In the olden times, life used to be less complicated. People did not commute, they simply walked. Long distances could be reached through riding horses. In traversing mountains or rivers, one simply needed the help of carabaos, mules, or other similar animals.

Animals used to be the primary tool for transportation. There was no gasoline requirement, you just had to take care of them properly. Communication may have been more difficult in those times. However, things were simpler.

Going back to basics promotes good exercise for people. Walking an extra mile just to see someone from the other side of the mountain was a hearty activity to be enjoyed on weekends. Young people going to barn dances on Saturday nights. Church on a Sunday morning. Laughing out loud together, even on dark nights with only lamps enough to lighten up the faces of your friends. No electricity, no vehicles, and water wells used for potable drinking.

Until the emergence of technology, that is. People have come to realize how to efficiently use it, especially in making life effortless, less time consuming and less demanding. The invention of vehicles gave us all the ability to cross miles without difficulty, effortlessly attending to the personal, business and official matters in our every day lives. Read the rest of this entry »

There are few things more pleasurable to the motorcycle enthusiast than riding their bike down an open road. But care should be taken to engage in this favorite pastime safely. No amount of momentary fun is worth months in the hospital, after all.

Safe driving can be attained through following a few simple, common sense techniques. Things that most everyone is aware of, but many fail to practice from time to time. Motorcyclists should be especially aware of all of these things, as they are vulnerable to injury, more so than anyone in a car or certainly a truck.

It should be drilled into all of our heads by now that a main cause of accidents is inebriated drivers who believe that they can still manage to drive but are really incapable. Instances of the effects of drinking can be seen at pretty much any gathering or party when out of nowhere, someone forgets how much they’ve had and makes a stumbling spectacle of them.

For safety reasons, you shouldn’t ever drive after drinking or even allow your friends or family members to do so. This applies even more so to operating a motorcycle. Drinking can effect the vision of the biker. It can slow reaction time, and cause reckless driving. None of which are good ideas when hurtling down the road on an open piece of metal. Read the rest of this entry »

“You have to be completely crazy to ride a motorcycle. Those things are dangerous!”

How often have we heard that? Zealous four-wheelers are bent on saving us from our own stupidity. Of course our bulbs are dim. Anyone bright wouldn’t go near one of those two-wheeled death machines. “It’s too risky,” they intone piously.

In a small part, they are right. There is risk involved in operating a motorcycle. There’s also risk involved in driving on a freeway, even in a tank. And it’s purely insane to sleep on a waterbed if we have cats. The trick is to manage the risks and to not take dumb risks.

One of the main keys to managing risks is to take a motorcycle rider course, and to keep the mental and physical skills we learn sharp. Many skills are lost in six months if they aren’t practiced. Knowing good cornering and curve-riding techniques doesn’t do us any good if we don’t practice them. Read the rest of this entry »

During World War II, the lifestyle that fighter pilots became accustomed to was both daring and exhilarating. They were beset by dangerous situations on a regular basis because they spent a good share of their time at traveling at high speeds and defying the laws of gravity. They weren’t necessarily engaged in thrill seeking, it was just the nature of the work they did as fighter pilots. In addition, their whole way of life was bolstered by the tight sense of camaraderie and teamwork among the pilots.

When the war ended and they were no longer flying regularly, it left a huge void in their lives. They missed the adrenaline that came from flying. Many of them took an interest in riding motorcycles as a way to fill that void. Sporting their bomber jackets they joined with fellow bikers and went riding together. Soon they began to form riding clubs. Flight suits and bomber jackets transitioned into leather biking attire that enabled the riders to identify with fellow riders and club members.

Most of the biking attire consisted of black leather jackets that sported their riding club’s patches and logos. The jackets served the dual purpose of being a symbol of status and belonging as well as protection in event of a crash. However, when it was too hot to wear the jackets all the time, many riders started wearing leather vests. This way they could enjoy the comfort of riding without a heavy jacket, but still have a place to display their patches. Motorcycle vests function primarily as a uniform for the activity of biking and associating with other motorcycle enthusiasts. Read the rest of this entry »

Ah, the tease of spring. Last weekend, the weather was supposed to be in the high 60s for two days, but Northeastern Pennsylvania got a taste of the mid 70s. I rode about 250 miles between those days without any problems. Well there was one. During a rip on my favorite mountain road, a swarm of bugs tattooed my vision; it appeared as if I was about to ride into billions of black rain drops. I was cruising along about 70 mph, and instead of relaxing on the throttle, I screwed it on a bit more. After storming through the torrential buggy downpour, I had to stop a few miles up the road to clean my visor. Not to be upset, I realized it was my bike’s first fling with the bugs of spring, and how convenient it was, considering I just gave my cherished CBR a bath.

But now, as I sit here writing my final bike preparation piece, it’s 43 degrees, rain pouring down in biblical proportions. Everyone has a tale, and nothing beats the stories bikers have, so let’s make sure our bikes are in top shape so more can be told.
OK, since we’re on stories, let’s assume one. Imagine the sun just began flirting with the Western horizon, and you’re cruising home from a long distance trip. The weather couldn’t be more perfect, and the colors in the sky are slowly fading until it’s nighttime. The only thing lighting up the road before you is that bouncing headlight, which you expect to continue lighting the way, but it suddenly stops. You pull over, noticing with a match that your wires are all frayed and cracked, and you began ridiculing yourself for not checking for a frayed wire. Read the rest of this entry »