Like the cash in your pocket, your ten bucks worth of attention (to use the Twist of the Wrist metaphor) can go quicker than you think.  In street riding, what you want to be able to do is invest all “ten dollars worth of focus” on normal riding… things like your line, throttle control, body position, breaking, your position in traffic.  That way, when there are unexpected events on the road – you can react and not pay the price for someone else’s mistake.  But other things take up our attention and distract us from the business of riding…  So here are my Top Ten Riding Distractions around this time of year…

#10 – Being too hot or too cold. It’s harder to dress for the weather when the temperature fluctuates twenty degrees during the day.  Both are extremely distracting and cost at least two bucks worth of attention.

#9 – Passenger/Pillion. Who wouldn’t want to go for a nice ride upstate to see the trees in full bloom?  But even riding with an experienced passenger is not the same as riding solo.  It’s one more thing to think about, and therefore counts for at least a buck.

#8 – Having to pay the toll. If you don’t have an EZ Pass attached to your bike, even if it’s on a string around your neck – it’s a distraction to have to get ready and pull it out for the gates to lift.  Miss your moment, and the toll gate doesn’t lift.  Meanwhile you had to unzip your jacket and let cold air blow in to get at your tag.

#7 – Rain (or worse light unexpected snow!)  It’s a rainy season around here.  Heck, when ISN’T it the rainy season this year?  Rain makes for poor visibility and physical discomfort – even with a good rain suit.  Also, rain suits seem to lose their water-proofing over the years, so those water proof gloves you’ve used for three years are probably getting soaked in the rain.  Now most motorcyclists stay away from the rain, but CityBikers know it’s no big deal if you’re well prepared.  Nevertheless, it takes up at least $1 worth of attention.

#6 – Speed. Going faster requires more attention than going slower.  This is true on the track and definitely true on the street.  Unfortunately sometimes it’s out of your control, and just keeping up with traffic can feel a little fast on unfamiliar roads.

#5 – Unfamiliar roads. Not all roads are clearly marked.  Trying to find your exit or find a street on  road you’ve never been on is not the hardest thing in the world – but it takes up a good amount of your attention.  This probably takes $2-$3 worth of attention away from riding.

#4 – Personal (emotional) issues. Whether you’re thinking about work or stuff going on at home, or just frustrated about how your fantasy football team is doing – anything that draws your mind to it other than riding costs an attention buck or two.  The fun of motorcycling, for a lot of people, is the zen like focus of doing ONE thing – but when you can’t help but think about something else, that’s an attention buck right there…

#3 – Uncomfortable gear or uncomfortable controls. Ever have a problem with an ear plug or a new glove and it just feels funny – but you’re on the highway, so there’s no way to fix it until you get to your exit?  That’s a common distraction good for a buck or two…

#2 – Cold or allergies, physical pain, etc. You can ride with a cold, you can ride with allergies or even small injuries (as long as they don’t get in the way of riding).  But these are definite attention hogs.  You’re not at 100% when you’re riding with one of these…

#1 – Thirst/hunger/fatigue. Happens all the time on long rides.  This is why motorcycle races are only around 40 minutes long.  NASCAR drivers might be able to eat sandwiches while they’re doing their 500 laps, but motorcyclists need to actually use their bodies and their minds in conjunction with one another…  Any kind of fatigue makes a dramatic impact on one’s riding ability.

Now most people can ride alright with just one or two of these… But their riding won’t be as good, as enjoyable, and as safe.  Nevertheless, most people get by okay.  The real trouble is when you’re starting off with one or two bucks worth of distractions, and then a couple more get added (the weather gets hot or cold, you get tired, and it starts to rain) – that’s when “unexpected” stuff happens.  For good riders, accidents don’t usually happen by accident – they happen when good riders are otherwise distracted by too many other things…

Anyway – do you have a common distraction you run into?  Add it to our list in the comments section!

Related posts:

1. Moto-Myth #4: An $800 head?
2. The right bike for the job…

If these two videos don’t make you want to wear gear when you ride, then you probably need to watch them again a few more times.  Not that street riding is all that crazy (as the first video implies).  It’s usually fairly tame 98% of the time, but every now and then traffic can get tricky.  Check out the second video from the same folks after the jump… Warning – the second video is not for the squeamish!

Scooter riders tend to think they’re exempt from the dangers of motorcycling. And although you don’t need the full leathers riding sportbikers wear in the canyons, you always need some basic coverage (jacket, boots, gloves) of different kinds depending on the type of roads you’ll be riding.

And scooter riders have even less reason not-to-wear gear – because unlike motorcyclists, your ride has a buit-in storage space to keep your jacket and gloves after you park.

Anyway – enough of that. Ride safe!

Related posts:

1. Reasons to Gear-Up
2. What to do with old gear?
3. Minimalist Gear

Valentino Rossi is not just fast he’s faaast.  Even right now in MotoGP with a bike that hasn’t quite been tamed, he’s still one of the fastest men on the planet around a track.  So what does “FAASST” look like on a street bike (on the track)?  If you watch this video with the sound off you might think it was in slow motion..because FAASST can look slooow.  Actually it usually does look slow because it’s smooth and in control.  No surprises or jerky movements.  No unnecessarily sharp lean angles.  Just a nicely planned line at a comfortable pace.

Wannabe racers and street riders get into trouble when we get an idea of “fast” that’s different from this.  Video games are frantic and “fast paced,” and *reactive.* But real performance riding is actually kind of mellow – safe and in control given the road/traffic conditions…because you’re constantly planning way ahead of time, getting in the right position, setting up your turns way in advance so that there’s never any rush. So riding tip of the day: ride like Rossi.

Related posts:

1. Going Fast…
2. Riding Tips: Road Positioning in the City
3. Fast on slow, or slow on fast…

“Motorcycling is reasonably safe IF you realize how (freakin’) dangerous it is!”  Sure there’s no good logical reason why that oncoming car may move into your lane, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.  So what would you do if you saw an oncoming car suddenly veer into your lane?

Related posts:

1. Riding Skills: An Exit Strategy
2. Top Four Gotcha Moves
3. Riding Tips: Road Positioning in the City

One of the things that surprised me when I first started watching and reading about motorcycle racers is…how safety conscious they are (compared to auto racers)… Racing circuits for bikes are designed with plenty of run-off space, no walls near corners…safety engineering that asks the question, “what if a bike were to run off here?” Are the walls set far enough back? Is there enough runoff space? Is the sand trap long enough? Is that fence too close? And interestingly it’s the motorcycle racers who complain about such things (like the back straight at Thunderbolt, where the fence is a bit close…or the wall near the last turn)…

Because they want to be able to run at full pace without worrying about what they’d hit if they slid off the track…  And where the “what if” space is lacking – they tend to hold back, so that those what if’s don’t happen.  So it’s probably a good idea for CityBikers to keep in mind too…especially if you’re capable of handling your bike at a swift pace.

“What if something were to go wrong at that turn?” Is there ample room to recover? Slide? Or would you be needlessly endangering yourself and other people?

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Check out the Rossi crash from Indy a while back. He went off the line trying to get around Lorenzo – and onto a dirty part of the track…when he turned-in he lost the front end. It can really happen to anyone. Fortunately there’s plenty of runoff space (and he’s geared up), so the only thing hurt that day was his pride.

Related posts:

1. Isle of Man TT Senior Race
2. Space Bikers
3. What fast looks like…

There were a couple of tragic deaths in the motorcycle world this week.  Peter Lenz, the thirteen year old motorcycle phenom during the 250 GP at Indianapolis this past weekend.  The other is Matthew Dieckmann, the founder of the company that took third place in this year’s TTXGP.  These remind us that there are real risks to riding motorcycles.  At the same time, we need to remember that it’s up to you to calculate the risks at any point.  Racers don’t crash in the pit area, riders often don’t even bother wearing helmets or gear on pit bikes… because that’s an area where they don’t take risks; they do however crash during actual races because that’s when they take the most risks, and wear the most gear.  So for riders on the city street and highways, it’s up to the rider whether you’re going to treat that street you’re on more like a pit lane or a race track…

Related posts:

1. Crash Analysis
2. Three Ways to Make Motorcycles as Safe as Minivans
3. Safety & Style…

Cars switching lanes, sometimes illegally (as in this instance), is probably the biggest hazard riders face around cities.  Now the traffic laws are a little different in CA compared to NY, but it’s still useful to watch this helmet cam video to come up with a strategy for avoiding these kinds of crashes.  Here are a couple of thoughts for your commute:

First, are you geared up? The rider here was…  You probably don’t need something to withstand 100mph slides (on your daily urban commute), but you do need some impact protection…  Full face helmet, elbow pads, gloves…

Second, make a point to check each pass before you make it. Is the driver considering changing lanes?  Does the driver see you (did you make eye contact)?  Is there enough room to escape if the driver moved into your lane?  Although the rider in the video didn’t do anything wrong, one warning sign he might notice in the future – even before the van began to turn its wheel – was the empty lane next to it.

Third, watch your relative speed. The rider in the video was moving briskly between cars (which appears to be normal in CA).  Just remember that in these types of accidents, it’s your relative speed that matters.  If traffic is moving at 35 and you’re doing 40, there will only be a mild impact (this happened to me with a cab once).  Unless you’re sure you can pass safely, it’s better to keep the relative under 10mph as you pass.

Anyway other tips?  Share the wealth in the comments section.

Related posts:

1. Top Four Gotcha Moves
2. Riding Skills: An Exit Strategy
3. The Problem with Trucks…

What do people say after a crash?  ”That car just stopped for no reason!”  ”The gravel made me crash!”  ”That crazy driver just cut me off!”  Now if that’s ever happened to you, I’m not disagreeing with you.  And I’m not saying that your crash was your “fault” if a car cuts you off or drives into your lane…  But there might be a different and helpful way to think about this…  In aviation they always emphasize that an accident is never the result of just one thing, it’s the combination of a number of risk factors that combined to make the perfect storm for your accident.

So the accident didn’t JUST happen because the car slammed on its brakes for no apparent reason. It was (the car slams on brakes) + (you were too close) + (you were distracted) + (road surface was not ideal for braking) = your accident.  Or something like that…  If you were to take away one or two of these variables…if the car didn’t brake, then you wouldn’t have had an accident.  But also, if you weren’t so close, or so distracted, the accident wouldn’t have happened either.

If you look at every accident from this perspective, it can change your attitude about crashes.  Yes accidents DO happen…BUT, no accident ever NEEDS to happen.  Unless a bridge collapses or a meteor hits you, just about any accident can be avoided.  When you’re dirt riding or going to the track and pushing the limits, crashes are part of the course.  But on the street, crashes never actually need to happen…

Here’s my logic spelled out: IF crashes were just random occurrences out of your control, THEN there would be no avoiding them, they’re just a part of life.  But IF crashes are the result of a number of risk factors combined into an accident’s “perfect storm”, THEN it is 100% possible for you to avoid any particular accident by dealing with the variables in your control.  If you were in an accident on the street, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s your “fault” – but it does mean that if you made certain choices you could have avoided the accident altogether.  So you can figure out what those choices were, and take it as a learning experience…

Is that a new idea to you?  Tell me what you think!

In the meantime, here’s a list of some possible risk factors that can combine to form an accident:

• Poor road surface (e.g., potholes)
• Speed (too fast or too slow)
• Too close to another vehicle (less than 2 seconds of distance)
• Traction (oil, gravel, water, dirt, ice)
• Equipment problem
• Steep lean angle
• Being mentally tired or distracted

None of these things are a problem by themselves… You can handle a pothole.  But you probably can’t handle a pothole while going too fast two inches behind a car while cornering over gravel after 2 hours sleep…

Related posts:

1. Moto-Myths 3: You are going to Crash
2. Riders in the storm
3. Crash Analysis

The good news about finding a good helmet is that there are many types to choose from, many brands, and therefore one that will offer great protection and comfort in the style you want.  The bad news is that it can get complicated figuring out which is right for you…  So here’s a little guide to help untangle all the information out there…

Why bother?  In some studies, 80% of all motorcycle fatalities (in 2006) were due to head injuries.  Your helmet is the most important safety device you wear!  So for this post I want to talk about full faced helmets because they give you more protection than the open faced kind – and because even if you prefer an open faced helmet around town, every rider (even scooter riders) should at least own a full faced helmet for higher speed rides.

Of course a helmet should fit right…and having a cool looking helmet will make you go faster and safer (no not really). But other than that there are three or four certifications you need to be aware of… Let’s untangle those and you will know everything you need to know about motorcycle helmets…

First there is the DOT standard, technically known as the FMVSS 218 (Federal Motor Vehicle 218).  This is the minimum standard of helmet protection required by the US government.  In order to be legal for use on the road, a helmet has to be DOT approved.  The way you know is there is a sticker on the back of every DOT approved helmet.  And although it is a minimum requirement for helmets, it’s proven to be a good standard.  Now if helmet certifications stopped here, life would be simple…

Second there is the ECE 22.05 standard.  This is the “Economic Community of Europe” standard for helmets similar to the DOT.  But the ECE 22.05 tests helmets at higher speeds so that it’s a harder test for a helmet to pass.  The bottom line is: all ECE 22.05 helmets pass the DOT standard (but not the other way around), and it tests for a higher level of safety.  So if you could choose between an ECE (and DOT) approved helmet or a helmet that’s only DOT approved, the ECE helmet is the one to go with.

Third there is the SNELL M2005 and the newer M2010… These were developed for “high performance” helmets to guarantee the highest level of safety possible from a helmet… One of the features of their “more rigorous” testing was the helmet would have to be able to take two impacts to the same spot in order to pass.  Many DOT (and ECE) approved helmets would not be able to absorb a second blow at high speeds.  The result is that SNELL helmets would have to be harder and absorb less impact in order to survive two impacts.

Although this sounded like a good idea at first, studies have found that SNELL helmets don’t offer good levels of protection – mainly because they expose the head to too many g-forces.  ”Softer,” DOT-only helmets provided greater protection because they absorbed more of the impact and transmitted fewer g-forces.  In addition the way SNELL tested helmets (assuming everyone’s head weighed the same, rather than assuming smaller heads would weigh less) meant that even greater g-forces would be passed on to wearers of smaller sizes.

As a result people like Hugh Hurt (of the Hurt Report), James Newman (former director of the Snell Foundation), no longer think the SNELL certification is a good one.  So recently Snell issued a new standard (the M2010) allowing for “softer” helmets in order to pass the minimum g-force requirements of the ECE 22.05 standard.  The word is not in yet on whether this new 2010 standard is any better…

Are you thoroughly confused yet?  The bottom line for me is: DOT and ECE 22.05 = good…  DOT and SNELL = either bad or questionable (in the case of the newer 2010 Snell standard).  Unfortunately for some track day riders, some tracks (like Laguna Seca) still require SNELL rated helmets… In which case, I’d recommend doing your best to get a newer M2010 Snell rated helmet.

ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD…SHARP Helmet Rating System: And we saved the best for last.  In the UK there is an even newer helmet rating system.  It differs from all the others in that it doesn’t just give pass or fail, but 1 to 5 star ratings…  It also tests for different kinds of impacts to different parts of the helmet, in all its helmet sizes, using different sized (and weighted) dummy heads.  You can pretty much guess what I personally think of this helmet system (hint: the link is to the right).  The down side to this rating system is that it’s UK based so not all the helmets they test are available in the US – and vice versa.  Some helmets, like some HJC helmets, have different model numbers in the UK…but others just aren’t available or hard to find.  But their list of tested helmets is growing every month.  And we’ve mentioned it before on this blog, the highest rated helmets are not always the most expensive – and some of the most expensive helmets (ahem Arai-Shoei) don’t get five stars… Which means there’s really no reason your next helmet shouldn’t have a four or five star rating…

Hope that helps!

Related posts:

1. SHARP Helmet Ratings
2. Moto-Myth #4: An $800 head?
3. Time for an open faced helmet?

It’s rain and wet leaves season over here in NY. Or maybe it’s just been a long day. If you’ve ever been in a fall on a slippery surface, you know how quickly it can happen, and how bewildering it can be… But in 20/20 hindsight, there are always ways to either avoid the crash or avoid the circumstances that led to the crash. So here are a few slippery road tips for the Fall riding season.

Tip #1 – Slow down. Duh. Obviously this guy on the video was a good enough rider and familiar enough with this bridge that he pushed his speed a bit. But in hindsight it was a bit too fast for the weather. He would have been fine (probably) if he were going just 5 mph slower.

Tip#2 – Keep it straight. A motorcycle is remarkably stable when it is in motion going straight. Don’t try to turn on slippery surfaces like manhole covers and steel plates. Turn only on clean looking asphalt. A good part of road riding is being able to judge road surface and traction…

Tip #3 – Keep it vertical (as much as you can). Even in a turn, a motorcycle in motion is remarkably stable as long as there isn’t too much lean angle. If the front or both wheels slide a bit, the lean angle increases but actually maintains the line you turned into.

Tip #4 – Keep loose on the bars. It’s natural as the road get slippery to tense up – but that’s the last thing you want to do. In a turn, front wheel slides, rear wheel slides, are both self correcting but only as long as you let the bars do what it wants to do (rather than fighting it). If the rear wheel slides to the right, the bars will automatically compensate by turning right, but only as long as you’re not fighting it. A death grip on the bars will turn a rear wheel slide into a crash.

Tip #5 – Gas it to neutral. Neutral is the best gear to be in when going straight over a slippery patch or ice or snow… But rather than pulling the clutch lever, it’s better to crack the throttle open just a little bit to keep the engine from pulling back. You can use the rear wheel and throttle to gauge the available traction… similar to what people do coming to a stop with the rear brake.

Got any other slippery road tips?  Share the wealth, post them in the comments!

Related posts:

1. Riding thru Slippery Stuff
2. Wiggle Room
3. Riding Tips: Heavy Bars