First of all, thanks for a great and informative site! I spent most of my working day blowing off and reading your articles, and I found them very insightful and helpful, although at times overloaded with physics and geometry that some readers might not understand. In any case, yours is a job well done, IMHO, and the fact that you post readers' messages that run contrary to what you yourself have stated makes the overall information even more useful.

On my part, I too, have a couple of comments. The first one is regarding the article a lot of people found quite controversial - the one on who should ride and who shouldn't. I'll try not to be repetitive and keep my thoughts short - doubtless you've heard the arguments before. Yet, I am willing to bet that what you have heard regarding the issue may very well be applied to countries such as the US, Canada and Western Europe, where laws are more strictly enforced and abided, and bending the rules by the ordinary citizen is more or less out of the question. Not so in my homeland, Russia. Most guys here have been driving beat up bikes since they were 12-14. Not saying those bikes were any good, but from my own experience, they gave you an adequate enough idea and feel of a two-wheeled vehicle to be able to control it with a decent measure of skill and confidence. I myself have started riding when I was 13. First bike was a 50 cc moped. Then I got my granddad's Ural, a 650cc copy of a WWII BMW with a sidecar. Then my dad bought a Suzuki 350DR and I drove that for a couple of years, along with a few rides here and there on various bikes ranging from scooters to heavy tourers. At 22, I think I am reasonably skilled to handle by 1995 CB1000, which I bought about a month ago. Driving the streets of Moscow is largely an exercise in avoidance of 4-wheeled imbeciles and morons, where the safety rules you so nicely laid out in some of your articles simply do not apply. They cannot, reason being is that drivers have no respect for one another and for themselves, let alone bikers. Many roads have no markings on them, so you never really know if you are in a lane or not. Lots of potholes which people drive around, often without looking left or right. Riding with a group in Moscow is next to impossible - you will be honked at and frequently sideswiped by drivers who aim at pushing through the tiniest holes in your group. So the only thing you can do is live by the rules of the jungle, i.e. either putter in the rear, or be always at the front, which means plenty of road racing. Not safe by all means, especially not under conditions which I have just described. But what you do? Nothing really. You either don't ride, or you quickly learn to survive by improvising and rarely ever driving by the rules. In the two years I've been driving with my biker club, we've had only one accident, and even that was on an open empty road where some drunk kid just failed to see us coming and turned into our lane...it was slippery and the guy behind the lead, the one who was about to hit the kid's car, swerved sharply but I guess a Magna's handling isn't as great as that of the crotch rockets he was used to, so he ended up dumping the bike at about 60 mph. End result - a scraped knee and minor damage to the bike itself. That's all... a freak accident that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

On the city streets, you learn fast; you have to, to avoid being roadkill. Those who can't either ride at night when there is little traffic, or ride slowly and with extreme care, which isn't a whole lot of fun. In that respect, I agree that really RIDING is not for everyone. Few people can manage the fast pace of a biker's life, just as few people can be leaders of big companies or successful entrepreneurs. It just isn't for everyone - that's why you have training courses like the MSF in the US. People get to try it out before they decide they are really up to it.

I don't know if I've made the point I wanted to make, or simply reassured you of the correctness of the article. I guess what I was trying to say is that you cannot judge the bike-worthiness of the person simply by their age alone. Many of us around the world are simply too different. Yes, we're all humans, but we have all been brought up under wildly different conditions, at times influenced by totally radical and varied environments. I myself found kids my age in the US, on average, about 2-3 years less mature than their peers in Western Europe, and about 5 years than here in Russia. I am not saying they were more stupid, just less life-wise. I guess the major reason I can see for this is that we're living in a world of hardship and constant struggles and battles for self-preservation, while the Western world lives in relative luxury, where the governments can afford to take care of their citizens and the citizens are happy enough with their lives to take care and respect their fellow countrymates. Not so here - maybe that's why at 22 most of my friends are in their 30s and 40s.

So in any case, I guess there are just some things that cannot be adequately compared. That's all.

Hmm... did I sound like I just lectured you? Please accept my apologies - that was not my intent. Just wanted to share a slightly different viewpoint {grin}

In any case, I invite you to Moscow some time, to see what there is to see for yourself. I can assure you you will not regret the riding experience! {big grin}

One more thing regarding high-siding, or whatever is the scientific name for what happens when you lock your rear. Last Saturday I did just that. Had an emergency situation which I could not expect at all - 9 am, empty road, the town is still asleep. I'm going 110-120kmph down a declining curve (curves down and left under a bridge after a traffic light). The light is green, the weather is great....when out of the blue, onto the road and into my lane some drunk or hungover streetbum just comes waltzing out. I pressed my honker but he didn't even turn, just ambled along. Worse, there was a bus going in the opposite direction, so I could not pass the moron on the right, and there was a puddle around a sewer grate on the left + the dreaded curb, so I could not safely go there either. And I had no intention of dumping the bike cuz I just bought it a couple of weeks back and it would have killed the guy regardless. So - you guessed it - I jammed the brakes. And I guess I overdid it on the rear cuz the back end started fishtailing real bad and squealing, and I was not slowing down fast enough. Don't ask me how I managed to do it on time, but I released the rear at the same time dropping into 1 gear, redlining the engine, and squeezed the front. Oh man, what an exhilarating nose dive!!! I cannot imagine what can possibly beat the feeling of doing a full-out stoppie 2 feet from a drunkard who doesn't even realize you're there. The rear slammed back hard, forcing my crotch hard on the tank (OUCH) but I held fast to the bike and didn't spill. While I tried to reel back my senses, the bum successfully ambled across my lane into the opposite track, where another early driver had to burn rubber in a desperate attempt to avoid a collision.

(I know, I know, street racing is dangerous and likely to get you killed. That's why I'm always wearing full-face and hard armor - just in case. And I know fully well the risks I am taking - that's why the bike and myself have virtually unlimited insurance - despite me not having a class A (motorcycle) permit not registration (no plates) for my bike. Yeah, I am reckless, and yeah, people my age are more prone to being reckless, doing stupid things on the road and endangering themselves and others, and yeah, I know I am illegal. But hey, you only live once. (Ok, that was a stupid comment, let me try that again! {G}) What I wanted to say is that I know the risks I am taking, I know the possible consequences, and that is why I regularly do circuit training, either solo or with my friends. I work on the weakness I am aware of, I make sure I am going to feel confident anywhere, anytime, and I practice, practice, practice. So what if going through the same damn curve again and again is boring? At least you know that you will be able to do it if and when you really need to. And lastly, I'm shelling out half of my monthly pay for a professional circuit racing course training this coming June. Whatever mistakes I am still making (and I know there are too many to name), they should be at least made known, if not corrected, by the two months I'm going to spend on the circuit. If I am not going to be prepared then, I do not know what, other than time, is going to help me survive - and I am unwilling to let go of my biking enthusiasm.

Well, I guess this e-mail turned out to be a little longer and ramblier and way off the point than I intended, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. And if you and Elaine ever decide to do a world tour or a tour of Europe, make sure you stop by Moscow and pay my club (www.moto.ru but all in cyrillic, unfortunately) a visit....you aren't going to forget it OR regret it. Besides, believe it or not, there are quite a few Wing street racers in Moscow...now ain't that wild!!! {G}

Cheers, good luck, thanks for your time, and plenty of empty dry roads and great weather! Ride safe! {G}

- Tel: 095-234-3646
- Constantine I. Lomakin Fax:095-234-3600
- klomakin@ingos.msk.ru kostyan@mindless.com
ICQ UIN 9124659

My congratulations on a terrific web site on motorcycling tips & techniques! Fortunately, I haven't yet had an opportunity to try out some of your tips on downing my bike, avoiding a highside, etc.

I have some miscellaneous comments on a few things to share with you. First, regarding your article on "some people probably should not be riding a motorcycle"... I agree with you in part; An individual that has either a paralyzing fear or no fear at all should not be riding a bike, however, I disagree with the stereotype of being at least 30 years of age. I am only 27 but have been riding for a total of about 7 years now on the road and numerous years prior on the dirt. My first road "machine" (and I use the term loosely) was a used 50cc Yamaha scooter I got as a birthday present in high school. It had a max speed of about 45 mph downhill with a good tailwind, but it was where my passion for motorcycling began. After I completed my higher education, I got my first real bike, an '81 Suzuki GS550L. Three bikes and 6 years later, I currently own a Honda CB1000. During those 6 years, there was a brief period when I didn't own a bike. This period began after my best friend and riding partner nearly lost his arm after someone cut him off on his bike. I immediately missed the thrill and feeling of freedom that motorcycling brings and about a year later, bought a used GS450 which was later traded in for the Honda. My friend's experience (along with my becoming a volunteer firefighter and EMT) really taught me about the frailty of life. I think I am a much better rider because of these experiences. I agree that statistically, my age group is most prone to accidents, but don't rule someone out until you evaluate their individuality.

Second, I read in one of the counterpoints posted on your site that one gentleman stated that he would quit riding if he was forced to wear a helmet. I think that's ridiculous. Personally, I wouldn't ride anywhere without a full-face, DOT and SNELL approved helmet, but I agree that it should be left up to the individual. If someone wants to take the risk of throwing their life out the window by not wearing a helmet, that's their decision. If someone is going to quit riding if he does have to wear a helmet, he's not riding for the right reasons to begin with.

Third, I don't understand the "Harley mentality" that states any other type of bike is not worth acknowledging. Generally, motorcyclists are a friendly sort; always willing to wave to a fellow cyclist in passing. Why do Harley owners feel that if you're not also riding a Harley you aren't worth waving to? Isn't the "passion" of motorcycling the same regardless of the kind of motorcycle you own? Have Harley owners really transcended this common "passion" to one all their own?

Best Regards,

Joshua Rose
Erie, PA

In any case, there are two points I wanted to touch on. I notice you have a tip about handling charging dogs. I ran into one last year, actually, on a gravel construction access road. Someone was walking their dog off the leash. I tried the old slow down/speed up trick, but it went right in front of me. I was already going quite slowly, and grabbed both brakes hard. I think I hit the dog with my front brake on hard, took a bit of a dive. Landed on my knee, put a hole in my thermals. No major damage, knee didn't look to good for a while, has a little click in it that it didn't used to.

Anyway, you don't have any particular points about deer. These little rascals are small enough to be quite fast, and large enough to do serious damage if you hit one. I very nearly T-boned one last summer. I got very lucky, and although it was trying to run in front of me (I think), it smacked right into the side of my bike, just behind my leg (left side). I think I had a look in my mirror and saw it take a tumble, get up, and continue on into the corn fields it was heading for in the first place. It was gone when I returned. I don't think I could have done much to avoid this critter if I had been heading for it, though, as I had only a fraction of a second to avoid it after seeing it. In hindsight, steering to the right and accelerating would have been the right move in this case. If I had slowed slightly, I would have plowed into it, still going 45-50 mph.

I guess my question is, what can you do in a situation like this, where time is so short, and the hazard so unpredictable? Nothing, it would seem. I guess my only recourse might be to get some deer whistles of my own, but I, too, have real doubts about their efficacy.

Second point: when going in a straight line, locking up the rear wheel doesn't inevitably involve falling. Anyone with experience in the dirt knows that you can come to a stop from speed, with the rear wheel skidding the whole way, and not fall. It's not the fastest way to stop, but with a little car, you won't fall. I'm fairly confident I could do the same thing on my street bike. I wouldn't recommend doing this, but I don't see the dire consequences. Of course, if the back wheel is locked up, and you brake moderately hard with the front, you'll probably swap ends and crash quite quickly. A bike with a locked rear wheel is definitely much less stable than one that isn't.

Keep up the good work,

Ryan Craig

Your tips page begins; ...it seems to me when you spend $20,000. on a motorcycle someone should tell you to wipe the bugs off the forks, someone should tell you how to lay your bike down (where the hell did that idea come from?), someone should tell you, etc., etc.

Who are these people who need these tips? Are they waiting for someone to tell them to wipe their ass ? I think this whole thing must be for Harley, and GoldWing riders but mostly for Harley riders. Either way both products are as far away from motorcycling as you can get and still be on two wheels.

I have always suspected they were a danger to themselves and others on the road as I see them dragging their feet while leaving a stop light or making a turn, now I know for sure.

Here is a tip for your "riders" for everyone's benefit. Leave your 1000 lbs of chrome in your garage next to your lawn mower. Polish it up once a week, don your leather accessesories and take pictures to show your pride and joy to other enthusiasts during the week.

No wonder Sonny Barger wants nothing to do with Harleys and Harley riders anymore. You people rate no respect!

Sincerely,

Les,

I have some "contrary opinions" about some of your tips. These come from 24 years of riding experience, MSF training and instruction experience, and a lot of personal research, reading, and experimenting.

(11) Always entering an intersection with a vehicle on the right

I maintain that being visible is far more important than having the supposed protection of a vehicle on your right as you go through an intersection. When you have that vehicle on your right, you reduce your own visibility to cars from all directions, not just from the right. In addition, you reduce your ability to see what is occurring on that side and eliminate a potential escape route.

(12) Motorcycle officers

The stability issues regarding dismounting from the left side -vs- the right side holds much less true with heavier motorcycles than with lighter ones assuming that the machine is parked in an appropriate manner to begin with.

In fact, for shorter riders, dismounting from the right may be much better, since the machine leans away from them, allowing more clearance for their left leg as it swings over the saddle.

(22) Leathers

The data about wear resistance in slides relates to dragging a weighted skid with the tested materials on it down the road behind a pickup at a particular rate of speed. Unfortunately, that's about all it relates to.

It may have more significance on the race track where riders are traveling at high speeds and all pretty much moving in the same direction. We've all seen the spectacular slides by riders on the tracks - that's what makes the "Crash King" videos so appealing. However, since the average road accident occurs at something between 29 and 30 miles per hour and involves impact with the roadway, or some other fixed or mobile object, I maintain that impact protection, i.e.: body armor protecting significant impact points such as shoulders, elbows, forearms, knees, thigh, shins, chest, etc., is far more critical for the road rider.

Leathers are great for slide resistance, but provide little impact protection unless they include body armor. Unfortunately, even with zippered vents, they end up being too hot to wear in extremely warm weather. When they aren't on, they don't provide any protection. In my opinion, a better choice for the road is a suit that is more flexible as to temperature such as a breathable heavy duty cordura with body armor and padding.

(30) Taper Braking

What rider, experienced or novice, can modulate their braking to distribute a specific percentage of braking between the front and rear? I believe that while the percentage breakdown between front and rear is interesting and attempts to get across the idea that when the rear unloads and the front loads, most of your traction is up front, such figures are more confusion factor than anything else for a rider attempting to improve and maximize his or her braking performance.

The key to maximizing braking is to practice, practice, practice until you have the instinctive ability to smoothly apply the front brake progressively to maximum pressure and fork compression short of a skid and modulate your rear brake to avoid lockup on any surface you may encounter.

I don't want riders wasting efforts attempting to hit some arbitrary breakdown of braking between the front and rear when they should be concentrating on using both brakes smoothly, each to its maximum safe potential.

(33) Colors on the streets

Your nearly hysterical essay on wearing colors on the street is rather amusing to me. If the "unwashed" as you put it, confuse a bunch of middle aged, overweight couples in their matching sateen jackets and sneakers on their chrome and doo-dad loaded Gold Wings with outlaw motorcycle gangs, I doubt that leaving the colors at home will improve the situation.

(37) Premium fuel

You are absolutely correct when you state that premium fuel is cheaper than a top end overhaul. Whether the two are necessarily linked is an entirely different question.

Some pinging under heavy load is normal for any properly tuned engine and should be taken as a not so subtle hint that perhaps the operator should downshift and unload the engine. In fact, to eliminate all pinging would require timing so retarded as to cause extremely hot running and more damage in the long haul. Heavy knocking is a no-no.

If the engine runs well with no knocking or frequent pinging on regular octane, you accomplish nothing by using higher octane. You may, in fact, be reducing your fuel economy.

(38) 1000 miles in 24 hours

While I can remain somewhat calmer when I address this issue than Mikey Gaspar did, I have to agree with him when he points out that your opinions in this regard apply to your abilities, not everybody else.

The riders for whom endurance riding is a passion accomplish their long distances by efficient use of their time, minimizing stopped time while spacing stops out in such a way as to gain maximum benefit from them. Excessive speed in an unsafe manner is not the primary part of the formula.

The use of "power napping" is a documented and successful approach to maintaining performance in many different endeavors.

(39) Delayed entry into turns

Using a delayed entry line on turns is an accepted technique used by many experienced riders. However, your diagram of it leaves a lot to be desired.

The primary uses of a delayed entry are to provide additional visibility through the turn and minimize the rider's proximity to the oncoming traffic caused by approaching too close to the dividing line. I have never heard it described as a way to increase the lean angle you're so thrilled about. Your diagram shows the delayed entry line going just as close to the center line as the more common outside-inside-outside line.

My main concerns with a lot of the information in your essays centers around the inability of a novice rider to sort out what is fact, what is opinion, and in which situations the information is applicable.

Robert P. Ward

Bonney Lake, WA