Jeff-

I feel like I'm in an AA meeting for bikes. I love them. I just watched "long way round" for the fifth some odd time this past weekend. The motorcycle section on craigslist is a normal stopping point a couple times a week. I'd love a supermoto. I just don't want to screw up my gig, so I hope I stay off them. I gotta get to work and I'm pretty upset about Modjeska burning so this is my last post regarding da bikes.

stay safe.

Dale

Do you ski, fly, boat, bike, skate, sled, hunt, fish, play football, hockey, basketball, soccer, golf (yes, golf), water ski, wakeboard, jet ski, auto race, ride a horse, helicopter, or mow your lawn? If the answer to any of those was "yes", you're exposing yourself and your loved ones to a potential accident that can leave you a paraplegic in a split second. You may never know what hit you. Is that fair? Why should your loved ones be left to clean up after you just because you were selfish enough to engage in any of those acitivites? Accidents can happen and you must avoid them at all cost.

Now...back away from the computer screen. Don't you know that it emits dangerous radiation that can harm you???

good point, I think I am going to build a bunker in my backyard right after i finish my tinfoil hat

Mine is a P125X, so maybe I used the term "vintage" a bit loosely - but hey, it is 27 years old. I have the 10" wheels, shocks, and signals.

I do plan to kit it for more power - not to go faster, but to have more acceleration if need be, and a louder exhaust to be better noticed. Flashing brake light, headlight modulator, LED signal bulbs, and a bit of reflective tape are all in the plan too. This is my learning ride before a motorcycle, but it is good fun too.

PDX does seems reasonably two-wheel friendly, as far as a city goes. Speeds are pretty slow on city streets - not like California where people break 50 mph between stoplights. I avoid the bridges with metal grating, especially when it is wet.

Friendly or not, we are losing bicyclists right and left. The latest fashion seems to be for large trucks to pass a bicyclist who is in the bike lane, and then turn right, running over the bicyclist. A young woman was killed this way a few weeks ago, she was stationary at the intersection, when the light changed a dump truck turned right, cutting the corner, and crushed her with its rear wheels. This week a garbage truck pulled even with a moving bicyclist and turned right, driving over and killing him. The local police keep calling these regrettable accidents instead of arresting the damn drivers and making their lives hell.

So, anyone want to share some defensive riding tips that new riders should use?

I have figured out these, or learned them in the class -

- I never ride next to a car
- In stopped traffic, I make eye contact with the drivers next to me and/or make some two-stroke noise
- I let cars precede me through the scary intersections, though with 7 whopping horsepower this happens anyway
- I move around in my lane, to keep my distance from cars and also to attract attention
- I tap my brake before stopping, or when someone's behind me
- I downshift before entering busy intersections
- My wife's cellphone number is on my helmet

Any corrections, or additions? What are your ways to stay alive?

I'd add to always actively create or think of an "out" whenever you're coming in close proximity to another vehicle.

What'll you do if that oncoming car doesn't wait for you to pass (despite the fact that you could swear you've made eye-contact with them) and makes a left turn into the driveway coming up?
What if the oncoming car doesn't even signal and does that?
What if the car in the driveway you're coming up on doesn't wait for you to cross before making its turn into traffic (a.k.a. you)?
What if one car from that long line of vehicles parallel "parked" on your right suddenly makes a U-turn without looking?
Are you sure that cross traffic will stop for you even if you have the right-of-way? It's relatively painless for them to blow the stop sign or red light--not so much for you if they do so, though.
What'll you do when you come around a blind corner on Skyline (coming back from the burger joint) and you find an SUV 3/4 of the way over the line in your lane?

Those are the things that scare me while riding.

Of course...those same things scare me when driving, walking, riding a bicycle, etc. As far as tips to minimize your exposure:

-Learn to counter-steer intuitively. Many riders go years without ever understanding the concept and it can save your life. If your method of turning the bike involves leaning in the direction you want to go, you'll be in big trouble if you have to swerve quickly, or find yourself in a tight turn at a speed beyond your comfort zone.

Try this: when riding along at, say 40 mph...push (yes, push) on the right hand grip. The bike will turn to the right. Now, push on the left hand grip...the bike will turn to the left. So, in essence, by "steering" to the left, the bike will go to the right, and vice versa. It's not intuitive until you get used to doing it. You will find that you can manuever much quicker without wasting the time it takes to shift your weight and lean...that part comes naturally. When the front wheel is spinning at a reasonable speed (anything above 8 or 10 mph), it acts as a gyroscope and counteracts against steering input...strongly if needed. It's physics guys...you can't change it.

So, if you're in an emergency situation (dog runs out in front of you), by leaning quickly, you'll probably hit the dog, and/or crash. Reaction is way too slow. But, if you need to swerve to the right quickly...hit the right handlebar and you'll swerve quickly to the right and remain stable since your bodyweight will not have had time to shift appreciably. If you enjoy curvy roads, counter-steering is much more effective in helping you achieve higher stable speeds through the corners. Watch a motorcycle road-race some time. How do you think those guys are transitioning from hard right to hard left turns at very high speeds? It's not only by shifting weight.

So, my one tip (for now) is to learn, practice and use countersteering every time you ride. It's safer and a lot of fun especially if you have access to dragon-like roads.

Also...stay off the paint when the road is wet. Enter unfamiliar curves slowly and accelerate out. When approaching a car waiting to pull into traffic, don't watch the driver...watch their front wheel. If it starts to roll forward, even slowly...assume they don't see you and react accordingly. When going through an intersection and there's a car facing me in the left turn lane...I generally will wave as I pass through as a thank-you for not killing me.

And lastly...don't hit *****.

You can "flunk" it , but you can't change it...good post