Tips & Tricks

Riding Hints & Tricks

To all Readers / Users:

These hints / tips / guidelines have been accumulated, edited, and prepared by me and are offered in the spirit of the motorcycling fellowship -- for the use of any and all riders - but all readers / users / riders need to recognize that they, themselves, and only themselves can take the responsibility for their safety and the safety of others around themselves. You are advised to use your own judgment and experience to guide your riding - as these guidelines cannot be held responsible for your actions or lack of judgment - including the use of these guidelines in a manner that might cause harm to you or those around you.

All of these tips and guidelines are offered in the spirit of the motorcycling fellowship, but also "as is" meaning this site and the contributor(s) cannot be held liable, etc, etc, etc.

Sincerely,

SilverBack Email Me Here

This page is devoted to rider contributions on the lore, skill and techniques developed over time for many facets of motorcycle riding.

The collection will hopefully help all who use it, and prevent riders from learning "the hard way" - when others may have already done it that way.

SilverBack's Home

If you have a contribution to make: Send via email to Silverback

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Categories - Click the link below:

Skills Practice, Enhancement	General Tips	Maintenance
Rain Riding	Night Riding	Cold Weather Riding
Twisties Riding	Terminology

Links to other Hints pages

Skills Practice, Enhancement

Idaho Motorcycle Skills Practice Guide

Excellent Guide to Skill Practice -- Practice is the only path to perfection (and safety!)

Suitable for all levels, especially novice, intermediate (in need of Spring brush-up, etc)

Includes selection of practice area, things to practice

Good coaching hints, suggestions

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General Tips

Things to keep in your "Kit"

9-10 feet of Duck/Duct Tape, folded into a flat 3 inch long package

Can tape on a fender, or any other part

Help strap on a package

Tape your wet suit to your boots

Etc

6 feet of machinists wire, folded into a tight, 4 inch long bundle

Hold on a plate

Help hold a package

Etc

For every size fastener - the right sized wrench, Allen wrench, screw driver, pliers, etc

You need to be able to fix it or get fellow rider to fix it - and you "aint gonna" without the tools

Remember: Metric bikes are metric, but most US add-ons are SAE (not metric)

One contractor grade 35 galloon black trash bag

Use it for emergency rain gear (for you or your passenger)

Split it and use for bike cover, or rider cover while waiting for the storm to blow over

Split it and use to wrap you up from the cold

Split it and use for ground cover while you sit and work on the bike

Two bread bags - like from Wonder Bread - slip over your foot gear to provide

Caution - are slippery so take care when walking (don't! walk!) or whenever your feet are down

The SCRC member list - phone numbers and list of who has trailers to help you out

Lip balm (NOT tube type, but in a small tightly closeable tin/jar - it melts and runs in the bag!)

SPF 45 Water-proof sports / swimmer sun screen

First Aid Kit

Electrical box cover (Square / Round) to use as Kick-Stand Support on soft ground

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Maintenance

	Do it per your manual - intervals and steps.
	Don't forget, when valves need adjusting, take the bike in the night before - has to be done on cold buke!
	Tires - good rule is to use the tire manufacturer's maximum pressure for your tire - might be just a little harsher ride, but much safer.
	Tires - check pressure, tread wear and "for damage" every day, every ride - these guys are the key to your safety!

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Rain riding

Don't ride during the 1st 15 - 30 minutes of rain - the road is its slickest then - due to the rain mixing with oil film and making "soap" for you to slip on.

Ride your own ride - don't get "dared" along.

Watch that rear brake, wet road means it is more likely to put you into that skid you cannot recover from.

Remember, if in a rear wheel skid, do not release the rear brake - or over the top you will go into a bad crash.

Steer out of the skid with the front wheels and when straightened up, then you can release the rear brake.

Get good rain gear - light, compact, breathable, light / bold color (visibility!)

SilverBack recommends Frogg Toggs

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Night riding

	Don't over-ride your head lights. This means slow down!
	Keep your headlights adjusted to the high side of the recommended adjustment range
	Run the highest intensity bulb allowed for your bike - more light = farther vision = safer riding
	Ride your own ride - don't get "dared" along.
	Bring layers, gets colder as the night wears on

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Twisties riding

	Don't over-ride your ability.
	Ride your own ride - don't get "dared" along.
	Uphill is safer - gravity braking.
	Downhill braking is touchy! - especially on curves
	Use front brakes only! Rear brake skids will "kill" you via "over the top" / top-side accidents.

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Cold Weather riding

Dress Warm - obviously

Cars are less likely to "see" you in cold weather

They don't expect riders to be on the road.

Be aware of the ground hog rule. (thanks, JW!)

If you can see your shadow in front of the bike, the sun is in the eyes of oncoming drivers, making you invisible.

F

Ride cautiously (slower!) - around that curve may be a black spot - sheer ice - a real rider killer.

Don't venture out until you are sure there is no black ice or snow in the shade that will be hard for you to avoid.

When it doubt - "cage" it - 4 wheels are better than 2 in this case!!

Remember - TIRES HAVE LESS GRIP WHEN COLD! - give them time to really warm up.

Stop Often.

You can't afford to let yourself get even a little cold.

Your judgment decreases with cold just like when you are drinking.

Cold makes you dumb! And it sneaks up on you even more than alcohol.

Drink a lot of fluids!!

Being properly hydrated helps your body conduct heat.

Take drink breaks at least as often as in hot weather - if not more often.

Dress in layers, always keep warm.

Suggestion-1 (( If you have leathers ))

Thermals - top & bottom

Cotton is OK

Silk is better (what the serious skiers use)

Jeans & Shirt

Leathers - top & bottom

If it is really cold, cover it all with wind proof nylon warm-up suit

Suggestion-2 (( If you do NOT have leathers ))

Thermals - top & bottom

Sweats - top & bottom

Oversize Jeans, Jean Jacket (Note: Carhart work one piece overall works too)

Then put on nylon wind breaker warm-up suit

Suggestion-3 ((If you do not have leathers or riding suit)) - Thanks to JW for this one!

Insulated Carhart pants/overalls make excellent riding wear if you are not a slave to bike fashion.

You can get the full insulated suit a lot cheaper than a riding suit, the material is a tough as anything you can wear

A

When all else fails - wrap yourself in plastic trash bags to form dead air layer and wind break

A full face helmet is definitely the best for the cold weather.

Best investment is top-level insulated, air proof gloves

Your hands are always in the wind, always griping

Always the first part to chill out - just when you need them the most.

SilverBack recommends: Olympia Wind-Tex - expensive but worth every penny!

Don't forget your feet - insulated boots do the trick

Just don't get them on the small side

Need room for those pinkies to move, and maybe 2 pairs of socks.

Carry some chemical warmer packs

Small ones - for when you really get cold feet and hands - for inside your gloves and inside your boots on top of your toes.

Bigger ones (Therma-Care) - wrap around the back over your kidneys - toasty warm - last 8 hours (Thanks, JW!)

Invest in a balaclava - or turtleneck and a scarf - or all of them!

One size fits all head covering with eye-nose/mouth opening - long enough to tuck inside your jacket

They also come with nylon like head covering and fleece in the neck and upper chest area - toasty!

Keep the blood flowing to your brain warm - helps you think well!

Go Electric!

First gloves, then vest, then chaps - the ultimate in warding off the chillies.

Electric Underwear? (Virginia Wind)

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Links to other Hints pages

Virginia Wind's "Tips" (All their tips)

Follow Your Nose - 10 Easy Tips (Virginia wind)

Cross country on Back Roads - Lessons Learned (Virginia Wind)

Ready To Ride - packing For A Day Trip (or what to always have with you) (Virginina Wind)

Before you go for the VA Safety Inspection (Virginia Wind)

MotorcycleBeginners.com

This is a good site for "newbies" and it has links to info for all of us!

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Terminology - Riding Terms, "Rider-ology"

( if you have questions or more terms - send to david.slone@pobox.com )

	50/50 or 50-50 (or 40/60, etc) Drawing Money raising drawing -- where participants pay for a ticket (typically $1), all the tickets are put into a "hat" and a winning ticket is drawn. The winning ticket gets 50% of the pot made up of all the ticket money, and the "cause" gets the other 50%. Variations: a. different percentages splits and b. something like 40/20/40 - where the first ticket drawn gets 40%, the second gets 20% and the "cause" gets 40%. Also a means of defining the prize(s) for other events - defining the percentage of the entry fees that will be used for the prize(s) and the percentage for the "cause" -- as opposed to fixed, predefined prize amounts.
	Accidents Low-Side When the bike falls to the LOW side of its lean (thus the term "low-side") laying the bike down usually on top of part of the rider (legs, feet) - typically occurs when the front wheel skids (out) as a result of hitting sand or gravel when in a curve, or when braking in a curve - causing the front wheel to lose traction and skid out from under the rider. NEVER brake in corners! Remember: Oh shit! Straighten up. Then stop. High-Side When the bike falls to the HIGH (or top) side of its lean (thus the term "high-side" or "top-side") throwing the rider over the top and off the bike - typically occurs as a result of a rear wheel skid followed by the rear wheel regaining traction combining with the bike not being aligned with the direction of travel, forcing the rider up and over the top of the bike and off into "space". Remember: If you are in rear wheel skid as a result of braking, do NOT release that rear brake, ride out the skid rather than go "over the top".
	Bug Run

Motorcycle ride over defined route - where entrants pay to enter, get a white sticker placed on their windshield, ride the route and the sticker is examined at the end of the ride - with prizes awarded for things like the most bugs, the most colorful splat, biggest splat, etc. Disgusting, but apropos the reality of riding - so, if it happens use it as the basis of a contest. Oh, yeah - prizes usually come out of the entry fee and the balance goes to the "cause"

Cruise In

Best described as a non-event event - just come on down during the hours of the "Cruise In" and visit and see the other folks' equipment (bike, hot rod, Corvette, etc). Think back to the 50's and 60's, to Happy Days on TV (man am I dating myself, or what) and the evening ritual of cruising into the local diner to meet your friends and show off your car - then move to today and think motorcycles - you got it!!

Just as in the olden days, these events are usually at some local "eatery" - to combine fueling with ogling (machines or TOS).

	Poker Run Money raising event - where you buy a poker hand (or too or three), and then "draw" your hand one card at a time - starting at the beginning, at several defined stops on a defined route, and at the end. You draw your cards from a bag containing one deck of cards at each stop, if you draw a card already recorded on your score sheet you draw again, and then the prize(s) are awarded at the end. Prizes are often awarded for highest hand, second highest, and so forth and even for the worst hand.
	Dice Run Similar to Poker Run, but instead of drawing cards for a poker hand, you roll dice at each stop, and accumulate points equal to the sum of the counts of each dice roll, toward prizes based on highest total score. Ties are settle with a roll-off at the end of the run. The best variation I have seen involves running a progressively larger number of dice (up by one) at each stop - thus ensuring a large count and higher chance of avoiding ties.
	Road Rally(e) This is a rider against the rules and "an ideal riding time" event - typically a ride through the countryside along a defined route, with speed limits per leg, maximum speed per leg of the ride, and defined checkpoints (where you must report and get signed in). The challenge is to exactly match (or be closest to) a secret, defined "ideal riding time" that is not known until all riders have completed the course. Winners will adhere strictly to the "do not exceed" speeds, the legal speed limits, and the navigational directions -- and will have to judge how best to handle slowdowns and speedups and traffic impeding their adhering to the speeds defined.

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