Archive for the ‘Motorcycle Safety’ Category

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You’re First On A Crash Scene; Now What?

Monday, March 7th, 2022

You never want to be in that position but sometimes it happens. When it does, will you know what to do?

I’m talking about a crash, and really, it doesn’t matter if it’s a motorcycle, a car, or what have you. Whatever it is, you’re the first one there. What do you do?

In order to have an answer to that question I recently took an Accident Scene Management class. This particular class was put on by a group called Road Guardians, and the sign-up cost was kept low thanks to a supplement from Rider Justice. It cost me $40 and was well worth it. Just FYI, the next session will be on March 26.

It was a full house at the session I attended and a good mix of people. There were a couple who had been the first to arrive at crash scenes, a couple of EMTs, a nurse, a bunch of us who just wanted to learn, and one guy who said he had been in four pretty bad crashes and figured he wanted to pay forward to others for what other people had done for him. This brought some really good first hand perspectives into the very lively discussions we had all day.

OK, lousy photo but I didn’t know at the time it was out of focus. You can still read the “Harley-Davidson” on his arm.

Before we got started, though, the main topic of interest was the closing that day of Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson. Several of the people in the class were company employees and nearly everyone had some relationship with the dealership. One person in particular seemed to feel especially betrayed by the corporation’s harsh treatment of this family-owned dealership and I had to wonder how he was feeling about the Harley-Davidson tattoos he had all over him.

Through the course of the day the one thing that really struck me about this group was how totally sober they were about this training. I don’t mean sober in the alcoholic sense, but in the serious, very purposeful sense. Another word would be earnest. We had a lot of fun and there was plenty of joking around but this was a group of people who were there for a reason.

It is my intention in my next several posts to talk about the things I learned that day. Looking at the brochure we were given I see where it says “All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission . . . ” and I hope the simple citing of some of the things it talks about doesn’t cross some line. If it does let me know and I’ll make whatever adjustments are needed.

Biker Quote for Today

I just got a wooden motorcycle. It has a wooden frame, wooden handle bars, wooden wheels, and a wooden seat. Guess what? It wooden start.

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Posted in Harley-Davidson, Motorcycle Safety, motorcycle training | No Comments »

Once Again To Objects On The Road

Thursday, February 24th, 2022

Hey, once I rode through water! Oh, that doesn’t count?

It has been almost a year since I last checked in on this Adventure Rider thread, so here are another batch of objects riders have encountered on (or above) the road.

  • Hit a river otter. Yes, they are big.
  • I was riding down by San Diego State University one day. The sights of the lovely coeds were so agreeable I almost hit a post.
  • Weiner dog, yellow bellied marmot, kid on a unlicensed mini-bike.
  • Groundhog, Squirrels, Seagull, Endangered parrot, Cinder block.
  • I barely registered the canoe perched atop an oncoming pickup initially, but some mental twig made me think that either the bearing or aspect of the boat did not exactly match the vehicle it was perched on as it got nearer. And sure as s—, that thing caught lift, cranked sideways, and levered into my lane, then proceeded to pull off the bed and landed skidding just behind me. Closing speed was probably 80ish, backroads and no other traffic, and luckily the poor blacktop and camber already had me near the fog line; otherwise, I’m guessing either a massive vector change (not good) or going down (maybe worse) would have been in my future.
  • I hit the ground because I was going too slow uphill watching girls do jumps.
  • A wombat went under my back wheel. Did not see it coming.
  • On a group ride and saw a brush turkey run out from the left of the road, didn’t feel a hit but couldn’t see it exit on the right either. An hour later we stopped and I asked the other riders if anyone could smell roast chicken? Looked down and there he was, stuck between the header pipes, gently roasting away.
  • A small owl,,,but I didn’t hit it, I was attacked by it. Was driving through the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and this owl flies across the road, levels off towards me and attacks my helmet with full talons out. I ducked but it still raked the top of the helmet.
  • A huge roll of wide steel banding that slid off the back of a flat bed 18 wheeler. I was far enough back that I could brake when I saw the dust cloud. As I passed there was nothing but a mass tangle of razor sharp edges.
  • A semi full of meat, at night in a construction zone. The trailer had flipped and torn open and there was meat everywhere, hams and like that. The cab went off the left side and plunged off the road on an overpass. heard later the driver did not survive.
  • Ride in N Carolina I could see ahead and thought it was a pipe laying across the road. As I got closer saw that it was moving, the biggest black indigo snake I have ever seen.
  • An old, full size, 6’x4′ freezer, laying lengthwise in the right lane. On the 416 going into Ottawa from the east. Couldn’t figure out why the traffic was slowing and swerving all over till it was right in front of me by about 80′.
  • A five foot rattle snake followed by several miles of random tarantulas crossing NM Hwy 104 out of Tucumcari, NM on my way to Las Vegas, NM.

OK, fun! (Not.) Be careful out there.

Biker Quote for Today

We know you’re a poser if you carry a lap-top in your saddle bags.

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Posted in Motorcycle Safety | No Comments »

Conspicuity

Thursday, December 9th, 2021

Little Susan, on the left, was the most visible member of this group.

Conspicuity: the quality or state of being conspicuous

One of the really big issues when you ride motorcycles is being seen. We all know how this goes. How many times have we heard drivers who caused, or nearly caused, crashes with motorcycles say “I didn’t see him.”

They’re not lying. I myself have twice been in situations where I nearly caused an accident with a biker because I did not see him. So there are two things we all need to do: make yourself as visible as possible and then ride as if you’re invisible.

In the RMMRC there are a good many people who make a point to wear the eye-catching bright yellow or orange vests that go on over your riding jacket. Roy, the club’s safety director, has spoken to me more than twice about my black helmet and black jacket. Roy always rides sweep and he has told me that as he looks ahead he can see this rider and that rider but that I frequently blend into the scenery. Now, I do have reflectors on the sidebags of my Concours and a couple of my helmets but I guess that really doesn’t amount to much. I put more focus on riding defensively, as if I were invisible, as I said.

And so far that has worked out pretty well for me. The closest encounters I have had have generally involved people changing lanes without turning to actually look to see if there was someone in the lane they wanted to shift to. If you’re–even just for an instant–in their blind spot, and they don’t look, nothing you wear will make them see you. I pay a lot of attention to that sort of thing.

So I found it interesting riding with the RMMRC on the Colorado Cruise, hanging out in the rear of the group, that many of these guys in their fluorescent vests were barely visible, at least from behind. Why? Because they had dark top bags and such rising up behind them that almost totally blocked my view of their bright vests.

And who was the most visible of all? It was Susan, a very short lady on a small bike whose white helmet and fluorescent-striped jacket stood out vividly. And the funny thing was that Susan told me she preferred to be in the middle of the pack because she was afraid, being so small, that it was too easy for people not to see her. But in fact, nobody was more visible than her. And of course, she didn’t have bags stacked up behind her.

So who knows, maybe I ought to get another jacket, this one with blazing yellow stripes or something. Like I don’t have enough jackets. We’ll see.

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker if your only three piece suit is a leather jacket, leather vest and chaps.

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Posted in Motorcycle Gear, Motorcycle Safety, Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club | No Comments »

Right VS Smart

Monday, October 11th, 2021

Val hams it up for the camera at Daniels Park.

I did a short ride with a small RMMRC group Saturday and we had an interesting encounter.

Val and Chris had invited everyone over to their house for breakfast before a ride down to Daniels Park. It was kind of nice because it offered a comfortable situation for a few of us who weren’t well acquainted to get to know each other better. Val is a relatively new rider who has a nice little KTM but thanks to Covid has not been able even to schedule a riding test to get her license. So she has to ride with someone who does have a license, such as all of us. From Daniels Park the group could decide to keep going, and they did, but I opted to head home–too much needing my attention at home.

So anyway, we headed out and were winding our way through Littleton and the south suburban area headed to the park when we came to a spot where we needed to turn right. There were seven bikes. I was riding sixth, behind Gene, who was behind I don’t know who.

Approaching this intersection the leaders passed a bicyclist in the bike lane. Not a problem, they were well ahead of him and they turned. One by one these motorcycles made the turn, but with each one the bicyclist drew closer. I was observing this with interest. It occurred to me that I wasn’t really sure who ought to yield the right of way when the cyclist got to the intersection, assuming he planned to go straight. But my thinking was that whatever was the “right” thing, he really ought to slow down and let these string of motorcycles make their turn as a group. I mean, how big a deal would that be?

But he didn’t. As he came to the intersection the rider in front of Gene turned in front of him, he hit his brakes and wobbled pretty fiercely, and as he then crossed ahead of Gene he angrily yelled at Gene. OK.

When we stopped I asked Gene what he had said but Gene had been listening to music so he didn’t catch the words but nobody could miss the anger. And I asked and everyone agreed that the right of way is supposed to be ceded to the bicyclist. But the guy in front of Gene, the offender, said he figured he had plenty of room to make the turn without interfering with the bicyclist. And apparently he thought he had done so and was surprised that there had been an incident.

Which just gets back to my original thinking. OK, the guy had a right to believe the right of way should have been yielded to him. (Nobody has the right of way, it’s a matter of who is supposed to yield the right of way. That’s a technicality but it’s good to keep that clear in your mind.) But in this case, wouldn’t it have been smart for the cyclist to have decided for his own safety to just defer to this string of motorcycles?

We motorcyclists know all too well that if someone violates our space that no matter how in the right we are, we’re still the ones who are going to get hurt. Clearly that applies even more to bicyclists.

And even if someone understands and accepts that the cyclist had the right of way, sometimes people make bad judgments. In this case that apparently happened. We follow the maxim of riding as if we’re invisible. Again, bicyclists should follow that concept even more since they’re even more vulnerable. I don’t think it’s any secret though that at least some bicyclists are overly self-righteous in asserting their right to their share of the road. And I think this guy was one of those. Fine, be that way, but I personally think my own safety and well-being take precedence over my rights on the road. I’d rather rant about some idiot later than wake up in the ER.

It all comes down to one over-riding principle: don’t be stupid. I think this guy was stupid.

Biker Quote for Today

We know you’re a poser if you’ve never ridden long enough to know that stock seats are never comfortable.

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Posted in motorcycle clubs, Motorcycle Safety, Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club | No Comments »

MRF Continues To Press On Key Issues

Monday, June 7th, 2021

Congress is in session and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation continues to press on motorcycle-focused issues that have arisen over the years. Shaping and passing legislation is not a one-shot effort, it requires tireless, persistent, sustained effort to finally get an idea enacted into law.

MRF logoEach year the MRF organizes an event called Bikers in the Beltway, where organizations and individuals make an effort to speak with senators and congressmen and women to promote this legislation and to educate these elected officials about the issues. This year and last the effort was less in person than usual and more virtual. But it was done, and that was in early May.

The number one priority for the MRF this year has been the once-every-five-years highway bill. The group’s position states: The highway bill is a vital part of our transportation policy making system. The opportunity to dramatically impact our surface transportation system comes around only once every five years. Using this legislative vehicle to include important motorcycle specific priorities is a must. The House wisely included many of these provisions during committee markup in 2020. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation is encouraged by the work of the House in 2020 and seeks continued support for motorcyclists in any permanent bill.

The priorities in the bill are:
• Preserving the Motorcycle Education & Awareness Program Grant Funding. (Sec. 3001)
• Preserving the ban on federal funding for motorcycle only checkpoints.(Sec. 3011)
• Preserving the Motorcyclist Advisory Council (MAC) to advise the FHWA (Federal Highway Administration).(Sec. 3013)
• Preserving language that collects motorcyclist profiling data.(Sec. 3505)
• Preserving mandate that autonomous vehicles must detect and respond to motorcycles.(Sec. 5304)
• Preserving the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) Lobbying Ban and expand to other federal agencies.
• Preserving the language that motorcycles are not considered single-occupancy vehicles for HOV lane access.
• Ensure that motorcycles are not banned from federally funded roads.

Some of these issues are obvious. Motorcycles not banned from federally funded roads? Well, duh. Why is it even necessary to state that explicitly in law?

Others not so much. Preserve the NHTSA lobbying ban? I’ll go into details on some of these in my next couple posts.

Meanwhile, if you care about your rights and safety as a motorcyclist you might consider supporting at least one of the several groups working for all of us at both the federal and state levels.

Biker Quote for Today

Oh, my lifestyle offends you? Go hold your breath till I give a damn.

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Posted in Motorcycle legislation, Motorcycle Riders Foundation, Motorcycle Safety | No Comments »

Those Flying Objects — Again!

Monday, May 24th, 2021

Cresting Cottonwood Pass.

With the weather warm and everyone getting back out on the road it’s time once again to be aware of the hazards. Here’s another installment of the crazy things motorcyclists have encountered on the road, courtesy of Adventure Riders.

  • Freaking goat was standing in the middle of the road recently! Fairly big dude with a serious set of horns. Figured he got out of someone’s pasture and was wandering so I stopped, he didn’t get aggressive when I approached (ATGATT, helmet still on) so I led him to the side of the road and down a driveway. Called 911, local sheriff laughed when I told them what I found. I said – your problem, I’m leaving and rode away.
  • I found a pig wandering down the Middle of the Blue Ridge Parkway near the VA/NC border. When I finished laughing I stopped. Pig came running up, obviously someone’s pet. Texted a picture to my wife – she said hell no! So I called the rangers and rode away.
  • This summer I was T-boned by a domestic sheep. Scooted the back end sideways but that’s it. In the spring in a canyon going to Red River, NM a Big Horn sheep ram challenged a couple on a Harley. The ram did a head on with the bike, sent the woman over the handlebars and she died. Crazy Big Horns will run into anything, moving or sitting still!
  • I’m not sure if this counts. I was riding in The Villages FL. I was stopped at a traffic signal minding my own business and some old dude side swipes my front wheel while crossing the intersection in his Yamaha golf cart. This was a Hit & Run! I was laying on the ground laughing in disbelief at what just occurred. I wasn’t hurt, just amazed at golf cart traffic in that retirement community.
  • I hit something with my chest while road riding in eastern PA several years ago. I’m not sure what it was, because it exploded. It was about softball sized covered in fur, full of blood, and suspended in midair in the middle of the day. My guess is either a confused bat or an unlucky squirrel that had fallen out of a tree at just the right time for me to intercept it.
  • I was riding 100′ behind my son in North Washington and watched a huge Bald Eagle swoop off it’s nest, down toward my son and extended it’s talons and swept inches by his helmet. Like he was trying to pluck a fish from the water. That thing had a 4-5′ wingspan. Never a camera on when you need it.
  • Night time. Three lanes of traffic. Arlington Va. Two lanes full of tractor trailers. I’m in the #1 lane just whizzing by, minding my own business when the trucks swerve partly into my lane as I’m even with the lead truck’s cab. Just then, I see what I thought was a paper bag blowing around in my lane, but it was a big hub cap, spinning and skittering all around in front of me. I barely managed to not get hit by the truck, swerve my way around the hub cap, just in time for the little sedan that had the tire blow-out and subsequent hub cap ejection, to swerve into my lane, missing me by literal inches.
  • On a very windy afternoon ride home on I-580 many years ago, I was drafting a pickup towing a boat. Evidently, the boaters had left a number of bags of groceries in the open boat and the wind was whipping them around/tearing them up. The truck rolled over a chunk of lumber laying in the road and when the trailer hit it, something popped up out of the open boat. As I swerved to avoid the hunk of 2×4 in the road, a full can of beer went sailing by inches from my head. I saw the can explode in my mirror when it hit the pavement behind me.
  • Buzzard. Buzzards actually. On my 250, I hit two of them in one day. For some odd reason, the were running across the road and I hit them with my left footpeg and foot. You would think that they would cross at crosswalks, but NOOOOO. They have to cross wherever they damn well please. No self discipline whatsoever. But then I hit one on my Beemer. I live in the Ozarks and was having way too much fun on a roller coaster road. Came up over a steep hill and saw some movement on my left. Hit the brakes and watched it fly right into my clutch lever, explode, roll up my arm and smack me in the helmet. Hit hard enough that I saw stars and repeated the mantra ” don’t pass out, don’t pass out, don’t pass out” until I could pull off to the side of the road. Put the sidestand down and fell off of the bike. Crawled over to the side of the road, drank water and breathed deeply for awhile until recovered. I was getting tired of the stench of the feedyard I had parked next to until I realized there was no feedyard nearby. The front of my jacket was covered with buzzard guts and whatever it had for lunch. I skipped lunch that day.
  • Magpie, at speed and it flew through my front wheel, well part way through anyway. Then I had to put up with the smell of KFC for the next 40km, stopped for gas, went into pay and the guy at the cash register leapt backwards. “Um?” He couldn’t speak, just pointed at the mirror behind one of the racks, yeah I took a step back as well, covered in blood and feathers. I looked like a walking satanic ritual.

Yep. Ride motorcycles. Come for the fun; stay for the excitement!

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker if when she says “It’s the bike or me!!” you have to think about it really hard.

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Posted in Motorcycle Safety | No Comments »

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