At the Harley Owners Group®, safe riding is a top priority. So, to encourage all our members to ride as skillfully and safely as possible, H.O.G. offers tuition reimbursement up to US$ 50* (in the form of a coupon - see guidelines below) for the successful completion of an accredited Motorcycle Safety Foundation rider training course (Motorcycle & Moped Industry Council course in Canada), or Harley-Davidson Rider's Edge® course, so be sure to mention you're a Mid-Maine Lewiston Chapter Member when you sign up. Successful students will also receive a pin and patch featuring the "Safe Rider Skills" logo.

*Canadian members will receive a coupon for redemption in Canadian funds.

• Be Seen

I've read stories of motorcyclists who made direct eye contact with drivers, only to have them pull out in from of their bike.  Trust no one!  The best way to avoid placing any trust in other vehicles is to stay away from them.  This includes placing a buffer zone around your bike and maintaining it.  By protecting your safe zone you maintain visibility and increase the changes of your anticipating any unforeseen events.  This is a difficult feat in heavy traffic.  At the very least avoid traveling directly behind trucks.  When you do you are placing your future in that driver's hands and minimize any possibility of you avoiding objects in your path.
 
• Dress Right     Wind Chill Chart

Proper dress can save your skin.  This is a difficult feat amidst blistering summer temperatures, but while those shorts may be nice and cool, they lend little protection in a fall.  Let's face it, when the temperature climbs above 90 degrees in high humidity or 100 degrees in low humidity it is downright uncomfortable riding in leathers and a helmet.  I've seen all kinds of tricks, inlcuding riding with a wet shirt underneath to allow the wind to cool the body.  If you commute, try avoiding the hottest parts of the day.  Most of this discussion goes away in the spring and fall, since we all don whatever warm apparel we have.  But in the summer I continually witness riders in shorts, without shirts on and using sandals as their feet armor.  I don't think these riders have ever witnessed what happens to human flesh after it slides 50-100 feet on the tar.
 
• Position Yourself

If the car you're following has its left turn signal on, move to the right side of the lane.  This allows the cars following you to see without obstruction the turn signal of the car ahead and warns them of stopped vehicles up in front.  If the car you're tailing has its right turn signal on, move over to the left side of the lane.  This again permits cars following to see more clearly.  But just before you stop behind the car, move over to the right hand side of the lane.  Being stopped behind the car on the right hand side offers an escape route if in fact the cars behind do not stop in time to avoid a collision.
 
• What you can't see can hurt you

Blind corners have claimed many motorcyclists.  A good survival rule of thumb is never rely solely on signs.  If you've never been on an upcoming set of turns you are, in essence, a rookie.  And rookies should never push it to the limit.  Rarely do signs warn of gravel in the middle of the turn, off-camber turns or decreasing radius turns.  Local riders will know every inch of the turn, but you won't.
 
• What's new can kill you

What's worse than having a new rider on a bike they've never ridden?------Perhaps a new bike that an experienced rider hasn't ridden.  Just because you've conquered your last bike doesn't mean that you can ride anything.  Unfortunately, experienced riders often forget to be humble when handling a new toy.  Different trottle responses, braking tendencies, cornering ability, center of gravity, and ergonomics can really throw you off.  Treat any bike you haven't mastered with respect.  If you don't, you may find they bite as hard as they bark.
 

STOP IT!

Motorcycles differ from cars in two critical ways: stability and vulnerability. Because bikes ride on two wheels, they are less stable and must be balanced, especially at low speeds. With no roll cages, seat belts or air bags in play, riders are left at the mercy of the elements, other riders and the road. Even the seemingly simple act of stopping at a traffic light highlights these differences. The proof? Motorcycle dents, dings and scratches and human scratches, scuffs, aches and pains caused by dropping a bike at a stop.

Why do bikes go down at stops?

• Distractions. Many riders look at their own reflections or other riders as they come to a stop. A motorcycle goes where you look. When you look to your side while you stop, your bike will tend to fall to that side.
• Walking the bike. Taking steps with one foot or both feet while the bike comes to a stop is likely to throw the motorcycle off balance. The more steps taken, the more likely the bike will fall.
• Dragging feet. Taking one's feet off the floorboards or pegs raises the center of gravity for the bike and rider, actually making the motorcycle less stable at a critical time. Feet left skimming along the road surface may hook on surface irregularities or debris.
• Incorrect footwear. Shoes and boots with leather soles are very slippery, especially on wet or oily roads. Oil and water from cars are most likely to collect at stops. High heels, even chunky ones, provide little ankle support and make it hard to judge distance from the pegs to the road.
• Inappropriate braking. Use of the rear brake only makes skids more likely, especially during hard braking, and releasing the rear brake during a skid almost always results in a high side crash. Overuse of the front brake at low speeds can also cause a drop if the front tire skids, or if the handlebars are not straight.
• Road markings and debris. Arrows, lines and words on the pavement can be very slick, especially when wet. So can flattened soda cans, sheets of cardboard, plastic cups and other trash. Applying the brake to a wheel that is crossing something wet and/or slick can easily make that tire skid, resulting in a drop. A foot placed on oil or trash can slip, causing a loss of balance.

Here's how to keep your ride perpendicular when you stop:

1. Look up and straight ahead until you're completely stopped. Doing so helps keep your front wheel pointed forward and your bike balanced left to right.
2. Keep your right foot on the rear brake and put your left foot down first at stops. Put your right foot down only after you've come to a complete stop.
3. Wear boots that cover your ankle and have grippy soles and broad heels no higher than 1". Higher boots reinforce your ankle when you put weight on it, and low wide heels lessen the likelihood you'll lose balance. Grippy, oil resistant soles keep you from slipping.
4. Always use both brakes simultaneously to stop. It's unlikely both wheels will skid on goo or surface markings. Besides, at least 70% of your braking power is on the front wheel.
5. Look ahead and avoid slick spots, trash and road markings. Make sure your feet land on good pavement.

Ride safe, stop safe.

© Mid-Maine Lewiston Chapter  Legal Notice  Privacy