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Solo 2002
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2001Tuesday, July 24Hi VTwin Mama !!!
Dear Shar, VTwin Mamas need to remember that each person chooses their own level and style of riding enjoyment and that's what's best for them. My butt aches just thinking of your trip! I'm so glad it was a positive experience for you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. – Mama Monday, July 30 Hello VTwin Mama and readers, However, they ride a heck of a lot faster than I am comfortable with. I hung to the back of the group, in my staggered formation and just enjoyed the view and ride. Riding solo puts me in control. I go where I want, stop when I want and go as fast (or slow) as I am happy with. Maybe for me, just a small group of friends is just right. Shiny side up ya'll. – Becky
Dear Becky, Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Cheryl, I gotta tell you that carrying a gun is a 50/50 thing with me. I did take one on a solo ride once and it made me more nervous to have it with me than any protection I thought it could afford me. If you do carry a weapon, for gosh sakes, make sure you know how to use it properly -- take a gun safety course. On each of my three major solo rides I trusted that 99.9 percent of the people in this world are good and the odds of meeting someone bad are slim. Still, the above checklist is a could place to start to ensure your best possible safety. Let's see what other measures VTwin Mama sisters would recommend. Your question is a valid concern and I'm glad you took the time to write in and ask. – Mama Friday, March 15 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Sharon, Monday, March 25 Since I work (civilian) in law enforcement, I wanted to respond about carrying a gun while riding. Where I work, it is a standard question for a cop to ask if you have any weapons. If you don't have a carry permit, you're going to lose your gun, I can almost guarantee it. Depending on which state, you could also be charged with carrying concealed/loaded, etc. Some areas will even book you into jail. A law enforcement officer MUST have probable cause to search your bike and person. They can't just look without your permission. The best way to stay clean is to give the police no reason to stop you, i.e. current registration, good tires, signals, lights etc. If you do get stopped, what you do is up to you. A polite respectful attitude is always a plus and should result in the same treatment from an officer. Remember though, there are other ways besides guns. Unless you're super strong, you'll either be dead or unable to get to the gun in time. Pepper spray is a must for women riding alone, but be sure you know how to use it! I personally carry my keys in such a way that the one with the sharpest edge is sticking out of my clenched fist. GO FOR THE EYES is my motto. – Chris B in Markleeville Having a central check-in person is a big help to me. I give my family members an itinerary but also take time to call one designated person (usually Mom) nightly at a specified time; then other family members call her to check up on me. To keep from running up a huge phone bill, I call collect and state my name and current location, then Mom refuses the charges so she doesn't get stuck with the bill but still knows that I'm safe and where I'm at. (If I actually need to talk to someone, I carry a phone card for that purpose.) I also take along as many small pieces/parts and tools as I can safely carry, just in case. I rode from St. Louis to San Francisco and worried more about my bike getting stolen than I did my own safety. Most people think a woman biker is enough of a novelty to be interesting and are usually good to offer advice or help if needed. I can honestly say I never felt threatened or uneasy, but I did have company for at least part of my trip too. Good luck. Ride Free! – Peaches I carry a cell phone and a AAA card where ever I travel. However, if you can POSSIBLY avoid it, riding solo on trips is not a good idea for guys or girls. Even my husband, who has been riding, fixing, and building Harley's for over 20 years, avoids riding alone. It is kind of like swimming...use the buddy system. Anything can (and does) happen, and it just makes sense to have a second set of wheels if you need to drive to a phone (bad cells happen), get parts, etc. Besides, two bikes riding tandem are easier for the other traffic to see. I ride locally alone, but would not dream of heading out on a trip away from home alone. – Suzanne Hollingsworth Wednesday, March 27 Dear VTwin Mama, I recently participated in a safety and self defense seminar and although this very idea was brought up as a way of protecting yourself in a threatening situation...I feel I must inform readers of the downside of this method. By positioning sharp-edged keys between the fingers, you run a great risk of tearing up and gouging your own hand while using this method. In this seminar, we were told of a much better alternative - a device known as a "kubaton." It's a small, metal, cylindrical shaped object that attaches to the end of your key ring. The kubaton itself can be used on pressure points on the body, or to poke, gouge or gain leverage. With a bunch of sharp-edged keys dangling on one end, it also turns into a fierce weapon when flung at an attackers face. I personally have 2 of them...one I carry on my bike, the other I carry my keys on. It's small, lightweight, and can fit easily in any saddlebag, tankbag, or windshield bag. Inexpensive too - about $5 on the Internet. They come in several styles (and colors) - a flat edge, a pointed edge, or pointed-grip edge. There are many companies that sell them...just do a search on Yahoo! for "kubaton". Hope this helps. – Linda K. Dear Linda, Dear VTwin Mama, Here's a copy of my letter: Dear Good Times Owners Club, I am writing this letter to express my dissatisfaction with your emergency roadside assistance service. Let me explain what happened. Saturday, September 14th dawned bright and beautiful; a perfect day for a motorcycle ride. While I enjoy riding with friends, I also enjoy riding solo, considering myself prepared against mishap with a cell phone and my Good Times Owners Club (GTOC) card. Today would be a solo ride touring central Massachusetts. After doing my routine pre-ride checks (fluids & tires), I easily started my 2001 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 and headed north. I live in eastern Connecticut and I-395 serves as a quick way to reach popular riding areas. Traffic was light on I-395. My leather jacket was keeping out the morning chill and all was right with the world. Suddenly, the 750 started to loose power and backfire. As I maneuvered to the edge of the road, power loss continued and the tach started to swing widely. Not knowing what caused all this to happen, I shut the bike down. A quick check revealed no structural damage but something seemed wrong with the electrical system. I switched the key “On” and the system was dead. Clearly, I was not going anywhere. “Not to fear,” I thought. “I have emergency roadside assistance service with my GTOC card.” After securing my bike as far away from traffic as possible, I pulled out my cell phone and GTOC card. I immediately got through and my active membership was verified. I spoke to Casey and he seemed very efficient and courteous. He took my location and told me to call back if I didn’t hear from anyone in a half hour. I thanked him, noted the time, and settled in to wait. “This isn’t so bad,” I thought. “It’s not too hot, I’m safely off the road and in the shade. I can deal with this.” Thirty minutes later I had not heard a peep from Casey or seen any potential towing service. I called back as directed. Casey apologetically informed me that he was not able to get anyone to come get me. One towing service no longer towed motorcycles, a second went out of business, and a third was unavailable to tow me but there was a slight chance he could be convinced to come in about 3 hours. Also, he was not on the plan and I’d have to pay for it and submit the bill for later reimbursement. Huh? How can an emergency roadside assistance plan not provide roadside assistance? Casey replied that I was in a “Bermuda triangle” and there were not many services available. I mentioned to Casey that I was on the east coast, 2 exits north of the Connecticut border on an interstate highway. It seemed to me there should be plenty of towing services. “I could understand this if I was stranded somewhere in the wilds of Montana,” I exclaimed. “Actually, we have more services available in Montana,” Casey replied. I can’t believe this. “Look, I’m only 30 miles from home. I’ll get my own help,” and I hung up. After a few more phone calls and the moral support of a passing motorist who stopped to help, I finally got a hold of my brother who agreed to come to my rescue (Thank God for older brothers!). By mid afternoon, we heaved the 750 into his pickup and I finally headed home. What have I learned from this whole affair? That the thought of having the GTOC emergency roadside assistance card in my wallet was more comforting than the actual service it provided. As a 42-year-old woman who believes in always being prepared, I am quite frankly surprised to realize how misleading your service is. The roadside assistance plan was the major reason why I joined the GTOC. I am enclosing my membership card since it is of no further use to me. As the old adage says, “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.” Please remove my membership from the GTOC and your phony roadside assistance plan. – Jan in CT Dear Jan, Monday, October 7 For Jan whose roadside assistance plan doesn't seem to much use: I wanted to relate a similar experience to Jan in CT, with her bad experience with the Kawasaki roadside assistance service. I ride a Harley Sportster, and on my first poker run I got a flat tire, with less than 500 miles on the bike. I hadn't had a chance to buy Harley's Roadside Assistance plan, so ended up paying $100 to get my bike towed to the dealer. I signed up for the Roadside Assistance plan the very next day. I figured the $20 for the plan was well worth it. Soon afterwards, I rode my bike from my home in Virginia to my parents' house in suburban Philly, and the tire went flat again! I didn't notice until I got there, so it was a slow leak. No problem - I have Roadside Assistance! I called them, and spoke with a very helpful guy who promised to help. He called back a few times over the course of a 3 hours, but was not able to find any towing service on a Saturday evening in suburban Philadelphia (hard to believe). At least I was in the house, and the bike was in a garage. We ended up using fix-a-flat (great stuff, by the way) and I rode it back to Virginia and got it to the dealer without a problem. Turned out the tube was pinched - a bad fix from the first flat. So my Roadside Assistance plan was useless. But a guy in my HOG group had a great experience with the plan when he broke down in West Virginia, so sometimes it works. Is $20 worth the investment for a plan of questionable reliability? I think so....if they can find a tow truck when you need it, you save the much higher cost of paying for the tow yourself. You have to figure that it is not 100% reliable, though, so you may need a backup plan, such as a cell phone and a can of fix-a-flat. And an older brother who lives nearby (as Jan had). – Nancy in VA (note from Mama: oy vey -- and here I am without any older brothers! I've simply GOT to call my mother about this and issue my formal complaint. Much too late really to do anything about it . . . hmmmmm) Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Mary, But, lo and behold, it turns out bicyclists have the same problem, so here is an article about triggering traffic lights. And here is another article where the person talks about trying magnets. Hope these help -- at least you'll learn everything there is to know about traffic signals and what others do! – Mama Thursday, April 3 For Mary who has trouble triggering traffic lights on her smaller bike: I thought I was gonna keel over laughin' when I read this one, NOT because of Mary's problem, but because it reminded me of one time when I sat through three cycling of the lights and it didn't know I was there waiting (back when I rode a smaller bike). I put it in neutral, put down the side stand... then ran over and hit the cross walk button to give me the green. I must have looked liked a crazy person, but I was tired of waiting dang it!! I don't 'suffer' that problem now being on a bigger bike...however I can just let you know Mary... I feel your pain! – HammerLady@ShinnySideUp.com (note from Mama: I can just see it now . . . !) Tuesday, April 8 For Mary who has trouble triggering traffic lights on her smaller bike: VTwin Mama sister April found the Green Light Trigger on eBayMotors (see link below), so I did a little searching and found the original manufacturer, aka the Green Light Trigger Store. The item is an encased permanent magnet that sets up a voltage signal in the traffic signal loop sensor buried in the road surface and alerts the light that someone is there. It installs in seconds with no tools and requires zero maintenance and costs $11.95. – April and VTwin Mama
Thursday, April 10 For Mary who has trouble triggering traffic lights on her smaller bike: I used to have that problem. One solution I found was to turn your bike off and then restart it. Another is that if you have a bike that has ...let's just call them good sounding exhaust pipes....then just crack the throttle a time or two. Both these methods have worked for me as well as a few friends I have suggested these methods too. Hope they help some of you as well. Hugs – Bootygrandma (aka Betty) (note from Mama: I can see where turning the bike off and then restarting it might trigger the light -- probably something in the "electrical buzz" of starting the bike that is "high enough" to trigger the light. I've never heard that gunning the engine, and hence the pipes, would do it, but then wonders never cease, do they?!) Friday, April 11 Dear VTwin Mama, Oh, for the fun of it, I named my Sportster "Pearl" and she is not white. I'm so tired of the negative press that she gets, yes, she is a rough ride... so, I named her Pearl after Janis Joplin who I view as a rough lady. I look forward to hearing some tips. – Angela Dear Angela, There isn't anything spectacularly different on an Interstate from a multiple lane highway, except there's just more of it, so there's more to "watch." Is this stretch of road known to you by virtue of car travel? Consider taking the full route in your car to pre-scan the "ride" thinking in terms of riding your bike. Are there construction zones? Detours? Bumpy, rough road sections? Sections where the right lane turns into an off-ramp only lane? Where will you gas up? How easy is it to pull off to side if necessary? So get on, maintain the minimum speed, scan left/right/front/back, know your options, and enjoy! The more you plan out this first ride on the Interstate highway, the more comfortable you will be. If possible, do not clench your teeth, hold your breath or cringe your body during this hour of riding -- it simply will not help much! Good luck -- I know you can do it! – Mama Monday, April 14 For Mary who has trouble triggering traffic lights on her smaller bike: I never heard of either. The lights here in Houston, Texas are triggered by weight and metal. Some bikes like Mary's are so small they don't have enough metal on them to activate the switches. If you would look at the road under you where you stop (need to be the first one at the light) you will notice where they cut the road in a large square. That is were the actual trigger device is, under the road. On one of the other bike forums it was mentioned you can go to a farm/feed/tractor supply store and buy two large cow magnets. Don't ask me what they are because my hubby told me all of this. Once you get the magnets, put it under your bike on a large part of your metal frame. It will hold itself up. That should do it. Jim will be going to the farm store this weekend to buy ours...... Keep the rubber side down and the wind in your face. – Marigold (note from Mama: it looks like different regions of the country use different systems to trigger lights and I appreciate you writing in with your information and suggestion!) Tuesday, April 6 From Terri in Baltimore: For Terri who is interested in the Savage site that's rocking: Thanx again for the great site. I'm glad I can contribute something useful. Here is the link for the SAVAGE SITE-- the forum is very informative on most technical stuff. http://www.heise-workstations.de/ls650/LS650-e.html I do have a tidbit for you on the R1150R . . . I had been riding the R for an hour having such a blast through through our local park a week or so ago. I came to a stop on a good incline. I usually think nothing of them, as I have absolutely no prob with holding the rear brake and throttling out. I don't know what the heck happened, my foot must've slipped a little on some gravel and the bike started to lean to the right .... I was like NOOO way... it was like slow motion as I tried to hold up the freshly gassed up 540 pound beast. Needless to say it tipped ( I did give it a good fight and it came down about as gently as possible. All that fear of looking and feeling like an ass, of not being able to pick it back up, and oh my god what was my husband gonna say all fueling me to keep fighting. I remembered the link of the woman picking up the heavy bike from your site and proceeded to plan my attack. I started getting it off the ground ,and some guy hopped out of a pickup and gave me a hand. Thank god . I was starting to think I wouldn't be able to do it, or it would go the other way. What a shitty feeling I tell ya. Fortunately, only the back of the the mirror was scuffed, and the valve cover got a couple of scratches, but I was mentally crushed as I drove the 15 miles home. I know everyone has their "icky" and most people do drop their bikes...lol. I've had some Beemer forum guys telling me of poppin the clutch and dropping it while driving the bike home from the dealers... all sorts of stories like that... centerstand dumps- you name it. But it sucks when its your turn. I hope I can "leather up" and get the confidence back up now. The weather hasn't been the best here. And I've only ventured out on my Savage. Any ways, love your site, I can only imagine how time consuming it is to manage one. Thanx again. – Maire (note from Mama: thanks for the cool Savage forum link! Contributors like yourself is what makes the VTwin Mama forum so totally useful! As to the "icky," well, there you have it. A crisis moment, a helping hand, and the realization that you're vulnerable. Now, go back to my Cool Links page and find the site that shows you how to pick up the bike on your own. Then, lay out an old piece of carpet on the driveway and gently lay the bike down . . . and practice! That way, should it (heavens forbid) happen again somehow, you'll be so totally ready and in command of the "oopsie" that you'll never fear it again! Let's face it, most riders have had their bike "take a nap on its side" and it makes for a great story down the line when you're ready to share something funny. Trust me!) Dear
VTwin Mama, I have only been riding for 3 months now and absolutely love it. Something happen to day that concerned me and I wanted to ask a question to everyone if I can. While I was out today I had a cage follow me extremely close. I wasn't going unusually slow or anything. So I made the signal to back off with my hand. I guess I shouldn't have done that, because he got very mad. I then pulled over into a restaurant where I was meeting my mom. He then proceeded to pass me and then call me every name in the book. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong but instinctively knew he didn't like me because I was a biker. This is my first run in with someone like that. My question is "What do the ladies on this site carry to protect themselves if they are confronted when they stop?" My husband and I were talking about me carrying a small can of mace in my jacket pocket. Has something like this happen to anyone else and what advise can you give to us that are new to this type of behavior.. Thanks, – Bev Dear
Bev, Your best defense in these situations, whether on a bike or in a car, is to immediately pull into a location with lots of people around. Carrying a weapon of any kind is not recommended as it can be used against you if that person was highly aggressive and tried to get in your face. However, I am a great advocate of signing up for a personal defense course. This training helps you understand how to use your brain and also learn physical moves that can take the steam out of a personal attack. Let's see what other women riders recommend in addition to this. – Mama Tuesday, December 21 For Bev who is wondering on how to protect herself on the bike when riding alone: Happy, Healthy and Merry! I am off for two weeks in Florida and watching all those locals on their rides while I think about my girl in the garage in NY.... To Bev re: carrying a can of mace - back in my MUCH younger days I was a single woman in NYC. I was out until all hours of the night and morning, and my father gave me a can of mace. I had some friends who were security guards, and they told me that there was absolutely no sense carrying it unless I carried it in my hand with my finger on the trigger. There were many times when I did just that - I had the can tucked up into my sleeve and my finger on the trigger. Happily, I never had the need (opportunity?) to use it. Where would you carry it on your bike? How fast could you get to it? You are more than likely to (as I did once - OUCH) have it leak or go off while you are carrying it in a pouch or pocket. Very nasty. Mama's advice about pulling into a crowded place is right on. Whenever I was followed - and I was followed now and then - I hopped right into the nearest all night deli and announced very loudly that "I am not in here to shop, someone is following me and I just need to wait in here." Even in mean old NYC there was always someone in there who checked outside, offered to call a cop, or even offered to see me home. In my case, I mostly find that guys think women on bikes are hot - even me! He probably had a really bad day or hasn't gotten any lately. Console yourself with the thought that he will meet up with somebody bigger, meaner and angrier than himself someday - if he hasn't already. Hey sisters - I just donated blood for the first time last week! How about that - I gave an incredible gift and it didn't cost me a cent! Ride safe, – annieb (note from Mama: I love that part where you announce why you are in a particular location . . . that sounds very smart to me! And thanks for sharing your viewpoint on the whole mace thing! Meanwhile, have a great time in FL and also for noting that you are a first time blood donor . . . it reminded me that there was something I had forgotten to give this Xmas season . . . to call my local donor place and sign up for a double drip this week. I'm signed up for Wednesday and they really appreciate it, as donations are always down when they need it most. ) For Bev, re Petra's suggestion of self defense, Most martial arts classes take way too long to teach even basic defense skills, they really want you to sign up for continuing lessons. See if you can find a Krav Maga instructor in your area/s. This is now the most widely used self defense techniques for police and special military units around the western world. The LAPD and SWAT are taught it, as are many other elite units. Believe it or not you can even take a pistol off someone with no trouble at all. You need to find an instructor that will give you a couple of days of private, one on one lessons. Or if you have the time, join a Krav Maga class. Krav Maga was originally designed for Mossad, the Israeli Secret Service. I know there are special classes taught for women's self defense at some gyms, but I find they are just not brutal enough. Krav Maga IS brutal, but it works very well. Simple and effective, easy but nasty techniques. Real fighting is not like a karate tournament or a Chuck Norris movie. If you get a group of people together you can obviously save money and utilize the instructor in this way. A group of six is about right. Good luck. Kevin in Oz (note from Mama: thanks for this specific course suggestion, as anyone who wants to pursue this to protect themselves when riding solo should be clear on what level they wish to learn vs. what a certain course of instruction will provide. ) Monday, December 27 More for Bev who is wondering on how to protect herself on the bike when riding alone: Everything I have read and heard advises against confrontations with cages! Either literally or figuratively, you will loose. If a driver is following you too closely, tap your brakes once or twice. If they continue to follow too closely, simply pull over as soon as possible and let them go by. If the unthinkable happens and they pull over behind you I would immediately pull out my cell phone, dial 911 and leave the connection open while I pull back out to travel to the nearest populated area. Or maybe just pull a u-turn and head back the other way . . . Many people that tailgate don’t have
adequate depth perception and have a hard time with motorcycles in particular;
or they might be ‘zoned’ and simply following another driver so they
don’t have to pay too much attention to the road. Any sort of hand
signal to another driver outside of the 3 that they use (left handed only;
stop – down, left – out, right – up) may - & very likely will! - be
interpreted as being obscene! I was completely unfamiliar with
motorcyclist hand signals – and we have quite a few! Keep in mind they
don’t know them as we do. Don’t let this instance scare you off –
remember how much fun you are having and that all of these instances make a
better driver of you, both on or off the bike! Thursday, March 2 Dear
VTwin Mama, However, I never realized until today how much your mental state affects riding ability. I was pretty down mentally today with a personal issue and kept stalling the bike, by getting it in the wrong gear at the wrong time etc. I quickly decided I needed to quit for the day. Anyway, thanks again for your encouragement. – Ruth in Tallahassee Dear
Ruth, Friday, May 19 Dear VTwin Mama, Last weekend I was riding with my husband around our area (Sierra foothills) where there are lots of country, hilly roads. We stopped at a nice place to take pictures and it was on what seemed to be a gentle incline. I parked sideways on the incline with my kickstand on the "downward side" of the road. All was well until I went to put the bike upright and couldn't budge it! Because of the incline the bike was at such at angle that I didn't have the leverage to pull it up. My husband came over to help me but I stopped him. I thought -- how am I going to be able to ever ride alone when I can't even get my bike up? Then it hit me -- I remembered what I read on VTwin Mama and how to pick up your bike! Even though my bike was not "down," this technique still worked. I simply held in the front brake with my right hand and leaned/pushed my butt/back on the kickstand side of the bike (very slowly) until the bike was upright, then carefully turned and swung my leg over and I was off. Needless to say, hubby was quite impressed . . . thanks to this wonderful site. – Lisa Dear Lisa, Thursday, July 6 Dear VTwin Mama, I waited to see if he would motion me forward, but he did not. Actually, he did not acknowledge me in any way. No wave, head nod or eye contact in the mirror. Thanks, – JoJo Dear Jojo, Where these rules differ is if you find yourself coming up on a group . . . you may take up the staggered position, but this is usually then done a distance back so that the tail gunner is still clearly the last person in the group (that person's job is to monitor the group for problems and must be identifiable by the lead rider in their rearview mirror). – Mama Friday, February 16 Dear
VTwin
Mama, I haven't ridden since November 5th due to TWO major foot surgeries ... huge bone cyst that required a bone graft with screws. The pain was sooo bad that when I got up 4 days after surgery, I almost fainted and stumbled. Landed on the bad foot. Mercy! Had to go back in for emergency surgery. It was pinned to hold it in place. Twelve weeks on crutches - now I am in that lovely orthopedic boot. Can't wait to get my favorite boot back on - - you know the one - it has that sweet scuff on the side from the shifter. : ) Take care, – Pat in Houston, TX Dear
Pat, Thursday, March 15 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Lisa, Monday, April 16 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Anon, Dear VTM, I have been riding for 5 years on my 2002 Honda Shadow ACE 750. In the beginning, I had to make my choices in spite of MUCH negativity on the part of my family and friends, which made the front end of my journey pretty tough. Thankfully, my own perseverance has seen me through MSF, several oopsies, helping my older sister learn to ride, and ultimately, support and acceptance (if not total buy-in) from my loved ones. For the last 2 years, I have been feeling ready to take the next step, which was a solo trip of greater length than my regular 40-mile commute and jaunts around town. I have 2 small children, a husband, dog, cat, fish and a full-time job, so getting the right destination, child/family care, free time and weather all to coincide was really hard. Add to that the fact that I have no riding friends to go with me, and you can see why it took 2 years to finally get it all together! After reading your words of encouragement to all those who write to you, I really began to believe that I could do it, just as plans were announced for my older brother's surprise birthday party in Seattle (200 miles north of my home). I said I'd be there, and I was! The first 2 hours were white-knuckled from excitement, but without incident. The second leg was tougher, as fatigue and my factory seat began to take their toll. The final challenge of getting there was to locate the address -- not much of my riding time has been spent lost, and I wasn't looking forward to finding the place in the winding hills. Fortunately I did find it, and boy was my brother surprised to see me, and especially on the bike! My ride home was wonderful and without incident. I learned so much about riding and about myself. I just can't wait to do it again! But maybe a new custom seat is in order first . . . – Mary in Fairview, Oregon Dear
Mary, In regards to the seat, you may just have experienced butt fatigue from not being used to sitting so long in one position. I find that every year I have to "break" my butt in again and then the seat is just spiffy! Also, double check your arm and leg position to make sure you're not over reaching for controls, which can really make it's way into those limbs, back, and then butt. – Mama 8Saturday, April 5 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Scotka, When we first really start getting some road miles going, and the mechanics of riding is becoming second nature, we still have to polish the skills so that in the variances of traffic, we are smooth and safe (as possible). Then the realities of highway and Interstate riding are incorporated. And then comes the delicious realization that, omigosh, we're really riding and enjoying ourselves! And that's when we're really ready to tackle a higher level of the "way out" thoughts. What we're doing is an assessment of our riding environment every single second without taking away from the joy. So, in the beginning, it's a very conscious stream of thoughts until it becomes subconscious. Imagine we're going down a country road. To our right is a ditch drop off and maybe a wooded area beyond. The 2 lanes aren't too narrow but on the left is a level shoulder and 15 feet beyond a farmer's field fence of wire. So, what are our "outs" and are we prepared to navigate them if necessary? Based on skill level, we may decide that dropping in the ditch and purposefully sliding/pitching off the back of the bike is going to be our safest escape. Or perhaps it's going to be (or have to be) crossing the other lane to the shoulder in a controlled stop, but if can't be completely controlled, are we ready for the bike to fall one way or the other, requiring that we get our leg out of the way so we're not pinned? Or, if we're still in control, but heading for the fence, wrenching ourselves from target fixation. If your bike has a rider's backrest and/or there is a passenger sissybar, then plans need to determine how we're going to do something. Here's a real life example: I'm riding at 70mph down a country lane and a very sharp right then left twisty comes up. My skill level is not great and while I make the sharp right lean, I spook myself but it's too late to slow down for the left and I target fix on the white line. The tire goes into the gravel and the bike leaves the road, hurling me and the bike into the air heading for a farmer's field. I can see there is a ditch but no fence, but in those seconds I can also see that the speed with which I left the road is going to allow me to clear the ditch. Still, I realize I'm going to land with great impact. What are my options? Hope the bike will land fairly straight and I'll be able to regain control? My pre-plan was this ... land with the bike but immediately pitch myself off the bike to the right if possible as I know that I'm more likely to be able to pull my left leg up and over than my right. So, I land, pitch forward, and then throw myself off to the right. In this case, the bike was only 10 feet away from me on it's side but still running! But I wasn't pinned and when I came too a few seconds later, could concentrate on determining if I was hurt. In this example I was not considering my riding environment, but I did one thing right ... I had preplanned my thoughts on which side I thought I had a better chance of getting off the bike in one smooth move. I'm pretty sure it saved me additional injury. Over the next months, while I healed (from a very bad pull on a collarbone muscle) I realized that I wasn't really in tune the environment around me, apart from enjoying the view! Now it's true that I didn't have the skill level, but what if in fact another vehicle had required me to find a way out? So I began to incorporate a more in-depth view of my surroundings. We're taught to look for vehicles that might come out of a side road, scanning left/right/forward/back, aggressive drivers behind us, and more, but when we add to that things like fences, ditches, lane grades, lane dividers, poles and such, we begin to form a more complete mapping of our way out. With some thought of how we can best get of the bike, over time it sinks to the subconscious level because we are more prepared. Often times when I'm riding, I'll bring this thought process to the conscious surface level and do a mental review. I consider it "brain training" to make sure I'm still comfortable with my plans, and then I let it slip back just past the joy level of thinking! So, what a long winded answer, but our thought processes are harder to describe, but I hope in doing so, it helps you visualize more clearly how to continue your learning. I always say that to ride is to engage in a lifelong pursuit of learning, and I think this is an excellent example of why that is so important. – Mama
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