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How can I be a better rider?
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Look for a DOT and Snell rated helmet
People often ask me how to become a better motorcycle rider. There are several ways to improving your skills and becoming a safer rider, however it all starts with your gear, so let’s take a look at some or your options. I must state that I’m 100% of the function over form mindset. If looking good takes precedence over your personal safety, I’d say an attitude adjustment would be the first step in becoming a better rider. Four year old boys still turn around to stare in awe at you and your motorbike regardless of your attire. Is there a better barometer of cool?
Start with are a DOT certified full face helmet, a nice leather or synthetic jacket, long pants preferable leather or synthetic, a pair of full fingered gloves, and over the ankle boots. Remember when you were seventeen and put that first dent in the family vehicle. It wasn’t because you weren’t paying attention. You may have been a little shy on patience but that little old lady from Pasadena who you thought was letting you go at the four-way stop accelerated like John Force in his classice whole-shot style and broadsided you . Bottom line, on a motorcycle it really doesn’t matter who’s at fault, you must be prepared to get up close and personal with the asphalt. If you take it as a given that at some point you and your bike will become separated, the gear preparation takes on an entirely new meaning.
Don't overlook the importance of vibrant colors!
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation talks about the ladder of risk so some people may feel comfortable with a half shell helmet or a short sleeve shirt on a hot summer day. When I teach a class someone invariably asks me if I wear my slightly bulky and fully armored Tourmaster jacket all summer. I reply, ”Heck yeah, it’s part of my weight loss program!” It can get warm at times but when the wheels are turning it’s so well vented that I get more than air to keep me cool. The protection aspect far outweighs the minor discomfort that I seldom feel at stop lights.
Concerning helmets, it’s a full face DOT/Snell rated noggin top for me. I look at all the professional motorsports drivers who make a living at not only motorcycle riding, but stock car driving, and formula one racing. No surprise, they all wear a full face helmets. It protects your face, chin, jaw, and teeth. My smile maybe goofy but it’s mine and I like it. My thought process is why not measure up to the professionals when it comes to safety. It is estimated that about eighty percent of all motorcycle accidents involve injury or death are the result of head injuries. Bonus feature, it's also a lot quieter inside a full face helmet zooming down the super slab at 65 or 75 mph.
You'll love gauntlets
Full fingered gloves are a must. I play guitar and I’ve spent way too many hours practicing intervallic scales and different modes for me to lose a digit because I made the decision to leave them unprotected. I love gauntlets. They deflect the wind over the cuff of your jacket sleeve keeping you nice and toasty. Wind that sneaks up your sleeve chills your arm and your entire core. Don’t ever underestimate a Vermont chill. Get yourself a nice pair of leather gloves and try out some gauntlets, I doubt you’ll use anything else. Actually I have three sets of gloves, winter, summer and rain. Deer skin gloves are quite durable and handle the dry to wet and back process very well.
I hate to address stereotypes but the girl in shorts and a tank-top perched on the back of a sportbike while the rider is fully geared doesn’t sit very well with me. As a rider you should ensure your passengers are well suited for the ride. Those miniscule seats look like they double as a springboard ready to launch their victim at the nect railroad crossing. I would also hope the passengers are instructed to rise off the seat when crossing an obstacle.
Has anyone burned their legs on a motorcycle exhaust pipe? I know I have in my younger days. Long pants and boots solve that problem. I remember one day many moons ago I was riding with my oh so sexy Larry Bird type shorts and sneakers touring the DC beltway near the Mormon Temple (Btw the by far coolest night time sight to see on 495..surrender Dorothy) following an eighteen-wheeler on a sunny afternoon. I was amazed, astounded, and annoyed by how much debris, (rocks, trash, and pieces of rubber) those behemoths launch at you and your bike. “Oww, ooch, yikes,” I repeatedly yelled to myself inside my helmet. It was a lesson I’ll never forget. Long pants and boots solve the problem. A few weeks ago I ran into a hail storm in June in Vermont, go figure. I got a couple of surprises as I was being pelted viciously, but I slowed down and enjoyed the phenomena. With the proper gear on I never even had to pull over. Boots also help you with traction when you stop.
There’s plenty more to discuss about being a better rider so stayed tuned…
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