Drifting Fate and a Pile of Spent Brass: Motorcycles: A Primer, Part I

I've had a surprising number of people tell me, "oh, I love bikes, don't tell anyone. I don't know anything about them, but they're cool."

Why, yes, they are.

As this blog is supposed to include bikes amongst it's many sundries, there doesn't seem to be a better place start the subject than at the beginning. This is going to be phrased with women in mind, but it applies to any neophyte. In this first installment we'll deal with the location of the basic controls because everyone wants to know what all that stuff is the operator is doing and we'll look at what the passenger needs to know. The next installment will get down to brass tacks of swinging a leg over your own ride.

People love bikes for all sorts of reasons and few can easily be put into words. When a rider tries to tell the world what it's like to ride, we tend to use an absurd level of adjectives and ten-dollar words, making the mistake in believing that the appearance of poetry will lend an air of credibility. I can tell you things I like about riding - the elemental machine with only what is needed to move down the road, the intimacy with the environment, and the unfettered feeling that comes from removing yourself from the steel and glass confines of the automobile. I can even tell you things I feel when I'm on my bike - the falling away of the world's worries, the clean focus of the mind, and the wonder of experiencing every nuance of the world through which I move.

Still, there is much more to it than that. Rather than waste space with flowery language, let us leave it at this: a day on a motorcycle is something you should try at least once in your life.

Affluent as America is, we are blessed with our motorcycles being used primarily for recreation. Prior to WWII, our bikes were often used as a means of cheap transportation. Today, that still goes for much of the world. Even in the States, people who own cars often choose to ride their bikes to work, enjoying a morning wake-me-up ride, sipping gas (40mpg is common), using the HOV lane, and parking in all sorts of spots you never could with a car.

So what should you, the uninitiated, know about bikes so that you don't feel like a complete outsider? Bikes are laid out in a fairly standard manner. The rider sits behind the handlebars and uses all four limbs to control the bike. The right hand twits the grip which is the throttle - the bike's "gas pedal." That's how you "go."

The right hand also squeezes a lever, activating the front brakes. Unlike a car that works front and rear brakes with the push of a single pedal, the majority of motorcycles have split brake systems. There are reasons for this - cheap to manufacture and a skilled rider can manipulate the brakes differently at different times depending on what he/she wants to do. That brings up the question of where the rear brake is. It's the pedal in front of the right foot peg and is pressed down just like in a car. The front brake has up to 80% of a bike's stopping power, so learning how to use it properly is very important. That's how you "stop."

What is the left side doing through all of this? Well, very few motorcycles have been made with automatic transmissions. Most have a manual, the equivalent to a "stick" in a car. The left hand pulls in a lever that activates the clutch, and the left foot works the gear shift lever. Unlike a car, a bike's shift lever only goes up and down and moves progressively through the gears. The pattern is described as starting from neutral, "1 Down, 4 up" (for a 5 speed), with one position changed for each press or lift of the gear shift. Neutral is found by going all the way down to 1st and gently lifting up. If you lift up too hard it will go right into 2nd.

Wait, we aren't done yet! Each thumb works a series of buttons: the starter, a kill switch for stopping the engine, turn signals, horn, and headlight dimmer switch.

I know, it all sounds terribly complicated, but it's not. It just takes some practice and patience. Have you seen the ratty old biker cruising down the highway? He can do all of that stone drunk. And if he can do it, then you will have no problem once you get on a bike and get a bit of training.

Most women will first experience motorcycles as a passenger. So, be a good passenger. Don't shift around in your saddle, don't stand up, don't make sudden movements, don't try to jump off if you think the bike is going to crash - you just aren't used to how a bike handles and making such movements could cause a crash. If the rider is going fast, hold onto them and look to the outside of the turns. This will help to keep the center of gravity as close to the track of the wheels as possible. Looking to the inside of a turn can make you lean over and that can over balance a bike that is near it's limits.

That's the scary stuff about being a passenger and I think guys trying to be macho and showing off has caused many women to dislike motorcycles. So, go with someone you trust, ask them to take it easy, pick a bike with a back rest if it makes you more comfortable, and relax and enjoy the ride.

Safety gear - you dress for the crash, not the ride. Pop quiz: what is the most important piece of safety gear? Nope, not a helmet. The correct answer is eye protection. Think of what the windshield on your car looks like and then think of your eyes. Lack of proper eye protection can actually lead to an accident, so it's most important.

For myself, boots (protects your feet and easily broken ankles), jeans (not as good as leather for abrasion, but decent at around town speeds), gloves (your hands WILL go out in a wreck, and the metal on a bike can be very hot), a long sleeve shirt (not as good as a jacket, but it gets to be 120 degrees here), and a DOT certified full-face helmet (a German study showed that 25% of all head injuries happened to the lower face, an area the half-helmets do not protect, and there will be a sticker showing if it meets DOT standards.) Most often a jacket will go along with all of that.

Living in the desert, I often encounter the attitude of "oh, I can't wear long sleeves or a jacket in this heat!" Do you ever wonder why the old cowboys and Arabs always covered up? It slows down the rate of dehydration and keeps the sun off the skin. You might think you are hot, but your core will stay cool much longer than if you wear less. Modern perforated jackets really leave no reason to ride with only a shirt no matter how hot it gets.

When picking safety gear, buy motorcycle specific items. A fashion weight leather jacket from Nordstroms or gardening gloves will come apart in a crash. And, fit is everything. Wind buffets anything that is loose. You want as snug a helmet as you can stand to wear for a day and you want your jacket and jeans to fit close - not supermodel tight, but without too much extra fabric.

Ok, you know not to move around a lot, you've picked out someone you trust to give you a ride, you are dressed like the true road warrior you are, the next thing to do is swing a leg over and go!

Riding passenger is a scary thing, but you'll soon relax. Pick a time when the traffic is low and go out into the country. Enjoy the new found feel of moving through the landscape instead of by it. Savor the sensation of knowing every smell, the feel of humidity on your skin as you ride past a recently irrigated field, the shifting temperatures as you go down into a dip and up out of a river bottom.

Hey, that other biker just waved, what's up with that? It's the brotherhood of the road. They recognized you as someone who was willing to break from the status quo and take part in a very special way of experiencing life. Most motorcyclists will wave regardless of the type or brand you are riding. The majority of us know it's not what you ride, it's that you ride. The rest is all about personal taste and expression, and isn't that one of the things that attracted you to motorcycles in the first place?

In Part II, we'll talk about being the rider, what you need to know to get started on your own bike, things to consider when picking out a bike, and probably even a few of those "I wish I had known that when I started" items.