Recreational Riding

Something disturbing that I deal with regularly are riders who have been in a motorcycle accident, and now are afraid to get back on their bike. It is very difficult to make a non-rider understand what this means, because most people who do not ride motorcycles consider it an unsafe activity to begin with. Many of the riders I work with ride motorcycles as an important part of their lifestyle. Some retired in order to take long trips. Others choose to ride motorcycles as their main transporta... Read more

Photo: Craig Howell CCAsk any motorcyclist about riding solo. Some say they love it, and it helps them clear their heads after a long week at work. Others say riding alone is boring and potentially dangerous. The most dangerous motorcycle accidents occur when riding alone. What if there's nobody around to see you when you go down? What if you can't drag yourself to safety, or even to a place where someone will see you? What if you can't find your cell phone because the crash threw it 100 ya... Read more

Photo: fasteddy760 | CC Many riders get acquainted with motorcycling on the street as adults. Well-informed riders know they need good education to stay safe on the street. After a few years, many riders start asking, "How can I get better?" And the answer is to ride less on the street and more in a controlled environment, free from soccer moms and teen-aged drivers. The best way to do that without breaking the bank is to take your weekend ride off road. What kind of bike should you get... Read more

You don't have to buy brand new OR pay for a long, custom build to get the bike you want. All you have to do is scour the web's classifieds for one of these "modern classic" bikes from the past decade. Yamaha V-Max Photo: Ramsha DarbhaA drag-strip killer that eats big bore sportbikes for breakfast, the original V-Max was produced non-stop from 1985 to 2008. The redesign, released in 2009, is still in production. It looks like something a 1980s manga anti-hero would ride, and its 1200c... Read more

Purchasing your first bike is a big step, and not one to be taken lightly. There are a number of things a beginner should look for in a motorcycle, and many common mistakes that can be avoided. Here’s a guide to help you select the right motorcycle for a new beginner rider. 1. Smaller Engine Size One of the biggest mistakes new riders make is purchasing a first bike with far more power than they need, or can handle. If you have just started riding and want to gain some experience, start ... Read more

How To Stay Safe When You Ride At Night? Plenty of research has been done looking into motorcycle safety. You can find enough stats to scare you away from your bike forever on Wikipedia’s Motorcycle Safety page. These are some of the spookier statistics: According to the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, Motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to die in a fatal accident as drivers of other types of vehicles. According to a national study by the Australian Transp... Read more

This year I celebrate riding motorcycles for 50 years, and dealing with accidents for 40 years. I hope I learned something in all that time that might be useful to other riders, so here it is. Is it safe to ride a motorcycle? Years ago, I remember discussing this question with Luke Lucarelli. He was known as the “million mile motorcyclist”, because he had more than a million miles under his belt. He set up the CHP motorcycle training program, and he taught motorcycle riding and safety,... Read more