perspiration wetting (as bad as wetting from rain or spray). A thrity degree day would prolly not be a good one for that mesh gear you bought. A one piece or zip-together two piece leather or heavy ballstic fabric unit is the way to go, with fleece or flannel-lined garments underneith. Tall neck closures, wrist closures, gauntleted gloves (heated is even better) and a neck gaiter or balaclava (I prefer a turtle fur balaclava because it also insulates my head more, where 40% of heat loss occurs.....you ARE wearing a full-coverage helmet, right?). Insulated sport-touring boots need to replace those racey (read thermo-formed, tight fitting) Aplinestars. Too tight means no airspace, which means no insulation, which means cold-feet-in-a-hurry. For those travelling regularly in the 40's and below, a set (vest, gloves and boot liners and/or chaps) of HEATED gear can keep you toasty even when the snow blows (but that's another story), as long as your charging system can handle the load.

Being caught out in the elements doesn't have to mean being dangerous, or even uncomfortable if you have the right gear. I have a heavy rain suit that has been used numerous times as an additional wind-blocking layer when the temps have dropped faster or further than anticipated. A friend of mine once used discarded foam sheets of packing material stuffed in his jacket when he got caught in an early-September cold front when the temps dropped 30 degrees in a matter of minutes. It wasn't pretty but it got him home safe.
Remember that cold temps mean cold tires, hard to see frost and more sand and gravel in the turns.......

If you've even been out riding in the cold and found yourselve shivering violently, making clumsy moves and bad decisions, you've been in the second stage of hypothermia...a potentially life-threatening condition.
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Beginners and Sport Bikes
Found this a while ago on BeginnerBikes.com (now defunct) and saved it, but misplaced the flash drive....found it on another site....very well put

These are not my words, but another author: very well put.

Form Equals Function: Sportbikes are Not Beginner Bikes

Introduction

Well, another riding season is upon us and as it always happens, we get lots of inquiries from potential new riders on how to get into the sport, what's a good first ride, where to take safety classes and so on. One particular type of inquiry that pops up with almost clockwork frequency is from a small number of new riders who wish to buy 600cc and up sportbikes as their first ride.

For the past year and a half, I, along with lots of other BB forum members, have entertained this question of 600cc sportbikes for a first ride with patience and lots and lots of repetition. It seems this small group of newbies keep coming back with the same arguments and questions over and over again. As a result, I am going to take the time in this column to try and put into words, answers that get repeated over and over on the BB forums.


This column is split into two parts. First, I would like to address the common arguments we see here as to why a 600cc sportbike simply must be a first ride along with rebuttals. Second, I want to cover the rationale behind why the BB community-at-large steers new riders away from these machines.

False Logic

On about a three month interval, a whole slew of questions pop up on the BB forum from potential riders trying to convince the community that a 600cc sportbike is a suitable first ride and then proceed to explain to us why they are the exception. I can almost set my clock to this pattern of behavior since it is almost swarm-like. I guess the newbies figure by swamping the forum with the same questions in lots of places we might trip up and endorse such a machine. Hasn't happened yet but they keep on trying.

For those of you that come to Beginner Bikes trying to convince us to endorse a 600cc sportbike, I offer you the following responses to your arguments.

I can only afford to get one bike so it might as be the one that I want.

I don't want to go through the hassle of buying and selling a used bike to learn on.
These two lines of reasoning pop up as one of the more common arguments. I am going to offer first a piece of wisdom which is stated with great regularity on the forums:

This is your first bike, not your last.

Motorcycle riders are reputed to change bikes, on average, once every two to three years. If this is the case (and it appears to be based on my observations), the bike you learn to ride on will not be in your garage in a few years time anyway whether you buy it new or used. You're going to sell it regardless to get something different, newer, more powerful, more comfortable, etc.

Yes, buying a bike involves effort and a financial outlay. Most of us simply cannot afford to drop thousands of dollars on a whim every time we want to try something new. Getting into riding is a serious commitment in time and money and we want the best value out it as much as possible.

However, if you can afford to buy outright or finance a 600cc or up sportbike that costs $7000 on average, you can probably afford to spend $2000 or so on a used bike to learn on. Most of the beginner sportbikes we recommend here (Ninja 250/500, Buell Blast, GS500) can all be found used for between $1500-$3000.

Done properly, buying and selling that first bike is a fairly painless process. Buying a used bike is no harder than buying new. I would argue it is a bit easier. No different than buying a used car from a private seller. If you've done that at least once, you'll know what to do in buying a used bike.

Selling a beginner bike is even easier. You want to know why? Because beginner bikes are constantly in demand (especially Ninja 250s). These bikes spend their lives migrating from one new rider to the next to act as a teaching vehicle. It is not uncommon for a beginner bike to see four or five different owners before it is wrecked or junked. There are a lot of people out there looking for inexpensive, reliable bikes and all of our beginner recommendations fit into that category.

If you buy a used Ninja 250R for $1500, ride it for a season or two, you can be almost guaranteed that you will be able to resell that bike for $1300 or so when you are done with it provided you take care of it. And on a bike like the Ninja 250R, the average turnaround on such a sale is two to three days. No joke. I had five offers on my Ninja 250R within FOUR HOURS of my ad going up on Cycle Trader. I put the bike on hold the same day and sold it four days later to a fellow who drove 500 miles to pick it up. My bike never made it into the print edition. Believe me, the demand is there.

And look at it this way: For those one or two seasons of riding using the above example, excluding maintenance costs which you have no matter what, you will have paid a net cost of $200 to ride that Ninja. That is extremely cheap for what is basically a bike rental for a year or two. Considering it can cost $300 or more just to rent a 600cc sportbike for a weekend (not including the $1500-$2000 security deposit), that is economic value that you simply cannot argue with.

Vanity Arguments

The beginner bikes you recommend are dated and ugly looking.

I want something that's modern and stylish.

I want a bike that looks good and that I look good on.

I call these the vanity arguments. These are probably the worst reasons you can have for wanting a particular bike.

I will not disagree that aesthetics plays a huge part in the bikes that appeal to us. Motorcycles are the ultimate expression in personal taste in vehicles. Far more than cars. Bikes are more personal and the connection between rider and machine is far more intimate on a bike than a car. On a bike, you are part of the machine, not just a passive passenger.

However, as entry into world of riding and with the temporarily status that most beginner bikes have in our garages, looks should be the least of your concerns. As long as the bike is in good repair and mechanically sound, that is usually enough for most new riders to be happy. Most riders are happy to ride and they will ride anything given the choice between riding or not riding.

If you are looking at bike mainly because of how it looks and/or how you will look it and how others will perceive you on it, take a good, long, honest look as to why you want to ride. There are lots of people out there who buy things strictly because of how it makes them appear in the eyes of others. It's shallow and vain but it is a fact of life. It shouldn't be a factor in choosing that first ride but it is. I won't deny that.

The difference is: a BMW or Mercedes generally won't leaving you hanging on for dear life if you stomp on the accelerator or throw you into the road if you slam on the brakes a little hard. Virtually ever sportbike made in the past 10-15 years will do both of those things given a chance to do so (for reasons that will be explained later in this column).

The population at large may think you're cool and look great on that brand new sportbike and ohh-and-ahh at you. The ohhs can quickly turn to screams of horror should, in your efforts to impress the masses, you wind up dumping your bike and surfing the asphalt. Will you still look cool with thousands of dollars in damage to that once-beautiful sportbike and with the signatures and well-wishes of your friends on the various casts you'll be wearing months afterwards?

You Be The Judge

I'm a big rider so I need a bigger bike to get me around.

I'm a tall rider and all of those beginner bikes just don't fit me the way the sportbike does.

I'll look huge and foolish riding on such a small bike.

My friends will laugh at me for riding something so small.

These arguments are almost as bad as the vanity arguments. The difference being is they simply show a lack of motorcycle knowledge for the most part.

Unless you are over 6'3" tall or are extremely overweight (meaning well over 300lbs), even the smallest 250cc motorcycle will be able to accommodate you without difficultly. To provide an example, the Ninja 250R has a load limit of 348 pounds. That is more than sufficient to accommodate a heavier rider in full gear and still leave plenty of space for cargo in tank, tail and saddle bags. Or enough to allow two-up riding between two average weight individuals.

The idea that bigger riders need bigger bikes is almost laughable. It's like saying small drivers need Honda Civics but bigger drivers only 100 pounds heavier need to drive Hummers to get around. Or Corvettes with plenty of power to pull their ample frames, as the analogy goes. It is only because of the small physical size of bikes compared to their users that this train of thought even exists. It simply doesn't hold up to scrutiny. A look at any motorcycle owner's manual will confirm that for you.

Tall riders suffer more from fit issues than weight issues. On this, they do have a point. I'm a taller rider (6'1"). I do fold up quite comfortably on the Ninja 250 which is considered a small bike. I found it perfect for my frame. Others haven't. Then again, my knees hit the bars on bikes like the Rebel 250 and Buell Blast. Just different ergonomics that didn't fit me.

For taller riders, a much better beginner fit is a dual-sport machine rather than a sport machine. They offer the high seat heights that make them comfortable rides and their power is well within acceptable limits. We have a small but vocal dual-sport community here and they will tell you, quite rightly, that a dual-sport is just as capable on twisty roads as a sportbike. The same properties that give sportbikes their cornering ability is also possessed by dual sports (high center of gravity).

As to peer pressure, I admit to taking more than my fair share of ribbing from my 600cc riding friends. Some of it good natured, some of it not. In the end, this argument falls into the vanity arena. Which is more important: Your safety and comfort on a bike or what your friends think?

The ways to deal with friends giving you a hard time about a smaller ride is very simple. Tell them to ride their rides and you'll ride yours. It's your ride, after all. Most true riders will accept other riders, no matter what they are on. Only posers and losers care that your ride doesn't measure up to their "standards". And if so, do you really want to be riding with them anyway? It's more fun to stand out than to be a member of a flock anyway. And if they don't buy that line of reasoning, try this one: "Well if you don't like my ride, why don't you go buy me something that you will like?". THAT will shut them up REALLY fast. It works too. Unless their name is on the payment book or the title, it shouldn't be their concern.

If your friends can't deal with your decisions, you're probably better off looking for new friends. And if you can't deal with the peer pressure, then you are putting your own safety at risk solely because of what others think. Revisit the vanity arguments above and think about why you want to ride.

Decision Justification Arguments

I'll take it easy and grow into the bike.

I'm a careful driver so I'll be a careful rider and not get into trouble.

I drive a fast car so I'll be able to handle a fast bike.

Other people have started on a 600cc sportbike and didn't get hurt. So why can't I?
These arguments are the most common ones put forth and the ones that are hardest to deal with. These are the arguments that start flame wars. Because it is on these arguments that you have to convince someone the idea of what a beginner bike is over their preconceived notions.

The arguments also often surface in what I call the "decision justification arguments". Many new riders have their heart set on a specific bike and often come to BB to ask about it not to get real advice but to get confirmation that their decision is right. In cruisers, standards, scooters and dual-sports, more often than not these "pre-decisions" are generally good ones. In sportbikes, more than 3/4 of the posters are trying to get the community to approve their choice of a 600cc machine as a first ride. Their shock is quite real when they are barraged with answers that don't meet their expectations and that is when a flurry of oft-repeated discussion ensues.

Let's take each argument in turn since these are the ones that turn up with regularity.

I'll take it easy and grow into the bike.

The purpose of a first bike is to allow you to master basic riding skills, build confidence and develop street survival strategies. You don't grow into a bike. You develop your skills on it. As your skills develop, so does your confidence and with it, your willingness to explore what the bike is capable of.

But you are also entering in a contract with the bike. It is two-way. You are going to expect the bike to act on your inputs and the bike in turn is going to respond. The problem is, your skills are still developing but the bike doesn't know that. It does what it is told. You want a partner in a contract to treat you fairly. On a bike, you don't want it fighting you every step of the way. And like most contracts, the problems don't start until there is a breakdown in communication or a misunderstanding.

In sportbikes, the disparity between a new rider's fledgling skills and the responsiveness of the machine are very far apart. That is a wide gulf to bridge when you are still trying to figure out what the best inputs and actions on the bike should be. Ideally, you want your bike to do what you tell it and do it nicely. You never want the bike to argue with you. Modern sportbikes, despite their exquisite handling will often argue violently right at the moment a new rider doesn't need them to.

Remember, riding is a LEARNED skill. It does not come naturally to the majority of us (save those like the Hayden brothers who were raised on dirt bikes from the moment they could walk). It must be practiced and refined. Riding is counter-intuitive to most new riders. It doesn't happen the way you expect. For example, at speeds over 25mph, to get a bike to go right, you actually turn the bars to the left. It's called counter-steering and it eventually comes naturally as breathing once you've been in the saddle for a while. But for new riders, this kind of thing is utterly baffling.

You want your skills to grow in a measurable and predictable fashion. You have enough to be fearful of riding in traffic. The last thing you need is to be fearful of what your bike might do when you aren't ready for it. It's never a good situation.

It is interesting to point out that only one manufacturer, Suzuki, explicitly states in their promotional material that their GSX-R family of sportbikes are intended for experienced riders. This also applies to several of their larger, more powerful machines (such as a GSX-1300R Hayabusa). If Suzuki issues such a warning for its top-flight sport machines, it is reasonable to say that the same warning would apply equally to similar machines from other manufacturers.


In Part One of this article, we covered a lot of the excuses that new riders give for wanting to start on a 600cc sportbike. This second half finishes off our discussion of this reasoning and discusses why high-powered sport machines are not the ideal beginner machine.

part 2 in next post....

beginners and sportbikes part 2

False Logic Completed
Last month, we covered many of the reasons new riders give to justify why they want or should get a 600cc sportbike. Now we finish with the last and most common excuses given.

I'm a careful driver so I'll be a careful rider and not get into trouble.

This is what I call the "I'm responsible and mature" argument. This one is a general excuse and does not apply to sportbikes in particular.

Recent studies have shown that 90% of all drivers feel that they have average to above-driving abilities compared to other drivers on the road. These drivers also said that they think 60% of those on the road are less skilled than they are. It's an interesting perception as it indicates a mentality that everyone else is sub-par, not you. Obviously someone has to be wrong because the percentages just don't add up.

A proper attitude towards driving as well as riding is essential. But these same drivers who see themselves as superior also engage in dangerous driving habits (aggressive weaving, illegal passing, bad merges, following too close, lack of attention to traffic/road conditions, etc). Very few drivers are truly honest with themselves and their ability to handle a vehicle.

The problem is, on a bike, the perception that you are responsible is not enough. On a bike, you must be. You either learn to be or you are going to be in trouble really quick. In talking with other riders I have found that they tend to be much more defensive and thoughtful drivers behind the wheel because riding raises their perception of their surroundings.

Ultimately, responsible and mature does not equate to riding skill. It has nothing to do with it except how you will approach riding in general. You want to know the sign of a responsible rider? Look at their gear. Are they in full safety gear? Watch them ride. If you are seeing them turn their heads to clear their blind spots, making careful and smooth maneuvers, leaving a nice, safe amount space around them and working to maximize your chance of seeing and knowing what they are doing, then you are looking at a responsible rider.

Now do the same exercise and watch the drivers around you. How many turn their heads to check their blind spots, signal lane changes, leaving several car lengths of space in front of them, weave in and out of traffic or dash to the end of a ramp and then attempt to force themselves onto the highway rather than yield like they are supposed to? I'm willing to bet it's not going to be a pretty significant percentage. Now imagine these same individuals on a bike. I'm sure you'll be able to spot more than a few of these types on bikes to (just look for the T-shirts and flip-flops as they blast by you at 100mph on the Interstate on the right).

How you approach the task of driving is how you will approach riding. Attention to the task of riding is the number one way you avoid trouble by not getting into it in the first place. Study your own driving habits. Good habits will definitely keep your chances of getting into trouble but they have little to do with controlling a motorcycle. Any motorcycle. Many lax drivers often become much better drivers as the result of riding a motorcycle. It is far less common for it to go in the other direction.

I drive a fast car so I'll be able to handle a fast bike.

Of all the excuses and justifications, this one is my personal favorite. It is in the top three most common excuses given and it shows a complete and utter lack of motorcycle knowledge. It is a statement made out of naivety rather than ignorance.

Most of the folks who make this statement own fast cars (Corvette, Mustang, Acura, modified Civic, etc) or think they do. The belief is that if you can drive fast in a car you can handle a bike that can go fast. I would argue unless these folks race cars on weekends, driving a car that can go fast does not make them a experienced high-speed driver. And for those that do understand how to handle a car at high speed, it gives you knowledge of braking and traction but even that knowledge is useless for one simple reason:

Bikes are not cars.

Braking, traction control, acceleration and handling are totally different on a motorcycle. Cars do not lean. Bikes do. When bikes lean, it changes the part of the tire contacting the ground (the contact patch/ring) and changes the stability and dynamics of the bike from moment to moment. The physics of motorcycle control are in a league of their own. Even the ability to race cars will not give you instant godhood on a motorcycle.

Are you aware that a racing motorcycle (any 600cc supersport made today basically) when it is turning is touching the ground with an amount of rubber equal to a couple of postage stamps? The same applies to any street bike at deep lean angles except they don't have the advantage of a smooth surface to hold on to or sticky race tires. Now imagine having to control the power and the amount of traction you are getting in that space.

Like being responsible, the ability to handle a car at high speed has nothing to do with handling a fast motorcycle. You are missing two wheels, a cage and a seatbelt on a bike. Turning at 70mph becomes a whole different world on a motorcycle compared to car. Braking is a different experience too. It is fairly hard to stand a car on its front fender if you stomp on the brakes. It can be done with two fingers, a good amount of speed and a moment of panic on a sportbike. The only cars that have brakes equal or better than that of a sportbike built in the last 10 years is a Formula One race car.

The skills to handle the potent combination of acceleration, instant-on power and brakes are best learned on a smaller machine so when you finally get on that ultimate sportbike, you have an idea of what to do and how to handle the machine. Driving a car won't give you that. Only time in the saddle, the more, the better.

Other people have started on a 600cc sportbike and didn't get hurt. So why can't I?

This is probably the number one reason that pops up. However, it isn't so much a reason as an observation. And it is a true one. Every year, lots of new riders go to their local dealerships or scour their local ads and bring home a brand new or used 600cc sportbike. And many of those riders do successfully manage to get through their learning process on these machines.

The purpose of a first ride more than any other is to get the risk of riding for the first year or two as low as possible. You want your margin of forgiveness in the bike to be as wide as possible. A 600cc sportbike gives you very little of that. Yes, a 600cc down low is a tame if sensitive machine. However, it takes very little twist on the throttle to induce a large jump in rpm's. A brief bump on a pothole with a death grip on the throttle can introduce a 4000rpm jump in the blink of an eye (speaking from personal experience). In an experienced rider's hands, this is alarming but recoverable. A gentle rolloff or a little clutch feathering manages the surge nicely. In the hands of a newbie trying to figure out the best reaction to such a scare, a rapid closeoff or a panic brake is often the result and can get you into trouble very, very quickly.

Yes, a new rider can start on a 600cc sportbike. It is NOT RECOMMENDED! The reason this line of reasoning pops up so often is because everyone feels they are the exception rather than just another new rider. It makes sense. It's hard to think of oneself as just another face in the crowd. As a rider, I know I am just another average rider. Although I have track aspirations, I have no doubt as to where my skill level is and it is definitely not in (or ever was) in the "start on a 600cc exceptional group".

In the end, to deal with this line of reasoning is going to involve the new rider, not the one giving the advice. No one can stop that person from going out and buying a 600cc sportbike as a first ride. And maybe they will succeed and crow about all the bad advice they received on starting small. Great! They were the exception.

What you don't hear about are the non-exceptional people. Very, very few new riders who start on 600s come back to talk about their experiences if they aren't in the "I've had no problems." group. On the forums recently, there have been a couple folks who admitted they got 600cc sportbikes to start on and indicated that it had been a less-than-ideal choice. This type of honesty is refreshing and it is very, very rare. I am grateful these riders stepped up.

Most of the time, we never learn the fate of those riders who start on 600s. Some make it and simply never bother to tell their tales except to friends. Some wind up scaring themselves so badly (by getting out of control or by actually dumping the bike and injuring themselves) that they sell off and never ride again. These types can be found. Just troll the ads for new supersports with one owner and low miles. The worst of this class of riders are the ones who become "born again safety advocates". These riders who scare themselves out of riding occasionally become preachers that tell anyone who will listen that "motorcycles are dangerous and should be banned". What they don't tell those they are preaching to is how they got that way. It's bad enough having to deal with the general public (who are at least honestly unaware of what riding is about) but a lot worse to be sabotaged from within by someone who did it to themselves and got in over their head.

Then there is the last group of these "started on a 600cc sportbike" riders that never tell us their tales. They never do because they can't. Instead, they enjoying peaceful surroundings and occasional visits by bereaved family and friends. They made that one mistake, that one error that compounded into a tragedy of inexperience. They can never tell us what that error was so we can learn from it and maybe also tell us that they should have started on something smaller. They were successful right until the point their skills and luck ran out. This can happen to any of us on any bike. But, in the end, new riders on a powerful sportbike can be a recipe for disaster.

Be honest with yourself. Very honest. Take the advice and wisdom of others more experienced than you and consider what they are saying. They may have a point. But if you opt for that 600cc sportbike, be assured you will still be accepted as a rider and still encouraged to act as safely as possible at all times.

The Final Equation

We've covered the reasons why people justify or want to get a 600cc sportbike. But we have one more thing to answer and it is simple: What makes these bad bikes to start on?

Sportbikes are built as racing machines, pure and simple. They are built in response to guidelines laid down by racing bodies for a particular class and made to win races in that class. Ducati, for example, spends most of their existence building bikes to win races. Since 1950, Ducati was always a racing bike manufacturer first and their products reflected that philosophy. A by-product of winning races is the fact that people see those winning machines and want to ride them (if you're going to ride, you might as well ride the best as it goes). It didn't take the motorcycle manufacturers long to figure out that there was a market demand for these machines and reacted accordingly.

Sportbikes represent a technological arms race. This has really become apparent in the past 5-10 years where new models eclipse last years models with better performance and capability with each passing year. To compare a 1989 Honda CBR600F Hurricane (the original CBR) to a 2007 CBR600RR is pointless. There is no comparison except in the model designation showing a distant family relation. The new CBR is lighter by at least 50 pounds and packs 40 percent more power, handling and braking ability that makes the original CBR look like a ponderous dinosaur. But just because that original CBR dinosaur has been eclipsed doesn't make it any more tamable. If anything, older sportbikes are far more temperamental than the descendants.

Consider the fact that this year a privateer (independent racer) bought a Yamaha YZF-R1 off the showroom floor, took off the lights and mirrors, added a race belly pan, exhaust and tires and placed in the top ten at the AMA Superbike race at Daytona. The bike was two weeks off the floor and basically stock (the modifications with the exception of the pipe are required). Since factory sponsored teams tend to take the top slots, any privateer that can break in the top ten is doing well by anyone's definition.

Because sportbikes (and especially 600s since they compete in the most populous racing class out there) are designed first as racing machines, they are built with handling, acceleration and speed in mind. Not just one quality at the expense of others but all of them in abundance! Centralizing the mass of the bike at the center of gravity (CoG) gives the bike neutral stability. The high riding position and the perching of the rider over the CoG gives the bike the ability to flick over rapidly.

The steering geometry and short wheelbase of these bikes is designed to provide short and rapid directional changes. Combined with the higher CoG and mass centralization, the steering setup is what gives sportbikes their amazing turning ability.

Engine designs vary but have settled on V-twins and inline fours as the preferred choices. The sportbike V-twins are liquid-cooled, high-rpm engines designed to generate massive torque (hence acceleration) and power in the mid-range of their design limits. Witness the success of Nicky Hayden and Miquel Duhamel on the Honda RC51 in AMA Superbike as testament to the massive grunt these engines put out. So potent in fact that the AMA changed the rules for the following season to even the odds between the V-twins and inline fours. The inline four equipped bikes simply couldn't outpower the twins on curvy portions of the race circuit.

The inline four is by far the most common engine layout in sportbikes including all 600cc sport designs (the Ducati 620SS has a V-twin but is air-cooled and the bike is not a racing machine). All of the sportbikes that new riders lust after are equipped with this engine design. High-rpm capability (redlines vary between 11K and 16K rpm), liquid cooled and designed to produce peak power at very high rpms. The inline four delivers smooth and increasing power as the throttle is opened. Power tends to build to the peak point, at which power the engine will tend to surge to peak power and fall off as the peak point is crossed. Although nowhere near as bad as a race-tuned two-stroke (which literally double their horsepower as the engine transitions to peak power), the engine displays its roots as a racing thoroughbred.

A 1mm or 1/16 of an inch twist of the throttle can easily result in a 2000-4000rpm jump. You can be cruising along at a sedate 4000rpm, hit a pothole and suddenly find the bike surging forward with the front end getting light at 7000rpm. Definitely unnerving the first time you experience it.

And then there are the brakes. Braking technology has gotten progressively more potent over the past ten years. Even older sportbikes sport twin disc setups with two or four piston calipers designed to get these bikes down from 150mph to 60mph as quickly as possible. Current generation bikes are unreal. These brakes have grown to six piston calipers with massive discs whose sole job is to slow a 180mph missile down to corner speed in the shortest distance possible. If you ever watch racers, notice that they tend to only use two fingers to brake. They don't need anymore than that. The brakes are almost too powerful. And accidents happen on the track a lot due to bad or late braking.

All of these qualities produce an exquisite riding machine. The problem is, all of these qualities are designed to operate at extremes since it is under extreme conditions that these bikes are intended to operate. For the street, these capabilities are overkill. A hard squeeze of the front brake on the street can easily get a sportbike to lock its front wheel. Same applies to an over-aggressive stomp on the rear brake. No matter which way you slice it, highsides hurt.

The powerful engine can literally get you from 0 to 45mph in the blink of an eye in first gear. Come up one gear and you can be at 70mph with the slightest drop of your wrist. Add in one bump at speed without knowing what the throttle is going to do and suddenly you aren't at 70mph anymore. You're at 90+ mph and the bike is tickling its "sweet spot". At this speed, you better not panic. If you botch the slowdown from this error (either by a rapid rolloff or a shift), you can find yourself in serious trouble.

The handling capabilities of sportbikes actually make them wonderful machines to ride once you are used to thinking where you want to go. This actually gives them great beginner qualities (if on the extreme end). The downside is this perfect handling is slaved to amazing power on tap and the brakes that can back it off just as quickly.

In the final equation, a 600cc sportbike is little more than a racing machine with street parts bolted on. They aren't designed for street use; they are adapted to it. But no compromises are made in that transition. The same R6, GSX-R600, ZX-6RR or CBR600RR you can buy off the showroom floor can be converted in an afternoon, be at the track the next day and wind up winning races. And the sportbikes from 10 years ago were the R6s, Gixxers, Ninjas and CBRs of their day. They possessed the same qualities that their modern descendants do just not with the same maximums. Even today on the street, a 15 year old sportbike is little different than its 2003 cousin. The 2003 might accelerate quicker, stop shorter and lean farther but at the speeds us mortals ride at, there will be little difference.

Sportbike technology has gone an amazing distance in twenty years. Performance and ability has almost doubled in that time. But rider ability has not and a new rider from 20 years ago would still have the same challenges then as a new rider would today on an R6.

Sportbike form evolved to meets its function: to win races. Always has, always will. And riders will lust after these technological marvels for that reason. Can you start out on one? Yes. But you can also pretend to be a GP racer on a smaller sportbike that gives up nothing to its bigger brothers where most of us spend our riding days. It is always more satisfying to smoke a 600cc or 1000cc sportbike in the twisties on a Ninja 250 or GS500 than a bigger bike.

But when you are ready to answer the call of the Supersport, they will be waiting for you and you'll be better off having honed your skills on the smaller sportbike. Supersports are not beginner bikes. But they make great second and third bikes.

The choice is yours.

Buying from a dealership
I've previously posted about my method of buying and selling used bikes from private parties. Now we can discuss purchasing bikes from dealers (new and used).

First, some terms:

A. List.
List price, like in what the Suggested Retail Price is, if you went to the Manufacturers web site and looked up the model you want, they LIST the price.

B. Invoice.
The price the Manufacturer charges the dealership for a particular bike on an Invoice. This MAY or MAY NOT be what the dealer actually pays.

C. Overhead
What it costs the dealer to maintain the dealership and pay everybody, including the gov't. If the dealer doesn’t make enough on each unit to pay overhead, he won’t be around to service your warranty issues……

D. Front End Money
Direct Dealer or Manufacturer discounts that the buyer MAY OR MAY NOT see on the buyers order.

E. Buyers Order
In most states, this is a formal and legally binding document (binding on the dealership, once signed by an authorized manager or representative; usually not just a salesman). The dealership is required to honor the sales conditions stated on the Buyer’s Order; the consumer can get up and walk away anytime UP TO TAKING DELIVERY OF THE DEAL. Once you have driven the bike off the lot….it’s your’s, baby.

F. Back End Money
Manufacturer or other special incentives or discounts, either to the dealership, or to the salesman on the contract. Usually never seen by the consumer. These discounts can be spifs, spins, direct rebates to the dealers, discounts based on volume, rebates of regional advertising money, discounts on flooring money if the manufacturer is carrying flooring contracts. They are almost NEVER negotiable. They are the monies that operate the dealership.

G. Flooring Money
The cost to the dealership to a bank, finance company or manufacturer to "floor" the bikes. Many dealerships may have hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in inventory on the "floor" (showroom and warehouse) at any given time; few dealers can afford to pay cash for this inventory, so most dealerships use a bank or other financial institution to loan them the money, like a revolving charge account, with the inventory as collateral.

F. ADDS
Add-ons, ADM (additional dealer markup); these are things like “paperwork fees”, “setup fees”(all major manufacturers rebate a standard amount for dealer prep or setup to the dealer…, charging you for dealer prep is another way to get a few extra bucks out of your pocket),“processing fees” ect. In some states these are not allowed, in some states they are MANDATED, and in others, the statutes are silent. Check your local MVA. In states where these fees are not mandated, all of these adds are negotiable.

G.FREIGHT, TAXES and TAG FEES
These are fixed costs and are not negotiable.

H. Discount
This is the amount of money you NEGOTIATE off the list price of the vehicle…. The more the merrier.

Notice that everything I mentioned here has only to do with money and expenses; that's because in order to get a good experience in buying a new bike (or used bike from a dealer), you need to know where you are, what you are doing and what you can expect. Dealerships are BUSINESSES. Good dealership managers and owners may run them like they were the local bike social hangout, rendezvous spot or biker cafe', but in the end they are businesses, and MUST MAKE MONEY TO REMAIN VIABLE.

Note also, that the salesman you get can make or break your experience or view of that dealership. If you get an a$$wipe of a salesman, (and there are some), ask for somebody else, or leave the dealership and come back when somebody else is working. If you like the guy, stick with him, even if you need to come back several times (like, make an APPOINTMENT with the guy and keep it). Most of these guys work on commission, so if you find a good one, use him, and refer your friends.

A million books have been written on the psychology of selling; go to your local library and check one out if you have interest … my goal here is for the neophyte bike buyer to understand the “mechanics” of purchasing a new bike so that he (or she) may have a better chance of getting a decent deal.

To get the best deal possible, pay attention to OTB’s BIKE BUYING BASICS:

1. Remember…this is a sportbike purchase: not the end of the world if it doesn’t go the way you’d like. Keep your sense of humor and have fun.
2. You will get the best price in the middle of February when the showroom is empty and the salesmen are all staring at the snow blowing by the showroom window, NOT in May when you have to take a number and stand in line to get somebody’s attention.
3. The average salesman will have done this 20 times in the last week and a half…. You get to do this once every three or four years…. Who do you think is better at it?
4. If there are four people behind you waving money at the salesman to buy that one limited edition, Ohlins suspended, Rossi signature one-off factory special, of which each dealership gets only one …. Don’t be a buttwipe and get huffy when the salesman turns down your offer of $1000 under invoice. If it’s that important to get something off of list, pick a slow moving model…..and don’t be such an a$$.
5. Don’t be a wimp… if you don’t ask, you won’t get it, and the worst that will happen is that somebody will say “no”.
6. Don’t be an a$$: nobody gets reamed at dealerships like arrogant ba$tards that treat the salesman like the “bloody hired help”. Be a prick and they’ll pack so many adds into your deal, it’ll take you a week to figure out what you actually paid (see #3). We used to call it the “nuisance tax”.
7. Be nice, no matter what happens. Ever if the dealership treats you lousy…because:
8. Not matter what happens, NOBODY CAN MAKE YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY IF YOU DON’T WANT TO. Getting treated badly?…go somewhere else, pick a different model, manufacturer, buy a good used bike instead of new…….

Negotiating;
I can only tell you what works for me; not everybody will be comfortable with the same approach.

A. Do your homework: find out what the msrp is on the bike(s) you are interested in before going. Write the number(s) down in a little notebook you can take with you.

B. Go to the manufacturer's website before you go to see what special promos they have going on; write them down in your notebook.

C. Go to the dealership website before you go, to see what promos they have going; write them down in your notebook.

D. Set a reasonable price you are willing to pay before you walk out the door...that means sit down and write out the purchase price, taxes tags and any other fees you may have to pay...setup and "paperwork" fees to the dealership ain't it, unless your state mandates them...otherwise, they are just adds and you shouldn't pay them. Note...don't be a "Payment" buyer...looking for an acceptable monthly payment regardless of the price...more than one buyer has gone home with a bike and a great monthly payment, only to discover (sometimes years later) that he'll be making that great payment for 60 or even 72 or 84 months!!!!!!! 3-4 years should be the max you want to pay for that thing....

E. Act like a complete noob at the dealership; don't try to impress the salesman with your deep knowledge. A good salesman knows more about the bike than you ever will know, so let him tell you about it. A bad one will be making stuff up left and right; that's why you need to do your homework. If you keep your mouth shut as much as possible, you will not just learn some things about the bike, you will also learn something useful about the person you are negotiating with.

F. ASK THE SALESMAN what kind of deal you can get...go into his office and sit down and have him WRITE IT OUT on a buyer's order. Most people cannot keep numbers straight in a detailed conversation of price and costs. Have him write them down. Understand that, until numbers are on a signed buyers order, everything is just TALK. That means, if they promise you a helmet and a jacket, or a free 1000 mile service, or WHATEVER...that until it's on the buyer's order, or on a separate coupon or letter...that it doesn't exist...it's vaporware. If the salesman gives you an out-the-door price and/or extra goodies, have him put it on the buyer's order...prices or terms on the back of a business card are not enforceable... a signed buyer's order is.

G. Be relaxed, be friendly....this is a big game, so go have fun with it.

H. Don't give up until you've heard "No" three times...then they really mean it.

I. After you've settled on a price, don't be afraid to ask (nicely) for that helmet or that jacket or the free first service (or all three)....be nice, but tell them you really NEED that whatever to seal the deal...and remember "H" above....

J. To take some of the pressure off, understand that IN MOST STATES (check with your DMV) that UNTIL YOU TAKE PHYSICAL DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE (i.e. ride it away) that you can walk away from the deal at any time, with no cost to you.

Now, understand that there may be great pressure put on you NOT to walk away, but they can't force you to buy something you don't want, AS LONG AS YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN DELIVERY (then it becomes a used bike; YOUR used bike). So if you get the heeby jeebies about a deal, or find out another dealership has a better deal, you can cancel the deal and get any deposit back (in MOST states, so check first) AS LONG AS YOU HAVEN"T TAKEN DELIVERY. I AM NOT A LAWYER SO FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR STATE'S LAWS BEFORE YOU GET IN A JAM....NOT AFTER.

Remember, doing your research after you've done the deal is a waste of time.

Go have fun.

Is This A Good Deal?
I read all the time on here, "I just bought a Suzikawiyamda Gps 1125 and paid 12,000 rupees for it. Did I get a good deal? My friends say I got ripped off. What's the deal?" or the famous " My friend is selling his 1978 Van Veen OCR 1000 with only 123,000 miles on it for $12,400. Is this a good price?"

There are so many factors that go into bike pricing (new and used) that it is ALMOST impossible to say what constitutes a "GOOD DEAL". So many factors are subjective, and what is a good deal to one might be a crummy deal to someone else.

I used to buy a bike and literally ride the wheels off of it, racking up tens of thousands of miles in a single year. When I started looking at major rebuild money, then and only then would I start looking to replace my mount, so my motivation was to buy a good, reliable bike, preferably new with a factory warranty so I would have no worries for a while. My modus operendi was to shop the two or three dealers of the brand/model i wanted within a hundred mile range, working each of them back and forth to save a few bucks (my first Suzuki 250 was $895 list...new...not a lot of room to negotiate). I might ride up to 100-150 miles to save a hundred bucks. (Gas was $.25 a gallon, too).

Today, I buy and sell bikes as a hobby, and may change bikes more often than some folks change their underwear. So far this year, I've bought and sold 6, and am looking at 2 more. So, my motivation is different. What constitutes a good deal today, FOR ME, is anything I can turn quickly (1 to 2 weeks) and make a reasonable profit ($500-1000) selling the bike a few hundred under "book" value.

By the same token, all those folks this spring that busily threw thousands of dollars at Ducati dealers, just for the privilidge of paying several thousand dollars ABOVE MSRP for a new 1098, were thrilled to death...otherwise they never would have paid that kind of money. Status can be a powerful motivator.

Many people with no or marginal credit pay MSRP or more, because the dealer could get them financed when nobody else could. Did they get a good deal?????? They're riding, aren't they?

I read a post on here recently from someone in New Brunswick who has limited access to dealerships (hundreds of miles between them, and hardly any used bikes on the market); their idea of a good deal is going to be much different from somebody in LA, who has access to 10-15 dealers of the same brand.

Model availability, dealer access (or lack of) perceived exclusivity, status, physical location, access to credit, all play as factors in what constitutes a "good deal". Do your research, shop around as best you can, make the best deal YOU CAN....and then don't look back; keep your eyes on the road, not on the past.

ENJOY YOUR RIDE
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Dealer Financing
To Dealer Finance, or Not To Dealer Finance; THAT is THE Question.

TERMINOLOGY:

"Business Manager":

This is the F&I guy (finance and insurance)......this is the guy in most dealerships, whether you meet him or not, who approves or gets bank approval for your loan through the dealership. You might only ever deal with the salesman...but this or the GM are the guys who approve every deal. This is also the guy who generates most of the profit on the sales floor. I'll tell you how, later.

"Buy Rate"

This is the percentage rate APR;( Annual Percentage Rate)the bank will approve TO THE DEALERSHIP, FOR YOUR LOAN. It is based on credit worthiness, debt ratio, homeowner vs renter status and the Humbolt Current.

"Contract Rate"

This is the percentage rate (APR) the dealership puts on the contract that you sign. The difference between the Buy Rate and the Contract Rate goes to the dealership.

"Loan Insurance"

This is an insurance policy benefiting the bank...if you lose your job, die, or become disabled during the term of the loan, the loan gets paid off. Just like the bank rate, there is a "Buy" and "Contract" rate to the dealership...the difference goes to the dealership. Are you starting to get the picture?

"Extended Warranty"

New motorcycles come with a manufacturer's warranty; the term of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Dealerships offer "extended warranties", carried either through the manufacturer (rare) or through a third party Warranty Company (most common). These extended warranties are simple insurance policies for the operation of your bike: follow the requirements of the warranty (for service and maintanence, and have the documents to PROVE IT) and the warranty company will pay for service problems AS STATED IN YOUR POLICY. THAT MEANS YOU BETTER READ AND UNDERSTAND YOUR POLICY BEFORE YOU SIGN FOR IT. If yuo ythink you are buying a "Nose to Tail" (or Bumper to Bumper) policy, and you don't read it, and you bring the bike in for service and find out that a lot of what you THOUGHT was covered was considered "Normal Wear" items....you are going to be shocked!! READ THE DAMN POLICY BEFORE YOU BUY IT!!!!
Just like evrything else you've read about so far here, there is a "Buy" rate and a "Contract" rate....the difference going to the dealership......sigh.

The point of all this is:

A. You are dealing with a business....and everything that business has to offer COSTS MONEY. Everybody in that business needs to get paid...and you (the buyer) pay them by making purchases. That's the deal.

B. The PRICE of just about everything in that dealership is NEGOTIABLE; from the purchase price of the bike, to the cost of a pair of gloves. REMEMBER that when they quote you a 19.5% APR on that loan.......

C. I can't tell you whether insurance or an extended warranty is a good idea for YOU (just ask jtemple; http://www.twowheelforum.com/showthread.php?t=17964), everybodies' circumstances are different.....just remember that OFTEN you can get it for less, if you ask.

I've heard folks on here rip a dealer for putting somebody out on a high rate...but often, the dealers' relationship with a bank is what gets otherwise poor or marginal buyers loans, who wouldn't normally qualify. Yep, sometimes a dealer will "take advantage" of an ignorant buyer...but who's fault is that...nobody throws the buyer on the floor, drugs him (or her) and makes them sign. If I sign stuff without reading it or understanding what the F##@ I'm signing: well, SHAME ON ME!!!

READ EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU SIGN

Two-Up Riding

Two-Up Considerations

Let me first say that I make a lousy motorcycle passenger; admittedly critical of my own riding, I'm absolutely paranoid about entrusting my welfare to someone else on two wheels. That being said, there are times when you may want or even need (in an emergency situation, breakdown, ect) to put someone in the pillion seat. If you're going to do it, you'll need to know the dynamics of taking on a passenger, as well as how to "train" that person so that you both arrive at your destination safely and unfrazzled.

Understand two things: 1. My comments here are reserved for sport and naked style bikes; the dynamics for heavier touring and cruiser bikes are similar but not exactly the same, but there are enough differences for me to make this disclaimer.

2. The techniques I offer are what have worked for me; others may have different preferences; so be it.

A few months ago, there was a series of photos circulating (I think they were killboy photos) of a young couple negotiating a rather steeply banked tight turn at a considerable angle of bank, the passenger smiling and waving at the camera in her shorts, tennis shoes and tanktop; (at least they were both helmeted). As the series of photos progresses, you can see the front wheel begin to tuck under, (the passenger still waving back at the camera, blissfully unaware of her own impending doom); and then the final series of shots of a jumble of bare arms, legs and the bottom of the bike, sliiiiiding across the pavement.

Nightmare, pure and simple.





Modern day sportbikes are little more than yesterdays racebikes fitted with lights and a horn.They are engineered to within a gnat's patoot to be the most responsive, precise, demanding and light machines EVER SEEN. A host of a suspension adjustements are available in 2-5% increments with just the click of a knob or twirl of a screwdriver, and tiny adjustments can make huge differences in chassis response. Riders practise their knee dragging skills, experimenting with just at what angle should they hang there knee; experimenting to see if they should scooch forward against the tank another half-inch to get the best traction in that downhill left-hander.

Now against this backdrop of precision and performance, how many of you have seen our hero, Lance Squidly, powering down the interstate on the latest techno-marvel sportbike decked out in shorts, wifebeater and sandals; with a 120 lb honey also so appropriately dressed, hanging out over the back, arms behind her on the bikes tail. Hold that picture in your mind.

Let me preface the rest of this with the admonishment that if you have'nt come to terms with the fact that gear, as much of it and as good quality as you can afford is mandatory, then the rest of this is just pi$$in in the wind; and that anybody you invite on the back ALSO NEEDS GEAR. PERIOD. The only exception would be an emergency situation where you are transporting someone stranded.

Chassis dynamics.

If raising or lowering ride hight a half-inch, or increasing or decreasing preload 5-10 lbs can have a measurable effect on handling, IMAGINE what plunking a 120 sack of pototoes on the back of your bike would feel like!.

What happens.

When you add that passenger, a couple of things immediately happen....

A. Due to the limited space on a motorcycle, the location of the passenger is over OR BEHIND the rear axel; this compresses the rear suspension, increasing preload, decreasing both available suspension travel and reducing ground clearance. Grounding hard parts becomes a real concern.

B. Depending on the bike, the relative weight of rider and passenger and their positions on the bike, the front suspension may compress or EXTEND! You have moved a large weight (the passenger) out on or past the centerline of the rear axel, this weight can act as a lever to actually REMOVE weight from the from wheel! This is why the vast majority of sportbike sngle vehicle crashes are usually low side front wheel washouts...decreased traction from an unloaded front tire.

C. Due to the compression of the rear suspension and the unloading or at least lower relative compression of the front, you increase the front steering static rake and trail, slowing steering inputs during acceleration and nuetral throttle.

D. During braking, because of the placement and long "Lever arm" of the passenger (the location of the weight of the passenger relative to static Center of gravity) you will experience more nose dive, and even suspension bottoming of the fork...this REDUCTION of rake and trail during braking causes QUICKENING of the steering, just when you need it least!

E. The additional weight causes an INCREASE in panic braking distances, and a decrease in maximum acceleration, plus an increased tendancy to wheelie due to the rear weight bias.

From a strictly performance perspective, this all appears bad; but the passenger isn't (or shouldn't be) a static load; and can contribute to if not icreasing overall performance, then at least ameliorating some of the negative effects.

Training a passenger is very similar to traing the rider....gear up, take it slow, and explain things along the way. The worst thing you can do to a new passenger is to surprise them. It's not enough to say "put your feet here and hang on". Hang on to what? That vestigal "grab rail" BEHIND the passenger? Your jacket? The tank? What?

Being a passenger on a modern sportbike usually means you are placed behind and anywhere between 2-6 inches HIGHER than the rider....go look at the placement of your own bike's passenger pad. That placement accentuates all the bikes movements relative to the passenger, plus, they have no handlbars to hang on to.

What I Do.

When someone rides with me as a pasenger, we first do a cockpit familiarization, just like I do with a new rider. They need to know what does what, so that they can learn to read and anticipate what the bike is going to do. This decreases surprises, and increases passenger (and rider) comfort. I then SHOW them how to get on the bike, and where to place their feet, then I get on the bike, and have them get on behind me. All of this with the motor OFF SO THEY CAN HEAR EVERYTHING.

We then talk about hand placement (on my hips or around my waist) and the fact they can use their hands on the tank as bracing during braking. We talk about what NOT to do (lean back, lean upright during cornering) and we talk about what I might do that I don't want them to do (hang out a knee or slide a buttcheek to the inside of a turn). I talk about the absolute requirement that they keep their feet on the pegs AT ALL TIMES, EVEN AT A STOP. If I have a bike with a centerstand, I may demonstrate the do's and don'ts so they know what these things feels like.

I also talk about the technique of keeping the head level with the horizon to prevent disorientation and to quell the fear of leaning, and to look through the turn. (If a lot of this sounds like what you learned in MSF rider class, it's because it IS).

We then go for a short familiarization ride, preferably in an empty parking lot, just for me to get a feel for what having a passenger is like, and for them to get a feel for the sounds and motion of the bike. THIS IS A LIKELY TIME YOU MAY DUMP IT IF YOU ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY CAREFUL. The additional high weight at low speeds and stops increases your chances of overbalancing at a stop and putting you both on the ground, so PAY ATTENTION!

Now go do your riding in low traffix areas, gradually working up the pace to a relaxed one.

You're not Freddie Spencer, so keep the pace cool; otherwise you'll risk having your helmet slapped by that frightened passenger, and remember that you have less ground clearance, less performance, and less traction when you might need it, and ride accordingly.

Sportbike riding with a passenger can be a rewarding experience, or it can be terrifying for the rider and the passenger; it just depends on how you approach it. Treat your passenger with respect, and train them right and you can have mucho fun WITHIN THE CONFINES OF REDUCED PERFORMANCE. Just like riders, different passengers have different tolerences and skills for speed and performance. A skilled and willing passenger can change your whole perception of riding two-up, increasing everybodies fun. Dragging someone unskilled and afraid into high-speed situations is not funny, and can be deadly.

Ya'll Be Careful Out There.....
Well, the holiday has barely started, and there are already two reports of downed riders on the news locally.

I make it a habit of NOT riding on holiday weekends because of the combination of too much traffic, too much sun, too many folks that start drinking early and too many tired, frazzled people on the road...I've had too many close calls and near misses on these weekends.

That being said, I know that many of you have been looking forward to this weekend and are out there or on your way to doing some weekend holiday riding and backroad strafing. I know this will fall on deaf ears (or closed eyes), but BE CAREFUL OUT THERE FOR THE "OTHER GUY".....I don't want to read any depressing posts on Monday or Tuesday about another member eating it 'acuse they didn't leave themselves an out, or ended up a hood ornament.

I still snow ski with a bunch of other olde fartes, even though my knees have had more work on them than a lot of your bikes; it never failed on the first outing of the season that we'd all try to make up for a long period of downtime with cramming in as many runs as we could that first weekend....and also that one of us would end up on a stretcher being dragged down the mountain to the first aid station on that last day because a couple of us didn't know when to quit....and it was always when we said, "just ONE more run", when we were worn out, tired and a little frazzled, but were having too much fun to stop....and the "fun" turned into a trip the the ER.

We've got all summer...Easy Does It out there: we've got all season. Hopefully, we'll all still be out there when the first flakes of snow start swirling at the end of the season.

I don't want to lose any of you.

Leigh
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Why Johnny Can't Get It Up.
I read constantly here about "My 110 Hp GuzziZixxer 600 won't wheelie, does it need $2000 worth of engine mods or do I NEED to get a 180hp 1000?".

The reason your bike won't wheelie is the same reason it doesn't handle right: Rider weight is 25-40% of the WHOLE VEHICLE WEIGHT. Riders act like their weight doesn't matter. IT DOES!

If you want your bike to do what you want it to, from carving turns to flappin' that front wheel in the air: GET YOUR AZZ OFF THE SEAT!!!!

Read Twist of the wrist I and II, go take a track day and some instruction, go practice tight stuff in a parking lot.....ANYTHING to help you realize that there is more to riding than squeezing levers and twisting the throttle. Read about weight placement, weighting the pegs (inside or outside, when to and when not to); experiment with weighting placement during hard braking in an empty parking lot, and note how the bike handles when you slide forward on the tank (stoppies) and what happens when you slide backward towards the rear.

Go find your favorite set of turns and experiment at moderate speeds with hanging a cheek off, or rotating around the gas tank, and note the different effects.

Practice "slow racing"; going as slow as you can in a parking lot without putting your feet down; practice balancing at stop signs; see how long you can come to a stop WITHOUT putting your feet down (Body placement is critical for this). Practice pulling your feet up BEFORE you let out the clutch instead of dangling one or both of them through the intersection (a dangerous practice).

All of these exercises will make you a better rider, and get you that much closer to making you and the machine a working unit.

Practice, Practice.

What Are YOU?
I have been watching the responses to Gmans "What is A Biker" thread with great interest. Seems we have some disconnect between members of our own community (Sportbikes, Cruisers, Harley riders, Tourers, ect). So then, I guess it should be NO surprise that another aspect of being a "biker" hasn't even beed mentioned: our relationship with THEM; those @#*&&^%$ cagers!

We constantly harp on what a bunch of dumb, stupid, dangerous group anybody on 4 or more wheels are....but we never hear (or mebbe don't want to talk about ) the other two sides of the equation : our own "Bad Acts" which give rise to the sensational news stories when a manaic biker kills himself and/or others; and the frequent (in MY experience) "Good Samaritans" not on two wheels.

I'll talk about my own experiences with the second phenomena, and save the Bad Acts for last.

I have been fortunate to have been allowed to ride for many years now over most of this great country, as well as a goodlly portion of Canada (you Canucs have some of the most beautiful country in the world, as well as some of the most bleak, and I have been treated to some of the finest hospitality by your great people). As such, I've had occasion to to experience my share of flat tires, elecrical gremlins, mechanical ills and poor planning (empty gas tanks and closed gas stations). I have been offered aid IN EQUAL MEASURE by folks driving everthing from bicycles to eighteen wheelers; by everone from doctors to strippers, and everthing in between, all of them complete strangers.

As a result, I've made it a practice to stop for all manner of vehicles that appear in distress. A while ago one morning I was travelling through a busy but remote section of western Maryland and saw an older, scruffy looking minivan pulled off the side of the road; kids and adults sitting dejectedly on the side of the road. I pulled off in front of them, dismounted AND REMOVED MY HELMET BEFORE I APPROACHED. (I could see the concern and fear in the eyes of these folks at being accosted in the middle of nowhere by a BIKER).

I asked them if they were OK, and the lady started crying; they had been broken down since 10 oclock THE NIGHT BEFORE, and no one would stop! They had given up, and spent the night huddled in the minivan, no food, no water and no cell phone service (the mountains up there have a lot of no service spots for miles). The kids were crying and the parents were beside themselves.

Fifteen minutes with the cheesy pliers from my tool kit, a knife and some spare fuel line, and I had bypassed the plugged fuel filter and they were happily on their way.

I have changed flat tires for anyone who looked like they needed it, and dropped gas off to the stranded. In doing these things, I believe I can accomplish two things: a. remove some of the stigma associated with bikes and bikers in the non riding community, and b. build a little positive karma for the day when I REALLY need some help out in the middle of nowhere. I really do believe we reap what we sow.

As for the "Bad Acts" issue; ie that which leaves a bad impression of the non-riding community: I try to limit my own exhuberance to less and non-populated areas ( I love the sound of that v-twin through that "Competition Only" MotoCorse pipe, but those folks next to the road may not appreciate the Bimota at full song at 6am on a Saturday morning) and I try to bring up these issues on boards whenever I can, and to talk with other bikers who maybe haven't thought of the long-term consequenses of anti-social behavior on their beloved sport.

State and municiple governments across this country are contemplating or enacting restrictive motorcycle specific legislation or outright bans on PUBLIC ROADS AND STREETS, as well as some private communities building anti-motorcycle covenents into bylaws. We can trace this trend directly back to the bad behavior, (real or imagined) of our own members.

While joining the AMA is good, and being politically aware and active are also good, I believe that the best way to counter these trends is for me to remember that my actions ARE BEING WATCHED AND JUDGED by the public.

How I ride and what I do are going to directly affect the public's perception of who and what we are!




What kind of Ambassador will you be, today?



Just something to think about.
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On Riding, Dying, and Freedom
On Riding, Dying, and Freedom

I read the rather sad series of posts regarding mgs251's apparent demise.
http://www.twowheelforum.com/showthread.php?t=17491

I don't mean to sound callous, but reading his posts from the beginning, it's not much of a surprise. I've attended more than one biker funeral that never should have happened.

As the riding season begins, we get more and more posts and questions from new(er) riders about stunting, top speed runs, which bike is faster, how great my friends are at 10 'oclock wheelies at 120 on the freeway, running from the cops; and the complaints on this and other forums about helmet and gear nazi's (of which I am one, proudly) always "puttin' us down". and "prejudging us", along with the usual complaints about older or more experienced riders being hypocrits.

I don't know about the hypocracy part, but I will share with those that wish to listen about how I survived my early ignorance, and how I try to pass along what I've learned.

First off, there is nothing wrong with ignorance; when we're new to this game, everything is a mystery. The language and terms are different, and much of riding is counter-intuitive; we need to learn new behaviors, and unlearn others. That being said, there is a difference between the ignorance of "newness" and the WILLFUL ignorance of being pig-headed or (self) destructive. Those of you that fall in the latter two catagories; may you live long enough to out grow those traits.

When I first started riding, there was no MSF course, Harry Hurt hadn't yet published his landmark findings on the causes of motorcycle accidents and injuries, and what little "knowledge" that was available out there in the form of Lore was mostly WRONG. The hanging off style of riding was just being developed by the likes of Paul Smart, Giacomo Augustini and Kenny Roberts, and complex dynamics of motorcycle handling and chassis and tire dynamics were just beginning to be explored. Common myth required that if the average motorcyclist is confronted by an object he could not avoid, his best course of action was to "lay her down"....as if somehow losing all control of the situation...no braking, no steering...was going to mysteriously give a better outcome.....

The term "counter steering" had not yet been expressed, and concepts like target fixation, chassis static sag, gyroscopic precession and trail braking had hardly been discussed. Helmet use was sporadic, and padded, armoured leathers were for the rich......knee sliders were composed of wads of folded-over duct tap, taped to the knees of those expensive leathers. (Truth!)

What does all this have to do with the topic at hand? Well, we now know that fullface helmets and good gear save skin, injury and often lives. We also know that lack of training and poor riding habits are the direct cause of single vehicle motorcycle accidents, and that, regardless of who is at 'fault" in motorcycle /car accidents, over 70% of the riders simply froze up and never attempted any avoidance in those accidents. And while excessive speed is not the direct cause of many motorcycle accidents, it is the precipitator of the "Fatality" part of the equation. Today with the huge body of motorcycle specific research, especially with the internet, and boards like these, there is simply no excuse to REMAIN ignorant very long.

So, yes, we older riders did a lot of what I now consider "stupid" moves. But blame a lot of it on ignorance of newness and lack of real knowledge. To those of you that chose to ignore the facts today; because facts they are, and calling them otherwise doesn't change 'em. That's just plain willfulness and wishful thinking.

...and that will get you killed....or worse.

Bike Running Cr@ppy?
Let me guess: You put your bike away in (pick one : Novermber, December, January) and it was running fine. You (did, did not) put Stabil or somesuch in the gastank, and on your first ride of the season, it's runny poorly, spitting back, feels like the plugs are fouling, hard starting....any of these sound familiar?

Outside of flat batteries from not having a battery tender or taking the battery out during the off season; the poor running bike is the most common complaint on the first ride(s) of the year.

Go drain your tank. I use a kerosene siphon because I can prime it by hand (rather than getting a mouthful of 89 Octane) and it's made clear, so I can see what's coming out of the tank (like water, insect parts, dirt, rust, ect.)

Now, go put some FRESH GAS (not the crap from the lawn mower that you bought last July), preferably some Chevron (with Techron) (Gas Man? Any others?) and go run it for a while. You may need to put a tankful or two of fresh gas through it before it runs right. Gas stabilizers work OK for preventing the gas from turning to laquer, but they won't do much for all that condensation at the bottom of your tank.

For munged up carbs, I use a few ounces of Yamaha carb cleaner in the first couple of tankfuls; it will remove laquer in mildly sticky carbs. You may need to drain the grunge out of your floatbowls, and maybe do a carb rebuild if you don't stabilize your gas during storage.

Yamaha also makes a great FI cleaner for non-carb systems.

Remember; do the preventitive stuff in the fall so you don't have to be mucking about with this stuff in the spring when you could be riding.....and always do the cheap/easy basics before you go tearing into the major rebuilds... unless you like wasting money and riding time.
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Jumble
Normally, I post about just one topic, so this one is going to be a little out of the ordinary for me, in that it is about a lot of stuff, some of which may seem unrelated, to the sane mind.

First off: Got to do A BUNCH of riding this weekend; WHOOHOO. I met up with Marko on Saturday; we hooked up in Gettysburg and road the South Mountain area looking for a string of interesting roads for a group ride. As he posted; we found the Good , the Bad and the Ugly. Some of my old favorites were covered in tar/chip, some stuff I hadn't been on before was real nice, and one section of formally nice road was so washboarded we stood on the pegs for a couple miles with the bikes bucking below us like motocrossers on the whoops..............

Secondly: I got to ride with a TWF'er!!! I enjoyed riding with Marko...he's smooth, fast and competent, and likes the same type of tight stuff I do. He has a nice easy style without a lot of gymnastics but still moves along at a good pace. Thanks Marko...that was fun!

Thirdly: Got to put some miles on the GSXR600, both Saturday, and then about another 300 miles on Sunday up in the Clearfield, Pa area. Let me say this for all you new folks worried about "outgrowing" a modern 600 sportbike in a year or so:

If you do "outgrow" your R6, Gixxer6, 636 Ninja or 600RR in the next year or so, you are a far, far better rider than I will ever be; perhaps you should hurry out and get your "Expert" AMA license and go get sponsors.

I know, you can't keep up with your buddies R1's when they roll 160 down the interstate. I guess if pure top speed is all you care about then you are right. But how many of us live at Bonneville, or only ride to and from the dragstip?

You are can spend years on the twisting backroads trying to extract the full potential of these modern middleweights. They are just that good. The difference in the quarter mile between the middleweights and the litre bikes is less than half a second and 5-8 mph terminal velocity; yet the difference between the nimble 600's and the litre bikes on the backroads is another world. Light weight, quick turn-in, and managable power delivery are the hallmarks of the 600 class.

Real world, the roads we drive on day to day are not billard table smooth with perfect traction; just the opposite, they have varying surfaces, sand, critters, bumps, ripples, traffic, pedestrians, ect. This weekend, if I had been on any of the modern "big" bikes I've had, I'd have spent more time trying to keep the bike from getting out of shape than actually enjoying riding.

If you look at laptimes of Supersport bikes vs Superbike on all but the fast (Daytona, ect) courses, you will find the top riders times within a second or so. The reason is, what the middleweights give up on top end, they take back in overall handling and cornerspeed.

And you need to be able to ride to extract it. Riding is more than plopping your butt in the saddle and twisting the throttle.

JMHO

Tire Pressure
Check it all the time!!!

If you last checked/filled your tires on a hot day, and now you are riding in the 40's and the bike is acting squirrely, chances are the temperature differential is going to cause your tires to be way low on pressure.

http://www.twowheelforum.com/showthr...383#post338383

Check your pressures often! Especially during large temp swings. Also, tires filled when temps are in the thirties and forties can be overfilled when temps hit the seventies or eighties.

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Do You Know CPR?
Twenty-five years ago, I worked for a foodservice company that required all it's employees know the Heimlich Manuver, and CPR. We all had to take a couple hour course and get certified. Six months later, we had a patron that had too much to drink during a steak dinner start to choke....I walked over behind him, did the HM, the piece of steak popped out, (about a third of a 10oz Sirloin...yech....) and he went back to drinking and scarfing like nothing had happened....and I've never given the training another thought.

This morning, I had a lot to do, and had to stop for fuel at a big gas plaza/convienience store near the airport. As I was coming out the door with my coffee, I noticed a commotion a couple of pumps down from me. Two women were yelling at someone in a pickup truck. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but one of them was slapping the drivers side window, and the other was standing in the pickup bed slapping at the rear window and yelling. At first, I thought it was a "domestic dispute" or perhaps someone had cut somebody else off and it had carried over to the gas station.

As I got closer, I noticed that both women wore the uniform of the business there (Royal Farm Stores) and they were yelling at the man to "Wake up, sir, wake up!!" over and over. I walked over to the truck and saw a man slumped backward over the center console, head back and eyes rolled up into the back of his head, whites showing. The side window was open a crack, so I forced my arm hard down into the window, and my fingers were able to pluck the door latch open,(both doors were locked).

My hand reached for his neck, and without thinking, I pressed lightly but firmly for a pulse. His complexion was grey, there was no discirnable pulse, and I put my ear next to his mouth....no breath. There was a lady standing next to me talking to the 911 dispatcher, relaying my observations. By now there was a sizable crowd forming around the truck.

I popped the guy's seatbelt, and started to drag him out of the truck. I was amazed at how limp an unconscious person is. I was afraid of hurting his neck, he was so limp and everything at odd angles. He was almost as big as me, and I was having trouble getting him untangled, and there was some guy standing gawking, so I yelled, "You, give me a hand!" He turned around and walked away!!!! MF!!!! I started cussing at him!!!!

Did I tell you that the whole time this all is happening, the little voice in the back of my head is yelling at me, "DUDE!! JUST WALK AWAY!! LET SOMEBODY ELSE DEAL WITH IT....YOU DON"T WANT TO END UP PLAYING LIP-LOCK WITH THIS GUY!!!!"

Some little housewife about 105 soaking wet stepped in and kept me from dropping the guy, thank God. We got him on the ground without smacking his head on the pavement, and she took off her coat and we stuck it under his neck to tip his head back and open the airway. Eyes were still rolled up, no pulse, no breath.

I got my courage up, and stuck my finger into his mouth, to see if something got lodged in his throat...nothing. I pushed on his chest, and was rewarded with a little wheezy gasp; but the nothing. I started compressions, and the same lady said, "I know CPR, I'll do compressions, if you'll do the breathing".

Did I mention he was a scruffy lookin' dude with a none too clean beard?

I shift over as she starts counting compressions; at thirty, she stops, I pinch his nose, take a deep breath (as much to screw my courage up as for his benefit) and brreeeatthhe.

Just like they told us; he IMMEDIATELY "pinks" up. I finish the three breaths, she starts in on compressions and we start all over again. We get through about six cycles, and we can hear sirens getting louder by the second. At one point, I look down and see that the pupil of his eyes have rolled back down, but he's still out. Next thing I know, a guy in a blue uniform is pushing us out of the way, "It's ok now, he has a pulse". They slap and oxygen mask on him, pop him on a backboard, and in what seems like seconds, they're gone with him, sirens blaring.

I look at the lady, she sticks out her hand, we shake hands and both say "Thanks", and go on our separate ways.

I started shaking about ten minutes later.

That training was one hour over 25 years ago, and it stuck. Amazing.


PS. I went back into the store, bought a bottle of mouthwash, and gave myself a good rinse or two.

Is it just me.......
..Or does anybody else feel this way?

After weeks of snow, ice, freezing wind and sleet, days without power due to downed power lines; slush and ice, and then cold grey windy crappy sandy, salty roads....we had two days of HEAVY rain....enough to wash most of the crap off of the roads.....

...Friday and Saturday went up to 65 here in 'Balimer....and I snuck out of work early, bopped on home, shucked off the work clothes, snugged into my leathers (time for another diet), sprinted out to the garage and rolled my little tri-color wonder out into the glorious sunlight.

Fuel tap ON, ignition ON, rotate the throttle three times fast to activate the accelerator pumps, hit the starter button....and HEAVEN. The motor comes to life with that lumpy, snarly, rumbly-bumbly cadence reserved for performance V-Twins....shakin' and smooth at the same time.

Do a walk-around while she's warmin' up, check the chain, tire pressures, check to make certain the brakes are still attached...check all zippers, helmet on, gloves on and throw the leg over, snap up the sidestand, and...eeaase on down into the saddle while my hands fall to their places on the grips.

Just like sayin', "Hi" to an old friend.

Clutch in, snick it down into first, give a couple of slight blips...a little gas clutch out more gas clutchout more gas and.....ahhhhhhhhhh....that invisible hand in the back, launching you down the road as only a torquemonster motor on a superlight bike can do....

.....and all the daily living, the worries, the deadlines, the gotta do's just fall away like so much chaff in the wind; the feel of the bike and the road fill my senses and free me from the "surly bonds of earth"....and I'm right with the world again.....


Or is it just me?

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Sport-Touring
As I write this, the outside temp is hovering around 7 F, the wind is blowing at about 20 knots, and I haven't had power at home (no well, no heat, no septic, ect.) since Tuesday night. I'm writing this on my laptop, and I'll shoot it off at work when I'm done. Right now, I'm busy feeding the better part of a half-cord of well-aged oak and cherry into the maws of my fireplace; it's one of those hybrid fireplace/woodstove units, and it keeps the house around 68-70 as long as I keep it well fed with dry hardwood. The power company says I can expect restoration of electrical service sometime this evening or tommorrow. Bummer.

So what better way to be transported out of the bleakness of frozen creeks, blustery winds and salty, sanded icy roads, then to sit down by oil-lamplight with some area and regional maps, and start planning the First Spring Ride.

If any of you have read any of my previous posts, you'll know that I loooove to ride; can't get enough of two-wheeled travel as a matter of fact....and I prefer to do it scrunched up on whatever sporty piece of mechanical marvel happens to be ensconced in my garage. Two and three day weekend trips are the norm for me, with miles travelled in the 600-1000 range. Four or five hundred mile days are not out of the question. The little Bimota has proven as cramp-free as any sportbike I've ridden, even with my 50+year old surgically altered knees, so I'll expect it'll suffice as good as anything as an all-day mount.

That being said, riding sportsbike long distances over multiple days creates some challanges and forces some compromises that I wouldn't have if I were riding a bagger or even a well-equipped sport-touring bike, like a Concours, an ST or an FJR, with their plusher seats, more compliant suspensions, ample room and baggage. But, I also get to skip the high weights, wallowing suspenders, limited groundclearance and slower acceleration of the bigger bikes.

There is little more painful and boring than droning on down the superslab hour after hour on a stiffly suspended sportsbike, weight on wrists and a tiny contact patch on that tiny, thinly upholstered seat, as the forks meant to transmit the subtleties of road feel at the limits of adhesion now transmit every little bump and juddering square-edged superslab seam up through my sore and tired arms, wrists and elbows. I have ridden on stretches of frost-heaved freeway that were so bad, that fifteen minutes of rythmic slamming into the turned-up edges of the slabs had my guts hurting so bad that I had to pull off and find and alternate route.

And this, my friends, is the key to having a successful (read: fun) tour on a sportsbike; PLANNING.

Depending on what part of the country you live; you may have the kind of roads we all adore right out at the end of your driveway, or six hours away in the mountains. For me, it's somewhere in the middle. Decent roads without the urban traffic require that I ride at least an hour. Getting to some of my buddies in Penn or WV may require 4-6 hrs of inconvienient travel. So, some planning is required, if I'm not going to arrived burnt out on slabtravel and eighteenwheelers.

First, a couple of truths, gained through hard-won experience:

A. IT ALWAYS takes longer than I thought.

B. If I have to leave work at a precise time on Friday in order to hook up 6 hrs later with my buddies; a work emergency ALWAYS HAPPENS, delaying my departure by at least 2 hours.

C. If I have been delayed 2 hrs by that work emergency, and my buddies will be waiting for me, there is ALWAYS CONSTRUCTION OR A MAJOR ROAD CLOSING ACCIDENT ON MY ROUTE....ALWAYS

D. If none of the above happen, that marginal battery or marginal tire or sporadic carb glitch I've been "meaning to" replace or work on will chose NOW to put me on the side of the road....miles from nowhere.......in the dark.....with a dead cell battery.

E. Whatever piece of gear I've left at home in the interest of saving space; THAT is the gear I will need most. I once left my rainsuit out of my tankbag so I could stuff more "everday" clothing in; we were in the middle of a weeks long drought, the weatherman predicted more of the same for many more days....hot, humid and no rain. I got a hundred miles down the road, and that nasty jet stream took a dive down from Canada without consulting Accuweather......temps in the 50's and it poured for days......................

I plan my trips carefully now, giving myself ample time to adapt and take an altenate route(S) so i don't arrive stessed or beat-up. I have a standard "pack" in my tank bag and backpack that I take always. No exceptions.

I plan my routes so that, whenever possible, I stay off of the superslab. Sometimes, due to destination or time constraints, I have no choice; but when I can, which is usually, I keep to the secondaries. I enjoy the ride more, and I get to meet and talk to people, which , for me, is the whole point of the trip, anyway.

See ya out there.

OTB

DB4 Mods
Before buying this little beast I had done enough research to know that most Bimotas needed some initial "tuning"; they often came with "issues". The Db4's in particular had some low-speed, small throttle opening roughness and the stock Mikunis were noted for not keeping synch. In addition, the stock "shotgun" exhaust was a major cork in knocking a large chunk of top end off the all-but-stock 904 Ducati mill. I had ordered some flatslide Keihins, as well as a Moto Corse full titainum system which not only increases drivabilty, but has the added benefit of knocking off almost 30 lbs of weight (over 20 lbs saved on the exhaust, plus the airbox, evap canister, and a couple other bits go bye-bye. I also chucked the heavy cast folding footpegs and saved a few more ounces with some billet items.) The old rubber hydraulic lines went in the can, replaced by stainless braided.

The new flatslides have no choke or enrichner circuit, so starting is accomplished by turning on the fuel petcock (yep), waiting a few seconds, and then cranking a few turns on the throttle to actuate the accelerator pumps. Turn the key and the motor fires right off, hot or cold.

The Corse system is mellow on the bottom and midrange, and, as the motor is still in break-in, I don't know how the top end will sound, but if a couple of half-throttle short bursts are any indication, it should howl. It's raspy, but the tone doesn't have the hard edge that my old ST2 with the Duc carbon cans had...that thing could be downright embarrassing in town. This has more of a mellow Harley chuff on light throttle.

The clutch feel is "relatively" light (for a Duc motor, Bimota changed the piston ratio on their master cylinder)) but has the characteristic "jangle" when disengaged. Shifting is very smooth, and requires barely a touch, a welcome change from the stiff shifter on the Ducati.

First gear is VERY tall, requiring a bit of throttle to get things moving, but once the tach is over three grand things get busy IN A HURRY; although, with 9 or 10 year old tires, the amount of playing around I was willing to do was minimal, putting this thing on its side with less than 50 miles on the clock was to be avoided. Stock, the 904 mill makes horsepower in the mid 80's...the carb and exhaust changes are worth about 8-10 hp...not much by todays hyperbike standards, but then, not many hyperbikes weigh-in in dirtbike range, either. The end result is a reasonable amount of horsepower in a very light package. The big bonus is the torque...gobs and gobs of it from right off the bottom.

Suspension is on the very firm side; the owners manual doesn't even address the 5 way adjustable forks or the 4 way shocks...Paoli supplies a separate manual for the forks and addresses service and rebuilding, but doesn't even mention the adjustments, so I'm going to have to do some research once I'm through break-in and put some decent tires on it.

Brakes are Brembos...and they stop right NOW. Its the same system used on my old 150lb heavier ST2, so there is more than enough power to stand it on its nose with two fingers....and on the other end is this teeeny 'lil 8 inch disk and two-pot setup, with just enough oomph to settle the suspension going into a turn, but very little slowing capability at all.

So, what we have is a small, light 900cc bike, with a wheelbase 1.5 in shorter than an R-6, double the torque, and weighing in twenty lbs less than an RD350 Yamaha....even with the hard tires, exiting ANY turn with more than 1/4 throttle nets you a little headshake as the front tire first patters over the road and then loses contact entirely as the front heads skyward. Interesting. Looks like a steering damper is in order......ohh and look, under the left fairing shroud is a bracket already in place for an Ohlins unit.

The bike flicks into a turn with no effort; steering is neutral and solid, not nervous feeling like you'd expect such a teeny bike to feel. Even on some of the choppy pavement up in wester Md, hitting bumps mid-turn never unsettled the bike. Very confidence inspiring even with the dicey tires.

A little more work with some good tires, maybe some titainiam or carbon bits, and maybe send the seat out to Sargent this winter for some real padding and I'll be there.

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It's the seller, silly.......
Motorcycles, riding habits and service, and what to expect from that used bike.

The fact of the matter is, is that odo milage is about the least reliable indicator of a bikes INTERNAL condition. Face it, according to latest industry figures, the AVERAGE motorcyclist rides less than 2000 miles per year. At that rate, most bikes should outlast their owners!

How many videos do we see on here with guys (and girls) clamping on the front brake while they hammer the throttle at redline smoking the tire in a big blue cloud? How many post vids of them and their buddies with the front tire in the air and the oil in the back of the sump while the motor screams at 10 grand? ....and then slam the front back down, and segue into a series of suspension-bottoming stoppies?

How many of your buddies start their bikes up and then zing the tach up to 10 grand to impress everybody with the sound of their new pipe, all while the oil is still cold?

How many of your buddies have NEVER cracked open the owner's manual to check what the service intervals should be, or what weight oil or what tire pressures should be used? Or even how to check the oil level!

I buy (and ride and resell) an average of three used motorcycles per year. I physically inspect and look at 20-30 bikes to get the two or three I'm interested in, after culling through literally hundreds and hundreds of newspaper and internet classifieds to arrive at the few I even want to look at.

And after all that, the number one indicator about what kind of reliable service I can expect from a given motorcycle, barring a design or manufacturing problem, is going to be the attitudes of seller.

I must admit that I fib a lot during the "interview"; I usually tell the seller that I'm kinda new to this game, and so I ask a lot of questions, like what kind of power does it have, why is the middle of the tire flattened with no tread, but the sides are like new; how much does a tuneup cost, and can I do it myself, and THEN I SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO WHAT THE SELLER TELLS ME.

If he tells me about the fantastic power and the 4th gear wheelies he's done for hundreds of yards, and how that dent up on the tank is when he rammed the family jewels on it during the HUGE stoppie he did,; well, I say "thanks for your time" and move on.

If he can't show me the sight glass and the oil fill and doesn't know the last time the plugs were changed, I say "see ya".

By the same token, if he opens up his garage and it's well stocked with tools and stuff, and he tells me that he's still got a 1/2 case of Golden Spectro Synthetic that goes with the bike, and he's just put a new filter in it, and apologises that the brake fluid is a little dark, but that he 's got a fresh can of DOT 4 that he want's to flush the system with before I pick it up; well, he and I will do some talkin'.

Over the last few years, I've bought, ridden and sold a lot of bikes, and I ride with a number of the guys I sold bikes to; a lot of them are up there in milage now ( for those of you still skeptical about longevity of THE NEW Brit bikes; I sold my best friend my used 955i Daytona last year with 5k on the clock.....he now has 40,000 + miles on it with nothing but standard service like oil, plugs, tires and a chain or two) and all of them still run GREAT.

Want to know how long that bike will last?

Look first to the seller, and then look in the mirror.

Cold Ambient Air.....
....means longer warmups, colder tires, roadtemps and falling on yer arse if you are not careful.

I grew up riding in Minnesota, where riding conditions can vary by the hour....leave for work in the morning and watch out for black ice under bridges, come home in the afternoon in the seventies. If you've done any trackriding at all, you've also noticed (I hope) that 15 minutes worth of warmup laps can have a huge difference in available traction.

Todays sticky tires are especially compounded to operate best in a fairly narrow temperature range. Go outside of that temp range and traction can fall off drasticly. Riding at a spirited pace on cold tires on a cold road and what would normally be a little "twitch" during warm weather can become a lurid slide or a crash.

And just because it warmed up in the afternoon, doen't mean the road is much warmer....stop on the shoulder in the shade on a day that starts out in the thirties, and put your hand on the road surface. Now do it in the afternoon, in the shade. Even though the air temp may be 30-40 degrees warmer, the road temp will be in the forties. Something to think about before pitching it into that blind curve like you would in the summer.

Think while you ride.

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After The Fall...
There seem to be a lot of threads on here lately from folks who have either crashed, know somebody who has crashed, or come upon a recent crash. While I have sympathy for anybody who has gone down or been involved in a multi-vehicle accident, my response is always the same; what happened, how can another such incident be avoided, and what did you learn?

If my approach sounds a little cold, well, sorry; but if you screw up and don't LEARN anything, sympathy won't get you anything but killed.

My EXPERIENCE has shown me that ANYTIME I wreck......IT"S MY FAULT.

YEP! Me. The Rider. My Fault. YEP. Even if (or ESPECIALLY IF) the other guy did something stupid. MY JOB IS TO KEEP ME SAFE!!!

And therefore, if I do go down or get into an accident, or witness another accident; my job is to put aside the emotions and analyze WHAT WENT WRONG and what I can do as a rider to avoid doing it AGAIN, because the only guy lookin' out for me out there is ME.

My screwups have come in a couple basic catagories:

> The Doin' Somethin' Stupid Screwup. Like drinking and riding....or riding without gear....or doing a showoff move...in traffic. You know what I mean.

>The I Didn't Know How Screwup. Like braking in turns....target fixation.....locking up the rear brake.....dropping an unfamiliar bike. Those that could be taken care of with a little training and/or a little practice that I didn't do because I was in a hurry or too lazy.

>The I Had No Business Being There Screwup. Like riding at 2 am on a Friday or Saturday nite after the bars just closed....or just about any holiday weekend nite....or during or just after dusk on back roads in deer country

>The I Have The Right-Of-Way Screwup. Oh really? You gonna dent his car with your face to MAKE A POINT? (Sort of a subset of the Doin' Something Stupid Screwup)

>The Riding-Over-My-Head Screwup. See #2 above.

There are a few more generalizations I could make, but you get the idea.

In order for me to survive out there, I need to throw away the blame of others and accept the fact that the worlds' roads are full of lousy drivers, stupid, ignorant drivers, sand in corners, decreasing radius blind turns, nails in tires, cell phones, Buicks, deer, dogs; ad nuaseum and accept the fact that, as a rider, navigating all these hazards is my lot in life that I volunteered for!

Now, what do I do about it?

Not; Who do I blame?

OTB

Acting My Age
One of my neighbors recently took note of the fact that I ride sportbikes, and asked me "Don't you think you are getting a little old for that?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You know" he replied, "sport bikes; crotch rockets. Don't you think a man your age ought to be riding a Harley, or mebbe a Gold wing, or something?"

Well, I was stunned. I've had dirt bikes, sport bikes, race bikes, touring bikes, old bikes, new bikes and just about anything else in between, and each one has filled a percieved "need" at the time; but I've never given much thought as to what a man of my age "ought" to be riding. Which led to me thinking about the choices in mounts I've made, and why, and the type of riding I enjoy and why.

Believe it or not, I don't sit around pondering my navel every day, seeking the answers to deep questions. It's just that, when somebody questions my behavior, I'll often find myself shaking my head while waiting for the traffic light to turn, or catch myself staring out the window for a couple of minutes, feeling a vague sense of unease untill I've had adaquate time to "mull over" the question, and either conclude that I need to change something, or that the basic premise of the inquiry was wrong and the questioner was full of horse hocky.

With the exception of a couple years of club racing a clapped out X-6 up at Brainerd, most of my initial 10 years of riding was spent in the saddle of "practical" bikes...UJM's more noted for their low cost of ownership and steadfast reliablity, than for the tendancy to get your blood to boil. I lusted after Guzzi Lemans', 900SS Ducs, and JPL Nortons, but my limited financial means, along with a deep sense of Minnesotan Practicality dictated bikes with a lot less financial burden, if less than stellar personality. My last bike of this period was a Windjammered Suzuki GS650G with shaft drive...the epitome of competent Japanese engineering, and the poster boy for UJM Boring.

A couple of major "life changing" upheavals occured at that time, of which I won't bore you with the details. But they did have the effect of tearing away the basic financial, familial, and spiritual roots of who I was. I had pretty much lost everything I had at that time, and began the laborious process of rebuilding my life. One of the things I did was go into debt for the most impractical of bikes I'd ever seen...a '82 Yamaha Turbo Seca; at that time, one of the most radical, nasty, snarliest bikes ever built by the Japanese Big Four. Skinny little 4.50/18 rear coupled to an honest to god 100 RWHP four cylinder 18psi turbocharged rocketship (for it's time) of a 90 ft/lb torque monster of an engine.It had zilch below 6 grand and a torque curve that looked like a siloutte of the Devil's Tower......nothing, then straight up, flat, then straight down. Made for interesting corner exits.

Since then, I've pretty much run the gamut of, if not hot blooded, then at least moderately tepid sport bikes (twelve of 'em in the last 5 years, including but not limited to: a Triumph 955i, a Duc, a 929rr and culminating with the latest aquisition, a Bimota DB4 (what my neighbor saw that started this whole missive).

I still look in the mirror in the morning a shake my head, wondering what happened to the last 30 years. I seems like I was young just a finger snap ago, and here I am, well into my fifties........

But, after careful rumination, I've decided that my questioner's original premise: that a "man of my age" should ride something "more appropriate" is of the aforementioned horse-hockey classification. It is only now, after years of careful planning and wheeling and dealing, that I can both afford, and APPRECIATE this type of machinery and the outstanding feedback, agility and security, not to mention that I feel that these bikes are some of the most beautiful pieces of rolling art the world has ever seen.

A few years ago I suffered through a long a painful period of physical disablity, and thankfully, I'm in fairly decent shape today. I don't know what tomorrow shall bring, but today I will ride that which I am able; and today I am able to ride some of the very best, most exciting hardware available, so I shall, and screw what the neighbors think.
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Olde Dog, New Tricks
I sat on my work stool out on my garage the other night, nursing a cup of hot tea while I reveled in the fact that it was late evening on the last day of November, and it was a balmy 73 degrees. I wasn't out riding because I had a bugger of a sinus infection and was on some antibiotics and heavy duty prescription decongestants which all kept me from feeling a hundred percent; better to putz around getting the bike ready for storage and ready for the next warmup than to push my luck and end up chasing down parts over the winter. Nothing worse than ending the season with a crash.

So I spent most of the evening putting a permanent pigtail on the battery for my battery tender, draining carb bowls and changing the oil and cleaning the various screens and filters that the elves in the Ducati design center deemed necessary to keep my aluminum lump of rolling sculpture running for another season.

I figured as long as I was out here, I'd finish pulling al the plastics and clean, rub and remove as much roadgrime and schmutz as I could . (I should get a set of those "Pimpstix", but I've used pipecleaners and cotton swabs since before the invention of fire; and besides, I'm cheap). Doing this kind of stuff gives me a warm sense of accomplishment, under which I like to sit back and wax poetic.

After buttoning things back up, I sat back to admire the work of those craftsmen in Italy: The little Bimota sat on it's rear stand, looking for all the world like some feral animal, poised to strike. Off in the distance, I could hear a I-4 sportbiker do a series of well-executed high-speed upshifts; the motor wailing away in the upper RPM band, smoothly flowing from one gear to the next. Which got me thinking about what I'd like to add and subtract to my bike over the winter; what shiny bits of exotic metal or carbon fiber art would add to both the visual, aural, and riding experience.

Which is a big change for me. Seems the older I get, the more willing I am to experiment a bit.

When I first started riding, and for many years after, I would have nothing but a stock bike (unless I was racing). The limits of mods I made were of the functional type; a luggage rack, windscreen or Windjammer, maybe a set of aftermarket grips was about the depth of my adventurism. No engine or breathing mods, Oh, No!

Part of it was the times: A LOT of aftermarket stuff was just junk, and the good stuff wasn't all that good. Four strokes had their choice of one or two reputable pipe builders, like Kerker for the Jap crowd (loud, with a sharp bark) or Continental (louder, booming roar) for the European crowd; and if you favored two-strokes as I did, all the expansion chambers available were sure to have the neighbors dialing 911 as soon as you pulled out of the driveway. Not to mention the tedious process of getting the carbs dialed in for that new pipe....

The other part was, that I did A LOT of riding all over the country, and so, I met A LOT of bikers broken down on the side of the road. And invariably, that which caused their mounts to fail, was (usually) a poorly conceived, or poorly produced, or poorly installed aftermarket something. I, on the other hand, had been fortunate to ride many tens of thousands of miles (over 100K in my first 5 years of riding) with nary a hiccup (not counting a couple of flat tires). I thought I saw a certain correllation, so I stayed away from modifications.

And I stayed that way 'till just a couple of years ago, when I picked up a pristine, low milage Ducati ST2 for a pittance. Even though it had a bunch of aftermarket go-fast stuff (Carbon pipes, high perf chip, Yoyodyne clutch, high perf brakes, plus some comfort items). I figured that for the price, if this stuff wasn't good, I could convert back to stock and stilll make out.

Turned out that those items added to the pleasure of riding that bike, and since then, I've had a parade of bikes with stuff on 'em with labels from the likes of Yoshimura, Corse, M4, and Traxxion Dynamics.

And I find myself looking at catalogs for 944 kits, light weight flywheels, and laser-carved clutch baskets with matching anodized ventilated covers...Oh, MY!

Dream Bikes
With the posting of the Bimota on another site, I got a couple of "Aren't you the lucky one?" comments. Actually, luck has had little to do with it; so rather than beat around the bush, I'll tell you how I got to purchase my dream bike.

First, some background:

I'm over fifty.
I've been riding since I was 17 (you do the math, it just depresses me).
I went almost broke about 6-8 years ago and lost almost everything, including my bike.
I make much less now than I did in the Eighties.
I am not rich.
If I can buy my "dream bike", you can, too.

The key words are; Time, Planning and Work.

Back in 2000, my wife and I had emerged from a period of self-employment (it's called "going broke" in many circles); we had our house, busted credit and a mound of debt, and a 10 year old minvan with 100k on it. After finding work, we started the process of repairing/rebuilding our lives. Not much fun.

I had sold the bike, boat and everything else 8 years earlier to fund the business, as well as remortgaging the house....

After about a year of working hard to fix the debt problem, I told my wife I'd like to ride again, and she agree to a bike, as long as the funds didn't come out of the household money, but we could spare $500 for short term if I wanted to start the process.

This is what I did; it can work for anyone, using any type of commodity or service, as long as you already know your market.

I had been dabbling with computers, and worked part time doing repairs for a local shop. They sold used systems, and this was right after the dot-com crash. I was working in an industrial park, and one of the other tenants was dealing in then-plentiful used high-end rack servers, bidding on lots from bankrupt business for pennies on the dollar. One of the downsides for them was not having an outlet for all the desktop pc's than always came sprinkled in the lots of rack systems as part of the deal. They had pallets of them, wrapped in plastic, sitting in a dusty corner of the warehouse.

I called the friend of mine with the repair shop and asked him if he could use a few pallets of cheap computers. He could but had no spare cash, so I asked him if he could take them on consignment. Long story short, I spent a day on the phone with a bunch of shops, and got enough committments to move most of the units, at the same time negotiating with the company that had them. I went over the next morning, had them loaded into a rental truck, and in two days time, delivered all the computers I had pre-sold. I took back any non-functioning units, stripped them of parts and sold the parts to the same used computer shops. In a week I had paid back our house fund and netted $1500 bucks; the beginning of the "bike fund".

Rule #1: Take an opportunity when you see it. Ask questions, make some calls...nothing ventured, nothing gained. BUT, by the same token:

Rule #2: Never risk your seed money...only commit when you have a sure thing.
If the deal falls through because you've moved too slow, you are out nothing but some time and effort. There will ALWAYS be other opportunities.

I then begn my search for the RIGHT BIKE. Now, with $1500 bucks, I shouldn't expect much, right?

Rule #3: Set your sights HIGH. If you expect poor results, that is what you will get. I spent pretty much that whole spring looking at Cycletrader, CL, the classifieds; you name it, looking for the right bike. I didn't have a particular model in mind, but I was looking in general for a medium to large displacement sport or sport-tourer; like FJ1100-1200's, 1100 Katanas, CBR1000's and the big Kawi's. I looked at a lot of junk, and kept my money in my pocket. Then one day I called on an ad for a '89 1100 Kat, and new I had found the bike. When I went to look at it, I was convinced: low miles (4600 on a ten-year old bike) perfect cosmetic shape, but it wasn't running. The owner was an Army doc who spent most of his time overseas; the bike spent its life covered in the back of the garage. It would crank, but no startee. Bad case of sit-itis. Flat tires, bad battery . We haggled for two weeks (he wanted $2200 and I didn't have it) After many calls, we made the deal and I rolled the bike into the truck with $200 bucks left to get it running; three weeks later and a lot of busted knuckles, it was ready to ride.

Rule#4 Sweat equity is still equity. If you pay somebody else to do the work, that's less money for you.

I rode that bike for a year, put 8,000 miles on it, and sold it for $3200.

Rule#5 Well bought is half-sold. It wasn't the bike I was interested in for the long term, but it looked good and I kept it looking and running good, so when it came time to sell, it was easy.If the doctor had kept it up, I'd never had been able to afford it. Which leads us to:

Rule #6 Value is in the eye of the beholder. You can quote Kelly Blue Book and NADA all you want, it really comes down to "what will somebody pay you for it?" One man's junk in the garage is another man's foothold on a dream.

And so it began: over the next 5 years, I bought and sold 11 more bikes; some I made a lot of money on, some a little, and I even lost a few bucks on 2 (Rule #7...nobody bats a 1000).

Rule #8 Develop patience as a skill. I had found the bike I wanted over a year ago; but didn't have the bucks. So I just kept at it, buying and selling . Then this summer, I spoke again with the guy who was selling the little Bimota, and he volunteered to drop the price. I was in.

And you can be, too.


OTB

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Fear and Loathing in The Rain
I've read numerous posts here, and with one or two exceptions, RAIN riding seems to be both feared and hated. It's time to demystify RAIN RIDING!

To be honest with you, I actually like riding in the rain, most times. I say most times, because there are certain times when as rider I should take the cage, or pull over and stop:

A. During severe storms: high winds, tornado threats, severe lightning, and torrential downpours. I'm at a disadvantage during these, because of my mounts instability in high winds and deep water, and while lightning strikes on cars are almost unheard of, motorcycles are not so fortunate.

B. When you have mechanical "issues": didn't get that new tire like you should have?; put off finding that strange "miss" or hesitation? When the raindrops are falling fast and heavy, now's not the time to be dealing with those issues...pull over under the next underpass and wait it out.

The problem with not riding in the rain is that (especially in the Northwest) it eliminates a LOT of riding time, and if you stick around and ride long enough, eventually that Accuweather Forecast is gonna be just plain WRONG, and you'll HAVE to ride in the wet. Do you REALLY want to be uncomfortable, unsafe and terrified?

Four things happen to most riders unfamiliar with riding in the rain need to address: Loss of traction, loss of vision (both yours and other drivers), body heat loss (even in the middle of the summer) and, most importantly, loss of confidence.

All that being said, the following is my formula for dealing with the rain, and learning to love it as just another rider's challenge and mastery of new techniques. They fall under three catagories: The Bike; The Body, The Brain


The Bike

Bike in top notch shape...always. I never put off tire and service issues; I ride a lot, so I never know when I may need all the performance and traction my bike has to offer, in the rain or dry.

Most folks that fear the rain have the idea that the bike will snap out from under them at any moment. Having good tires on virtually guarantees that the bike will have more traction than I've got courage. I MEAN it! Todays tires have PHENOMENAL wet traction, as long as they aren't worn out. Those little slots on the tires tread (sipes) give the water a place to go as your big donut rolls through it, and the very small profile and contact patch of your tire compared to a car, which limits your traction in the dry, makes your bike's tires far less likely to hydroplane than automobile tires.

The other big issue on your bike is the brakes....if you haven't checked there condition in a while, take a peek... check the condition of the pads, to insure adaquate amount of material, and check the disks for chatter marks and grooving. The issue isn't brake fade so much in the rain, as it is brake feel and progressiveness. Having brake pads down to the backing plate is not just bad for the disks, it makes the brakes feel "wooden", and they lose there progressive (the harder I squeeze, the quicker I stop) feel, which can lead to accidental (and disasterous) lockup.

While you're at it, if you've been putting off adjusting the clutch or brake levers to make them fall to a more natural plane, now's the time. Having your controls fall comfortably to hand is another key to smooth, controlled riding. AND you did check ALL your lights; brake, running, turn signal and high and low beams, right?

If you riding a faired sport or sport touring bike, you will have little vision advantage over an unfaired bike, unless you're riding something like 'Wing or dresser.


The Body

When I ride, I ALWAYS have a rain suit available. I have my bulky-but-rugged and comfortable Tourmaster packed in my tailpack for long trips, and I have a lightweight Frogtogs suit which folds up to the size of about 4 packs of cigarettes, which stays in my tankbag, which is on the bike ALWAYS. As far as cheap rainsuits; don't waste your money....buying one of those cheap vinyl jobs is like throwing money away, it'll be in tatters in a matter of minutes. Suck it up and buy the good stuff designed for proper fit and holding up under the rigors of riding.

My boots are waterproof Gore-tex; much less stylish than the full-race versions, but my feet are never soggy or too cold, and I'm never distracted by the cold trickle of water down the back of my ankles.

I also carry a pair of gauntleted waterproof gloves in my tailpack for long trips. If my fingers are cold, clammy and stiff, it could make the difference between a close call and a call home.

Full face helmet; if you're still debating the advantages of full face vs half vs beanies, vs none at all, you either haven't been paying attention or you just plain choose to be ignorant and deserve what you get. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Along with that full face helmet is a clean, CLEAR faceshield......still listening? Why? Because those tinted and cool "reflective" face shields block up to 90% of AVAILABLE light, and if it's raining during the day, I lose between 25 and 75% of available light when those big, black clouds blot out the sun....plus, all that rain is going to block available light even further and when it starts pouring and I'm passing eighteen wheelers' "bow waves" on that uphill stretch in the mountains, I'm gonna need all the advantages I can get my hands on.

But, you say, "how can I see ANYTHING in the rain, I don't have windshield wipers?" The answer is, "Quite well, thank you." If you've ever driven in a car in the rain, you know how difficult it is to see out the windshield once it begins to be covered in raindrops. Not so on a motorcycle, looking through a faceshield. The difference is that your eyes are within a scant inch or so of the wetted surface, so each eye ends up looking around different drops of water, rather than through the whole spotted area. It's called paralax, and it's one of the few things working in your favor in the rain. Plus, turning your head from side to side in the windblast removes 90% of the rain from your shield. As far as fogging, most of the premium manufacturers are making fog-free sheilds...if yours isn't, try a Fog City insert....nothing short of riding in a cloud bank fogs 'em up.

Taking care of these items gets you ready to ride safely and comfortably in the rain. My next post will tell you how I've come to enjoy the challenge of riding in the wet, taking care of the head and building skills and confidence in the rain.

Now would be a good time for all you folks with happy wet weather experiences to post up with more gear and bike prep tips.

F and L in the Rain: Part Deux
Well, let's see now; we've got our bikes and our bodies ready for riding in the rain. It's time to get our heads right.

The reason I spent the first post on seemingly trivial things (like the condition of the bike, and keeping warm and dry) is because in order to not fear, nay even LIKE riding in the rain, we need to remove distractions (wet, cold feet, hands and bodies), worries (is that bald tire gonna put me on me arse?) and irritations (not being able to see).

First, lets talk about what happens when it rains; (sounds kinda stupid, but trust me, you need to know this stuff).

A.The absolute most dangerous conditions for a motorcyclist are the first few minutes of a rainstorm, especially after a prolonged dry spell.

Why? Next time you ride, take a look at the center of your lane, especially at intersections and stoplights, (you do ride to the right or left of the center of your lane, right?). That black, slippery looking goo (you know, the stuff you put your foot down in at the last light and nearly dropped it) is the accumulation of cars' leaking antifreeze, oil and tranny fluid, with a little a/c condensate, gasoline, power steering and brake fluid thrown in for good measure. When it rains, those petrochemicals rise to the surface, and the mechanical action of cars' tires that have come down the road before you actually EMULSIFY that mix into some of the slipperiest stuff known to mankind. Its like riding through petrochemical mayonnaise. The good news is, that in a heavy rain, it washes away quickly.

I once fractured my hip when the car in front of me spun out, and I grabbed a handful of brake. We had gone weeks without rain, and it had just started a heavy mist/light rain. I was on an offramp that was so greasy with this mix, that I fell back down when I picked myself back up from the fall.

Soooo, if I find myself in the beginning stages of a rain, in a position where I'm going to be doing a lot of stops and starts; like in downtown traffic; I may wait a couple of minute for it to rain harder. Sounds silly, and I know it runs contrary to "common sense" to resist the urge to "beat the rain", but if I'm going to be wet anyway, why not wait till I can have the most traction?

B.Different road surfaces offer differing amounts of traction...learn to "read the road".

This is as true in the dry as in the rain, but doubly so. Brand new asphalt leaches oils in the rain, (you can see that in the oily "rainbows" sitting on the top of standing water)...and offers a challenging surface in the rain, as does old concrete that has been polished by thousands of tires, and which can become heavily rutted and worn, leaving a deep water track with up to a half inch or so of standing water right where you are used to riding. You may have to ride out of the usual right or left of center where you normally do in the dry, to prevent hydroplaning. Be observant, and be flexible, changing with the changing conditions.


Tactics for learning to love the rain.

Have your gear with you. Do I need to belabor this?

Next time it rains, and you have some free time, go suit up (yep, helmet, too). Go on out on your bike, put it up on the centerstand (if you have one) and sit on the bike. In the rain. Feel silly? Don't . Now is the time to work out the kinks in your gear. Get that collar adjusted so you don't have an annoying trickle going down your neck. Gloves not as waterproof as you thought? Do you get better coverage from tucking your pantlegs into your boots, or over the tops? Answering these questions now, in the driveway, is easier and safer than 300 miles from home on a dark, unfamiliar road, with stiff fingers, cold feet and a fogged up shield.

Now go for a short spin, just a couple of blocks, to make certain your adjustments work in the wind, too. If you have a large school or empty parking lot close by, now would be a good time to pop on over and practice how the brakes and acceleration feel at low speeds. Practice just like you did when taking the MSF course (you DID take the MSF course, right?), but at lower speeds, trying for smoothness overall, NOT speed. Just do 15 minutes or so, don't make a big deal out of it.

Now go home, strip your gear and hang it to dry (don't wad it up or pack it away wet, it will mildew, eechh!), have beer or whatever, and savor the experience.

Next time the weatherman says it's going to rain, take your bike and gear to work; on purpose. Adjust your speed about 10-15% down; add 50-100% distance between you and the other traffic, depending on amout of rain, visability and traffic. Somebody wants to cut in on you, let'em. You're driving for you, today. Relax, let the traffic flow, and you flow with it. Safely, confidently, and be relaxed.

If you stiff arm it, your going to do two things; you'll miss the subtle signals your bike is trying to tell you about road conditions, and traction, and, you'll feed back all that tension and stiffness into the bike, making you feel like you're riding on "knifes edge"; which makes you more tense, which causes more bad feed back....on and on. ....Relax.....take deep, slow breaths. I find when I'm riding "behind the curve", feeling slightly out of control and tense; that nine times out of ten, I'm holding my breath. This does two things; it adds to the tension, and it deprives my poor, sad old brain of much needed oxygen.

BREATHE, and BREATHE some more.

Look down the road.

If it's true in the dry, it's truer in the rain. Looking down the road futher does a couple things for me. Obviously , it "opens up" my perspective...I get to see more of what is around me, earlier. It also has the added benefit of allowing me to plan the "what If's". What if that car runs the red light? What if that van changes lanes? What if there is a branch lying in the road around that next curve? Playing the what if game allows me to start planning for, rather than reacting to, the little "surprises"that get thrown our way, giving me more time to evade under less than ideal conditions.

Looking down the road also gives me the added benefit of "slowing things down". Staring at a point in front of the front wheel makes things feel like everything is flying at me; looking down the road slows that feeling down, giving me a greater sense of control and making my riding smoother.



Practicing these simple techniques will make you not just better, more relaxed rain rider; they'll make you a better everyday rider, adding to your confidence, and smoothing out your style.

See ya out there.

OTB

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Surviving Misinformation
If you're new to riding, and new to this and other forums, you're gonna be bombarded with opinions on everything from which brand of (tire, bike, aftermarket pipes, helmets...ad nauseum) to; are wheelies ok, what size bike is best for beginners, should you wear gear, and on and on. Seems like everybody (including me) has an opinion and is willing to voice it loudly. If you hang around with riders, you're gonna hear some pretty, uhm..., AMAZING stuff.

So how does a new person sort through all the competing voices to find the few nuggets of "truth" through all the chaff?

I'd like to say that everybodies "truth" is valid, but physics has some immutable laws, and the punishment for violating them can be, if not fatal, down right painful and/or permanent.

I'd like to be able to say to you that you should go read a bunch of books on motorcycling, and that will answer all your questions. Unfortunately, that approach is just like basic computer programming ; Garbage in, Garbage out. Just because somebody got published, doesn't make it good. I once bought and read a book on motorcycling and touring on the recommendations of a reviewer in a motorcyle magazine; one of the "tips" the author gave was that in the event of not being able to avoid a crash, that you "lay 'er down" and ride out the slide on top of the bike! He even gave drawings and diagrams to show how it should be PRACTICED, (he did not, however, provide photographs of himself "practicing"). HMMM...just didn't seem to ring true to me.

When I first started riding, an experienced rider friend of mine told me he never uses the front brake...."that thing'll throw you over the handlebars, man". Hmmm...who is right.

By the same token, when I was riding a short while, I read an article by Kevin Cameron about "countersteering". Didn't sound right to me, but I went out and tried his techniques, and THEY WORKED!

Depending on where you are as a practitioner of this sport, there are a couple sources you can count on:

Most of the stuff the MSF courses teach you, although there is some variation from different instructors on detail items like rear brake usage and the like, but overall; good solid info and techniques.

ANYTHING by Kevin Cameron. He's an engineer by trade, so he gets a little dry and throws some heavy math in once in a while, but he also has the talent for explaining difficult physics concepts to the non-engineer. If you are going to have a successful riding career, it helps to know the "why" so you can sort through the, uhm....., crap you're gonna hear. Motorcycling is ALL ABOUT harnessing the physical laws to work for you harmoniously...that's why it FEELS so good when it's done right.

Anything by Nick Ienatsch, including this book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/189...73564?n=283155

Anything Reg Pridmore has to say: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/188...73564?n=283155

I did not include Keith Code's books, in that some of the info is a bit dated, a few things are just wrong, and they are not easy to understand for a newcomer.

As well, you may want to check out these links:
http://www.sportrider.com/ride/RSS/1..._braking_tips/
http://www.datacraftsystems.co.uk/te...chniques_left/

It's up to YOU, the rider, to become knowledgable. You'll have more fun if you know not just the how but the why; you'll make fewer mistakes, and be able to judge and analyze your own riding better......which makes it "click" for you faster and more frequently....and makes it fun, faster and safer.

I've seen the question over and over again...."when is this gonna feel natural for me?". I don't know; how much effort do you want to put into it?

Welcome to a whole new world.

Ride with you soon.

Stayin' Alive.........
I have lifted this posting from another board and copied it en toto. It was written by a friend and riding companion of mine from western NY state, after he watched a young, inexperienced rider die right in from of him a couple weeks ago up on 144 on the way to Renovo, Pa . Apparently, the rider froze up going into a sharp, decreasing radius turn; rather than lean the bike over more, he went straight off the road over an embankement and fell to his death.

I submit this to you unedited; the bold and emphasized areas are his. He has distilled the How-To's down to their essentials. He is a long-time rider (thirty-plus years), an accomplished racer and one of the senior engineers for Saab-USA. He currently flogs a BMW Boxer Cup on the track and on the street smoother and faster than I could ever dream and racks up 20-30,000 miles per year on the back roads.

I learn something from this guy all the time. Read it and live it. The life you save may be your own.

From PFFOG:

"I promised this a couple of weeks ago, sorry for the delay. I was thinking about this as I was on the ride to Renovo two weeks ago when the young man I met three hours earlier lost his life. He never got the chance to become experienced.

I needed to stand back and look at what might have happened, as it was the antithesis of what I was going to write.

I will keep it in bullet points, as it is easier to digest.

-Pre-flight the bike, pilots do it, why? Because a failure can be fatal, it is no different on the bike. Tire pressure, front and rear axel, pinch bolts, throttle and brake condition, foot peg mounts (how would you like to stand up to stretch at 55 and have the foot peg fall off), Fenders, shocks. I even give my tires a kick with the heel of my boot frequently when I stop, after lunch etc. There is a distinct sound difference on an under inflated tire.

-Preflight yourself. NEVER ride if you are preoccupied, angry, tired, extremely cold, bored, or have any type of intoxicant in your system. Expressway BORES me silly in about 20 minutes, so I bought a trailer to get to the fun and interesting roads. I did not like the stupor my brain went into after a few miles of ca-chunk, ca-chunk as I motored down the road. I can ride 600-mile days on narrow, twisting and interesting roads, I feel tired at the end of the day, but feel alert the entire time.

-Pay attention to the bike, if something feels different, it probably is. Stop and check (see preflight). Last year at Renovo, I went up the hill and turned at the overlook, we stopped for 5 minutes or so and I headed back down. I started slow and about the 3rd turn, the bike felt different, I stopped and checked the bike and sure enough the rear tire was loosing air rapidly. I did not make it back down without adding air. Same awareness in the car, I can tell I have a tire going soft just by the feel, long before it is tearing itself to shreds.

-Practice, Practice, Practice. The first place I take any new rider is to a back road and I give a braking demo. Front only, rear only and both. Then I make them do the same thing for 15-20 minutes before continuing. Even though I have had ABS for the last 6 years I still practice panic stops. I play “what is the latest I can apply the brakes and stop before” game. It goes like this; I will pick a landmark ahead, a pole, pavement marking sign etc. As I approach, I will wait until the last second I think I can apply the brakes and stop in the panic mode. It is an eye opener and commits some of this skill to muscle memory. I make my sons and wife practice this as well. Start at slower speed and then once comfortable speed it up.

-Read, Read, Read. Get you hands on magazines, books, surf the web. Read about techniques and strategies, then go practice them. One of my signature lines reads “Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes”. This is so true, but easily forgotten.

-Ride like you are invisible, because to many you ARE. Even if people see you they do not feel threatened and would pull a move they would not it you were an 18-wheeler. The vast majority of people behind the steering wheel are passengers in the drivers seat, not drivers. My son use to drive an ambulance in Buffalo and he would constantly tell stories of drivers that did not see him, with all the lights flashing and siren wailing, what chance to you have on a motorcycle.

- Do you have close calls?? If so have you figured out what YOU are doing wrong, even if it is not your fault? You were not anticipating what the other driver, road condition, wildlife, Mother Nature etc. might do. This applies to driving a car, walking, bumping your head and a multitude of other things. Are you constantly “Situationaly Aware” do you always know what is going on around you? If not, learn the skill. The best indicator of your skill is to ask yourself this question. Look in your rear view mirror, do you know where the guy behind you came from???? Did the slowly catch you, did they pull out of a side road or driveway, if so which one??? Strive to be Yoda!!!

-Scan constantly and play “what if”. What if the road turns to gravel over that hill? What if that car parked on the side of the road, pulled over to make a U-turn and they decide to do it NOW? What if that motorcycle coming the other way goes wide? Always have an escape route.

-Do you use riding as a way to feed an adrenaline rush?
If you feel you must always ride WFO to have fun, sell the bike. You can get an adrenalin rush safer ways, skiing, roller coasters, bungee jumping, snowmobiling (only safer than motorcycles if you avoid the bars). You can substitute some of the fun with a good car driven hard.

-Tell yourself LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. I have repeated this mantra to myself a million + times, and still do on a regular basis. It is FUNDAMENTAL to riding safely, and failure to do so is probably the #1 cause of accidents. In my opinion, thinking that you can stop if you are in a corner too fast is a guaranteed accident. There is no way you can stop. Now if you are still going straight and have a few seconds by all means scrub off a few MPH, then look where you WANT to go, release the brakes and head for the apex. My bet would be 99% chance you will make it, vs. 99% chance you will crash if you try to stop. Even if you feel you are 20mph to fast, about 2 seconds on the brakes will drop the speed and now you are going the speed you want, so just turn!!

-All the gear, all the time. Never leave home without it.

-Be aware of closing speeds. When I pass an Amish buggy I am usually going no more than 20 mph, same if I am passing a vehicle going 60, I get behind them, spend some time so they can see me, and I can observe them, then squirt around. I avoid passing multiple vehicles at once, and never pass on “the fly”, it is just too risky.


Now for more specific skills to improve you ability.

SMOOTH, SMOOTH, SMOOTH. So you want to be fast? The best way to get fast is not to try to be fast, but try to be smooth! Smooth adds confidence, concentration, and gray matter application to your riding.

Set up your turns. Look 1-2 turns ahead all the time, it is too late to do anything about the space 50 feet in front of you, you should have mentally passed that a long time ago. Coming out of one corner should position you for the entrance to the next.

Late apex. I wait until I can see the exit of the turn, if possible, before initiating a turn. If you find yourself going wide at the exit of a turn, chances are you are turning in too soon. Remember Look where you want to go and lock on it like a sidewinder missile.

If your chicken strips are less than ¼” wide, get to the track!!! Wait, if your chicken strips are more that ¼” wide, get to the track!!!! Just get to the track, Period, end of discussion. Best place for a novice to learn, and best place to let it all hang out. The more track days I do, the less I have the urge to push hard on the street.

Learn to read the road. There are multiple clues in any given corner. Are there skid marks? Is the guardrail dented? What are the clues that are visible going into a corner? At track days, I ride with some guys that race on a regular basis, but I find I am much faster in the 2nd or 3rd session than them, but by the end of the day they are faster then me. I can’t explain it except to say I analyze everything, after the first session at a new track, I play its layout over and over in my mind, and work on one corner at a time. Once that is committed to memory, I work on the next.

It is getting late, I am sure most have seen this before. But I will continue my thoughts another day, and comment on what not to do."
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Hot Weather Riding
It's 102 here in Baltimore right now, and not even I like to ride in this weather. But, some of you use your bikes as primary transportation, and HAVE to ride. With that in mind; I offer the following, based on my own experiences, research and the experiences of others before me.

Heat is not the enemy:

I know this sounds funny, but it's true. Heat is not the real problem when riding; loss of fluid is.

If you are healthy, your body is well-equipped to handle heat well up into the 120 degree range.

http://www.whybike.com/motorcycle85.htm

Dressing properly is very important. A T-shirt and shorts are not it; exposed skin is not only dangerous in a crash, it’s a major source of dehydration and sunburn. The desert dwellers learned that covering all exposed skin reduced dehydration. In high heat and humidity, even Kevlar mesh garments are a poor choice.

When you are riding in hot weather, you are in a 60 mile-per-hour convection oven; the wind carrying away both the heat and your sweat. Many riders use the old biker’s trick of soaking the body of a heavy cotton sweatshirt in water, leaving as much water in the shirt as possible and wearing it under a riding jacket. The sleeves are left dry from the elbows down, as well as from the waist down, to allow for moisture wicking down. The wet shirt becomes an evaporative cooler that leaves the rider in blissful comfort for at least an hour. Opening or closing the front (and side zippers, if so equipped) controls the amout of evaporative cooling; which can be in the 20-30 degree range on an unfaired bike.

Start the ride well-hydrated, drinking at least a quart of liquid before departure. Drink at least a quart of liquid such as water or sports drinks every hour. If the temperature or heat index is very high, double or triple it, since fluid loss can top a gallon an hour. Riders who do not need to make a pit stop every couple of hours are dehydrating and should sharply increase their fluid intake. If you are not peeing it means there is not enough fluid in your system and your kidneys have gone on strike....and heatstroke and death are not far away.

After graduating many years ago, I became an apprentice cook in a hotel. As part of my training, I worked many hours in the restaurant kitchens, "on the line"; on the cooking battery, with open broilers, fryers, hot-top stoves (cast iron stoves with 10 sixty-thousand BTU burners, 10 foot open bain-maries (steamtables) and 100 gallon steam jacketed kettles. The thermometer on the wall frequently read in the 120 degree range, with temps next to equipment in the 140-150 range. Stand next to some equipment long enough, and the hair on your arms would start to melt (true!!! those of you in the food business know what I'm talkin' about.)

We dressed in highly starched heavy cotton double breasted cooks jackets buttoned to the neck; highly starched heavy cotton pants, a double-starched DOUBLE cotton apron, and a starched cotton chef's hat.

All that starch in the cotton prevented sweat from soaking in...the many layers of heavy cotton acting as an insulator from the extreme heat. It was possible to work eight, ten or twelve hour shifts that way in relative comfort and safety.

Soooooo.....

The key to riding safely in hot weather is to stay hydrated and INSULATE yourself from the heat, and CONTROL your waterloss through "wetting down" inside garments and controlling airflow. Done right, it can be nearly as comfortable as an airconditioner.


Ride safe.

On Buying A Motorcycle
I've read many threads on here from folks bitten by the riding bug, and they are unsure how to go about it or think they are unable to. Some folks have the money, and just want to know how to go about it; others have tight finances or no credit or bad credit; and are unsure how to proceed.

Like everybody else, I agonized over my first "real" motorcycle purchase. The first bike I bought was a 1969 Yamaha twin two-stroke trail bike basket case...literally, the engine was in pieces in a bushel basket. My buddies brother was sick of trying to make it run right, so I got it for $50 bucks and worked on it in his garage so my folks wouldn't find out. It was a junker, so it wasn't a "real" motorcycle in my mind. Nevermind the fact that it got me hooked, and 35 years and twenty-something bikes later I'm still riding.

Everybodies' circumstances are different; if your of the "I want to buy another toy" set, skip this thread; I'm talkin' to the workin' folks who have to pinch pennies and figure out if they can afford this way of life.

Growing up, I came from, uhm, what my folks would call "difficult circumstances"; we didn't have a lot of money, and we lived in a very economically depressed area. On top of that, my father was an alcoholic, and he spent most of the money that came in on what HE wanted to spend it on. More than once, we were "escorted" from our apartment with all our belongings by the Sherriff. Needless to say, trying to attain some financial security has been important in my life. I have never been one to run after wealth, but I've learned the value of money.

After modest success in the business world, in my later thirties, I lost nearly everything. No job, no money; had to sell ALL the toys: boats, motorcycles, even my car, just to keep a roof over our head. We managed to climb back out of that hole, but the recovery was (and is) slow; I was saddled with ongoing debt and damaged credit; but at least our income was growing and we had some breathing room. To this day, I make much less than I did back in the late eighties, yet we LIVE much better than we did.

As You Read This; Remember My Background, Because It Colors How I View The Whole Process: IT MAY NOT BE FOR YOU.

These are the things I have learned:

Consumer Debt is "BAD DEBT".

Investment Debt is "GOOD DEBT".

Motorcycles make Lousy Investments. Even Harleys.

Most people lie about how much they paid.

It ALWAYS costs more than you think.

When you bought something to increase your enjoyment in life and it's causing more problems than joy; it's time to sell it.

Don't believe the Salesman (or the "Business Manager", another name for the F and I guy) they are there to get the money out of your pocket. Read EVERYTHING BEFORE you sign.

Just because you can't TODAY, doesn't mean you can't TOMORROW.

You appreciate something you had to sweat for more than something you were given.

I'd rather have a motorcycle than not, but not having one won't kill me if it means having a place to live and food on the table for my family (but it still hurts having to give up what I love).

Insurance is a major expense. But don't go without it...it's even more expensive.

A one year old lightly used bike goes just as fast as a brand-spanky new one, and if you shop right , costs 25-50% less (true...I once bought a 955i from a young man who was about to lose his freedom for repeated DWI's....I bought that pristine year-old bike for half of the list price).

Where there is a will there is a way.

If I can do it, I'd rather ride than not.




Soooo...what have you learned. This is not a "rant" thread but a personal lesson thread about the "hard won wisdom" of buying a bike.

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Learners' Bikes
I understand that everyone wants the BEST they can afford, and that between the marketing hype and pressure from "buddies"; everybody thinks they "need" that 160 hp roadburner as a first bike just to keep up.

Many, many on this board like RaeRR, Marko, Dlit, Backmarker, Chuck, Pippi, Jeeps (I could and should go on and on) have repeatedly made the point that hardware is the LAST factor in making a good ride..... that skills and experience come before horsepower and handling.

Perhaps what the new folks need is some "perspective". This is where you yawn and say "there he goes again!"

After riding in the dirt for a couple years, I took the plunge and got my M endorsement in '73; my first roadbike was a 28 Hp Suzuki T20....the fastest 250 available at that time. http://www.t20suzuki.com/ Stock, it weighed about 290 lbs with a half tank of gas with top speed of about 85-90 mph with the wind at your back.

As a contrast, today's "bottom end" starter bike would probably be the Ninja 500 (380 lbs dry, 62 Hp stock....top speed somewhere in the 110-120mph range.)

At the time I started riding, the true HP king was the 900cc Kawasaki Z-1: A gawd-awful 85 hp, and 564 lbs with a half tank of gas. In experienced hands, it would run low twelves. It was considered an animal, for expert hands only.

Today's average 600's produce somewhere in the vacinity of 130 Hp, with a wet weight in the neighborhood of 400 lbs ('06 R-6: 131 hp, 354 lb DRY wt.) top speeds in excess of 150 mph. For most new riders egos, this is considered the FLOOR of where they would like to start. Many folks that hop on this board and wonder if they should just skip over the 600's and jump right on that 180 hp, 1000cc roadburner, with the 189 mph top speed and save themselves time and money.

Make certain your collision, health and life policies are all paid up.

In 1974, I turned my 250 into a race bike, and bought a new 380 Suzuki triple (36hp, 360 lbs). Over the next two years, that bike took me over 26,000 miles, through half of the 50 states and a couple of Canadian Provinces. I NEVER "NEEDED" more power (I could have used some better brakes than the single piston, single disk and drum rear provided). That bike got used as a commuter, a touring bike, my weekend backroad strafer, and made several excursions to the track in the box-stock class. It smoked bigger bikes on the track and on the back roads regularly, and turned times within 1.5 seconds of the open class bikes on the track.

Last fall, I was invited to ride with a group of riders from West Virginia; we went up from Seneca Rocks to Snowshoe for the bikefest. A fellow a little younger (40's) and his wife were mounted on an '05 GS500 with tankbag and soft luggage; he was a fellow about my size (about 6', 200 lbs, wife about 5'4", 120 lbs) the rest of us on Gixxer 750's, 1000's and myself on a 955i Triumph.

He left the parking lot first, and as I pulled out into line behind the rest of the group, I thought "GREAT, now we've gotta follow this Slo Mo Joe through some of the best roads around". Within a mile or so, I found myself railing through the countryside to keep up....that bugger on the 500 (with his wife on the back) WAS LEADING THE GROUP......most of us could maintain the pace, but only one guy on a Gixxer 1K got around him.

I remember that, every time I think I NEED that newest 180hp monstrosity.

Why I Don't Care...
...If Someone Thinks I'm Stuck Up.

Last winter I posted a thread something to the effect of "I won't ride with you if..." and a few folks took offense. Sort of the "Well, I won't ride with you either...Nah Nah!"

I've written constantly about thinking and riding and acting with concern for others. A member of another board I frequent was killed a short while ago, doing stupid stuff at high speeds (lane splitting at high differential speeds on the freeway in heavy traffic). Nobody hit him, he just had a momentary lapse of concentration, lost control, and slammed into a guard rail. He's dead. Never gonna ride again. Period. End of story.

He was one of those guy's who always had to poo-poo folks that warned of the dangers of riding on the edge, on the road. Gear or no gear, making solid contact with an immovable object with your body will leave you permanently crippled or dead. That's the reality.

I've ridden by myself for most of my riding career. Not because I'm stuck up, but because I liked the solitude and the time to chill out and think. A few years ago, I discovered a whole new community through the old, now defunct KatanaPlanet. I went on some group rides, some poker runs, and became a regular and a volunteer for the Ride Across Maryland. Over the last 6 years, I've developed a small group of people that I feel comfortable riding with. The single thing we share besides a love for riding; is mutual respect.

Not because we're all "old hands"; we're not. We're a mixed bag of riders of all ages, all skill levels. What we share is mutual respect for each other as people, and through that, a desire to insure that every ride is a good ride, unmarred by tragedy. The first rule is "Everybody gets home in one piece".

I was perusing the "Crash Video" thread a bit ago, and a two stood out; I'll repost the links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC6M3uBjc9I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjQvb419Lh0

They both share a common thread; the riders involved (with the exception of the girl on the dirtbike) were all showing off,pushing it, and with two exceptions (the two dirt guys); managed to take out other riders and/ or their bikes.

I don't know about you, but when I go on a ride, I don't PLAN on coming home in a wheelchair or a coffin because somebody else couldn't keep their ego in check. I'll take my lumps for my own mistakes, but don't push YOURS on me.

Sorry if I'm a little pushy on the subject (no, not really sorry), but I've sat on the side of the road waiting for the truck to show up when the hot dog of the group wadded up his new GSXR; and watched a buddy quit riding when some butthead forgot the street is not the track and tried to stuff his bike under my friend's in the middle of a turn and didn't have the chops to pull it off. I've been to funerals of guys that didn't know that beer (even one) and bikes don't mix.

So, go ahead and tell me I don't know what I'm talkin' about; that I'm "old school" and out of it.

I'll still ride my ride.



For Jason

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Engineers
1. Two engineering students were walking across a university campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?"
The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want."
The first engineer nodded approvingly and said, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit you anyway."
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2. To the optimist, the glass is half-full. To the pessimist, the glass is half-empty.
To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
__________________________________________________ ___________________

3. A priest, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers.
The engineer fumed, "What's with those guys? We must have been waiting for fifteen minutes!"
The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such inept golf!"
The priest said, "Here comes the green-keeper. Let's have a word with him."
He said, "Hello George, what's wrong with that group ahead of us?
They're rather slow, aren't they?"
The green-keeper replied, "Oh, yes. That's a group of blind firemen. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime."
The group fell silent for a moment. The priest said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight."
The doctor said, "Good idea. I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there's anything he can do for them."
The engineer said, "Why can't they play at night?"
__________________________________________________ _________________

4. What is the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers?
Mechanical engineers build weapons and civil engineers build targets.
__________________________________________________ __________________

5. The graduate with a science degree asks, "Why does it work?"
The graduate with an engineering degree asks, "How does it work?"
The graduate with an accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?"
The graduate with an arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?"
__________________________________________________ ___________________

6. Three engineering students were gathered together discussing who must have designed the human body.
One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints."
Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections."
The last one said, "No, actually it had to have been a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"
__________________________________________________ ___________

7. Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

In Your Wake.....
I read indignant posts on this forum and others, when a local radio personality, or an editorial, advocates taking "some kind of action" against bikers. The rant usually starts with some anecdotal evidence about mad bikers making high speed runs through traffic, others doing stand up wheelies on the freeway, and 100 mph lane splitting, and ends with a comment about wanting to "take out" some of these hooligans.

The folks on these forums then respond with indignation; "how could someone in their position advocate vigilantiism? I'm outraged, and I'm gonna e-mail the (newspaper, radio station, TV station; pick which applies)......

.....and then a couple days later, some nit-wit (sorry if you don't like the label, but if that's how you ride, that's what you are) posts a "cool vid" of him and his "boyz" doing the same damn thing....160 mph runs, weaving in and out of cars, endangering everyone around them....(and don't try friggin' lyin' to us that you are only endangering yourself...you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a 500lb bike travelling a 130mph or so has the same energy a bundle of dynamite).

AND THEN WE"RE PUZZLED WHEN THEM DAMN CAGERS DON"T LIKE US; WANT TO REGULATE US, OR BAN US FROM THIS OR THAT PARKWAY....

....or some pissed off dad in his Explorer gets tired of having the wits scared out of him by thoughtless a-holes doing 140mph strafing runs, and takes it upon himself to give some biker a 2500lb nudge.

I don't condone it.

But I understand it.

Frighten people enough times, long enough and bad enough, and they WILL strike back, in ways that even surprise them! Simple human nature.

So before you start pointing fingers next time somebody in a "cage" does something outragous; take a good long look at your own behavior before you start your condemnations.

The life you save may be your own. Or mine. Or your buddies.

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Long but worth it.
By Jeff Hughes

Why is it that he seems content to just roll along, playing those curves in the road like so many riffs drifting easily from a well-worn guitar?

You slide in behind him-or maybe he glides smoothly around in front of you-and within a handful of corners you know there's something special here. It's not his hardware, which might be anything from an ancient BMW Airhead to a years-old Japanese Standard to the latest race-replica tackle. Nor is it his clothing, which, if anything, probably carries a patina of age-the leather or nylon faded from long miles in the sun and spotted from uncounted bug-cleanings. Nor is it just that he's fast, though he probably carries a pretty crisp pace. No, what instantly gets your attention is the utter casualness-the sheer effortlessness-with which he rides along the road, dispatching the curves like so many pieces of candy. There's a relaxed assurance in his demeanor, a perfect confidence in his swift cadence, which gives rise to a certainty of what the next miles will bring. His speed is just-so. We watch for a while-assuming we're able to stay with him-and in our heart of hearts, where our desires stir and our egos live, we couch what we're seeing in the same way we always do. We know some guy, maybe we know lots of guys, buddies who are surely faster than Mr. Smooth and Effortless. Hell, maybe we're faster. But even as we think these things, salve for the ego, we can't escape the growing suspicion that this rider in front of us is just playing. Not with us, but with the road-probably the merest touch of a smile tugging at his lips as he glides through the corners-even as our own heart hammers a staccato beat as we're carried along in the rush behind him. Maybe it dawns on us, in a moment of honesty, that he could just walk away if he wanted. One of those things you just know. So why doesn't he? Why is it that he seems content to just roll along, playing those curves in the road like so many riffs drifting easily from a well-worn guitar? We all talk about being good, about being smooth. Well, there he is, right in front of you. The poster child.In a sport whose very appeal is built around the merits of speed-a sport where our greatest heroes are those who go the fastest, a sport where even the most mundane machinery comes dripping with performance, where even the clothes we wear are based upon the need to attenuate the risk we perceive attendant to that speed-it's hard not to get caught up in the notion that speed is the thing. It's both the yardstick by which we measure ourselves and the mantle in which we wish to be draped. Hell, who doesn't want to be fast?

The corollary, an article of faith repeated so often that it seems to beg any argument, is that speed-too much of it at least -is a bad thing. It's the bogeyman waiting to catch us out any time we cross the imaginary line of too much. Most of us nod our heads when we hear that.

The thing is, that doesn't always jive with our experience. We see guys all the time who manage to crash at quite modest speeds. And we know some-admittedly a much smaller number-who ride really fast, and have for a long time, but who never seem to crash. Not as in they don't crash very often. As in they never crash.

We all undertake a modicum of risk every time we thumb the starter-it's just inherent to the sport. But those of us who choose to adopt a faster pace deliberately assume more of that danger. We knowingly engage the laws of probability in a game of chicken. You play it long enough and you lose. That's what we've always been told, right?

Why is it, then, that such a select group of riders manages to ride at an elevated pace over many miles, weekend after weekend, trip after trip, year after year, with little in the way of mishap? Why are these riders seemingly held apart, aloof, from the carnage which too-often otherwise afflicts our sport? And how is it that so many other riders, traveling at much lesser speeds, still manage to toss away their bikes with such depressing frequency?

Well, maybe we've been looking in the wrong place all along. Maybe, just maybe, it's not about speed after all-at least not in the way we usually think of it. Maybe it's about something else, something as simple as the degree of control we exercise over a span of road.

It might happen on any ride, on any Sunday. We head out with some buddies, or maybe we hook up with that group of guys we were talking to down at the gas station, or maybe that devil on our shoulder is simply a little more vigorous in his exhortations this day. However it happens, we soon get to the road. The good one. The one that brought us out here in the first place. And there, in that mix of camaraderie and good tarmac and adrenaline-laced delight, we find ourselves giving away that which we had sworn to hold tight to-our judgment. It doesn't happen all at once. We give it away a little click here, a little click there, like a ratcheting cord. Soon, rolling through the curves faster and faster and laughing under our helmets all the while, we enter a new realm.

We've all been there. We instantly know we're in a new place because it's suddenly different. Our lines are no longer quite so clean. We're on the brakes more, and we're making little mistakes in our timing. And instead of that Zen-like rush through the corners we enjoyed just moments ago-the state of grace that is the prize of this sport-we're now caught up in the brief slivers of time between corners trying to fix those mistakes. They seem to be coming faster now-both the corners and the mistakes-and there doesn't seem to be quite enough time to do what we need to do, the errors piling up in an increasingly dissonant heap. Our normally smooth riding is suddenly ragged, with an edgy and anxious quality. Inside our helmets the laughter mutes and then is gone altogether, replaced by a grim determination to stay on pace. We start to mutter little self-reproaches with each newborn error.

Soon enough we'll blow it. We'll get into one particular corner too hot-realization and regret crystallizing in a single hot moment-and from that instant until whatever's going to happen does, we're just along for the ride. It will be what it will be. With a touch of luck we'll come away with nothing more than a nervous laugh and a promise to ourselves not to do that again. That and maybe one more little debt to pay. You know, the one we just made to God-if he would please just get us out of this mess we'd gotten ourselves into. Just this one last time, promise.

Just one of those moments, huh?

It has to do with choices. When we ride a challenging road-at whatever speed-there is an observable, knowable degree of control that we exhibit. Not just over one corner. Not even over just one section. But over the entire road. On some days our mastery is complete-we've chosen to stay well within our own personal skill envelope. On other days-well, on other days maybe we choose to push toward the edge of that envelope. To a place where our mastery begins to diminish. To a place where the degree of control we exhibit gradually decreases. Ultimately, to the tipping point-where all our skills seem to go to hell and gone in one big hurry.

There's a predictability to it. A good rider, riding within his proper envelope, will have none of those moments. There will be no spikes in his heart rate. No sudden bursts of adrenaline. Nothing but a smooth, flowing movement across the road. He will be this side of the tipping point-the tipping point for him. It'll be different for each of us. And it'll vary from day to day, maybe even hour to hour, depending upon how we feel. Sometimes we're in the groove and sometimes we're not. But I think the key is that as long as the rider stays this side of the tipping point, he can probably ride a surprisingly long time without ill effect.

And that's the message. The predictor of bad stuff, the closest thing we have to a crystal ball, are those moments. They are part of the landscape, part of the sport. And they happen to all of us. But for any given rider, they need to be very rare. If they happen with any frequency at all, I'd say the tipping point is at hand. And if that's a place you choose to hang around much, there's probably something very ugly waiting for you not too far down the road.

Think about all those riders who've ever impressed us, like our rider at the beginning of this story. They all seem to have a smooth, fluid, easy quality about them, an assurance which belies any stress or fear. They're always balanced, always in control. I suspect somewhere along the line they've acquired a germ of wisdom, hard-won over many miles, which has given them an appreciation of their own limits. They know where that tipping point is-where their mastery of their bike, the road and the environment begins to slip away-and they long ago made the decision to stay this side of it.

When you do find them testing their limits-surely there's an argument to be made for exploring the edges of one's ability-it's likely to be at a time and place of very careful choosing, and it probably involves a racetrack. Much of wisdom involves simply knowing when and where to lose those impulses that we all carry.

So maybe it's never been about speed after all. Maybe that's why such a small, select group of people are able to ride for years and years without crashing-the fact that they ride fast is secondary to the fact that they're always in control. They know their own limits.

And that's the lesson for the rest of us-at least for those of us who wish to enjoy this sport for a long, long time. There's a choice to be made, every time we thumb the starter.

Not that it's easy. If it were, we wouldn't see the carnage among our ranks that we do every weekend. But for those who manage it, for those who bring restraint and discipline to mix with their skill and daring, there's an upside, even beyond the satisfaction of bringing one's bike and body back unscathed after an afternoon's ride. There's something to be said for gathering up one's powers, like the magician that motorcycle makes us feel like, and wielding them well along a good road. There's art to be found there.

Art and magic.

This article originally appeared in the October, 2003 issue of Sport Rider

An Open Letter
At the risk of drawing ire, I hope this is taken in the spirit in which it was written:

To All the Riders I Haven't Met:

I just spent part of the day at the Maryland Motorcycle Show last week, and bumped into a couple of my riding buddies. We grabbed lunch and went into the seating area to yak and catch up. We talked a lot about the mild winter, and the fact that the warm days had already brought out the "squirrels" on two wheels, and compared the acts of insanity on public roads we'de already seen. As group, we're all a little older (30-50's) and most have a lot of riding years and/or miles under our belts. The rest of my afternoon was spent alone in my truck going around the beltway in the snow, doing service calls, so I had a lot of time to do some thinking. The following is the product of those conversations, and the ruminations that followed.

I REALLY hope you will stick with motorcycling; I think that, as a group, bikers are some of the nicer folks I've had the opportunity to meet. I spent a lot of years riding alone, and in the last few years I've hooked up with a number of like-minded riders, and found the enjoyment I've gotten from riding to be multiplied. I look forward to another riding season, and the opportunity to meet many of you. That being said, some of you scare the beejesus out of me, and I probably won't ride with you more than once, if at all.

I won't ride with you IF you:

A......Think a good day of riding includes a couple of stops at the local watering holes, and your attitiude is "It's only BEER, man."

B......Don't wear basic gear. I know, I know.....free choice and all that crap. But I too have a free choice, and I choose NOT to ride with people that can't or won't exercise good judgement about something so basic. If you REALLY do believe that helmets are bad for you, well, I hope you survive long enough to change your mind. If you don't have enough respect for yourself to take basic precautions, it's doubtful you'll care enough about me and my friends to avoid endangering us. I never understood how someone could spend $10-12,000 on a new 1000 cc sportbike and not have enough money for a set of basic gear (Helmet, Jacket, gloves and boots).

C.....Don't maintain your bike........few things are more annoying than planning a ride, only to have to wait while you run around at the last minute looking for parts, or spend the better part of a beautiful afternoon sitting on the side of the road waiting for your tow, cause your bike broke down, AGAIN.

D.....Ride over your head....many a nice ride has been marred by the tragedy of crashers, who lie about their experience level, and then make the rest of us literally pick up the pieces. Nobody wants to see you down, and nobody wants to do CPR, but we will if we have to. Nobody wants to have to call your parents or girl friend or wife and kids and tell 'em you're on a helicopter to Shock-Trauma 'cause you didn't know how to counter steer, or that braking in the middle of a turn was a bad thing. We didn't sign up for that. Be honest about your skill level, we'll be happy to give you some pointers. Some of us are even licensed, skilled racers and instructors; all you have to do is ask and we'll show you all we know.

E.....Dis my ride....I don't care if you have the lastest, greatest 160 hp monster Japan can crank out; I ride what I ride 'cause it suits me, or mebbe 'cause it's what I can afford, what with a mortgage, two kids in college, and building for my retirement. I often wear out a bike before I get another one. If I pull away from you at every corner on my sub-100hp, high milage, 8 year old sport-touring bike WITH saddlebags, maybe horsepower isn't the most important part of the equation.

F.....Endanger me or my friends with your show-off manuevers. You KNOW what I'm talkin' about: passing on the inside of corners (some a-hole wrecked a good buddies NEW SV1000, when he decided to stuff his clapped out fur-bike underneath in a turn and then couldn't hold the line), passing the group up the middle in a 12 o'clock wheelie IN TRAFFIC, and in general, acting like the road is a track and your ego fulfillment is the most important thing in the world.

G.....Ask my advice about the wisdom of trading in your 2 month old 250cc Ninja and buying the latest and greatest 1400cc 200mph monster bike, and then dismissing me with a wave of the hand and a "ya, but........". If you already have your mind made up...don't ask! But don't call me up when you wreck it and ask to borrow my truck to take it to the dealer, either.

ALL the aformentioned happened to me or friends of mine over just this last riding season; the amount of stupid stuff I could tell you I've survived over the last 32 years of riding could fill a book. It's dangerous enough out there without our own adding to the pucker factor.

If you have more "Don't Do's" feel free to add 'em on....................

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