Ride Safe

I have said this several times, “Don’t buy a motorcycle until after you take a class.” Especially if you have never ridden before. By the first day of riding in a class, you will know if you really want to do this. I have just experienced, one more time, a student that already had a brand new $10k motorcycle waiting in the garage and didn’t pass the class. It wasn’t that the student couldn’t ride but, needed some improvement on key skills. This student took the class again (I happened to be the instructor again) and passed. I made sure that the class motorcycle was a good fit and gave this student EXTRA special attention. This person really liked the class motorcycle that I picked. I suggested, maybe, a purchase of something similar for practice before any real rides on the bigger more expensive motorcycle. This person did pass but could use a lot of practice before riding a larger motorcycle. This is a concern, as an instructor. I don’t like to feel that the student won’t have EVERY advantage once they leave my class. Don’t add that extra pressure to pass the class. You have all sorts of time to demo ride and buy a motorcycle AFTER you know what you are in for. See all of those motorcycles on the road, sign up for a class.

I have seen some discussion about picking the motorcycle that you end up with at the course. I have been looking at these forums; Best Beginner Motorcycle Forum and Total Motorcycle Forum . In the discussion I have seen that some courses do a kind of a “shotgun start”. The instructors tell the students to pick a motorcycle. Not all classes are that way. At the sites where I teach we tend to assign larger or taller students to taller motorcycles or the student that is smaller in stature or has little or no experience to smaller motorcycles or motorcycles with a smaller displacement (less CCs).
Here is a way to gauge the fit of the motorcycle if you happen to be at one of the shotgun sites. Stand next to the motorcycle (some sites get kind of huffy if you mount it before that exercise) if the motorcycle fits within 2-3 inches of the top of your inseam, the motorcycle will probably be comfortable for you.
You will want to know why this is so important. You generally end up riding that motorcycle through the whole weekend (and during the riding evaluation). The idea is for you to become well acquainted with your motorcycle so you do your very best on your riding evaluation. If the site allows a student to change motorcycles every 2 exercises, they will never get used to one and may affect that students learning.
Arrive a little early the first riding day and scout out motorcycles. Just because you are a dirt bike rider or sport bike rider, don’t just grab one of those. Have a look at them all. Like I have said in the blog several times. The class is NOT about looking cool. It is about being comfortable and relaxed so you can learn and pass the evaluation. That way you can get your endorsement and THEN you can go out to look at the COOL motorcycles and gear. So even if you have to ride the dorkiest motorcycle on the range (usually not a lot of those), just make sure you are comfortable on it. If it doesn’t fit, don’t wait until the second riding day to tell the instructor. It is MUCH easier to swap you into a different ride on the first day. Spring is here, Summer is coming. GET REGISTERED TODAY.

Right now it is around 50 degrees on my back deck. By tonight it is supposed to dump on us. We are going to run our class this weekend, anyway. It is staying light longer and we will be able to ride later. I have taught on weekends like this before. While the sun comes out late morning Sat. my students will be in the classroom answering questions. I will be back and forth from the classroom to the range to see if I will be able to get the motorcycles out. Colorado has funny weather. It can be snowing in the morning and melting late morning and early afternoon. I have taught a class on a weekend where the snow was so heavy and wet that it broke trees. We did the class work and had most of the Saturday riding done by the time it just barely started to get dark. We left on time Sunday. So don’t bail on a class because of snow. Sometimes it can be worked out and you finish on the weekend that you planned. We don’t cut things short, and we do our best to keep our students comfortable. I will be having my students bring plenty of layers this weekend (and still bring sunscreen). If I have to I will be taking more frequent breaks and moving the students in doors to warm up. I may have to do a make up session next weekend but, I plan to get the bulk of the class done this week. It is just like riding. You have to be prepared for anything.

This is another category of luggage that became popularized by sport and dual sport riders. Tank bags are placed as their name implies on the fuel tank in front of the rider. These can be attached by means of straps or magnets. These bags can be small enough to be a place to put your phone and gloves or some can be expanded (tall) to fit a full weekend of clothes for a trip. Most have a main compartment and some pockets on the side for easy access to commonly used items (eye protection or sunscreen). Another option that I really like that is fairly common is the map pocket on top. Make sure that when you attach a tank bag to your motorcycle that it is placed where you can still easily get to any instruments or your fuel cap. Also make sure that it is firmly attached, so it doesn’t flop around in turns or a hard stop. Tank bags aren’t just for sport riders anymore. Harley Davidson has made a tank bag for some of there motorcycles that are specific to the spine that usually runs down the center of their fuel tanks.
There are other small storage solutions out there. You will be best to look at different manufactures to get ideas. Some of these are Tail bags that fit behind the passenger seat (usually on sport or dual sport motorcycles). Backrest bags that hang from the passenger backrest over the fender. Windshield bag that bolts right to the windshield support. There are a slew of creative storage solutions out there, just do a search or look at on line catalogs like Dennis Kirk, J&P or JC Whitney. As I have mentioned before, my favorite manufacture of soft luggage is Wolfman from right here in Co. Check your motorcycle manufacture first for luggage specific to your motorcycle, then look around at motorcycle specific luggage manufacturers to see if they sell anything specific for your motorcycle and last but not least if you must purchase universal luggage, make sure that it will firmly attach to your motorcycle without interrupting the function of your controls or obscuring your view of instruments or the road.

To start off I would like to emphasize that it is important to make sure that ANY luggage rack that you install on your motorcycle is manufactured specifically for your motorcycle. There are a couple of useful bits of luggage that go behind you. For longer trips there are backpack like bags that slip over a backrest and have nylon straps and buckles to hold them to the motorcycle. As an example T-bag puts out a Universal soft bag (www.tbags.com). This was the foundation of their business. There are a few others out there that put out a similar design. These are made of heavy nylon and are water resistant. I usually pack a heavy lawn (debris) bag in there first to make sure things don’t get wet in driving rain. I have packed a weeks of clothing for 2 in this bag. For 2 up riding it is mounted behind the backrest on the luggage rack. For one up riding it can be mounted on the passenger seat and used for a rider backrest.
There is another “trunk” out there. It is a tube shape and can be purchased in soft side or hard side. I found a soft side for less than $50 at a rally last year. They usually have hook and loop straps or buckles with nylon straps to keep them on the motorcycle.
While searching around for different kind of luggage for my Buell American Sport Motorcycle I found a trunk in a hard side, called Lazy Rider (www.hsgear.biz/ProductInfo~productid~LAZYRIDER.html). It is made out of a fiberglass/rubberized tubing covered in a leather like material. They sell it with a lumbar pad, so it is intended to be used a backrest, as well. While looking at these I also found instructions to build your own from a Rubbermaid cooler. While I was just messing around the search engines (Google,Yahoo,MSN live) I found all sorts of cool luggage. Always make sure that whatever you put on your motorcycle fits (size and weight) and is firmly attached. Tomorrow a bit about tank and tail bags.

Hi Guys. I am not messing with your head. I no longer have an Entrecard widget here. I am really sorry that I will not be able to participate in a beloved community from this blog. You will find more and more Today.com bloggers going away. Understand that most of us are not leaving because we want to. This will cost a certain amount of traffic. I understand Today’s reasons for not allowing the widget. Per our Terms Of Service, we are not allowed to place ads on your site that is paid in $. There are also some ads that they do not allow, that Entrecard may allow. This is not to say that Entrecard would place inappropriate advertising on a site, but Today wouldn’t like to take that chance. You will notice that there is an “advertise here” text toward the top of the left sidebar. That is something new that Today.com is doing. If you would like to place a paid ad there, I will make a little out of the deal and would love to see some of my favorites show up there. Thank you for your kindness to me, as a new blogger. Your community is a generous one and I look forward to using the service again when I start another blog on a host that allows it.

Jay T.

There is one other sort of motorcycle saddlebag out there. Hard side saddlebags are usually made of fiberglass (laid up like a boat or car body), metal or injection molded plastic (we call these Tupperware). Some are covered with leather or vinyl to make them look like soft leather saddlebags. No matter what they are made of you will want to get a mounting method that is specific to your motorcycle. If you have a 1978 Honda CB 750K, the mounting kit should be for a 1978 Honda CB 750K or you will need to take the motorcycle to a machinist to have the mounting system made for your motorcycle. Remember that these saddlebags are made to carry more than soft saddlebags but, they still don’t carry as much as one would suspect. Check your motorcycle owners manual for specifics on how your suspension should be set and how much weight the motorcycle will carry. Include the rider, passenger and luggage packed.
Stock saddlebags (created by the manufacture of the motorcycle) are usually the fiberglass. The manufacture will be able to get you the proper mounting hardware and instructions on installing the saddlebags. Usually, if you are only as handy as me, you are better off having the dealer or your favorite shop install these for you.
There are a couple of injection molded plastic (Tupperware) manufactures out there. The most popular is called Givi. These are usually sold separate from the mounting hardware and they make the mounting hardware for many motorcycles (usually metric that is to say non-American) motorcycles. These are real slick units. They are built like popular luggage. They come off the mounting point on the motorcycle with a twist of the key. This makes it convenient for an over night stay. Just turn the key and take your bags up to the room or put them in the tent. They are wicked waterproof.
Aluminum saddlebag (called panniers) are commonly seen on “sport adventure” motorcycles. That is kind of a dual purpose motorcycle that is geared pretty well for the highway (not as aggressive a tire as you see on regular dual purpose motorcycles). Used for the kind of back road riding that you do on “cow trails” and fire roads. I had a friend that once took one of these trips from Denver to Las Vegas. He spent less than 50 miles on paved roads. So you can see that the metal luggage would be appropriate and why. These Saddle bags are usually pretty pricey and they do usually have a real good rain seal. They also add to the weight that the motorcycle will be carrying. There are your basic hard side saddlebags. Next I will write about trunks and “T-bags”.

Textile bags are usually made of a very heavy nylon or canvas. They are not usually set up for the more semi-permanent installation. They tend to have a whole bunch of straps attached so you have a lot of different mounting options. You can find them in the Sport (or dual purpose) motorcycle section of the store or catalog. They tend to cost less and most will require a rain cover (we call them shower caps). They last as long if you use them like they were intended, put them on for longer trips and take them off for shorter putts around. I have found some pretty neat units in catalogs like J.C. Whitney and Dennis Kirk. My favorite manufacture of textiles is Wolfman (http://www.wolfmanluggage.com/). I don’t usually get manufacture specific here but, I feel these folks bear mentioning. I really like Wolfman because he is local to me. His stuff is in the dealers but, he allows me to come straight to him for purchase and fit. He is tops in customer service.
You will still need to make sure that the saddlebags don’t contact moving or hot parts. This may still require you to find a saddlebag support for your motorcycle. That is an added expense. Textiles can be stuffed with a lot of soft stuff but, will carry less heavy stuff than leather, leatherette or hard bags. No bags are really supposed to have more than about 15-20# loaded in them. Just look at manufacture installed bags and luggage racks. The load tag has a weight limit that will surprise you. So don’t go planning on putting luggage on your motorcycle and bringing the cast iron, clawfoot tub with all the soaps along. You still have to pack light. This just allows you to protect and attach your light items to the motorcycle a little more securely. It just saves the bungee tangle. Tomorrow hard saddlebags.

For local readers that knew Jay Wallace. His funeral will be this Fri. 3/27/09 in Longmont Co. If you were one of his students or a fellow instructor I would encourage your attendance. It might be one of those nice weather days. Feel free to ride, I am sure he would have appreciated that. J.T.

The most obvious form of luggage is Saddlebags. Most fit near the passenger seating area. There are different manners of mounting and they are made of several materials. No matter which you choose make sure that it is made for your motorcycle or has a solid attachment method. Make sure they fit so they don’t contact hot or moving parts of the motorcycle. I could spend days telling stories of my and friends experiences having expensive, ill fitting luggage be damaged or cause damage to the motorcycle but, I will keep it to what seems to work.
The two most common types of saddlebags is soft and hard. Let’s concentrate on soft saddlebags for the next couple of posts. Soft saddlebags can be leather,leatherette or textile. When you are looking at leather or leatherette (faux leather) you may have to add a saddlebag supports to the motorcycle. This is bar or heavy wire that is attached to bolt points on the rear fender to keep the saddlebags out of brakes, spokes and chains (or belts). This is an added expense and you MUST find supports that fit your motorcycle specifically. These saddlebags come in zip with flap, locked flaps and hook and loop closure. They can cost anywhere from $50 (throwaways) to $500 for individual saddlebags that use a separate mounting system that allows you to lock them on the motorcycle and remove them from the motorcycle when you stop. Usually the mounting system is priced separate and it is can cost as much as $500. The most common are called throw over. They are bags attached together with a leather piece between, like cowboy saddlebags that fit a horse. The idea is that if you only use them sometimes and don’t want them on the motorcycle permanently, that you can throw them over the top to the passenger seat and can take them with you when you get where you are going. What is problematic with that idea is that they don’t seem as well attached to the motorcycle as they are when you mount them the permanent way. The permanent way is to remove the passenger seat throw them over the fender and remount the seat.
Leather saddlebags tend to be less waterproof. I usually start my packing by putting a large trash bag in first. That helps. Some of the leatherette bags pride themselves on keeping their shape and being more waterproof than leather. I have heard that they tend to sweat on the inside during wet riding. I have never tried them so I can’t attest to that personally. Tomorrow I will expand on textile saddlebags.

Today a good friend and a well known figure in the motorcycling community passed away. My friend and sometimes mentor Jay Wallace passed this morning around 10 am. I met Jay, his wife Charlotte and their son Aaron about 13 years ago when I became an instructor. We all worked for ABATE of Colorado. Jay and his family worked the Longmont site and for a time they worked the mobile unit that traveled to Breckenridge and Pueblo. They all worked to get me up to speed when I was new. Jay was very patient and helped me to hone my classroom and range skills. Today he was to teach a class at Niwot high school when he didn’t feel up to it, another instructor and owner of the company stepped up to teach. Tomorrow I will be the second instructor. This is the second such loss I will have endured in less than a year. I will go tomorrow morning, I will step up and do the very best class that I can. I want to publicly thank Jay for all that he did for me over the years. I would like to send his family all of my love. I am so sorry for your loss. I do know how this feels, I went through the same thing just last April, with my father. Just know that Jay is not hurting anymore. Thank you for your indulgence, while I break away from the usual format of this blog.