I remember my earliest foray into the world of motorcycling and both the anticipation and trepidation I felt in equal doses. In order to swing the pendulum towards anticipation and enjoyment it’s essential that the newby motorcyclist know some basic truisms about motocycling and the importance of using intelligence over testosterone when reaching conclusions.
First, don’t be enamoured by the largest, fastest, most powerful or heavy motorcycle. Be realistic about your fitness, your strength, your age and your stature. Getting a motorcycle requires that you stay out of the showrooms and the influence of sales personnel until you have enough knowledge and acumen to make a choice that will serve your interests. Read, talk to motorcyclists, especially those in the style and type of riding you want to do. Don’t buy until you have a thorough understanding of what your needs will be, and what that means in relation to your purchase.
I’ll tell you a very short story to illustrate my point.
Three years ago, I was on a rather lengthy and challenging trip into the mountains of Wyoming, Montana, Alberta and British Columbia. I was on the third day of my trip and had just begun to make the climb up Beartooth Pass in Wyoming, having left Red Lodge that morning.
As I reached the first serpentine bend in the road on the ascent to the 13,100 foot peak, I saw a rider ahead of me on a very heavy cruiser. As I got closer I noticed it was a middle aged man ahead of me, with new everything. New bike, new gear, new helmet, boots, the works. I slowed as we were just about to make the first bend and noticed that the rider ahead was definitely entering the turn too slowly to navigate the turn, and sure enough, as he turned to the right, gravity took over and he dropped his bike on its side.
The bike didn’t have a cage, so the bike fell right onto its side, bending his foot brake, scratching his tank and damaging the pannier. I stopped my bike, got off and went over to help him lift his bike. After setting it upright, the angle of the bike was to the wrong side of his side stand and I had to hold the bike while he got back on it.
He accelerated, too fast, and I could smell the clutch as he took off up the slope. He offered a wave and was gone. I went back to my bike, started it and headed back up the mountain. As I came to the next serpentine left hand turn on the mountain, what do you think I saw?
Yup, the same bike was again, lying on its side, this time the clutch lever was damaged and the shift lever was pushed in, almost to the frame. Again, I stopped my bike, climbed off and waved all the following traffic through, and then walked over to the owner and helped him right his bike.
I also suggested that it might be wise for him to actually descend the mountain, as the turns upcoming were more acute and steep than anything he had encountered to date. My suggestion was met with a statement from him that left me in no doubt that for him, this was about to become a very long, expensive and painful day.
“I’m fine, I know what I’m doing.”
“Okay, I said. But maybe you should get your shifter fixed first back in Red Lodge?”
“Nope, I’m fine.”
At that point I wished him luck and passed him on the way up to the peak. In my mirror I noticed at least four other riders coming up the mountain behind him, so I resumed my trip.
I arrived at the parking lot just down from the summit, took a number of photos and was walking back to my bike when the group of motocyclists I had seen in my rear view mirror drove into the parking lot. As it happened, they parked adjacent to my bike and were getting off as I walked up.
“How was the ride up?” I asked.
“Fantastic, except for the idiot who was ahead of us. He dropped his bike twice while we were behind him, and we helped him up, but he was agitated and belligerent and wouldn’t take our advice. Shame too, since he’d done a bunch of damage to his bike. I’m not even sure it was rideable to be honest. We saw you ahead, helping him pick up his bike. I just don’t understand some guys.” And with that, he grabbed his camera and headed to the overlook to take some photographs.
There are a bunch of morals to this story, but a couple are patently obvious.
First, hone your low-speed handling skills. If you can’t handle a heavy bike at low speed, consistently, then you’re destined for trouble. Second, practice your u-turns and slow speed maneuvering until you can be assured that your bike will always be under control. If that isn’t possible, definitely stay away from roads with steep inclines both horizontally and vertically.
Third. When purchasing your bike, consider your strength, ability, stature and the weight and slow-speed characteristics of the bike you intend on buying. Unless you’re an experienced rider, or willing to invest a substantive amount of time building your riding competency, don’t even consider taking your motorcycle to locations where the extremes of weather, handling and stability will test you. Buy a bike that you will enable you to handle it easily, where its size and weight are such that you have confidence in your ability to move the bike laterally while ascending hills and grades.
Fourth. Once you have the bike, enroll in a training course for beginners. We all had to start somewhere and developing skill takes time and effort. You aren’t miraculously endowed with the ability to handle a motorcycle in extreme conditions that you have never encountered or had the time to experience.
Five. Practice. Practice somewhere away from any conditions that will make your learning more difficult. Only once you’ve mastered the basic skills of low-speed turns, circles, figure of eights, and hill holding your bike on a steep incline, do you want to put yourself into situations where you have no idea if you can handle it.
All too often I see people purchasing motorcycles where you just know that the purchaser isn’t going to be physically comfortable or capable with the particular machine. Adventure bikes, for example, may be the rage, however, if you’re 5’2” and your adventure bike has a seat height of 34” it may well be a problem for you. The same holds true for angle at which you have to reach the bars. Comfort is one thing, but safety is something else entirely. Start out by knowing what motorcycles you need to be looking at in order for you to become comfortable, competent and safe, or motorcycling may be a risk you don’t need.
Six. Once you know your motorcyle, your machine, don’t take your knowledge for granted. Don’t jump on a machine that’s twice as powerful, with twice as much torque, with different handling characteristics, a different centre of gravity and heavier in weight and just take off into traffic. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Go back to square one and repeat all of the actions you took on your first bike. Practice low-speed turns, trail braking, u-turns, inclines and all the relevant situations that you’ve encountered to date. Become proficient and you will become safer and the ride more enjoyable. Take nothing for granted and remember situational awareness. Keep your attention on the intersection, blind spots of other drivers, the behaviour of inattention or impatience in those around you. That alone can save your life.
Seven. You will drop your bike. It’s inevitable. Learn how to safely pick up your bike and practice doing so. Being in the middle of nowhere and suddenly realizing that you can’t pick up your bike by yourself is not a situation that you want to find yourself in.
Part II will cover clothing, protection, footwear, bike accessories and features that you may want, or need, along with tips when riding to enhance your situational awareness.
Thanks for coming. Ride safe and stay engaged in your rides.
Eight. Enjoy the ride. Enjoy the planning, the comradery, the sheer exhileration, the peace of riding. You are entering a new tribe. Most, if not all in this tribe are willing and able to help you on your journey. All you need do is ask. Be safe, enjoy.
Ciao…
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