Riding Right

I must get this question via email five or six times a day, every day: “I just got a brand-new (fill in the blank), and it’s so top heavy! What can I do?” First, let’s get one thing straight: It ain’t the bike.

I hear from so many riders with heavyweight bikes—the Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic, Honda Gold Wing and Yamaha Venture, just to name a few—who say these bikes are heavy and clumsy. A lot of riders tell me they’ve been riding motorcycles for 20 or 30 years and just purchased their big dream bike but believe they may have made a mistake.

A few weeks ago, I was out riding and enjoying what I consider the start of Florida’s best riding season, winter. I was heading to a local biker hangout and found myself behind a couple of other riders: a man on a Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic and a woman on a Sportster. It looked like they were headed to the same restaurant.

I am pretty sure I don’t have to remind you of this, but motorcycling is supposed to be fun. Of course, fun is defined differently for each rider. Some riders like to push themselves and their bikes to their limits while others just want to cruise around town. As they say, different strokes for different folks, but only you know whether or not you are having fun.

I’m going to present some facts that may surprise you. The size and strength of a rider has no bearing on his or her abilities. Either does the size or weight of the motorcycle. The fact is, to ride like a pro, and when I say “pro” I’m speaking of professional motor officers. All you need to do is master three simple techniques

Snow melting. Sun shining. With mercury rising and an itch to get back on two wheels, it won’t be long before you’re back on the street again. If you’re not lucky enough to live in a year-round riding zone, you and your motorcycle have probably been dormant for months. Please consider these sure signs of spring as you as you saddle up this season.

In the Basic RiderCourse, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) describes total stopping distance as three separate components. The first, Perception Distance, is the distance the bike travels from the time something is present until you perceive the need to brake.

Unless youve learned the hard way (youll know if you did), most riders dont know how to pack gear on their motorcycle properly. Stability and steering, not to mention safety, are seriously compromised when you load a bike improperly.