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« on: March 08, 2010, 07:27:29 AM » |
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Spring is coming! For many, this will be the 1st motorcycle ride of the season. I will dispense with the poetry that often accompanies a description of such an event and simply say BE SAFE!
The excitement of getting on your bike and feeling the open road again, especially after and extra long winter this year, can blind you to all the dangers that we deal with every time we ride. There are 3 aspects of this season that warrant extra care and consideration.
1. If you have not ridden since last fall, many of the safe riding techniques and mental checklists you ran through day after day and on each ride, have long since been replaced by “Cager” mentalities. Remind yourself, BEFORE you get on your bike, as many of the things you used to look out for when riding. Are you geared up? Are your tires, inflated correctly, do your brakes work well, have you practiced some low speed maneuvers in your driveway or parking lot? Do you remember to look around you in 20 directions as you ride? Do you remember that all Cagers are on the road specifically to run you down and cut you off?
2. Cagers are on the road specifically to run you down and cut you off! I can’t emphasis this enough! Let them be idiots! Let them talk on their phones and put makeup on. Let them change lanes without looking or signaling. Let them slam on the brakes for no reason. let them be Cagers! Just ride knowing they WILL do all of these things and much more. Give yourself space, stay alert, stay calm and stay focused. You will enjoy the ride so much more not being stressed or angry at Cagers. You know how they are. So accept it, let it go and enjoy a safe ride.
3. Watch out for the seasonal riders or weekend warriors. These are riders that don't get the chance to ride often or are simply “Dealership Dashers”. They are consumed by the 1st spring ride of the season and will NOT be focusing on a safe ride. More likely they will be focused on the new chrome gadgets they bolted on their bike over the winter, showing off the new branded jacket they bought or just wearing their new Village People Costume and not their normal business suit. They will be out in full force. Through the Fall and Winter there are a handful of riders on the road keeping their skills up to par. The rest forgot and will need time to remember how dangerous it is on the road and how to be a good rider. Stay clear of other riders on the road. Don’t group up with people you don’t know. Later in the summer, riders are more likely to be back in the saddle and safer to group ride with. Not only can a out of practice rider be directly unsafe to you, they can also be unsafe to Cagers and could cause accidents. I see sooooo many riders hanging in a Cager’s blind spot or tailgating! Remember Cagers cant stop as fast and they often cant even see you!
So relax, think things through BEFORE you get on your bike, relax, find your space and pace on the road and ride your ride. Stay out of “the mix” until you are back in the swing of things. Most of all Enjoy your motorcycle. You are one of the lucky ones!
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