In light of the recent accidents I have seen on the board, I feel it is my duty to speak up. I am your brother on the road and I care about each and everyone of you. Call me goofy, call me crazy, whatever, I dont care. I work in safety as a profession and I hope to God what I say makes a difference.
First: When you are riding, ride within your limits. You should know what they are. Dont push your bike to the point you feel uncomfortable. When riding in groups, do not let the pace of the group push you to ride outside of your comfort zone. There will be a sweeper (the guy in the back) watching the group. His job is make sure no one is left behind. If there are comm's in the group, the sweeper and the ride leader will be in communication. The ride leader should stop at the next turn until he sees the group and knows for sure that everyone knows where you are going. Ride your pace and get there when you get there. Group rides are not a race!
Second: Dont target fixate. Practice emergency braking and know how to handle your machine. When the time comes to use these skills, you will not have time to think about what to do and instinct, as well as good habits, will take over. This could save your life. Seriously.
Third: When riding in groups or riding alone. Take the time to ask yourself a question. "What is the worst thing that can happen?" Seriously, ask yourself that question when you are planning a move. Are you going to pass? Are you going to take off and hit triple digits on your favorite piece of road? What is the worst that can happen? Are you in an area where there are lots of side streets or driveways? What can cross your lane? Who can pull out in front of you? What can the vehicle do that you are about to pass? Play devils advocate if you will.
Four: Know your machine. The Hayabusa is not the fastest bike on the planet for no reason. It is powerful, it is heavy, and it can hurt you. Keep it maintained and it will take care of you if you respect her.
Five: Wear your gear. For some this is an issue. You will most likely not hear me harp on gear. You wear what you want, your grown and I am not your daddy. I am more than happy to share a ride with anyone and with anyone riding anything. I love to ride. But I wear full gear for a reason. Its 100 degrees out and I am in full leather because I dress for the crash. I have 4 kids and lovely wife that depend on me. I love this sport and I plan to enjoy it for years to come, I cant do that if I get seriously injured or killed because my injuries could have been prevented by me wearing the proper gear. That is all you will ever hear me say about gear.
Six: Slow down! Whats the rush? Thats pretty stupid to say when you ride a Hayabusa isnt it? Not really and heres why.............The faster you ride reduces your ability to make sound decisions. When you are on a two lane road in the middle of BFE and no one else is around, have a fit. But when you are in town, in traffic, or on I-5 at rush hour, slow down! Use a technique called the two minute rule. It does not take two minutes, but that is what it is called. When you plan to execute a maneuver, Stop for just a moment mentally and think about what you are about to do. Are you being deliberate? What will be the consequence of the action you are about to take? Be aware of your surroundings and of the consequences of your action. It will only take a few seconds to do this once you get the hang of it.
Seven: Leave plenty of space between you and rider in front of you. If he has to make a sudden move or stop, you dont want to run into him and cause a large accident. Distance is your friend. Thank you Doug for reminding me.
Take what you want from this, move on and go about your life as it were. Safety is my job and I care too much about you guys to not share what I know. If what I say saves one person from being killed or seriously injured, than I am happy. Please be careful, think about the people that depend on you to come home safe each and every night. That is all folks, thank you for reading.
James
First: When you are riding, ride within your limits. You should know what they are. Dont push your bike to the point you feel uncomfortable. When riding in groups, do not let the pace of the group push you to ride outside of your comfort zone. There will be a sweeper (the guy in the back) watching the group. His job is make sure no one is left behind. If there are comm's in the group, the sweeper and the ride leader will be in communication. The ride leader should stop at the next turn until he sees the group and knows for sure that everyone knows where you are going. Ride your pace and get there when you get there. Group rides are not a race!
Second: Dont target fixate. Practice emergency braking and know how to handle your machine. When the time comes to use these skills, you will not have time to think about what to do and instinct, as well as good habits, will take over. This could save your life. Seriously.
Third: When riding in groups or riding alone. Take the time to ask yourself a question. "What is the worst thing that can happen?" Seriously, ask yourself that question when you are planning a move. Are you going to pass? Are you going to take off and hit triple digits on your favorite piece of road? What is the worst that can happen? Are you in an area where there are lots of side streets or driveways? What can cross your lane? Who can pull out in front of you? What can the vehicle do that you are about to pass? Play devils advocate if you will.
Four: Know your machine. The Hayabusa is not the fastest bike on the planet for no reason. It is powerful, it is heavy, and it can hurt you. Keep it maintained and it will take care of you if you respect her.
Five: Wear your gear. For some this is an issue. You will most likely not hear me harp on gear. You wear what you want, your grown and I am not your daddy. I am more than happy to share a ride with anyone and with anyone riding anything. I love to ride. But I wear full gear for a reason. Its 100 degrees out and I am in full leather because I dress for the crash. I have 4 kids and lovely wife that depend on me. I love this sport and I plan to enjoy it for years to come, I cant do that if I get seriously injured or killed because my injuries could have been prevented by me wearing the proper gear. That is all you will ever hear me say about gear.
Six: Slow down! Whats the rush? Thats pretty stupid to say when you ride a Hayabusa isnt it? Not really and heres why.............The faster you ride reduces your ability to make sound decisions. When you are on a two lane road in the middle of BFE and no one else is around, have a fit. But when you are in town, in traffic, or on I-5 at rush hour, slow down! Use a technique called the two minute rule. It does not take two minutes, but that is what it is called. When you plan to execute a maneuver, Stop for just a moment mentally and think about what you are about to do. Are you being deliberate? What will be the consequence of the action you are about to take? Be aware of your surroundings and of the consequences of your action. It will only take a few seconds to do this once you get the hang of it.
Seven: Leave plenty of space between you and rider in front of you. If he has to make a sudden move or stop, you dont want to run into him and cause a large accident. Distance is your friend. Thank you Doug for reminding me.
Take what you want from this, move on and go about your life as it were. Safety is my job and I care too much about you guys to not share what I know. If what I say saves one person from being killed or seriously injured, than I am happy. Please be careful, think about the people that depend on you to come home safe each and every night. That is all folks, thank you for reading.
James
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