Night Moves

Headlights

A good friend of mine posed a question about motorcycles to me the other day. He asked if I had seen bikes that had headlights that alternated between high beam and low beam, back and forth, in an apparent effort to be seen better by passing motorists. While I had not, it doesn't surprise me that a motorcyclist would want to be seen better. Unlike cars, headlights on all street motorcycles come on when you start the engine. You have the option to flip to high beam, but that is your choice based on preference or need due to your driving conditions. Many motorcyclists choose to run their high beams in the daytime, in an effort to be seen better by cars and inattentive drivers. Since my bike is a touring model with a full fairing and 3 headlights (one primary and two optional), I choose to remain in low beam during the daytime. If I feel like an approaching car is not paying attention and drifting out of his lane, I will flash my high beam at him just to make sure he sees me. Driving at night is a different story. It's a fact that more accidents happen at night versus the daylight. The statistics are even worse for motorcycles. Motorcycles aren't seen as easily by motorists due to their lower profile. You probably won't miss that Mack truck or semi tractor trailer chugging past you, but how many times have you not seen a motorcycle in the lane you were about to change in to? Motorcyclists must be even more cautious and defensive when driving in the dark than they are in the daylight hours. In addition to watching out for inattentive drivers, motorcyclists must carefully watch the road for potholes and debris not easily seen in the dark as in the daytime. Hitting an object or a big hole in the road could mean dumping your bike and possibly being struck by oncoming vehicles following you. Even with lights on, it's not as easy to pick up bumps in the road, so be careful. If you are in a car or truck and see a motorcycle, give him some room and pay attention to the road. Everyone wants to get home and eat dinner. Don't ruin someone's day by not paying attention when you're driving. Be careful out there!

Make it happen!

Finding time to ride

Now that it is officially spring, getting out for a ride doesn't depend as much on the weather as it does in the fall and winter. Of course one must be aware of spot thunderstorms popping up unexpectedly. So with the warmer weather, the desire to hit the open roads comes more frequently. The trouble for some is, fitting it in to their schedule. If you're like me, your schedule can quickly fill up with family activities and social functions. Baseball practices and games on the weekends, school and church events. Projects and Honey-do lists that require your free time. The list goes on and on. For some, riding to work is an option. While it doesn't let you go on a long ride, at least you're on your bike and smelling the fresh air. If you don't mind riding alone, take advantage of small windows of opportunity that may pop up unexpectedly. Maybe an event gets cancelled or rescheduled for some reason. If you have an hour or two on the weekend and the weather is nice, hit the road for a solo ride on your favorite stretch of road. What may be necessary for others though, is to put it on your calendar. Mark it down so everyone knows. You've got a day scheduled to ride with some friends and make it happen. You can plan a group ride with your buddies or check with your local dealership to see if there is a group ride planned. While group rides require more planning and preparation, you can't beat the thrill of riding with others who share your passion for motorcycles and the freedom of the open road! So what are you waiting for? Start planning your next ride before your calendar fills up.

Riding season!

So now it's spring? It feels like summer!

Now that it is officially spring, many people have begun wondering, "if winter was this mild, how hot is it going to be this summer?" That's a fair question. Yesterday, not only did I ride my motorcycle to work, I had to mow the grass when I got home. I can't remember mowing the lawn this early in the year. With temperatures in the 80's in March, records are being set everyday around the country. Not too many people are complaining mind you...yet. Most people I know are happy it's spring. The grass is growing, trees and bushes are in bloom. Flowers are budding. Kids are playing outside. It's great! But times may change if the temps keep rising. Sure it's great when it's 80 degrees and you can wear short sleeves and short in March. But hey, this is America, people like to complain. The gas prices are too high! Will we have to turn the air conditioners on in April? What will happen to our electric bills? Well, I'm not going to worry about it yet. As a motorcyclist, I'm just happy that winter's over and it's warm enough to ride to work. And yes, it doesn't hurt that I get better gas mileage on my bike than in my car. Besides that, my team is still in the NCAA tournament and baseball season is set to start in less than two weeks! Welcome spring!

Reflections