It’s summertime and the weather is beautiful, the kids are out of school, people are vacationing and we are out riding whenever we can. This sounds absolutely wonderful, but it is also a recipe for disaster. Everyone that knows me, knows that I advocate confident riding and with that is rider training…seeing there are too few places to learn how to become better riders at speeds higher than a parking lot, I hope many of you are taking the opportunity to sign up for track days and track day schools. While rider training is absolutely crucial no matter what speed, once you feel comfortable riding around at parking lot speeds and on the street a while, please go to the track to learn at higher speeds so that you are able to process information quicker allowing you more time to react.
You may ask why the track? It isn’t about racing, it isn’t about getting your rocks off at high speeds, it is about knowing your bike and it’s capabilities, knowing your limits and seeing how little you were actually processing on the street. On the track we teach seeing a wide view…not just what’s in front of you, but everything in front and around you. What you should process as important and requires some of your attention and then to discard what is not. Why is this important? Let me give you an example, I was riding behind a car, who clearly did not know where he was going. He signaled left and moved two lanes over to get in the left hand turn lane, I sped up to get on the freeway, he then decided he picked the wrong lane and swept across two lanes and cut me off…I had to break hard, but I saw him looking around so I had anticipated that he might try moving back. He had no idea I was there, he didn’t even stop to look, even when I was behind him honking, he didn’t realize he could have caused a severe accident. Truth is without the time on the track to learn and be confident in my skills, I could’ve ended up having a very bad day.
That is only one of several events that happened on that particular day, but it made me more aware that we need to not just make drivers more aware of us, but to also arm riders with enough knowledge (if not experienced) to make it through unscathed. You have to anticipate people and their actions and even then it’s really a crap shoot. Someday I hope we can add a chapter in driver training on motorcyclists and to be aware of them on the road, but until that day happens, it is up to us to be proactive. Sure you can wear bright colored clothing and helmets, have modulating lights, but in the end that will not keep people from not seeing you. With the smartphone, people in cars are clearly distracted and it is up to us to help ourselves. Take your rider’s education in your own hands, I was always aware of motorcyclists because my brother and many of my friend were riders, I always gave them space because I had seen many of them get into an accident with drivers and it made me extremely angry that people didn’t realize that a poor decision they made in their car had serious repercussions for the rider. We are exposed, quite literally with very little protection in comparison to their cages.
Remember, we have the benefit of speed on our side, use it when you need to to get out of clusters as I like to call them. Go around them (safely, of course) and find yourself a nice open area to ride more comfortably without worrying about someone making a stupid move (not seeing you). A cop who pulls you over will understand if you explain to them you just didn’t feel safe riding in the middle of a cluster and just wanted a little breathing space, this shouldn’t be a free pass however to be a tool and ride like a madman. He will know the difference, trust me. I’ve had many a cop drive up next to me after I broke clear of a cluster and just give me the hand wave of slow it down and I nod my head, but they really do get it. Also, be aware that while you are close to a car to pass, they don’t know what you are doing, so give yourself enough of a cushion should they brake check you. Again, another reason why I’d like to educate drivers in general. Many don’t understand that you are trying to calculate speed to pass safely and may do the worst thing possible for you and hit their brakes, but most of the time, many will change lanes. Do not tailgate them for a long time or they get edgy and things could get heated.
There are so many other things that I want to discuss, but that is enough for now to at least get you thinking. I will do a part two here about how to make yourself seen better, at least giving you a fighting chance of being seen without any special equipment, just awareness. It really is up to you especially if you want to get the most out of your experiences out there on the road and to free up more of your time on enjoying the ride. And don’t forget to give the courtesy wave, two wheels down, hang loose, devil horns…whatever hand signal you choose, customize it if you wish to fellow riders. We are all out there having fun together and heck it’s just common courtesy! It’s gorgeous out there, what isn’t to love? I don’t know about you, but I am always smiling ear to ear everytime I’m out on my bike and it is my honor to share the road with my fellow riders.
Vixens Ride!
KFG
I had the unfortunate luck of getting geared up one day (in fact it was the warmest we had in a while) only to have my bike not start. Have you ever had one of those days? The worst part was it was Monday so no shops were open and the frustration was due to having the bike on a tender which should have guaranteed a start right? Wrong! The battery was less than a year old, in fact it had a sticker bearing the words “NEW 5/26/2013” so was I one of those lucky Ducati owners with a bike that had character? After messing with it for about 3 hours, I gave up and called Troy, my boyfriend, to discuss the issues I was having and a quick text to Fuzzy in Seattle Ducati to confirm that the symptoms amounted to a dead battery. Come Wednesday I was pretty cagey and unhappy, I called Ducati Bellevue and inquired about batteries and their opinions. Not sure why I do that, I am gonna do what I want regardless of what anyone says…I know you gals know what I mean ;)! I was planning on getting a Shorai battery, since my stock was a Yuasa and I sure as heck was not going to do that to myself again. Let me tell you this battery feels as light as a feather in comparison to the Yuasa being a lithium-ion battery. I was told that it will require getting a special charger for it, but I’m hoping that this years riding weather won’t require it since I will be riding all the time. This battery change got the ball rolling for all the parts we already had, but needed a good reason to take the bike apart for upgrades.
The list of things we did included new tires, SBS sintered brake pads, Vortex rear sets and of course the new Shorai battery. The battery is smaller and lighter than ordinary batteries and if you ask the shop it also requires a bit of rethinking when starting your bike…normally you’d just fire it up, let it get to temp, then go. With lithium ion batteries I was told by John in Ducati Bellevue that you needed to turn bike on, let the cells wake up, even turn on the brights for a minute then fire it up. Shorai comes with foam which you pack around the battery (see pic) to fit the area your old battery used to be, the first thing you’ll notice is that the bike even fires up differently there seems to be a more deliberate delivery system as it doesn’t cough and choke. If you are in the market for a new battery, give them a try (and no I am not sponsored by them or get kickbacks, just a very happy owner of a bike with a little less character now).
I was fortunate to get a set of Dunlop Q2’s and went from a 180 in the rear to a 190 (had to check the measurements to make sure they would fit). Thanks to the village it took to not only get that rear wheel off (torque spec is 130 ft lbs), had to borrow a breaker bar, get Barry from KFG to balance rear tire (the Axle is bigger than most and requires a special size cone to correctly balance the tire) and lastly buy a torque wrench that would allow us to tighten the rear wheel to 130 ft lbs. Taking it to a shop to have it done certainly sounds way better now huh? With the tires off, the calipers were easy to get to and replace the brake pads (although mine were only slightly worn, Troy swore by them and said I would never go back once I got a taste of them). Then came the rear sets which stock has always been too low and too far to back for my small frame.
The adjustable nature of the vortex ones allowed me to raise them up and forward to get me in a nice aggressive and comfortable stance while riding. With everything in pieces it was the perfect time to really clean all the nooks and crannies on the bike and the wheels which I normally can’t get to. I used Silkolene’s Pro Prep to clean the wheels and Silkolene’s All in one to clean and polish the bike’s hard surfaces (see pic). With the bike all put back together, it was time for a ride to determine if anything needed tweaking, my absolute favorite part! So off I went heart racing as I felt the tires and took the first turn in them, felt the brakes and how progressive they were and the comfort of being able to sit in a much more aggressive and comfortable position. Had to be careful of course, new tires on cold pavement could lead to a bad day…with going up in the tire size, the rear felt really stable and secure on the road, turns were not a problem and the brakes are amazing! Interesting side note having the lighter battery was obvious to me in the weight near the front of the bike, not sure why, but I really do like the feeling. I have ridden two more days after the test ride and both were equally enjoyable. If you haven’t fired up your baby, it’s time to start getting her ready for the upcoming great weather (being positive her) and track days! Feel free to comment on this post and ask questions, hope you got the chance to enjoy the few days we had that were dry and mild. If not, be ready for the next opportunity! Vixens Ride!
For those of us in the PNW, we get excited as the temperatures rise, the rain lets up and the sun graces us with her presence more often…that means perfect riding weather. At the first sight of sun in the forecast, we eagerly tune, wash and pull our warmer gear out (I mean that relatively speaking of course) and head for the road. Only problem is that after a long hiatus, we aren’t fully “tuned” ourselves and we need to treat ourselves like our bikes. Even if you’ve been riding through the winter months, chances are you’ve been more hesitant due to the inclement weather while being lazy about your skills, since traction can be tricky on rain soaked or icy roads. I am a huge advocate of continuing education or refresher courses, whether it be advanced courses or specialized ones offered by track schools, it all helps you become a better and safer rider. Riding style is important too, if you ride in groups you must understand a group dynamic and that every decision you make impacts the riders around you, so join a group start in the back and work your way up as your confidence and skills grow. If you ride on the track, take a course from the track day company to just retune your mind and give you some new tools to put in your toolbox should you require them. This is just like anything else, the more you put in the more you get out and being informed is invaluable.
