Severe crosswinds are a fact of life in this area.  It’s important to understand that a motorcycle will handle most crosswinds without extraordinary effort from the rider. It is vital that you not use a “death grip” on your handlebars. Holding on too tight tends to lock your elbows, which transfers front-end instability to the [...]

After the dinner ride to Porterville, CeCe and I prepared to leave the parking lot of ?The Rustlers? restaurant. I had been sick the previous week and wasn?t feeling 100%. My light-riding jacket had a zipper problem and the others in our group were lit off and waiting. The parking lot was dark and unfamiliar. [...]

If you ride your bike at all, I guarantee that one day you will find yourself standing beside it, looking down as it lays helpless on the ground wondering - “How did that happen?” and “What do I do now?” Hopefully this will happen somewhere where there are a bunch of other riders who will be [...]

Consider traction . . . the kind that keeps the sheet metal away from the pavement, and you away from the OTHER kind of traction. Although traction is important for any wheeled vehicle, it is indispensable for motorcycles.  It is critical to understand where traction comes from, and where it goes Would it surprise you [...]

When we first start to ride, many of us learn that about 75% of a motorcycle?s stopping power from the front brake and 25% from the rear if the road is dry, and 50% from each brake if the road is wet. We learned to apply both brakes each time we needed to stop or [...]

If it hasn’t happened yet, there will be a time in the near future when a car will turn left in front of you, back out of a driveway into your path, or will simply jam on its brakes while you are following. Or, a deer, a dog or a child chasing a ball will [...]

During an average year in Bakersfield, the summer heat creates safety risks, but in extreme conditions where daytime temperatures soar over 100, tragedy can strike with little or no warning. I frequently shake my head in amazement watching riders go by in the blazing sun wearing tank tops and shorts – exposing the maximum amount [...]

Although in Bakersfield we are blessed with warm riding weather most of the year, from October to May we frequeneltly have to contend with colder, wetter weather, which brings with it new challenges for motorcyclists, including fog, rain, cold, sand and mud, icy roads, and medication. FOG: If you have lived around here for any time [...]

There’s no doubt that summertime is riding time. Long days and warm evenings make for nice riding, but create their own particular safety issues. Overheating – Riding in hot weather increases the risk of dehydration and sunstroke. You can beat the heat by soaking a bandana around your neck, soaking your t-shirt, or better still, [...]

START ENGINES With your right or left arm extended, move your index finger in a circular motion. LEFT TURN Raise your left arm horizontal with your elbow fully extended. RIGHT TURN Raise your left arm horizontal with your elbow bent 90 degrees vertically. HAZARD LEFT Extend your left arm at a 45 degree angle and [...]