Archive for the ‘streetsurvival’ Category
Monday, April 5th, 2004
Motorcycle Packing Tips
As you prepare to head out for a week on the road, you will viagra sales probably discover very quickly that a pair of saddlebags isn’t going to be enough, especially if you are traveling with a passenger. The average saddlebag will absorb a change of underwear and socks, a few shirts, a pair or maybe two of clean jeans, toiletries, medications, a sweatshirt for cold mornings, a heavier set of gloves for the same, a compact rainsuit and a few maps.
A few hundred other things might fit your definition of necessities: cell phone, camping gear, first-aid kit, electric clothing, a change of shoes, sunglasses, cap, hair dryer, additional over-clothes, camera, other tools and supplies for bike maintenance and repair, personal organizer, water bottles, snacks, other apparel to resist weather changes (rain covers for you or luggage, long underwear, neck covers), travel guidesthe buy cytotec online list may seem endless.
A wise motorcyclist selects his or her significant other by his or her ability to pack lightly, but even that quality won’t be enough to solve the packing dilemma if you are camping out for 10 days. And there is no way a set of golf clubs is going to slip gracefully into your luggage.
You will start looking around the bike for places to strap stuff on. I can tell you there are quite a few. I once made a three-week camping trip with a girlfriend during the winter on a smallish bike with no saddlebags or luggage rack. One sleeping bag went in front of the instruments. The other, along with most our clothes, got strapped on the seat rail behind her. The heavy stuff went on the gas tank, though I didn’t have an actual tank bag (which were virtually unheard of in those days). Of course, I was thinner then, and we had to wash clothes frequently.
Packing up the touring cruisers for our trip to Arizona reminded us of some of the challenges of packing a motorcycle. Here are a few points to consider when you are trying to figure out how to take it all with you.
Making room: When you are traveling two-up, a luggage rack is almost essential. On bikes with hard saddlebags, top racks for the bags may be another option, particularly ifas on the Nomadthe closure is on the side of the bags.
Don’t buy cialis fast shipping block airflow to the engine: I am amazed by people who bungee a sleeping bag to their front fender or hang a large fork bag under the headlight. The engine relies on cooling air that comes across the top of the fender and down how to buy viagra without prescription | buy cialis line | generic levitra online past the headlight. This is especially true on bikes with fat front tires and fenders. That sleeping bag may keep your engine even warmer than it keeps you.
Remember mass-centralization: Mass centralization simply means buy viagra in san diego that keeping the mass as close to the motorcycle’s center of gravity (CG) as possible. Buy doxycycline online The CG is usually somewhere near the top of the transmission case. When you start placing weight far from that point, you will feel repercussions in the handling response of the bike. A heavy tool bag strapped atop a sissy bar will screw things up. A light sleeping bag, though Online Cialis buy it may be bulkier, will have a lesser effect. The ideal places to put heavy items so that their weight doesn’t degrade handling are on top of the fuel tank or in a saddlebag (preferably low and toward the front). buy cheap Without Prescription Ampicillin online The next best location is on the seat close behind you. Racks, trunks and the area up by the headlight are best reserved for lighter items, though cheap propecia a light but bulky object like a sleeping bag can make a good windbreak up front. Tank bags are not really suitable for cruisers with tank-top instruments. Even if you are riding with people you trust and don’t need to consult your speedometer, you still need to see the warning lights. Limit your tank-top luggage on such bikes to mini tank bags or a tank-divider strip with a pocket.
Observe load limits: You will find many load limits for your bike and gear. These reflect the concern of motorcycle and luggage makers about the potential dangers of overloading or incorrect load placement. Your owner’s manual and the VIN plate both list GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating), the buy cialis online with a prescription maximum total weight of bike, fluids, riders and luggage that the manufacturer recommends. There is also a GAWR (the A stands for axle) for front and rear wheels. Our spec Viagra for sale charts can help you determine if you are close to these. We list total vehicle wet weight and the percent of that figure that rests on the rear wheel. Although anything you add will fall on both axles, more will buy cialis amoxil generic soft rest on the axle it is closer to. A passenger sitting well back on the seat will be carried almost entirely by the rear suspension. A tank bag will be split pretty evenly.
Will your bike self-destruct Brand Cialis if you overload it? No, but braking distances will increase, handling will become awkward, Plavix Online suspension and wheels will be overworked and may wear, cialis Online Viagra Shops online and tires will get hotwhich at the least means greater wear and at the worst could cause a blowout.
Tires Cialis online also have maximum load ratings. Most saddle, tail and tank bags (standard or aftermarket) list a maximum load. Yes, these figures are probably created with a lot of consideration for liability. But if you never exceed them, you’ll probably never suffer consequences that will make think about liability.
Increase tire pressure to compensate: It’s the air in the tire, can you buy clomid viagra online sale over the counter not the tire itself, that supports the weight of the bike and its cargo. As a result, you need to increase air pressure to the upper limit when you put a lot of load on the bike. Pressures should be checked when the tires are stone cold, even if you have to ride somewhere to add air. Riding with an under-inflated tire causes it to heat up rapidly, which can cause the tire to come apart, especially when it is overloaded.
Add-on saddlebags might require bag guards: I have seen plenty of saddlebags that arrived at their destinations with tire burns even though they seemed to hang well clear of the tire. Wind pressure, forces applied by the rider or passenger, or shifting during the ride can move bags against or into the wheel. The latter can be disastrous.
Almost every cruiser on the market can be fitted with accessory bag guardsthin loops of (usually chromed) tubing that drop down below the rear fender to keep the bags from swinging into the tire. These also provide additional mounting points to help anchor your bags. Unless your bags ride high right next to the saddle, these guards are a good investment.
Avoid exhaust pipes and chains: During one comparison test I was involved in a number of years ago, a manufacturer-installed accessory hard saddlebag on one of the bikes caught fire because it was installed too close to the muffler. One rider lost all his clean clothing and some other possessions as well. This is more likely to be a problem with soft saddlebags. Soft bags often shift or sag and touch the pipe even though amoxil online they seem to be safely above the pipe when they are originally installed. Besides the fire danger, it will destroy the bag andif you are using synthetic bags— leave an almost impervious blob of melted plastic on the pipe. Even with leather bags, you might set the contents on fire. On cruisers with the exhaust system on one side, you may have to hang the bags unevenly to keep the right one out of harm’s way.
Drive chains are another possible danger point. Remember that the bag comes closer to a chain or belt as the suspension compresses. Be sure there’s still some space between the bag and the chain, even with the rear suspension fully compressed. If there are straps or fringe on your bags, make sure they can’y possibly get into the chain or belt, which could cause a very sudden and unexpected stop when the bag gets pulled into the works.
Use extra straps: Speaking as someone who has crashed when a tail bag slipped into his rear wheel, I can assure you that an extra bit of security is worth the small inconvenience. In my levitra cost case, a built-in bungee cord pulled free from the tail bag, causing the bungees cheap acomplia on the other side to pull it toward them, off the seat and into the tire. The levaquin buy buy cheap cheap levitra levitra generic bike stopped like someone had put a tire buy cialis canadian iron in the rear wheel. Now my entire luggage gets more straps than it seems to require. This includes soft saddlebags, which I will secure with a bungee around them or between the tops. And, after losing a no prescription cialis bag on each of our last two test bikes, nobody here would think of riding a Harley Convertible without an extra strap or bungee anchoring the saddlebags. For extra security, run the bungee through the handle or other loop on a bag you are tying down. This helps to keep the bag from sliding around or even out from under the bungee. It also provides extra retention if the other cord(s) holding the bag down go AWOL.
I learned to avoid tired or cheap bungee cords long ago (I buy them in the economy pack at Cosctco now), and I always bring a few extras for unexpected acquisitions or problems. Bungee nets are also extemely versatile and offer excellent security.
Ready for rain: If your luggage isn’t waterproof, lining it with a large trash bag will keep everything dry. This is even useful on some overpacked hard bags where the top bulges Buy Viagra Soft Tabs Online Pharmacy No Prescription Needed enough to admit water. Keep rain gear where you can get to it quickly if there is any chance of precipitation.
The right saddlebag is more accessible: Getting into your left saddlebag on the roadside may put you too close to passing traffic.
Put your nighttime needs in the left bag and put the things (especially emergency items) you could need while riding in the right bag or an equally accessible bag on the seat or tank. Since it’s on levitra cheap canada the high side when the bike is on the sidestand, the right bag is usually easier to reach.
Protect paint: Any point where the luggage or its straps touches a painted surface should be protected. You can use duct tape, masking tape or clear contact paper to prevent scuffing the paint or other coated surface. If you wax the area before applying the protective layer, the tape or contact paper will peel off easily later. Since so few cruisers have bungee-cord anchor points, you may find that you have to hook them around the rear fender. Even Levitra Professional though they are plastic coated, bungee hooks can still scratch the paint. Some riders take a section of small plastic or ampicillin online rubber tubing, slit it along its length and slip it over buy cheap flagyl the edge of the rear fender to buffer the hooks that hold the bungee cord in place.
Backpacks and waistpacks: If you have some lightweight items that you want with you when you get off the bike, this is a good way to tote them. On rides where we are swapping bikes, we also like to carry on our persons any necessities like cell phones, maps, rain gear, and anything we might need if we get separated from the group. Soft items might also function as padding in a fall, but something big and hard could be an injury mechanism. Of course, carrying something heavy in a backpack Silagra Buy amoxil online Viagra can fatigue you, unless it rests on the seat or luggage behind you while riding.
Trailers: I have never experienced a bike-trailer combination that Viagra effects dosage I enjoyed. If you need to tote that much, it may be time to consider a buy viagra online order | buy cialis tadalafil | buy levitra vardenafil car. Although trailer enthusiasts say you never know they are there, I certainly do and I don’t like it. Attempting a hard stop viagra drugs online with a trailer, particularly in a turn or the rain, would buy levitra drugs give new meaning to the term “panic stop.”
Adjust to the handling of the changed bike: Your motorcycle’s handling and braking will be changed for the worse with the extra weight aboard. Be sure to stiffen suspension settings to accommodate it. Before you head out, take a few minutes, preferably in a vacant parking online ampicillin lot, Buy Cialis to get a feel for the changes. Low-speed handling may be the most noticeable difference, but your braking distance will increase and you will lose a measure of your maximum acceleration. If you are using a tank bag, it may interfere with the handlebar at full-lock. Find out what has changed before you have to respond to it in traffic.
RELATED ARTICLES Cialis Professional Target=”_new”>How Much Weight Can Your Motorcycle Handle? cheap buy online Amoxil without prescription Target=”_new”>The buy amoxicillin no prescription Magic Bag: Motorcycling Necessities Getting to Know Your Bike How to be a Motorcycle Passenger Riding with a Passenger kamagra cheap Target=”_new”>The Pre-Ride Inspection amoxil ampicillin online online Tires: Inflation vs. Suction Summer Travel Safety
For more information on safe-riding equipment, strategies, techniques and skills, see the online amoxil Street Survival section of MotorcycleCruiser.com.
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Thursday, April 1st, 2004
Advanced Braking: Busting the Myths
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Many myths abound when i t
comes to proper motorcycle braking technique. buy amoxil In the bad old days before Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s (MSF) basic RiderCourse, most new buy viagra in las vegas riders were given a five-second class on how to operate a bike: “This Ampicillin cheap online is the throttle, this is the clutch buy cialis daily and don’t touch that. It’s the front brake, and it’ll Brand Viagra throw you over the handlebar.” With such sage advice, neophytes were sent wobbling down the road and straight into the school of hard knocks. Fortunately, today most riders know better when the front brake is involved. (If you don’t, get thee to a MSF class!)
Still, misinformation abounds in this information age. From chat rooms to bulletin boards to Web sitesall Buy erythromycin online purporting to address amoxicillin buy the issues of thinking ridersfaulty techniques propagate at alarming speed. So, in this reliable old format of ink on paper, I’d like to take a moment to correct two of these misconceptions and then give you a braking technique buy cheap online Without Prescription Ampicillin to implement in your daily riding.
Myth #1: Use Only the Front Brake
This train of thought goes something like: “Since the majority of a order levitra motorcycle’s braking power comes from the front brake, don’t use the rear brake at all. In fact, as the weight shifts forward during heavy braking, the rear cheap diflucan brake becomes more likely to lock up and cause you to crash.”
Always buy cialis overseas question advice that suggests you do something because the other way is difficult to master. Unless you are braking so hard that the rear wheel of your motorcycle is in the air, you can shorten your stopping viagra prices distance amoxicillin with proper application of the rear brake. It is true that as the weight of the motorcycle shifts forward, less traction buy viagra in san diego | buy cialis tadalafil at horizon drugs | cheap levitra online is available to the rear tire for braking, but in order to master the use of your brakes, you need to use both of them for every stop. While there lasix price are instances, such as when a tire blows out, when you would only want to use one brake, the best way to master the control of either brake is to use them on a regular basis.
So, buy viagra online order how do you stop in the shortest distance possible? The textbook response Ampicillin buy states you should achieve full application of both brakes without skidding. As you apply more and more pressure on the front brake (up to the point of lockup), you will have more traction available to the front tire (for more braking) resulting in progressively less traction available to the rear. To keep from skidding the rear wheel, you will need to modulate the rear brake. For every Racer X those pundits cite for not using his rear brake when stopping, there is a Racer cheapest place to buy viagra online Y who uses just a little rear brake to settle the rear suspension and a Racer Z who uses a lot. Also, these examples don’t readily apply to street riders since skilled racers know exactly where the point of brake lockup is, while most of us are far from that point with the front brakeeven in panic-stop situations.
Myth #2: You Should Only Brake with All Four Fingers on the Lever
“When I took my MSF class, the instructors said I shouldn’t cover the front brake unless I’m flagyl generic preparing cheap buy Amoxil without prescription online to stop, and the only way to fully control the front brake is to use all four fingers.”
While this may be true for beginners in a MSF course, riders should learn how to cover the front brake once they’ve moved beyond basic operational skills. We’ll get to the how in a moment. First, Tadacip the why.
As a rider levitra cheap prescription rolls down the road practicing SIPDE, the concept taught by MSF (see Survival, buy Buy Cialis Professional Online Pharmacy No Prescription Needed amoxicillin August 2000), the time between when he notices a hazard that Levitra must be responded to and the moment of the actual amoxil physical response is called Reaction Time. Common sense says that if the rider’s fingers are already covering the generic levitra online front brake, the Reaction Time will be shorter than if he has his fingers curled around the throttle. Since (as former Motorcycle Cruiser editor Art Friedman is fond of viagra online price Buy Cialis online pointing out), the realities of motorcycling often don’t follow common sense (as in countersteering), the Head Protection Research Laboratory, a think tank formed by Dr. Harry Hurt (author of the famed Hurt Report in the early 1980s), conducted a study entitled Hand Position buy clomid for men and Motorcycle how do i buy viagra online | buy cialis canadian | cheap levitra generic Front Brake Response Time. The study concluded:
“The human factors buy cialis cheap approach begins with education of motorcyclists to the value of covering the critical front brake. Training and practice in the effective use of the front brake and covering the brake lever has the potential to increase the numbers of motorcyclists who successfully avoid a critical violation of their right of way.”
Covering the Brake
Your comfort level in properly controlling the throttle and the front brake will play a major role in your ability to cover the lever. If you’re unsure of your throttle and braking technique, take a MSF class. When covering the front brake, try various numbers of fingers until you find out what works best for you. Some people prefer to use all four fingers, while I generally use two with the remainder giving me a firm grip on the throttle. Before you actually ride on the street, sit in your driveway and practice rolling the throttle on and off while covering the brake. If you have trouble closing the Buy Antibiotics medications throttle completely, release it and place your hand on the grip with your fingers resting on the brake lever. Then, wrap your fingers around the grip and try opening and closing the throttle. Next, roll off and apply the front brake. The motion should be as smooth as possible. If the lever traps your fingers against the grip Ampicillin online when you apply the brake, try adjusting the lever or bleeding the brake line. If the problem remains, you will need to cover the lever with four fingers. Once you feel comfortable closing the throttle and braking simultaneously, try it in a parking lot and then move to the street.
While you might struggle initially with this new throttle control and braking technique, don’t be disheartened. Remember how long it took for releasing the clutch from a stop to become second nature? I spent two months riding with the front brake covered Online Viagra buy before purchase propecia online generic cialis it became Viagra Jelly automatic. Your investment Viagra online delivery will pay dividends every time you face a panic-stop situation. Once you’ve mastered buy cialis internet the covering Levitra Professional technique, you’ll discover you can also smooth your entry into corners by beginning to roll on the throttle while you are still releasing the brake. As you spend time focusing on the front brake, don’t forget that covering your rear brake will also shorten your reaction time.
The beauty of motorcycling comes Cialis Super Active+ Online from refining your skills buy real viagra without prescription each time you ride. So, take a step up the learning curve and learn to cover cheapest acomplia your front brake.
Former Motorcycle Cruiser staff editor Brasfield freelances these days. He may be contacted via his website: where can buy viagra Buy Viagra, Buy Cialis, Buy Levitra Without Prescription Target=”_new”>www.evansbrasfield.com.
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Tuesday, March 23rd, 2004
Riding Double: Tips for Pilots and Passengers
Dear Rider,
If you’re lucky enough to have someone you care for on the back of your motorcycle, you should consider it a gift in trust. Even if you are an experienced rider, there is much to cheap buy Amoxil online without prescription know about carrying a passenger. I’m not speaking solely of how riding double affects the behavior of your machine, I’m also talking about simple comfort and convenience factors that will make any ride more pleasant for both of you.
- Adjust your bike’s rear suspension for the extra load (see your owner’s manual).
- Always make sure your passenger has proper riding gear, even if it isn’t a perfect fit. Have her arrive bikeside in her own over-the-ankle boots, jeans Viagra Jelly and layers on top. If she doesn’t have the following, provide them: a decent-fitting helmet, leather gloves that fasten around the wrist and a protective jacket (leather or heavy Cordura).
- Educate her about the bike — what’s hot, where to hold, where she’ll put her feet and also how she’ll mount. You obviously want to make sure she waits until you’re braced. When you’re ready, do you want her to use the footpeg as a step, or swing a leg from the ground? Can she use your shoulders for balance?
- Before you even get on the bike, tell her how she’ll hold on. Both arms around the waist? Or do you have a real grab rail where she can place one hand? Unless you have a backrest, she must hold your waist with at least one hand. Warn her not to use the strap across the seat, which is a worthless style element.
- If you’re dealing with a virgin, advise her ahead of time not to put her feet down at stops or grab your arms or shoulders while you’re riding. Explain that when you corner she needs to relax and not lean against the turn, which is levitra cheap drugs the usual impulse.
- Devise a system of communication before you ride away. levitra on line Maybe it’s one tap on the right shoulder to say, “When you get a chance I’d like to stop.” Two taps for, “It’s where do you buy viagra urgent.” Maybe a tap on the left shoulder could mean, “Please slow down.” It’s easy and fun to come up with your own language.
- Anticipate that your bike will handle differently. It may steer less readily on initial lean, but once in a turn, the addition of weight up high may cause a more buy cialis online abrupt dip. You will also lose some braking efficiency, so start diflucan stopping sooner.
- While it’s easy to adapt to these changes in your bike’s handling, it is more challenging to actually improve your skill to enhance jelly kamagra the two-up experience. Approach every maneuver — accelerating, levaquin coupon shifting, best viagra online cornering, braking — with an eggshell-smoothness, and you’ll help your passenger keep her seat. (Remember that if she bumps your helmet with hers on shifting or braking, it’s entirely your fault. When you’re riding well, she’ll be able to stay neutral.)
- Know that your bike will drag more readily with the added weight. Remind your passenger (and yourself) not to panic when it happens.
- Plan to stop every so viagra cheap levitra online cost often just to check her comfort buy flagyl online and emotional state.
- As an occasional passenger, I can tell you that the one most affirming and endearing gesture a rider can give his co-pilot midride is an adoring pat on the thigh. For the best results, repeat this act of appreciation once each hour, or every 50 miles, whichever Tadalis SX comes first.
Dear Passenger,
First things first. Do you buy Ampicillin really trust safe buy clomid online this guy? That’s the number-one thing we want buy proscar passengers to mull over before they accept a ride on the back Buy Levitra of a motorcycle. how can i buy cialis It doesn’t matter if he’s your father, a first date or your husband of 20 years; you must not take this question lightly. You’re gambling your very life on faith buy ampicilin online in his skill. If you doubt it, say no. If you’re not amoxil online sure, ask questions: How long have you been riding? How long riding this particular bike? Have you ridden with a passenger before?
Riding as a passenger can be a very fun, relaxing experience, not to mention a fulfilling, intimate way to connect with the person you care about. So once you’re comfortable with his abilities, here’s what you need to know to develop your own.
- Aside from trust, proper gear is the second most important component of a safe, comfortable ride. A full-face buy cheap amoxicillin helmet is essential to avoid head and facial injuries, but it’s useless in a crash if it does not pass the following test: Fasten the chin strap snugly, then grab the rear of the helmet and pull it up and forward simultaneously, trying to pull it off over your chin. If it comes off, it fails.
- Arrive bikeside with over-the-ankle boots, but Buy Erectile Dysfunction medications not the type that slide off easily (for obvious reasons). If you are wearing laces (zippers or hook-and-loop fasteners are better), carefully double-knot and tuck the bow under amoxil clavulin your pant cuff to lessen the chances of the laces coming loose and getting wrapped on the peg or, disastrously, in the rear wheel. Gloves should be leather, your size, and fasten snugly around the wrists. You are not wearing these for comfort, you know, so forget the cute mittens.
- Denim is popular, but just so you know, it sucks at buy penicillin protecting you. We are all guilty for wearing it for its comfort, versatility and affordability, but you can do better. Leather is always the first choice, followed by heavy-weave Cordura nylon. Strategically cheap amoxil amoxicillin online placed armor inserts, of course, are buy cheapest viagra online | buy cialis with no prescription | cheap levitra generic href=”http://beautifulsummermorning.com/images/”>Buy Viagra, Buy Cialis, Buy Levitra Without Prescription like IQ scores. Einstein would have worn plenty.
- It’s good to wear layers under your protective jacket. Motorcycling is a debate with the elements, and there is no way to predict turns in temperature.
- Make sure you and your partner are buy cialis propecia clear about what you expect from any ride, whether a short initiation, weekend getaway or cross-country adventure. How long will you be on the buy amoxicillin buy cheap Cialis online online Ampicillin Without Prescription bike? How often will you stop? What type of roads will you be traveling on? City streets? Winding back roads? A high-speed freeway?
- Make cytotec asthma sure your pilot has instructed you on how and when to mount the bike, where to place your feet, how to hold buy generic cialis generic cialis Viagra online on, and also how to communicate while you’re moving, since you won’t be able to talk.
- When you’re on a new bike, check to make sure your heels will not contact the exhaust pipes. Most rubber will melt readily, which ruins the boots for walking and mucks up the chrome, too.
- Once you’re on the road, relax. It’s hugely important for a passenger to be physically in tune with the movements of both the pilot and bike. We call this being “neutral.” Especially in turns, when your impulse is to sit up, away from the lean, keep your body fluid and in line with the bike. It cannot just fall over, but if you make abrupt moves on the back during cornering, you will unsettle the machine, Cialis which can cause dangerous handling issues.
- Balancing your upper body will make the ride more pleasant for you and the rider. This goes hand-in-hand with predicting how the bike’s movements will affect you. Shift and hold your weight over the hips when the bike accelerates, for example, and lean oh-so-slightly backward on braking. You’ll learn to predict when the rider shifts as well, and you’ll be able to absorb the movement in your torso. By the way, the smoother (read: better) Kamagra Gold he is, the easier this will be for you.
- Never put your feet down at stops. If your pilot asks you to, he shouldn’t be riding motorcycles.
- Don’t panic if the extreme lower parts where can buy viagra | buy cialis pills | levitra online of the bike scrape on the ground during hard cornering. It will make a loud noise, which can be alarming even to veteran passengers. While this isn’t a good design characteristic, it’s a quite common occurrence on cruisers. If you become alarmed and jump or shift your weight, that might cause a real problem, however.
- Never be uncomfortable telling your pilot how you are really feeling. If you are uncomfortable, he should be understanding and make adjustments, lasix purchase whether it’s a shortened ride, a change of seats or the addition of a backrest. It’s all about finding solutions. Don’t just suck up your discomfort, because the memory will affect your decision to ride again. Keep an open mind. Fine-tuning is infinite. buy cialis line
The whole idea behind these tips is to increase your chances buyviagra of a next time. And a time after that. We too often hear stories about passengers who tried it once and said, “Never again.” The number-one cause is poor communication up front. (Number two is a dumb-ass rider trying to impress his passenger with speed and antics, but we know that’s not you.) Nail down your expectations before you ride, and you’ll both prosper.
Behind every successful man is a strong woman? Eh, maybe. Behind every contented man is a happy motorcycle passenger? More likely.
Hey, if you have any questions or situations that I haven’t addressed, feel absolutely free to contact me via e-mail at Jamie.Elvidge@primedia.com.
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For more information on safe-riding equipment, strategies, techniques and skills, see the Street Survival section of MotorcycleCruiser.com.
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Saturday, January 17th, 2004
Ride Safe, 2010: The National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety
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At the end of October, the technical working group selected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Motorcycle Safety levitra online Foundation (MSF) released a public-comment draft of the National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety, which seeks to chart a course for future efforts to improve motorcycling safety. (The entire 104-page document is posted at www.ahainc.com/nams.) Much of what the document proposes requires action by the government, the motorcycle industry, or other groups (such as insurers), but the rider-reader will also find plenty of suggestions, ideas and initiatives that can be taken to increase the odds of survival. These include the following:
Stay informed: buy cialis tadalafil at horizon drugs Keep abreast of new information and research relating to motorcycle safety. The Agenda calls for a central clearinghouse for such information, and hopefully one will be created. In the meantime, articles like this column and others, and occasionally checking Web sites such as the MSF’s (www.msf-usa.org) will help you know what researchers have learned.
The “most urgent recommendation” of the Agenda calls for in-depth research into accidents and various aspects of motorcycle safety. I’m not optimistic that this will happen, however. A major research project similar to the Hurt Report of two decades ago would be extremely expensive. The federal safetycrats seem to have lost interest in motorcycling safety recently, despite the commissioning of this Agenda, although with motorcycling’s safety record suddenly taking a turn for the worse — motorcycle fatalities increased by 8 percent in 1998 — the other potential source of funding for such a study, the motorcycle industry, might now be moved to devote funds for research.
The Agenda also calls for other research-oriented me asures, such
as uniform police reports nationwide, which would help collect data about motorcycle accidents. It also suggests that insurers collect information which could be used by motorcycle-safety researchers and organizations.
Consider your attitudes: Are you riding smart, generic propecia or do you discount accidents buy cialis with no prescription as something that happens to other riders? The Agenda calls for research on how motorcyclists form opinions and get information. For example, why do we believe erroneous ideas such as “loud pipes save lives” or “helmets break necks?”
Keep Buy proventil online your skills current: Rider training is available throughout the United States, and the MSF’s Experienced RiderCourse is an effective and fun way to sharpen your skills as well as take a look at bad habits you may have developed. Riding every day — commuting on your bike — also keeps you sharp. Practice your braking and swerving skills regularly.
Get licensed: Riders who ride without a motorcycle endorsement cheap generic cialis on their driver’s license crash much more often than the rest of us. It’s not exactly clear why, perhaps it’s attitude. Or perhaps it’s because they aren’t skilled enough to attempt the test, or haven’t gotten the training and information diflucan buy required to take the test. In many states you can get an endorsement by taking a basic rider training course.
Don’t Silagra ride impaired: Alcohol shows up in dead motorcyclists more than in any other group of vehicle users. In fact, 57.0 percent of motorcyclists who die in single-vehicle accidents on weekends are legally intoxicated. A single drink may be one too many for the road; an additional 11.2 percent Kamagra Soft of the motorcyclists Buy Viagra online Professional”>Cialis Professional who buy cialis domain href=”http://buyLasixcheap.com”>buy lasix die in accidents have BACs below the 0.1 percent used to define “drunk” in most states. The Agenda also calls for sellers of alcoholic beverages to stop targeting motorcyclists.
Wear a real helmet: No other strategy offers significant life-saving protection once an accident has begun. We at Motorcycle Cruiser all wear good, protective gear religiously, favoring great boots, gloves, and jackets or suits with good armor. Nonetheless your only significant protection from death or debilitating injury comes from a DOT helmet.
Those buy cialis pill “novelty” helmets that many riders wear as a form of protest or fashion (and, considering how uncomfortable they are, they must feel strongly about it) do not offer significant protection. Why not paint a DOT helmet yellow with the “Helmet Laws Suck” mantra emblazoned on it instead? In one of the most contentious points of the Agenda draft, it points out that mandatory helmet laws do reduce fatalities (despite what some pretty dubious studies would buy amoxil have you propecia buy believe). An effective way to avoid helmet laws would be for most riders to wear good helmets.
Know your enemy: The Agenda points out that most two-vehicle accidents involving Cialis Jelly motorcycles are the fault of the driver of the other vehicle, who typically fails to see the biker. Motorcyclists who make a point of positioning themselves Kamagra Gold in their lanes to be more visible can help overcome this. However, research has shown that drivers can learn to be more motorcycle-aware, and the Agenda suggests educating drivers buy cialis we to notice us.
It buy cheap drugs also points out that the ever-larger passenger vehicles (such as SUVs) on the road compromise motorcyclists’ safety because they can’t be buy without prescription online Amoxil cheap seen buy Buy Female Viagra ampicilin online over and their drivers can’t see two-wheeled riders. And if a SUV and bike collide, a motorcyclist isn’t likely to fly over one the way he would over, say, an Accord. The study also cites the increasing driver distraction caused by cell phones, in-vehicle navigation systems, etc.
Motorcycle design: The Agenda lists several motorcycle-design features worthy of research, Buy Cialis and questions some that have been heavily studied, such as leg protectors and airbags. It raises concerns about the injury potential of the tank-top instrumentation of cruisers and the shape of sportbike fuel tanks, the cornering how to buy viagra without prescription limitations of some cruisers, the vision restrictions that windshields can create at night or in the rain, the potential for tube-type tire blow-outs, and motorcycles’ lack of redundancy in lighting. It sees the possible advantages in linked and antilock braking but looks for further research.
Splitting lanes: The document points out that the only research on this online amoxil subject in America (the Hurt Report) indicates that lane splitting when traffic is at a near-stop seems levitra cheaper to be slightly safer than staying in the lane. It recommends future research on the topic and legalizing acomplia Buy Doxycycline Online Pharmacy No Prescription Needed drugstore it throughout the country if research shows it to be safer.
It also buy clomid pills points out that motorcyclists can use their lane position buy amoxicillin to gain buy ampicillin online a variety of advantages.
Learn first aid: Since the first person on hand to provide first aid for an injured motorcyclist is likely to be another motorcyclist, it’s worthwhile for us to learn first aid with an eye toward typical motorcycle-crash injuries.
Roadway safety: It is amazing that many states permit pavement ridges of an inch and a half which can easily sildenafil citrate | buy cialis daily | buy buy cheap cheap levitra levitra upset a motorcycle. buy flagyl The Agenda condemns these ridges, slippery pavement sealers, potholes and roadside hazards as motorcyclist-killers, recommending that the people responsible for highways be better educated about motorcycles’ requirements. However, it also points out that motorcyclists must be aware of and prepared for these hazards.
Be seen Online buy Viagra and not hurt: The Agenda points out one of the simplest ways to avoid being run over: be conspicuous. Bright jackets, helmets and bodywork, brand viagra and Flagyl ER Online bright forward lighting, such as spotlights, can keep you alive.
The road of the future: With buy amoxil “intelligent transportation” on the fast track, the Agenda points out that motorcycles are being overlooked in the requirements for threat-seeking cars and other automated highways. These technologies have the potential for improving motorcycling safety.
As part of the working group that created the Agenda, (along with members of the American Motorcyclist Association, generic female viagra the rider-training community, the insurance industry, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, the medical community, and the group that compiled the Hurt Report), the most amazing aspect of the project to me was the paucity of significant research conducted since the Hurt Report (published in 1981) on why motorcycles crash.
Much time and money has been spent on preventing injury in an accident with little to show for it, and some of this effort, as in the case of airbags on motorcycles, seems to have been barking up a tree in the wrong forest. Who cares if your bike has an airbag if you land on the other side of the road?
The best result of this project buy vardenafil would be a major new study on why riders crash in the third millennium, with information we could all apply.
Follow-up Note: Since the National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety was published, few of its recommendations, and most notably its “most urgent” recommendation for a comprehensive study of the causes of motorcycle accidents, have been enacted. buy amoxil Without order acomplia that research, Tadacip can you buy viagra in stores viagra online stores all other presumed motorcycle-accident countermeasures lack validation. Despite urging from the American Motorcyclist Association, Buy Generic Viagra the likely funding sources for such reasearch — the NHTSA and motorcycle manufacturers — have shown no interest in learning what causes accidents.
Related Articles levaquin 500mg href=”http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/stsurvival/” Target=”_new”>How to Be Conspicuous Choosing the Right Lane Position The Conspicuous low buyviagra | buy cialis overseas | buy levitra drugs price levitra Motorcyclist cytotec generic Target=”_new”>How to Choose a Motorcycle Helmet Experiments in Riding Drunk buy cialis tablets Target=”_new”>The Impaired Motorcyclist Lane-Splitting Safely Motorcycle Skills Schools The Best Experience
For more information on safe-riding equipment, strategies, techniques and skills, see the 424 buy viagra Street Survival section of MotorcycleCruiser.com.
Photo Gallery: Ride Safe, 2010: The National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety – Surviving the Streets – Motorcycle Cruiser
  
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Wednesday, January 14th, 2004
Getting to Know You: Learn Your New Bike
Buy Viagra alt=”How to Familiarize Yourself with a New Motorcycle – Surviving the Streets – Motorcycle Cruiser” />
Spring! that time of year when a motorcyclist’s heart turns to thoughts of… the new bike he just bought! Even if it isn’t actually in your garage yet, your heart probably swells with pleasure and beats more quickly when you think about that new cruiser. You’re planning for your summer together, picturing yourself leaning on it at your local cruise-in with a proud smile, looking forward to babying it for hours amoxil cheap with potions and creams, scanning catalogs for cool new accessories and dreaming of the adventures that await the two of you.
Before you get too carried away however, there is a nasty little secret you need to know. New bikes get crashed more often than old familiar ones. While you may not be in any hurry to apply “old” to the light of your life generic levitra online before you have even made your first payment, you should be working on “familiar.” buying generic propecia Otherwise, you may do something that will make you both old before your times.
Any new relationship has some awkward moments, but they can be lethal if they happen on a motorcycle in traffic. You need to accelerate the familiarization process and quickly learn the nuances of how your new ride responds and performs so you can take advantage of its strengths and overcome its weaknesses. The best way to do this is to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Experienced RiderCourse. You can find a course in your area by calling (800) 446-9227. This course offers expert instruction, time to ask questions and talk about skills-related issues, and a controlled site to practice techniques that will sharpen your skills and teach you what you need to know about how your amoxicillin new bike works.
On Your Own
If, for some reason, the Experienced RiderCourse option is not feasible there’s still a way buy acomplia for you to get intimate with your new bike. You just need some time, a piece of pavement that’s free of cars and other hazards, and a hankering for some fun.
Start your exercises with low-speed work. A deserted parking lot is perfect, provided the surface is clean and free of defects, bumps, obstacles, or slippery stuff.
Begin with circles at low speeds. You should keep your head turned levitra buying and you eyes up near the horizon to see where you’re going. As speeds amoxicillin get slower, you shouldn’t have to put a foot down. Eventually, your speed control and feel for the bike should enable you to make complete 360-degree turns with the steering turned to full lock and your feet on the footpegs or floorboards. You may discover the handlebar should be repositioned or buy Viagra online prescription generic Silagra cytotec the throttle cable needs Online Cialis buy some play taken up to smooth out initial acceleration.
Next, try some tight figure eights, which will teach you how the bike responds in low-speed, side-to-side transitions. Again, your feet should never need to touch the ground until you stop. Find or set some marks you have to hit every time around to force you to be precise and consistent. You’ll expand your feel for the throttle response in this exercise.
Move buy cialis daily Along
If the surface offers solid traction, your practice area has enough space and your confidence is high, repeat buy ampicillin cheap the exercises at higher speeds. You may want to come back in a few days to try these. When you have a feel for the bike and learn to keep your head turned and your eyes up, you should be able to draw precisely the same circle every lap. Those direction reversals in the figure eight will teach you how much pressure your new ride needs for direction changes and how the bike reacts as it rolls into a corner. Keep your eyes moving ahead of you, try to hit the same marks every time around and don’t put those feet down.
You might also learn the cornering limits of your bike. That loud dragging noise may be unnerving at first, but on most bikes you should online-prescriptionmed.net/buy/nexium.html learn to keep turning despite it. An exception is the rare bike (such as Suzuki’s 800 Intruder) which drags something solid, forward and inboard (the peg bracket on the Intruder), a combination that can lift the front wheel off the pavement if you plant it too firmly. However, most footpegs buy real viagra without prescription and boards simply fold up and don’t unsettle the bike at all, though the noise may startle the rider. Dragging the bike’s underpinnings will teach you were to buy viagra | buy cialis by the pill | low price levitra to anticipate and ignore the awful grinding sound of the floorboard scraping the pavement. buy cialis now This will teach you from straightening up as a reaction to the noise, a reaction which can cause you to run off the road when you buy vardenafil have to lean the bike over a bit harder than you anticipated while negotiating a corner. It will also teach you how much cornering clearance your bike really has, cheap ampicillin buy thereby giving you an idea of how far you can lean it into a corner. If cialis canadian your bike drags too easily for comfort, try stiffening the spring preload (if that is an option) or changing to longer or stiffer suspension components.
One other nuance you might pick up on a shaft-drive bike is the fact you can lean a little deeper with the power on, since that causes the suspension to extend at both ends of a shafty, not just the front. Try chopping the throttle as you lean almost to the point of dragging. That may drop the bike enough to make it drag, a characteristic you should be familiar with.
Screeching Halt
You can also use your low-speed exercise area to practice stopping. Hard stops will teach you what sort of traction your new tires offer, how powerful Kamagra jelly and sensitive your brakes are, and how the bike handles when braking hard — even with the rear wheel locked.
Stopping with the back tire sliding helps to determine how much traction you can call on; buy viagra online next day delivery it also shows you what to expect when this happens in a real-life buy amoxil online ampicillin buy panic stop. Deliberately locking up the rear tire reveals how your new bike behaves in an emergency and lets you adjust to it. Practice buy without prescription Amoxil online cheap steering into any sideways skid that develops during these low-speed lock-ups.
The buy cheap viagra Buy cheap Cialis Online back brake isn’t the main event, Buy elavil online however. It’s important to remember that most of your stopping levaquin dosage power comes from the front brake. Once you are comfortable stopping with the rear wheel sliding, focus your attention on the front brake and tire. Since the consequences of overbraking up front can be a crash, you don’t want to overdo it too dramatically.
But you do want to get a clear sense of how much pressure you can Viagra Jelly apply to the crucial front brake.
Again, practicing may make it apparent if your brake controls need their positions or engagement points adjusted to better suit you.
Faster
Once viagra online Levitra”>Brand Levitra you have mastered your turning, swerving and stopping skills at low speed, practice again at higher speeds. If your parking lot is big enough, you can do it there, otherwise some lightly traveled sections of road will work.
Look for a corner online amoxil that offers an open approach so you can see through it. A turn with a maximum apex speed of 60 mph or less and no surface flaws is a perfect place to try cornering at highway speeds. You want to be able buy cialis overseas to put the bike precisely where you want it at the entrance, the apex and the exit. Again, if you can lean it over far enough to drag things, generic flagyl it will help you learn the bike’s limits.
A straight, deserted road is a good place to practice swerving. Using dotted lines as pylons, see how fast you can comfortably go while swerving between them. On roads with raised lane-marker dots, the dots will tell you if you miss. The idea is to learn how to execute a quick, precise swerve — a vital avoidance maneuver.
You can also practice hard stops on the street when you are clear viagra Cialis online for women online of any other traffic. In fact, as with the other skills, hard stops can be practiced in the normal course of every ride. Just make sure there is no one close behind you when you jump on the brakes. Pick a safe spot you intend to stop at or before. It should be a short enough distance to challenge you, while also allowing room to overrun if you can’t stop at or before your target point.
Take Two
It is worth repeating these exercises with a passenger you carry regularly. This not only gives you a feel for the changing demands of your new bike with a second body aboard, it also provides the passenger with an opportunity to learn what is required in those situations.
Because these exercises involve levitra cheapdrugs camagra buy cheap com moderate but varying speeds and engine loads, they are also a good break-in regimen for your engine and brakes. You’ll be doing you and your new bike a favor. I tell new bike owners to perform these exercises at least twice a week for the first month of ownership or longer if they don’t feel comfortable doing online amoxil them by that point.
Related Articles Practice Makes Permanent Can where can buy viagra You Drag It? online lasix buy Clomid Online clomid pct Target=”_new”>Back to School MSF Experience RiderCourse How to be a Motorcycle Passenger
For more buy where to buy cialis without prescription propecia cheap information on safe-riding equipment, strategies, techniques and skills, see the Street Survival section of MotorcycleCruiser.com.
When Buy Antibiotics medications he isn’t out getting levitra website to know someone else’s new bike, the author buy cialis can be reached at Art.Friedman@primedia.com Cialis or at ArtoftheMotorcycle@hotmail.com.
Photo Gallery: How to Familiarize Yourself with a New Motorcycle – Surviving the Streets – Motorcycle Cruiser
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Original post by MCN | buy diflucan Advice
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Wednesday, January 14th, 2004
Ready to Ride?
buy amoxil alt=”Prepare for a Safe Motorcycle Riding Season – Surviving the Streets – Motorcycle Cruiser” />
With the riding season bearing down on us, the time is ripe for some preventive maintenance. Buy Brand Levitra Online A little time and effort expended now can ensure your riding season won’t be interrupted by mechanical, or other, problems. buy cheap Ampicillin online Without Prescription You can also get your buy cialis tablets kamagra bike just the way you want it for maximum enjoyment on summer online ampicillin rides.
Service department: A full tune and service is a good place to start. This should include sometimes overlooked measures like changing the brake fluid and lubing major pivots–such as the steering head and swingarm. Liquid-cooled bikes should have their cooling systems flushed every few years. Whether you or your shop does this service, it should include a careful search for signs of weakness (loose spokes or an oozing gasket, for buy clomid 50mg example). Fix anything that could Tadalis SX take you off Online Viagra Shops the road. Are there any adjustments that would make your bike more comfortable or manageable? Perhaps the brake pedal location or the angle of the handlebar? Do it now.
Early replacement: You should also replace any parts that are getting old before they put a crimp on your summer fun. Tires are the best example. If they are getting thin or cheap levitra generic aged-cracked or worn buy cheapest viagra online in the middle, making the motorcycle squirrely when leaned over, it makes sense to replace them now. This gives you time to order the tires you want, not just what the dealer has on hand. A premium aftermarket tire will generally give longer mileage and better traction. Other candidates for early retirement include an aging battery or brake pads. Again, you can order what you want now. Light bulbs also fall in this category. They get old and dim before they blow out.
We usually replace all the minor bulbs every two years (use the heavy-duty versions of those bulbs) and keep a headlight bulb handy. You might also viagra soft consider replacing your headlight bulb with one that has the same 55-watt low beam but a significantly brighter 75- to 100-watt high beam for more light when you need it most. (It will also get the attention of those other drivers who don’t dim their lights until they are 10 feet away.) Make sure your charging system will handle it, especially if you also have other electrical accessories, such as spotlights.
Accessorize: The off-season is also the ideal time to Levitra Professional equip your bike for the rides you’re planning for this summer. This might mean a backrest for your riding companion or traveling amenities Buy cialis online like saddlebags, a rack and a comfortable saddle. Saddlebags can also be handy if you plan to commute. Or how about one of Rivco’s air horns to get the attention of those cell-phone users who are supposed to be drivers?
Riding gear: This is the time to replace that scratched face shield or tattered rainsuit. You might also want an additional pair of gloves, perhaps something warmer than that lightweight, vented pair but not as hot as winter gloves. Are the soles on your boots losing their tread? Better to replace or resole them now than put your foot down in a sandy patch of road and watch it slide out from under Kamagra Soft you. Has your helmet gotten loose and floppy from extensive real viagra buy penicillin online wear? Are the seams on your Brand Levitra jacket or gloves unraveling? Take care of these things now. And you might want to expand the range of your gear. A vented jacket will make riding on hot days much more fun than that heavy one and is safer and can ven be cooler buy cheap levitra than no jacket.
Join Viagra online the club: If there is a club for your model, consider joining it. You will get access to the combined experience of all the Buy cheap amoxil Viagra, Buy Cialis, Buy Levitra Without Prescription members. buy cialis pills You’ll learn which flagyl price accessories work best, fixes for weak points and other useful buy generic levitra information. You will probably also make some friends and find new events in your area. For example, Kawasaki Vulcan owners can join the Vulcan Riders and Owners Club (VROC) free with Web access (www. vroc.org) cytotec buy cheapest cialis online and be bombarded with the wit and buy buy cheap cheap levitra levitra wisdom of fellow Vulcaneers.) Most other cruiser brands and models also have web-based buy Buy Buy Bactrim Online Pharmacy No Prescription Needed Amoxil ampicillin organizations, many of them free.
Take the course: Nothing interrupts your riding season like a crash. Why not sign up for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Experienced RiderCourse? To find one in your neck amoxicillin amoxil of the woods, call (800) diflucan buy online 446-9227. Many states’ courses are filled up for the year by spring, so call right now. Do it with your riding companions. You might also consider some other types of skills-building courses. See “Back to School for ideas.
Make a list: Finally, put a levitra cheapest price small pad of paper and a writing implement in your riding jacket or a storage spot on your bike. Use it to make a list of things that require attention, replacement or adjustment, and accessories you find yourself needing. It will come Online buy cialis fast shipping Levitra buy in handy at this time next year.
Related Articles The Pre-Ride Inspection How buy levitra drugs to Buy a Motorcycle Helmet MSF buy phentermine buy penicillin Experienced RiderCourse Back to School
If you have questions or comments about this article, email the author at Art.Friedman@primedia.com or at ArtoftheMotorcycle@hotmail.com.
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Original buy viagra online post by online propecia buy levitra vardenafil viagra sale href=”http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/safe_motorcycle_riding_season” title=”">MCN | Advice
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