Posted in how-to, misc, motorcycle safety on Apr 23rd, 2009
Here’s a little quiz: Which types of roads are the safest for bikers (i.e., have the least number of accidents)? Put them in order:
[a] Highways
[b] Major roadways (like Queens Boulevard) and Parkways
[c] Fast local roads with sparse traffic
[d] Slow local roads
[e] Parking lots
Posted in how-to, motorcycle safety on Apr 22nd, 2009
Good riding on a track means taking the shortest, fastest line around a corner. But good riding on the street means taking the line that gives you the best view of what is coming up, while increasing your visibility. Also, on a track you can set your speed based on the amount of traction you [...]
Posted in how-to, misc, motorcycle safety on Apr 14th, 2009
Let’s talk about braking. It’s so simple, and yet so hard. If you look at the acceleration times of mediocre riders vs. acceleration times of highly skilled riders, they are pretty much the same. Yeah yeah skilled riders will have a little bit of an advantage in terms of managing traction and shifting gears… but [...]
Posted in misc, motorcycle safety on Mar 25th, 2009
It’s officially Spring, so in our quest to make CityBikers the safest, smartest bikers around here’s my top 5 list of Spring riding hazards (in no particular order)… Add your own top 5, or 10, or 1 in the comments section… Or if you’re feeling more creative, how about a caption for the photo [...]
Posted in motorcycle safety, riding tips on Feb 27th, 2009
Although I don’t recommend this, I think it might actually work in getting cars to notice you in NY. If you ever wished car’s would notice you more, perhaps an even better (and safer) option is to invest in a hi-viz safety vest to wear (at times) over your regular gear.
Posted in how-to, motorcycle safety on Feb 12th, 2009
When you’re driving a car, you probably learn intuitively that cars can brake way faster than they accelerate. Even exotic supercars brake faster than they can accelerate. This experience gets drilled into our brains, so that however fast you are able to accelerate in a car, you know that you’ll be able to brake a [...]
Posted in how-to, motorcycle safety on Nov 19th, 2008
Here’s a quick tip concerning your front tire pressure: The lower the psi in the front tire, the greater the amount of traction you get in that tire…because the contact patch is bigger. But…lower psi also increases how much the steering “pulls” during turns, and how much it is affected by abnormalities on the [...]
Posted in motorcycle safety on Oct 28th, 2008
There are two basic approaches to safety. One approach is what automakers have done in the US: design cars that can better sustain crashes. This often meant bigger and heavier. But it also meant better frame design and crumple zones, plastic bumpers, and air bags. But there’s a totally different highly effective approach that’s missing [...]
Posted in how-to, motorcycle, motorcycle safety on Oct 16th, 2008
In our relentless quest to make CityBikers the safest and swiftest bikers out there, let’s talk tire pressure. It seems like a small thing but it makes a huge difference in how your bike handles. Most people inflate their tires to the manufacturer’s recommended psi. On my bike that’s 36 psi front, [...]
Posted in motorcycle, motorcycle gear, motorcycle safety on Oct 8th, 2008
Most citybikers don’t wear leg protection because leather pants look silly walking around (Ross in leather pants), and you can’t take your pants off in public the way you take off a motorcycle jacket. Unfortunately nothing beats a pair of good perforated leather track pants for comfort, control and safety…but that doesn’t mean you [...]
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