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 …
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Using Hand Signals on a Motorcycle
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 …
Lane Position: What Does It Mean and Why Does It Matter?
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 …
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Mind the Gap: Navigating Intersections Safely
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 …
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Women, Motorcycling, and History
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. …
Mirrors and How to Get the Most Out of Them
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 …
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Gearing up for a Ride: the Head Game
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 …
Distance Riding: Bike Prep and You’re Off!
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 …
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Distance Riding: Trip Anxiety
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. …
Distance Riding: Getting There
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 …
Coach Karan's Corner 