Talking on 2 Wheels

Since my article about the iPhone Helmet Headset, I've been talking with a lot of people about using a phone while riding, especially in regards to safety. In response to what seems to be a fairly heated debate, I'd like to make my own thoughts on the matter clear.

First of all, I've always been critical of people driving with a cell phone to their ear. It's statistically been made pretty obvious that it cuts into your reaction time and distracts you from the road. Using a hands free system helps, but due to the fact that the person on the other end of the line can't see or react to things that the driver can, the driver is still distracted. This rule applies to motorcyclists as well. If you're paying more attention to the voice in your helmet than the road in front of you, there's a pretty good chance you may miss something (or worse, hit something you probably should have missed). 

The problem I find with this argument is that it just seems a little too black and white to me. There's definitely a gray area to be considered here. Yes, I will answer my phone if it rings while I'm on the road, but that doesn't mean that I'm chit-chatting about last nights episode of American Idol. I'll answer to tell someone I'm on my way, or get a message about, say, picking up a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread on the way home, but if someone calls me just to chat, or to talk about anything more extensive than a minute long conversation, I always tell them that I'll call them back when I'm not on the road anymore. What I definitely won't do is make an outgoing call while riding. That would require focusing not just some of my attention, but my vision as well, on my phone, and that's a risk I'm not willing to take. 

As for those who feel that listening to music while riding is too much of a distraction, how many of you listen to the radio in your car? The DOT, as well as the MSF I believe, actually recommend wearing earplugs while riding to eliminate some of the wind noise. Music is not much different, as far as I'm concerned. 

I'd love to hear some other opinions on this one, so please don't hesitate to leave comments.

p.s. I know the guy in my stolen stock photo looks like a real tool. Try not to let that affect your opinion too much...

Top 12 Motorcycle Myths

This will be a quick one. I just wanted to pass along an article I found regarding motorcycle myths, and the actual facts that make them myths. Most of them we've probably all heard before, but it's an interesting read all the same. Click the title link for the article.

Fraternity of Riders

Sorry, I know it's been way too long. My riding lately has been nothing but to and from work, which is nice, but not particularly prone to interesting writing. Anyway, the other day, while cruising north on I44, I noticed cars ahead of me braking and swerving slightly. I started to brake as well, when I saw the large red Harley cruiser on it's side in the left hand lane. It took me another moment, while still slowing to a stop, to notice the rider, getting up off the ground on the left shoulder, and the dog, not getting up from the left shoulder. As I approached the bike, I pulled on to the shoulder myself, and asked the rider if he was alright. It was pretty obvious that he had injured his left wrist and arm. I'm pretty sure they were broken. He asked me to help him remove his helmet, which I did. I then called 911, to report the accident.

A fire truck pulled up within a minute or two, while I tried to lift his bike and roll it on to the shoulder. As I was wedging myself under the bike to get some leverage on it, another rider pulled over to help me get the bike out of the road. By this point, the firemen had sat the accident victim down and were tending to his wounds. His left arm was twisted around, and he didn't seem to be able to lift his shoulder. He had some considerable road rash along his right side, particularly on the palm of his right hand. The helmet I removed earlier was scratched up pretty good, and probably saved his life. It was, however, the only protective gear he had on. I don't think his t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers did much for him at all.

After getting his bike onto the shoulder, it appeared that the firemen had everything under control, and I could hear an ambulance siren near by. The other rider and I decided to take our leave. The cars, however, now driving bumper to bumper because of all the sudden braking, had no intention of letting either of us back into the slow moving traffic. It took another rider to slow down and hold traffic at bay in order for us to merge back on. I gave him the standard two-fingered salute as I merged in to the gap he created.

The reason I wanted to share this story is to express the bond that exists between riders. When I called 911, I was surprised to find out that I was the first one to call. None of the cagers in front of me had bothered. No cars stopped to help either. They only swerved around the accident and drove on. It took riders to call 911, riders to clear the crashed harley out of the rode, and finally, it took riders to let us back on to the road. I'd like to think that, in a crisis situation, this desire to help would exist for all humans. The fact is, it doesn't. Riders help riders because they somehow feel connected to eachother, only because we all choose to ride. It could have been me on the side of the road, and I'd hope someone would pull over to help me as well. Unfortunatly, I wouldn't expect most cagers to stop. The nature of being in a cage means that you focus on your destination only, and disconnect yourself from everything in between, even when someone else may need your help.

Danger! Danger!

Emergencies. They're never much fun, but they happen, and the best thing we can do to make them less hazardous is to be prepared. With that thought in mind, I've spent the evening preparing an emergency kit to keep in my bike. This is intended to help you out if you find yourself stranded, as well as give some tools to help any other people in distress you may happen to come upon.

Granted, I'm making this up as I go along, but I thought I'd share the contents so far with you, and let you in on my thought process. Anyway, here goes:

1. First Aid Kit- This is a fairly basic one. It's got bandaids, some antibotic ointment, a few sterile gauze patches. There's a good chance that I'll upgrade it one day, particularly if and when I start taking longer trips, but we'll save that for another entry.

2. Space blanket- There are few things that can make your life much harder than cold. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can make simple tasks a lot harder pretty quickly. Basically, the $1.50 you'll probably spend on one of these will be well worth it if you ever need to use it.

3. Extra Batteries- These go in the flashlight that we'll get to later.

4. Tape- Seriously, what can't you do with tape. Duct tape would be just as useful here, if not more so, but it doesn't fit in my little case, so electrical tape it is.

5. Multi-tool- If anything in this kit reaches "never leave home without it" status, it's this. I won't get into the specific uses of the multi-tool, but trust me, they're almost limitless. I've even used the outer shell of this thing as a blunt object to hit nails in before. It wasn't the easiest way, but it got the job done at the time.

6. Extra Flashlight- I keep a LED headlamp in the bike at all times as well, and that's the one I'll use in most situations, but lights have a tendency to break at the most inconvenient times possible, and it never hurts to have a backup. This one and the headlamp use the same batteries, so they can serve as backups for eachother, and the extra set can go wherever it's needed.

7. Utility Knife- Honestly, this one's probably not a necessity. The multi-tool will cover most of the same jobs this one will. I think that, in many situations, a utility knife is just the best tool for the job, and it's small enough that it doesn't hurt to have it around.

8. Emergency Information- This is in case something happens that prevents you from being able to communicate with whoever happens to come along. Mine is typed up, and kept in a plastic baggy to protect it from moisture. I've made a pdf document that you can fill out with your information if you'd like. You can find it here.

9. Fuses- These could go in the toolkit, which I'll cover in another entry, but either way, you should have some. I had the signaling system fuse go out just a little while after I got my bike, due to an error I made in installing an accessory outlet. Let's just say I don't reccomend riding like that. They're small, inexpensive, and easy to change out. Better to fix the problem than drive with it.

10. Case- the one I used is actually a belly bag that I cut the straps off of for use somewhere else.

They're are a few other things that I'd like to add eventually, for example, a lighter. I just don't happen to have one right now. I'll update if I think of anything else as well. Does anyone else out there carry an emergency kit? If so, what do you keep in it?

Scooter Sense

Every once in a while, when I'm riding, it seems like I can "sense" the mood of the traffic around me. Today, it seemed like traffic was in a hurry to get somewhere, not really paying enough attention, and maybe a just a little bit ticked off in general. I'm not only saying this because somebody in a big orange pickup tried very hard to kill me today either. Anyway, It inspired me to post this artice from WhyBike.com:

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Ten Things Automobile Drivers Should Know About Motorcycles
By Rameshrajan Thiagarajan

1. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don't "recognize" a motorcycle; they ignore it (usually unintentionally). Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at an intersection.

2. Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle’s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.

3. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots (door/roof pillars) or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car (bushes, fences, bridges, etc). Take an extra moment to thoroughly check traffic, whether you're changing lanes or turning at intersections.

4. Because of its small size a motorcycle may seem to be moving faster than it really is. Don't assume all motorcyclists are speed demons.

5. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance, say 3 or 4 seconds. At intersections, predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.

6. Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-canceling, thus some riders, (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Make sure a motorcycle's signal is for real.

7. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or show off or to allow you to share the lane with them.

8. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle's better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don't expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.

9. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can't always stop "on a dime."

10. When a motorcycle is in motion, don't think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person.

Rameshrajan's famous work involves his research in Honda Motorcycle History. Rameshrajan is an avid motorcycle rider and owns several motorcycles.

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I think that thing about misjudging distance may have had something to do with my near-death experience today, or else that guy was just driving blindfolded. Anyway, if anyone has anything to add, please feel free to leave comments.
-Sam

p.s. I think I'm gonna try and take some pictures of the bike tomorrow, so hopefully the site will get a little more life to it soon.