Coach Karan’s Corner

Every group tends to have their own style of riding and communication, so if you are joining a group you have never ridden with, it’s best to find the ride captain or leader, if you will, introduce yourself and ask enough questions to get the feel for what the ride might be like, and what their rules and expectations are.

When I lead a ride, there are things I expect from the pack, and things I give as the leader.

Respect for the plan:
What I expect – not to be asked to go out of my way to accommodate a single rider.

What I give – a well thought out ride plan that suits the skill levels of all riders attending. 
If I plan a ride, that’s the ride I am going to lead. I generally try to put a ride together that is a decent length, has at least one stop for rest, fuel, food, etc., and is an enjoyable experience. I may offer a few options during the pre-ride meeting to give everyone a couple options and feel out the timing they prefer, but my job as the leader/planner, is to have a plan. If the route doesn’t suit you, don’t ask me to go out of my way to accommodate you. Instead, I suggest you skip the ride and plan your own next time.

Be punctual: 
What I expect  – be on time, with a full tank of gas, and pay attention during the pre-ride meeting.

What I give – thorough rundown of what to expect on the ride.
On time is late. This is a big one for me, personally. Again, most of the time, I have a plan for how long the ride is going to take, so leaving on time ensures that we all get a fun ride in, and get home at a reasonable time. If everyone has made the effort to meet up at the scheduled time, and one or two people straggle in late, it isn’t fair to everyone else who managed to be punctual. I generally will post a meetup time and a kickstands up time. They will be about 30 minutes apart. The reason for the two times is not to give everyone a 30-minute window. The first time is the pre-ride meeting, where we go over the route, meet any riders who are new to the group, exchange emergency contact info,  go over speeds and hand signals,  etc. The second time is the time we are scheduled to leave for the ride.
Yes, we ride for fun, but in order to ensure that everyone understands all our procedures and hand signals,  we have to take care of business in order to have fun and be safe.
If you do find yourself running late to a ride, message someone to let them know you are coming. I will give someone 15 minutes,  which is more than reasonable.  After that, or if you do not message someone, we leave as scheduled. Do not arrive needing to stop for gas. That must  be taken care of on your way to the meetup.

Rider positions:
What I expect  – riders in wing and sweep positions who know their roles, and execute them.

What I give – at least two other riders besides myself to keep the pack together and provide safe buffers while the pack is on the road.
Road captain is the lead bike. The road captain is responsible for planning and executing the route, leading the group, making decisions that keep the pack safely together, or keep the pack safe if it has to split at any point. Uses turn signals and hand signals to communicate intentions.  Sets the pace for the pack. Takes all rider skill levels into consideration and adjusts the ride accordingly.
Wing – second bike in the pack.  The wing provides a second set of eyes for the road captain,  assists in keeping the pack together,  communicates with the road captain as needed to evaluate situations and decide strategy.
Sweep – final bike in the pack. The sweep works with the road captain on lane changes  – road captain indicates the lane change with a turn signal.  The sweep initiates the actual lane change, securing the lane so the pack can safely move to the new lane without interference from other traffic. The sweep will also stop to help any rider in the pack who has an issue.
Remaining pack – riders should maintain a staggered or single file formation,  depending on road situations.  There should never be a gap large enough to allow a car to enter the pack, even on a two lane road.

See below for how to handle riders who leave too large of a gap.

General etiquette:
If you start with a ride but need or want to peel off early, let one of the ride leaders know either verbally or via text/voicemail.  This will alert them that you have left the ride, but you are safe and they do not need to wait or look for you.

Ride staggered formation or single file, depending on road conditions. 

Avoid crossing the rear tire of the person in front of you. This may happen as pack speed changes for turns, but it is best to avoid crossing tires at all times.
If you DO intend to pass a bike, or come alongside for some reason, pass only in a straightaway, safely and quickly.  Do not dawdle in the rider’s blind spot. If coming alongside another rider, pull slightly in front of them and then roll back to match speed. This way, the rider absolutely knows you are there and that you intended to be in that position.

Don’t wander all over your lane. Unless there is a road condition that requires you change lane positions,  stay in the left or right third of your lane, whichever would be indicated by your position in the staggered formation.

Never, ever, ever become a threat to your own pack. This runs the gamut from blatant actions like drinking or getting high and riding, to riding an unsafe machine, riding in an unsafe manner, or riding beyond your skill level.

Riding is a serious activity.  We have fun doing it, but things can go bad very quickly. There are enough threats outside the pack that we must be ready to react to, but we should never feel as if someone in the pack has put us in danger. If you cannot ride safely and remain in complete control of yourself and your bike, and you choose to ride in a pack, you are putting yourself and the entire group in danger.

Do not leave a gap between yourself and the bike in front of you that is large enough for a car to enter. This puts the entire pack under stress.  The road captain is watching to see the gap close,  wondering if the rider is having a problem,  and trying to adjust speed to accommodate that rider.
The sweep often loses sight of the lead bike, and becomes preoccupied with trying to push the bikes to close the gap,  or is distracted by not being able to stay with the pack. Other savvy riders will also feel the strain and be preoccupied by the fact that the pack is separating.
In this situation,  the wing should drop back to see what the issue is, and encourage the rider to close the gap. If there is no wing,  riders behind the one leaving the gap should safely pass to close the gap. Once the sweep is the only bike behind this rider, they should assess the situation. If the rider simply will not keep pace,  they must be left behind for the safety of the rest of the riders. This situation should be covered very thoroughly in the pre-ride meeting so that no one is surprised.

Essentially,  group ride etiquette comes down to consideration and cooperation.  Not every rider has the skill or desire to ride in a group, and each group tends to have its own dynamic. You may not fit well with one set of riders,  yet you may gel nicely with a different group of riders. Regardless,  you have to give to get, understand your role, and the other roles, and be willing to adjust your style of riding slightly.

If at any point, the group you are with displays unsafe or discourteous behavior – rides too fast, speeds through curves or small towns, rides side by side, for example – leave the ride.  Stop and message someone so they know you peeled off, as a courtesy to them, even though they may not display much courtesy themselves,  but leave the ride before their unsafe riding makes you a statistic.

We touch on hand signals in the Group Riding: Am I Ready? Unit, but we did not actually cover what these hand signals are. I don’t believe they are taught in driver’s education anymore, and they are not part of the MSF basic rider curriculum. In fact, only one exercise even has riders practicing using their turn signals at all. So, like many other practices, riders learn hand signals (or not) as they begin riding with other people.

What Purpose Does a Hand Signal Serve?

Communication. First, last and always, you must be able to communicate effectively with the traffic around you – cars, and other bikes.

You must always communicate both your presence and your intent. Communicate your presence by staying out of blind spots, using lane position to be visible to the vehicles closest to you, if you believe it helps, wearing hi-vis gear, and if you actually believe that loud pipes are effective, by all means be that rider, (but please do not ever ride with me).

Communicating your intent is something very different. Your intent is what you plan to do. Change lanes, make a turn, take an exit, stop for gas. All of these are things you plan to do, and all of these things must be communicated clearly to the vehicles around you, as well as to the riders with you.

Why Do I need to Use Them? I HAVE Turn Signals

I know you are thinking, well I use turn signals – isn’t that enough? Why do I need to use hand signals too? Valid question, but I will let you decide your own answer. Here are a few questions for you:

1. You are on your bike, and you turn your right blinker on. Are you 100%, absoposilutely certain that your rear right turn signal is, in fact blinking? No. You are NOT. Even if you tech your bike before every single ride, you cannot be 100% certain that a loose ground just happened, and is shorting the circuit, that the bulb blew out on your last right turn, that you thought you hit your blinker, but you didn’t press hard enough and it’s not actually lit, that the switch itself has fatigued and broken. I personally have had several of these things happen to me on rides.
2. The sun is to your back, and you turn your right blinker on. Are you 100%, absoposilutely certain that your rear right turn signal is, in fact visible to the vehicles behind you? If the sun is at the right angle, and bright enough, the only thing you may see is a small flicker. Pay attention next time you are riding behind another bike. How much of the bright sunshiny day passed without you being able to easily see that bike’s brake lights and turn signals? I guarantee you it is far more time than you would expect.
3. You ride a vintage bike, and you turn your right blinker on. Are you 100%, absoposilutely certain that your rear right turn signal is, in fact visible to the vehicles behind you? If your bike is 6 volt (All Harleys up through 1964 were 6 volt. In 1965, they introduced electric start and that required a 12 volt system.), I can 100% guarantee you that no one behind you will see your turn signals, or brake light, unless it is a cloudy day, or it’s getting to be dusk. If you are lucky, they can discern the filament in the light bulb flickering. Do you have any idea how often I hear about vintage riders getting hit from behind? Do you have any idea why I am not surprised?

In every single case above, you have put your turn signal on. In every single case, there are multiple reasons why people behind you cannot see them. And in these scenarios, we are only taking your bike into account. We are not factoring in the minivan full of spastic kids high on sugar, distracting the parent who is driving. Or the ever-present texting driver. Or the “I just turned my head for a split second, officer, I swear” driver. You get the picture. Now do you see where perhaps doubling up your communication is a smart move?

Even if your turn signals are working perfectly, even if the vehicle behind you has the opportunity to see them, making another motion to get that driver’s attention is never a bad thing. However, make sure that your hand signals are crisp and clear. Don’t be so loose and casual-cool that your left turn hand signal looks like an “I’m waving you to pass me” signal. Yes. This happens.

Furthermore, although the correct right turn hand signal is your left arm out, bent at 90 degrees, your hand in a fist, I would have zero problem if you decided to point to the right with your left hand instead of making a fist. I would also have zero problem with you pointing right with (oh my goodness, stop!) your right hand, just like the left turn is indicated. Why? Because your intent is clear.

So Do I Need to Use Hand Signals All the Time?

You’ll love this answer: Yes and no.

Yes:

1. If you are riding in a group, best practice is for every single member of the group to use both mechanical turn signals and hand signals.
2. When you have traffic behind you, especially if you have determined that the driver may be distracted or inexperienced.
3. If you are changing lanes in traffic. Never be too careful making this move. Turn signal, hand signal, head check, if it is clear, GO.

No:

1. There is more than enough distance between you and the closest vehicle behind you that a hand signal is simply not necessary.
2. If taking your hand off the handlebars would cause a worse safety issue due to surface or weather conditions, or mechanical issues with the bike.

There are other yes items and no items, but the above should give you the basic idea.

What About All Those Other Signals in the Chart?

All of the above discussion is in regard to just two hand signals: right turn and left turn – mostly because more motorcycle accidents happen at intersections. There are many, many other signals. The chart posted with this unit contains only 16, but there are others. Most of the remaining signals are used to communicate between bikes riding in a group formation, and they should be reviewed with all riders in the pre-ride meeting that should happen before everybody mounts up. Personally, I have not used all of the signals in the chart, and some of the ones described, I have a different signal that I use. That is fine, as long as…. Your intent is clearly communicated. Again, a quick pre-ride discussion can clear up any question about common hand signals.

My Bike Doesn’t Have Mechanical Turn Signals (i.e., blinky lights on a switch)…

Modern bikes are required to have at least rear turn signals; however, there are many bikes on the road with no turn signals. Older bikes are not required to run them if the factory did not install them as standard equipment. Here’s where I come down on this.

A little personal story that goes to the heart of the matter…

I own a bike that falls into that ‘grandfathered’ category. It is a 1940 Harley Davidson Model U, also called a big twin flathead. I bought the bike to compete in a cross-country race. The bikes have to be built between 1930 and 1948, and the race will be somewhere around 2500 miles across the country. The route is yet to be determined. My ’40 is going to see a lot of miles, possibly riding with other bikes, possibly riding solo in traffic. The route is always secondary and tertiary roads.

I spent the better part of the winter figuring out the best way to put front and rear turn signals, switches and indicator lights on a bike that had none of these. I also upgraded the electrical system to 12 volt, to support the extra lighting and put less pressure on the entire system.

Why did I go through all that trouble and expense, when my flattie falls under the grandfather clause, and I don’t have to run signals at all? The best way I can explain it is this: riding a vintage bike with no turn signals is like communicating in Morse Code when everyone else is texting. You can do it, but no one is going to understand you because they are looking for a blinky light. Again, I have heard of too many riders on vintage bikes being hit from behind, and no one wants to talk about the fact that weak, or non-existent lighting was probably a major factor.

In the current world, drivers are used to seeing blinking lights, not hands stuck out in the air. This does not mean hand signals are completely ineffective – otherwise, I would not have presented the information that preceded this. What is does mean is that hand signals alone are even less effective than mechanical turn signals used by themselves. Your best strategy for communicating your intent is combining mechanical and hand signals when you need to do so.

Quite a few of my blog posts/units contain references to lane position, or simply use the shorthand LP1, LP2 or LP3; however, I realized I have not explained exactly what lane position actually means, or what it is. This should be covered in the basic rider course, but not all courses are equal, and there is a lot of information stuffed into your helmet during that brief time, so some things are bound to fall out on the pavement. So here we go.

Refer to the diagram which illustrates what I’m about to explain.

What Is Motorcycle Lane Position?

We ride on roads designed for cars and trucks, so the lanes are far wider than we, as motorcyclists, require. Therefore, we can mentally divide each lane into three smaller lanes – some people reference them as “outside, middle and inside,” but this could become confused with car lanes, so I prefer the LP1, LP2 and LP3 nomenclature.

The “outside,” or left third, is LP1, and is closest to oncoming traffic. The middle third is LP2, and to new riders, often feels like the safest place to be. The “inside,” or rightmost third, is LP3. This lane position, on a two-lane road (like the illustration) will be next to the shoulder, but on a multi-lane highway, LP3 could be closest to the lane beside you, depending on your overall lane position. (Going back to car lane references, if you are in the left lane of a 4-lane highway, your LP3 will be next to the traffic in the right lane.)

Why Does Lane Position Matter?

Now that you understand what lane position is, let’s explore some of the reasons why it matters, because there are many. The big three covered here are Visibility, Reaction Time, and Safety. Lane position is also critical when negotiating curves, but that is a specific application that I am not going to cover here.

Visibility: This is the most important use of lane position, next to safety. You can argue that those go hand in hand, but let’s talk about visibility as a standalone.

With respect to vehicles: It is much easier to stay out of blind spots, and make sure you are always visible to other vehicles if you understand and manipulate your lane position. Something I see riders do, is claim a lane position and stay there, regardless of what else is going on around them. I do not. This does not mean I’m weaving all over the road, looking like I’m drunk. What it means is, as the situation around me changes, I make sure I’m in the lane position that gives me the best visibility to the vehicles closest to me.

Make sure you can see the driver’s face in their side mirrors. This ensures that IF they are looking, they can see you. (Don’t assume they are looking, but give them the best chance you can to SEE you.) Bear in mind that if you are in the left lane, in LP1, and you are coming up on a vehicle in the right lane, that vehicle may not see you!!! Often, I put myself in LP3 while I am still far enough back, which puts me directly in their driver’s side mirror. Once I’m approaching the ‘danger zone’ at the rear corner of their vehicle, I move to LP1, and pass as quickly and safely as possible. Never ever ever ever camp out on the rear corner of a vehicle. Ever. Was that emphatic enough?!

Reaction Time: You can use lane position to increase your reaction time. If you see that something could unfold to your right, put yourself in LP1. That way, if it does unfold badly, you have more time to react before it gets to you. In reverse, if you see something on your left, put yourself in LP3. Again, you have more reaction time. For example, when I ride at night, typically I ride in LP1. This gives me maximum reaction time on both my left and right sides, should a deer or other animal jet out into the road.

Another instance where this is a wise move is: If you are on an interstate and you are passing an on-ramp. Unless I have no other choice, I always move out of the right lane before I pass the ramp. However, this does not ensure my safety. Drivers are known to hit that on-ramp, top speed, and move over one or more lanes to the left without bothering to check oncoming traffic. What do I do? First, I watch merging cars like a hawk with one eye, and watch everything else with the other (or so I hope). Second, I check behind and beside me to see if I can move over another lane (if there are three or more lanes), should I need to. Finally, I get all the way over to LP1 of at least the middle lane. This gives me good visibility to on-ramp traffic, and reaction time in case they are in a bigger rush than I am.

A note here. Remember that slowing down can also be an escape strategy. Too many people forget that you can, indeed, let off the throttle. This is why you have to know what is behind you, as well as what is in front and beside you.

Safety: You can argue that visibility and reaction time margins come under safety, and they do. However, the safety I’m going to talk about next is when you are riding in a group of motorcycles. When riding in a group, generally you are riding staggered formation. What does this mean? First it means the lead rider, or road captain, puts themselves in LP1. The next rider takes LP3, the third rider takes LP1, etc.

Further, the riders space themselves such that no bike crosses the rear tire of the bike in front of them. (There are some exceptions to this, but for this unit, I’m going to leave it at that.) Usually, riders will keep a 2-4 second margin between. More, depending on road conditions and rider skill.

Why do we ride in this formation? Because this gives every rider their own buffer zone (remember ‘beast mode’?) in which to ride. When you ride with a group, you ride as a group member AND as a solo rider at the same time. This is why it is not the best idea to put a brand new rider into a group ride. They simply have not had time to cultivate these skills.

In this formation, if there is a crappy section of road in LP3, and there often is on two lane roads, the LP3 riders can slide to LP2 easily without disrupting the flow of the ride. When conditions improve, they can slide back over to LP3. If there is a vehicle, say a mail truck, or a parked car ahead, all the riders slide to LP1 to pass, single file, and then slide back to their positions once they have passed.

Recently, I was on a ride where I rode “sweep,” which is the last bike in formation. Part of my job was to assist in group lane changes. The sweep actually changes lanes first to secure the lane for the riders ahead, so I needed to see my road captain’s bike clearly to pick up her turn signals and hand signals. I couldn’t do that from LP1, which was where I should have been based on our formation, so I rode LP2 – this worked for both of us, because she could see my headlights, and I could see her turn signals. Again, heads up riding. Knowing where you need to be, and why you need to be there.

There are many more examples I could give, but these should drive the point home. As a rider, understand the power of lane position. Let your lane position flow as the situation around you changes. Pay attention to the vehicles or potential hazards closest to you, using lane position as one of your defenses, while still looking down the road as far as you can to determine what your situation may evolve into next.

This is probably one of your most powerful strategies, and also one of the least used and most misunderstood. Add it to your arsenal. Practice the thought process when you are driving your car. Watch other bikes, and think through their choice of lane position. Are they in the best spot? What are the things around them that can affect them based on their position?

by Ivy Vanessa Yapelli

Navigating intersections can be tricky business particularly when there’s heavy traffic. However even light traffic can pose a danger to motorcycles, depending on the configuration. That’s what I’d like to address with this piece.

It’s usually safer to enter an intersection along with other vehicles. Other vehicles are more likely than you are to be seen by oncoming cars and trucks. That’s what they’re looking for; big metal cages. But mind the gap, that is, the gap between vehicle in front of and behind you.

Refer to the illustration as I describe a typical intersection situation. Let’s imagine you’re riding down the road and you’re approaching a basic 4-way intersection. Coming from the opposite direction is a car waiting to turn left. There are multiple vehicles in front of you and multiple vehicles behind you. You are “in the gap.”

In other words, from the perspective of the car waiting to turn left, the space you occupy appears empty. When traffic is heavy, they are watching the oncoming traffic and likely looking for the first chance to thread the needle, so to speak, and make their turn as soon as there’s a gap.

Whether their view is blocked by an object like a big truck traveling in front of you, or because they just don’t see you, you are potentially in a very dangerous place. To avoid this, I slow down or speed up to go through with other vehicles, meaning, I am safer going through an intersection beside another vehicle, rather than leading or trailing them like you would do normally.  With this strategy, I try to stay out of the gap.

The illustration shows multiple lanes of traffic. The circled motorcycle is in the gap. (Note the rider’s lane position with respect to visibility to oncoming traffic, specifically the car that wants to turn left. Refer to the Lane Position Unit for more details on this strategy.)

If I were the rider, I would have a few options. I could change lanes and speed up to be next to the vehicle currently in front of me, or I could slow down before reaching the intersection so that I could go through next to the car in the top (right) lane that is just coming into view. If it were a two-lane road, I would slow down to widen the gap and give myself more time to react if the vehicle turning left did turn into my path. Bottom line, be aware of the vehicles around you and use them to your advantage.

I have wanted to address this topic for a while now, but I had to wait until I had some time to do some background work, first. I still do not have all the answers, but I have learned enough to have formed my own philosophy about myself, and my position as a woman rider.

So often I see posts, or hear women talking about themselves as riders, men’s attitudes toward them, social attitudes, and so forth. Far too often, their speech takes the tone of victim, either downtrodden, or stridently rebellious, but in either case, a victim of something “out there” in society, which says women cannot or should not do what we do.

And every time I hear or read this kind of stuff, I just want to say: “Stop it. Seriously. Please stop.”

Far be it for me to tell anyone else how to walk through this world, but if you are putting rocks in your boots while walking, don’t you think you are making the journey far more painful, and difficult than it has to be?

While you may not agree with this thought process, it is based in historical fact, and oh, now here we go… Rational logic. Humor me.

Moving on… two of the books I used for research were The American Motorcycle Girls by Cris Sommer Simmons, and Grace and Grit by William M. Murphy.

I wanted to know more about the women riders who came before me, especially the women who rode in the early years when bikes were still evolving from bicycles. The roads were not paved or marked, the bikes were not always reliable, and there were women not only riding, but crossing the country, alone, on nothing much more than muddy paths.

Here is something I find quite interesting. In the early days of motorcycles – I’m talking about the first few decades of the 1900s – there was a surprising amount of motorcycle product advertising aimed at women. From motorcycle clothing to tires, chains, and bike makes and models. At a time when a woman’s life was essentially a prescribed set of activities, motorcycle manufacturers were targeting the female market far more than they do today.

It is hard to say what the percentage of women riders might have been in that era, but I think it may have been higher than is commonly believed, given the targeted marketing, and given the fact that women’s lives were not documented unless you were an Effie Hotchkiss (read on to find out who she is, and why you should know about her). And even Hotchkiss and her contemporaries are invisible to the general population today. Even to the population of modern women riders who need to know about our forebearers.

In doing this reading, I began asking a question that I have not found an answer to…yet. What happened? Why and when did the major manufacturers shift from targeted marketing to women riders, to essentially no marketing whatsoever outside of pink, sparkly t-shirts? How did female images in advertising move from realistic depictions of women riders who were represented as qualified users of the products being hawked, to mostly naked, siliconed and photoshopped models who are simply T&A for a male only market?

Please, of course I know sex sells. Duh. But how did an entire market segment get erased from existence so completely? And how, at a time when women are the largest growing market in motorcycling, can the industry afford to continue trying to sell to men who aren’t buying like they used to?

So these questions are far more interesting to me than what “society” thinks of me as a woman rider.

I wanted this perspective. People give me a lot of credit and respect for the solo riding I do – on my modern bikes, and even more so on my shovel. And I really appreciate all of that. I do. However, what I do is nothing compared to what riders in the pre-interstate era accomplished.

I also wanted to use these books to help me get perspective on something I’m less comfortable addressing – the fact that I’m a woman rider. To me, that has never been “a thing.” I’ve always been a woman (duh!!!) and I’ve always been nontraditional. But for others, this can be “a thing.”

I wanted a way to think about it, address it for myself, and have fully formed thoughts about it, because the topic comes up far more frequently than I’d prefer. So here is where I am with it currently.

Regardless of what I do, particularly on a bike, I am never in the position of having to prove a woman can do it. (And I’ve never felt I was.)
At this point in history, that’s been done. With regard to riding, it was done in the nineteen-teens. Over 100 years ago.

In 1915, Effie Hotchkiss became the first woman to ride a motorcycle cross country. In the years immediately following, other women criss-crossed the US on motorcycles. In 1930, Bessie Stringfield became the first black woman to ride cross country solo.

There is no more “proving” in my opinion. Now, it’s just DOING. Furthermore, the laws of physics are the same whether you have boobs or not. So there’s that. Ooooh! Science!

The only proving I’m doing is to myself. I set a goal, and I prove to myself that I can accomplish that goal. It has nothing to do with anyone else. It is not political, or emotional, it is not feminist, it has no intent other than being my way of challenging myself.

To the world in which I travel, it does not matter that I’m a woman. It only matters that I step up and participate. So I do. With gratitude to the women who made it possible, and the authors who have told their stories. Because of them, the only person who can stop me from participating, is me.

So if you are of the mindset that you are doing this despite what someone else believes about you, please stop. Stop wasting the energy railing against “them,” and spend that energy loving the experience, and be grateful for the women who truly opened up the sport of motorcycling to us.

This blog post came out of a conversation I had with another lady rider. We were talking about all the little things that add up to big returns in safety, and she brought up the fact that so many riders (and drivers) do not know how to adjust their mirrors correctly to maximize their view and minimize the inevitable blind spots.

I asked her if she would write something up for my blog site, so this blog entry is from guest blogger Ivy Yapelli. It is worth a careful read. Then go out and check your bike’s mirrors. I’m betting yours will need some tweaking. Mine did. But let’s get to Ivy’s words:

Mirrors aren’t just for checking your hair and makeup before you head out on the road. Although they are useful for that 😉

Proper mirror placement can mean the difference between a close call, and surgery to fix a broken bone. Or worse. A new rider’s instinct is usually to set their mirrors like the rearview mirror of a car or truck, meaning whatever is directly behind them is centered in each mirror. This is a good place to start, and it’s better than nothing, but it’s not the best mirror placement because it doesn’t give you the optimal view for what you need to be able to see while you’re riding.

When riding in multiple lanes of traffic and there’s a vehicle coming up alongside you in the next lane, there’s a point at which you lose the object in your mirror, and unless you turn your head you can’t see it. This is your blind spot.

A blind spot is very dangerous. Especially with other drivers on the road who aren’t paying attention. How many times have you seen a car change lanes without looking? In the event someone does that right next to you, you’re gonna wanna see it happening before they make contact with your bike, and your mirrors are your best defense. BUT proper mirror placement is crucial, and it all begins with knowing how and why to properly set them.

If your mirrors are set so that a single object directly behind you appears in the center of each mirror, your blind spot is much larger than it needs to be. You want to shrink that blind spot down to the smallest you can and minimize it as much as possible. So, let’s set them right!

Begin by sitting on your bike in the position in which you ride. Pay attention here because if you adjust them for how you sit and not how you ride that’s not going to be very helpful once you get moving. So, if you’re a slouchy rider, don’t sit up straight while you’re making your adjustments. Karan’s note: This is where I mess up. I tend to sit straight up when the bike isn’t moving, but I learn slightly forward when it is moving. No idea exactly why, so if I set my mirrors while I’m sitting, they aren’t correct for when I’m riding.

Identify an object directly behind you that is the equivalent to several car lengths behind your bike. This can be done in a large parking lot or while next to a curb in a residential area. Position yourself relative to that object the way you’d be if you were both moving on the road.

Without moving your head and using just your eyes, adjust your mirrors so that the object is centered in each mirror. Now, move each mirror outward until the object is in the inside corner of each mirror. You should still be able to see the entire object without leaning or turning your head. You can also see much more of the lane to either side of you without moving anything but your eyes. The tips of your own shoulders may be just slivers in the edges of the mirrors or they might even be just out of sight. Remember it’s the traffic you want to see, not yourself.

Having your mirrors set this way is also helpful when riding staggered in groups, because depending on how tight the group is, you can still see the person in the next position behind you in your mirror.

It’s also helpful when you’re either getting on a highway and merging into traffic, or riding on the highway and approaching a blind onramp which is blocked by something such as tall foliage or a wall. When you’re going 60-70 miles an hour in traffic it can be a little nerve wracking to turn your head all the way around in order to see up the ramp behind you to check for oncoming vehicles. The bike tends to want to drift in the direction you’re turning your head, and the farther you’re turning, the farther the drift. You can eliminate this by simply leaning forward over your gas tank and then looking into your mirrors. From that position your blind spot is gone.

Finally, we’ve seen how using your own mirrors is obviously important but did you know that other people’s mirrors can be helpful, too? You ever notice that sticker on the back of a lot of 18 wheelers that says “If you can’t see my mirrors, I can’t see you!”? Well the same concept is true for motorcycles. If you’re riding behind someone and you can’t see their face in their mirror there’s a good chance they can’t see you. It could mean you’re in their blind spot and you need to back off. Or it could mean they don’t have their mirrors set right in which case everything in the whole world besides what is right in front of them is in their blind spot and if that’s the case get the hell away from them!

Here is a little habit of mine that will help you get your head in the game every time you get on your bike. I started doing this pretty much in self-defense. For a few years, I rode with a person who felt the need to either rush me through getting my gear on, or would find a way to distract me while I was gearing up. I realized that it was shattering my concentration and focus, and I would forget something, or make a mental error. Once I figured this out, I took control of the situation.

As soon as I started walking to my bike, I stopped talking. I also stopped listening. All of my focus was on getting geared up and mentally preparing to ride. I developed consistent places where I kept my helmet, gloves, glasses, wallet, etc. I developed an order in which I put my gear on – not a ritualized OCD kind of thing where if I got interrupted, I had to start over – but a basic order.

Think of this as developing muscle memory. Just like you learn where the controls are on the bike, and you develop muscle memory, so eventually you are not thinking about where the clutch is, you are just using it.

Most importantly, this was MY time and space to get my shit together to ride. For new riders, this is a very important time – gearing up to get on the bike. Don’t rush it. Don’t let anyone else rush you. Take this time to think through anything you need to, before you take off. Do this every time you get on the bike, and eventually you will find that you will be less nervous, if you tend to be. You will feel more organized and in control. And you are less likely to take off without strapping your helmet, or forgetting to put your kickstand up.

I still do this every time I ride – I have four bikes. They are all very different. One is a Road King – the touring beast. The next is a Dyna – my little ripper – light and agile. I also have a Shovelhead – a completely different handling bike, and a beast all of its own. Finally, a Flathead, which I have to kick start, and it has a foot clutch and tank shift. Every bike is its own animal. I take my time mounting up, so I make sure I have my head together before I even start the motor.

I don’t care how many people are around me, or what else is going on. When I’m mounting up, that is my time. I don’t talk, and I don’t listen. I just block everything out and focus on the task at hand.

The final thing you do before you leave on your trip, is prep the bike. If you have kept up with your bike maintenance as you should, you can probably do this the day before you leave, but it’s best to check the bike about a week before, in case you find something you didn’t anticipate, then you’ll have plenty of time to take care of it.
a. Check tire tread and air pressure. Do NOT go out of town on bald tires.
b. Check wheels, especially spokes if you have them.
c. Brakes – fluid, check lines for fraying, other wear. Check caliper hardware, make sure tire/wheel vibration hasn’t loosened them.
d. Oil, transmission fluid, primary fluid, coolant if water cooled. Change or add as needed. Always keep up with mileage as related to fluid changes, and refer to your owner’s manual for oil types and weights.
e. Clutch lever, cable – check for wear, fraying, etc.
f. Go over the bike for anything loose – fasteners can shake loose over time, especially on Harleys, which are known for their vibration.
g. Check your lights – headlight, low and high beam, running lights, turn signals, front and rear, dash light, spotlights. Make sure everything is working. If you replace one of a pair of bulbs, replace them both, or at least bring the backup and required tools with you. For example, if a turn signal bulb is bad, either replace both/all of them, or be ready to do it on the road. If one goes, you can assume they are all about the same condition, so you may lose another one on the trip. It’s OK, but be prepared.
h. Check your seat, luggage rack, saddlebags, etc. You are going to be asking more of them with the extra weight and longer days of riding. Make sure all the fasteners are tight, and the saddlebags are supported and not sagging or rubbing on the tire or saddlebag bracket, etc.
i. Check your chain or belt. If you have a belt drive, they don’t normally need any maintenance, so just check for any fraying. If you have a chain, check it to make sure it is adjusted correctly and has enough grease on it.
j. If it’s been a while, check the condition of your spark plugs. I suggest you always carry a spare set of plugs in your tool kit.
k. Once you load up your luggage, and stock your saddlebags for the trip, double check how secure your luggage is on the bike. Make sure your saddlebags are not overloaded and by all means make very sure that everything is fastened and battened down. All zippers zipped, all fasteners fastened, etc. It is very easy to close the lid on something, intending to latch it, get distracted and forget. Then you are riding down the road with a lid flopping open. When I go into my luggage or bags, I leave it open completely, so it is obvious it is open, until I am done, and then I close and fasten it in one motion. That prevents stupid stuff from happening.
l. It is also good practice to ride with your saddlebag lids locked if you can lock them. Another ounce of prevention.

Ready to Roll
This is where the fun begins, if you haven’t already had a blast planning your route and all your stops, and anticipating the feeling of putting your bike in the wind. Truth be told, I’m ALWAYS nervous the morning I leave. But this is true regardless of what mode of transportation I am using – car, train, plane, bike. Doesn’t matter. I always get a little nervous. But I’m used to the feeling, and I just ignore it.

You may get a last bout of doubt and nerves. Talk yourself through them. Fight your what ifs with if/thens, get on your bike and GO. If you haven’t filled up, make the gas station your first stop. But don’t necessarily stop at the closest one. Choose one maybe 15-20 minutes out. This way, if you find you have to adjust your clothing for temperature, or you need to adjust your luggage, or whatever, some time has elapsed during which you can notice these details and make a mental list of stuff you need to do when you fill up.

If this is your first trip, even if you have built up your riding muscles, this first day, take your ride one tank at a time. You should have test-ridden with your GPS, and your luggage, but give yourself a chance to take in how all of this feels. Don’t drop your guard, however, in your new adventure. Continue to be the ‘head on a swivel’ rider you normally are. Don’t rush. A nice even pace gets you there. You’ll get your groove going, and before you know it, you’ll be hours down the road, and you’ll be looking forward to everything the open road brings to you.

You are so excited to do your first long trip on your bike. You’ve planned it. You have your maps, your lodging reserved, you know how to pack your bike, you’ve got your GPS set up. You’ve done some test rides to make sure everything is working the way you want it to. You. Are. Ready.

Except you’re not. You’re plagued with nagging anxiety, insecurity, sometimes out and out fear. This is very normal. I still get a little of that every time I go on a bike trip. But I’ve done it enough to know that it’s just jitters, and I use it to my advantage. If I feel jittery, I make a list of stuff I don’t want to forget. Or I check the list. Or I remind myself how many successful trips I’ve made (all of them…)

But this is your first one. So let’s work through it. Your exposure is the same whether you are three miles from home or 300 or 3,000 miles from home. Let it go.

What if the bike breaks down? Have a plan. AAA, other bike towing services, list of dealers nationwide. Sometimes things happen. Most of the time, they don’t. It’s part of the adventure. If the bike breaks down on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, you’ll have a killer story to tell later, right? And trust me, everyone will tell you how badass you were for dealing with it. So what if the bike breaks down? The only thing you really have to worry about is your tires and wheels. Make sure you check tire pressure and tread wear before you leave, and if you have spoked rims, have someone show you how to make sure the spokes are all tight and secure. Pretty much anything other than wheels, you will be fine.

Can I really do it? Of course you can! My first solo trip, I was nervous. I had already traveled quite a bit on my bike, but not alone. I just told myself it was like a series of day rides. If that doesn’t convince you, then take it one gas tank full at a time. Once you get on the road, you won’t want to turn back. I promise!

What if [fill in the blank]… and here we go. What if. It doesn’t matter what follows that ‘what if’ – regardless of what it is, as soon as it pops in your head, answer yourself with IF that happens, THEN I will do THIS. If/then is the best ‘what if’ killer. What if is anxiety, it is a question. It is the unknown. If/then is a plan. A defense. An offense. An action. It is the known.

You have your route planned, you know how and what to pack. So how do you actually GET there? I am a wholehearted supporter of GPS. Staying on your route, feeling confident in knowing that you are going the right way, not having to wonder if you remembered the map correctly – all of these things allow your mind to focus on your riding, because that is your most important task at hand.
It is pretty simple to set your bike up to support GPS. I use a GPS app on my phone, but some people prefer using a GPS-only device, such as a Garmin. Either way, you need two things to make this work. First, you need a power source to keep it charged, and second, you need a way to mount the GPS so that you can see it. The power source is fairly straightforward. Some bikes already have a 12 volt port installed. If that is the case, you are halfway there. If not, there are several ways to get power either from your battery or from an accessory switch to your handlebars. Do some research and figure out the way that makes the most sense for your bike. I’ve used a USB adapter on my Battery Tender pigtail, and run a USB cord from my battery, under my gas tanks, to my handlebars. I’ve installed a 12 volt port to an existing accessory switch, and run a USB cord from there. Regardless, this shouldn’t cost much even if you have a shop do it for you.

The second thing you need is a handlebar mount. I’ve had great luck with RAM Mounts. I have them on three different bikes, I’ve used three different attachment points – brake fluid reservoir, handlebar, and handlebar control attachment. They are all reliable, secure points of attachment. I have never once had my phone come loose from a RAM Mount over thousands of miles. There are others on the market, but I have no experience with them, so I can’t say how they compare. This is simply my experience.

Now. Some people say they don’t need to see the GPS screen – that they listen thru earbuds. There are several problems with this setup. First, you will probably have to have the volume up pretty high in the earbuds to hear. This can cause long-term hearing damage. Not a fan.

Second, I was following a girl who used this technique and as we went through a traffic circle, she took the wrong road out of it. I knew she had missed the exit, but she had no idea. What happened was the GPS voice was late in cueing her for the turn, and since she could not see which road the instructions were referring to, she thought she had taken the correct road out of the roundabout. She had not.

Third, a picture is worth 1,000 words. Seeing the upcoming traffic patterns, especially when you aren’t familiar with the roads you are riding, is priceless. You can see the traffic pattern, you can get in the correct lane ahead of time, instead of trying to crush into an exit lane, and you can anticipate where problems might be in terms of merging traffic, etc. This all keeps you one step ahead of the riding game. In other words, it keeps you much safer because you are more informed of the intersection, where you have to go, and what other cars might be doing.

I mount my GPS just beside my right mirror. This way, it is in my mirror sweep. I don’t take my eyes off the road to look at it – some people run it in a tank bag, so they have to look down at their tank every time they want to check GPS. No bueno. Put it in your mirror sweep, and you are all set to go.

A word about GPS phone apps. First, you may have to set your phone display to static, so it doesn’t flip from vertical to horizontal display when you shake it. One of my phones was very sensitive to that, and it kept flipping vertical to horizontal till the app crashed.

Second, choose an app that gives enough color contrast that you can read it. My eyes aren’t all that great as I age, so I need something with dark letters and a light background. If it’s dark background with light letters, I can’t read it. These are little details, but they make a huge difference.