ARTEMIS WOMEN'S MOTORCYCLE CLUB

***Note – the tips listed on this page are supplied for your information and consideration ONLY. They are opinions and comments gathered from a number of riders. They are not meant to replace any professionally offered training or education. Motorcycle riding is an inherently dangerous activity, and we accept no responsibility for any rider’s situation resulting from the use of these tips.

PROTECT YOURSELF

• A sobering thought: this year over 150,000 Americans will be hospitalized as a result of a motorcycle accident. More than 3,500 of them will die. Many others will be crippled for life. Just something to keep in mind while you’re out there.
• Take a rider safety course! Most motorcycle accidents happen to those who have never had any formal training. This does not mean that you’ll never have an accident if you take the course, but it can be your best defense.
• Riding along, feeling distracted and/or drowsy but not sure why? Believe it or not, you may be dehydrated! Try taking a big drink of water (avoid caffeine and sugary drinks) and waiting a few minutes. Chances are good you’ll find yourself starting to perk right up.
• Even in the afternoon of a cool day dehydration can affect you. It can make you sleepy and less attentive. Make sure you drink plenty of water! Even when I set off on an hour-long ride I take my Camelbak with me! I don’t even have to stop to take a drink that way; I can just keep sipping while I ride.
• Know the signs of hypothermia and how to treat it. Remember, someone can get hypothermia even in the middle of summer if they are riding in damp or wet clothes! Hypothermia can be difficult to detect in yourself, but try to be aware of it if you find yourself at risk. Hypothermia while riding can cause spastic movement, poor reaction time, poor judgment, and distracted riding. Symptoms of early hypothermia include: shivering, confusion, poor coordination, cold pale skin, poor judgment, slurred speech, lack of interest or concern (apathy), mild loss of balance and numb hands or feet. Stop riding and get the person somewhere warm. Try to get them into dry clothing and give them something warm to drink. Try to avoid caffeinated beverages such as coffee. Warm the person up under blankets if you can get some. Body heat from a warm person under the blanket with them helps too.
• Riders can get overheated very easily on warm days. Heatstroke can kill quicker than hypothermia. Signs include feeling dizzy, no sweating despite the heat, not needing to use the bathroom, becoming nauseous or confused, and/or developing a rapid pulse. If anyone develops these symptoms, stop and cool them down immediately! Get them someplace cool, or at least out of the sun. Pour cool or cold water on the person, and if they are alert enough, get them to drink as much cool water (or Gatorade) as possible.
• Have the right attitude every time you get on your bike! Don’t ride when you’re depressed, distracted, angry or very sad. All these moods will affect your riding, and put you at much greater risk of having an accident.
• Carry a basic first aid kit: Band-aids, gauze, antiseptic wipes, some sanitary napkins (not tampons), bee sting swabs, aspirin or other headache relievers, anti-diarrhea medication and any medications you may take regularly. Don’t forget to carry some latex or neoprene gloves and waterless hand sanitizer with you too! The sanitary pads have two uses – one if someone needs them for their intended use, and the other, as a dressing to help control serious bleeding! Just apply them to the wound and use direct pressure to hold them in place, or bandage them in place.
• Look out for your own safety – on & off bike. Try to park, camp and travel in safe areas.

  GEAR

• Buy good gear. It’s worth the expense. For example, a good set of rain gear makes an incredible difference when you need it. Cheap rain gear leaks and just leaves you cold, wet and miserable. Plus cheap rain gear can melt on hot popes and make a real mess. Good rain gear keeps you warm and dry. It can turn a ride in the rain into a better experience then you would ever expect! There’s nothing like being warm & dry with all that water around you. Really, you won’t believe it until your first ride in that good gear, and then you’ll never want to be without it again! Good gear will last you a long time too.
• ALWAYS ride in good boots! Too many riders have lost their lower legs and feet to wrecking in sneakers, flip-flops, shoes or cheap boots. An ankle sliding on the pavement under a bike needs all the protection it can get.
• Helmets DO save lives. You may still choose to ride without one, but more riders are saved by helmets than harmed by them. You may not look as “cool” or “tough” with a helmet, but consider this: A recent federal study concluded helmets save lives and states repealing helmet requirements pay a deadly price: Fatalities rose 100 percent in Louisiana, 50 percent in Kentucky, 37 percent in Texas and 29 percent in Arkansas after those states made helmet use optional in recent years, the U.S. Department of Transportation said. Here in Pennsylvania, fatalities from motorcycle accidents have DOUBLED since the helmet law has been repealed. Most of these fatalities have NOT been wearing helmets.
• While yellow lenses can be effective for foggy or hazy daylight conditions, they are not effective against headlight glare and should not be worn at dusk or night. According to the Sunglass Association of America, “So-called night driving glasses are generally amber tinted eyewear meant to reduce the glare of oncoming headlights. While they may make the driver feel more comfortable, they also reduce the wearer’s visibility of the darker portions of the roadway.”
• “Dress for the slide, not for the ride”. Wear sturdy clothing, boots and gloves.
• When you’re flying off your bike your hands are likely to hit the ground first. If you are not wearing proper protection, you may not be able to count to 10 on your fingers again. Half or “fingerless” gloves are comfortable and look cool, but really don’t help protect you much in a fall.
• When wearing a helmet, don’t forget to fasten the chinstrap. The best helmet won’t do you any good if it comes off when you need it most!
• Dress to be seen. Wear bright colors that can be seen at a distance.
• Give ear plugs a try. Ear plugs will lower the volume of the sounds you hear, but they will aid your hearing to some degree at freeway speeds. Those high pitched wind noises are muted while lower pitches are reduced far less. You’ll still hear some wind, and the sounds of your engine and exhaust will be reduced, but you’ll still be able to hear if something isn’t right with your bike. After a long day of riding you’ll probably find you’re much less fatigued without all that nasty wind noise.

  THE ROAD

• Off ramps, bridges and overpasses on concrete highways as well as railroad or trolley tracks can have a gap wide enough to fit a motorcycle’s front wheel in between sections of the roadway or between the rails and the pavement. Cross at a large angle (90 degrees is best!) allowing the front wheel to “bridge” across the gap.
• Remember, oftentimes road conditions change as you cross township/city/county/state lines. Be alert for changes in surface or maintenance levels.
• Watch for sand in the roadway – it can be just as slippery as ice!
• Use extra caution when stopping and putting your foot down at a toll booth. Oil, water and other fluids make the ground very slippery, and rain doesn’t usually have a chance to wash the build-up away.

  MAINTENANCE

• Know your bike’s tire pressure (front and rear) and check it at least once a week. Low tire pressure can affect handling and can cause accidents. Tires can actually roll off the rims while cornering if the pressure is too low.
• Check your wheels for loose wire spokes, if applicable. If your bike is chain driven, check it for proper tension and lubrication.
• Read your owner’s manual! If you plan to do any maintenance on your bike get yourself a shop manual for your specific model.

  YOUR BIKE

• New tires are great, but they need a “break in” period of about 100 miles before the slippery mold release used in their production wears off. During that first 100 miles the tires are still slick, and in the rain this slickness is even worse! Use caution when cleaning your tires as well – some of those products that leave your tires shiny also leave them slippery! Be sure to keep them off the tread.
• If you don’t have a fuel gauge or a low-fuel light, be sure to reset your trip meter every time you get gas. Know how far your bike can go on a tank of gas so you don’t find yourself running out in the middle of nowhere.
• On cold days, tires are hard and slippery for the first few minutes of riding, so go easy on the throttle, especially while leaning through turns.
• Does your bike have saddle bags or a tool bag? Here’s some basic items to carry when you go out for a ride: a first aid kit, drinking water, basic tools for your bike, a flashlight and a reflective safety vest (in case you break down or have to ride in poor-visibility conditions), and a cell phone, if you have one. If you don’t have one, carry a pre-paid phone card.
• Don’t overdrive your headlight at night. Look out for deer and other critters crossing the road at night! Be sure you can be seen at night by wearing reflective clothing or by putting reflective tape or decals on your helmet or gear.
• Don’t worry about what “everyone else” is riding -- ride the size motorcycle that you are comfortable with and capable of handling.

  WEATHER

• Remember, sidestands sink in blacktop on hot days, especially new blacktop. Carry something with you to put under the foot of the stand when you park to keep it from sinking in and letting your bike fall over! If you don’t have anything with you, you can use the old crushed soda can trick or, park so your sidestand is on a painted line. The lighter color of the paint reflects heat better and stays cooler, making it less likely to sink in.
• Avoid painted lines in the rain. They can be very slippery!
• Remember that the first few minutes of a rain storm are the most dangerous as the water mixes with the oil and fluids on the roadway. During this time try to ride in the tracks of the other vehicles in front of you, as they force away the water and oils and provide a surface with better traction. Don't ride in the middle of the lane, where the most build-up is likely to develop.
• If you can see your shadow stretched out on the road in front of you it means that oncoming cars and cars at intersections are looking into the sun and may not see you. If you are riding directly into the sun you may have the same problem. If you can, pull over somewhere safe (maybe stop and have a drink or a snack) and wait 20 minutes or so for the sun to go down.
• “Black Ice”. No, it’s not the latest trendy bottled alcoholic beverage. If you live in an area that sees temperatures drop below freezing, you probably already know about what black ice is. Dew settles on the road over night and changes to black ice as the temperature dips just below freezing in the early morning hours. It’s almost impossible to see. It looks like part of the road, or maybe just a little moisture on the roadway. But it’s just as slippery as any other ice. Since it’s hard to see you may not be aware of it until it’s too late. Keep your eyes open on those mornings when the temperature is near freezing!
• Lightning is a real threat to bikers. It can travel 7 miles before it hits the ground. This means if there is less than 35 seconds between the lightning and the sound of the thunder, you are at risk of being struck! Get off the road and into shelter if possible. Get under an underpass if you can’t get into a building. Get off your bike, get at least 20 yards away from it, and get low! Don’t sit down; stay on the balls of your feet for maximum safety.
• Fog can be deadly. You’re VERY hard to see in the fog. If the visibility is less than ¼ mile, get off the road. Get into a parking lot or rest area until it clears, but try not to stop on the shoulder of the road – you’re more likely to get hit.
• Tornadoes rarely travel faster than 50 miles per hour. Don’t try to guess which way it will go and try to drive around it. If you see one ahead of you, don’t mess around – turn back the way you came and get out of there!

  THE OTHER GUY

• Pretend you and your bike are invisible. Assume everyone else driving around out there can’t see you and drive accordingly!
• When you approach a vehicle stopped at a cross street or waiting to enter traffic, watch the front wheels closely. If the wheel starts to rotate or to swivel, you know something unexpected may be developing. The driver may not use his turn signals, but the wheels never lie!
• Many injury accidents occur with oncoming vehicles making unexpected left turns into the motorcyclist. Be cautious when approaching vehicles that are stopped in the oncoming lane.
• Watch out for rental vans and trucks! Chances are good that the drivers of these vehicles are not used to driving them and don’t know their handling characteristics.

  SKILLS

• When stopped on a hill, use the rear brake to hold yourself on the incline while you use the friction zone of your clutch and your throttle to get moving without stalling. This is a good one to practice on a hill out of traffic somewhere.
• Practice emergency maneuvers and braking! Many riders practice them in their safety classes, and then never try them again until it’s an emergency! Practice with a friend in an unused parking lot somewhere, or get together with a few friends and set up some “bike games” based on the drills you practiced in class.
• Be cautious using engine braking. Remember, when you engine brake your tail light does not come on, so other drivers may not be aware that you are slowing down. Use your brakes as well to give other drivers warning.
• If you take a passenger on the back of your bike, be sure they are wearing proper gear (boots, gloves, helmet, eye protection, long sleeves and long pants). Make sure your passenger knows where and how to sit, where to put their feet and where to hold on, and how to lean through turns. If you aren’t used to carrying a passenger, practice in an empty parking lot until you get the hang of it. Your bike will handle and stop much differently with the additional weight and the shift in the bike’s center of gravity.
• When you slow down or stop, use BOTH brakes! Don’t get in the habit of using just one brake. If a situation arises where you need to stop quickly you will need both brakes, and it’s too late to learn how to apply them both smoothly and in a coordinated manner!
• If you’re riding through a neighborhood and a dog starts to chase you, don't become distracted and don't kick at a dog. As you approach a dog, downshift. When you reach the dog, accelerate quickly away. The dog will see you speed off and will quickly lose interest in you.
• If one of your tires blows out while riding, TRY NOT TO PANIC! Hold onto the handlebars firmly, and SLOWLY let off on the throttle. If you have to brake, only brake with the good tire. Move very gradually towards the side of the road – don’t make any sudden steering movements.
• If you’re crashing and can’t hold it any longer, get to the ground and let go of the bike as fast as you can. Try to get the bike ahead of you while you slide – you don’t need hundreds of pounds of bike crashing into you once you stop. According to Debra Evans, professional stunt woman who has crashed many bikes (on purpose!) for movies, try to “flatten your body out, and put down your arms to scrub off speed”. She also says that you should look in the direction you want to go, and try to “steer” using your arms and legs.
• If there’s an animal in your path, remember this rule: If you could eat the animal all in one sitting, don’t swerve—you’re probably safer hitting it. If you’d have leftovers, try to avoid hitting it. You may still wreck, but you’ll probably be better off. Large animals can really hurt you if you hit them. Whatever happens, don’t fixate on the animal! Instead, look for a clear path and aim for that because you tend to ride where you’re looking.

  MISCELLANEOUS

• The realities of one rider's accident: http://www.msgroup.org/CASESTUDY.html