2007 – 2008 BMW K1200 recall

Picture from U.S. Rider News

According to U.S. Rider News in their article BMW Recalls K1200 Models For Brake Issue, the 2007 – 2008 BMW K1200 bikes (sport models, R, R- Sport, and S, have an issue with the front brake fluid reservoir. Owners of these bikes can contact  BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com or call at 1-800-525-7471 to make arrangements to have their bike retrofitted with a screen insert to resolve the brake fluid reservoir issue. This recall affects 2,062 bikes.

Southern Honda Powersports under investigation for selling unsafe vehicles

Picture from U.S. Rider News

Southern Honda Powersports, according to U.S. Rider News in their article Largest Honda Dealer in the US Under Investigation, is under investigation for selling potentially 25,000 unsafe motorcycles. According to the article, Southern Honda Powersports, which has locations in TN and FL, sold vehicles that had been recalled – without conducting the proper fixes on the vehicles, and sold vehicles assembled by employees without proper training.

7 Motorcycle riding tips

A few tips I’ve learned along the way:

1. Ride like you’re invisible – no matter how bright or reflective your clothing is, you can (and likely will) be in the blind spot of cars. Be prepared!
2. Stay away from cars – yes, it’s much easier said than done, but it’s the truth. If you aren’t following too closely, or being followed too closely, your chances of getting into an accident decrease greatly. Keep your distance from other vehicles to allow yourself time to brake and stop appropriately.
3. Have a plan – when you are in the blind spot of cars / trucks (see #1) you need to know how to maneuver quickly to get out of their way if they start merging into you. Keep your eyes open and always have a plan in the event a car / truck (or even bus) begins to merge into you.
4. Don’t look down – this is probably one of the most basic tips, but one of the most important. When you’re riding keep your eyes up and focused on where you want to be – even if you think you’re going to go down. You and your bike are going to go where your eyes are looking, and if that’s the ground, then that’s where you’ll end up.
5. Be courteous to drivers – I know, I know…why should I be? you ask. Well, because there are still a lot of drivers out there who don’t like motorcyclists and the nicer you are to them (i.e. waving when you split lanes and get in front of them), the more likely they will be to get out of your way and not run you over.
6. Wear proper riding gear – not all states have the DOT approved helmet law, but I think they should. Wearing a helmet that is DOT approved can increase your survival chances when in an accident. Don’t forget proper jacket and foot attire as well. The more protected your body is, the better you’ll be protected if you go down.
7. Only take passengers when you’re comfortable doing so – if you’re a new rider or if you have a bike that isn’t really meant for passengers, work your way up to taking someone with you on the back of your bike. My bike, for example, has a passenger seat. But, it’s far too small to carry me and another adult (hence, one of the reasons I really do need a new bike). And remember – when you take a passenger on your bike you are taking their life in your hands. 

Harley-Davidson 2012 and 2013 VRSCDX recall

I have to admit...this is a sweet looking bike! Maybe this'll be my next bike...(after the fix)

Harley-Davidson is recalling all 2012 and certain 2013 VRSCDX motorcycles that were manufactured from 6/14/11 through 8/1/12 due to a malfunction with the license plate bracket. According to the H-D Recall, the mounting screws may loosen up causing the license plate bracket to rotate and possibly damage the rear brake line. Please contact H-D for additional information. 

152 MPH in a 70 zone? CRAZY!

Picture from MCN

I’ve had many, many people tell me just how dangerous motorcycle riding is…as if I didn’t already know. One of the big keys to staying safe out there on the road is to obey the traffic laws. You know…those pesky rules that all motorists have to follow, like:

-          Don’t run red lights

-          Come to a complete stop at stop signs

-          Don’t go over the speed limit

It was reported today on MCN today by Steve Farrell that there was a Motorcyclist caught speeding at 152 mph!! Stephen Tull was on a 70mph road in Binsted, Sussex when he was busted for going 152mph. That definitely sounds like a rush and a half, but I’d hate to think what would have happened if he had lost control of that bike!

Riding gear – what’s your style?

The gear available for purchase for motorcycle riding is endless these days! From jackets to boots to jeans to helmets…and even t-shirts! You can be extremely stylish these days with all matching gear. Personally, I like the steel toed boots, jeans, and a t-shirt or tank top to ride in (when it’s warm). A nice fitting leather jacket is always nice, too. I have a leather vest I wear during the summer, but a regular riding jacket for when it gets cold. I’m looking for that ‘perfect’ leather jacket…haven’t found it yet, though.

Then there are helmets…an endless assortment of helmets in all shapes, sizes, designs, and colors. Right now I prefer a full helmet (a little safer to ride in), but I’m sure I’ll eventually end up in a half helmet of some kind. I’ve seen all kinds of designs, too. From dragons to skulls to flowers! The one’s that get me are the big, bulky, shiny ones (no offense to anyone who owns one of these – it’s just not something I could ever sport). I’ve seen guys wearing flip flops and shorts. Okay, okay, I admit it…I’ve ridden in shorts before, but never flip flops. Some guys like wearing just tennis shoes, and I’ve seen plenty of chicks wearing the high-heeled boots (ouch!).

Whatever your riding gear style, please make sure you’re safe out there! 

Motorcycles and the road

A letter written by Carter Edman titled An open letter to every person I meet who finds out I ride a motorcycle is a great read and I suggest that everyone, especially NON-motorcycle riders read it!
 

"Having only been riding for a few short months I, too, have been the recipient of the dissatisfied looks, the ‘be safe’ or ‘make sure you’re wearing a helmet’ comments, the ‘that’s dangerous’ comments, the disapproving statements from family and friends, and all of the stories of what happened to his / her uncle / friend / aunt / nephew / etc. and about how they were hurt or killed while riding. That was them, not me. My circumstances are different. I am different.

I knew when purchasing my bike that it was dangerous. That’s not news to me. I also get the fact that riding isn’t for everyone. That’s okay! It wasn’t for me a few months ago, either.

What bugs me more than the disapproving looks and comments are the drivers who are truly out to harm motorcycle riders. We are legally allowed to split lanes, by the way, at least in CA. Meaning – we are allowed – by law – to ride our motorcycles in between vehicles and move past them. We are allowed – by law – to share the lane with you. And, just to let you know, I haven’t met a rider yet whose intention of splitting lanes is to cut off a motorist or get in their way. Our intention is to get as far away from vehicles as possible. To do this we go between vehicles to move up to the front of the line and get out of your way."

Two pieces of advice a rider once gave me:

1. Stay away from cars – I’m trying to do that, but it’s not as easy as it sounds.

2. Pretend like you are invisible – most motorists aren’t looking out for riders. This is one of the main reasons I don’t ride the freeways / highways – high speeds, motorists changing lanes quickly and without signaling, and the inability for motorists to see riders…

I have to say, though, I think everyone – rider or not – should take the motorcycle riding course. I’m not saying that you have to leave the class and go purchase a motorcycle. I’m saying that I think everyone should take the class to better understand motorcycles, the dangers, the benefits, and how motorist’s actions can be detrimental to riders in certain situations. I know that I have become a much better rider and motorist because of that class and my riding experience (what little I have thus far).

Have you ever changed lanes too quickly, without signaling, and then all of a sudden saw the motorcycle? Please keep your eyes open, hands off your phone, and be acutely aware of your surroundings…for your safety and mine.

You can also see this post on my other blog at: http://www.kristymlopez.com/2012/07/motorcyclesandtheroad/

Motorcycles and life

The other morning I was riding my motorcycle to work, as I do every day I can, and I was thinking about how much my ride to work resembles life. Yes, I have lots of time to think during my hour ride to work and hour and a half ride home every day with just me in my helmet…no cell phones, no calls, no emails, no texts…completely disconnected from technology…completely disconnected from everything except my thoughts.

My ride to work isn’t necessarily the most difficult, but there are moments where I wish the road was smoother, the hills weren’t so steep, or there weren’t so many obstacles in my path…just as in life.

Hills: We all face ups and downs in life. Some feel like mountains, while others feel like small hills. As I was going up one particularly steep hill I found myself coaching my motorcycle saying, “Come on girl, we both know you can take this hill. We’ve got this!” First of all, yes, I was talking to my bike…what rational, sane human being doesn’t talk to inanimate objects? Second, we do this in life, too…at least we should. We need coaching from others, but more importantly, we need coaching from ourselves to get us over these mountains and hills.

Pot holes, bumps in the road, rough terrain: We all face times where we feel like we’re on rocky ground. Sometimes it’s at work, other times it’s in our relationships. We feel like the road could give way at any time, that as we try to ride along we keep hitting these holes and bumps in the road and even slippery gravel at times. We have to remember that as we travel on this uneven, and seemingly harmful, terrain, that we will make it to the other side, hopefully unscathed.

Cars and trucks: Sometimes we face larger obstacles that just plain get in our way. Sometimes these obstacles get in front of us and do everything they can to slow us down, to hinder our abilities to get to that next green light where it looks like smooth sailing from there. Sometimes these obstacles cut us off, right in the middle of the road, and bring us to a sudden halt. Hopefully we don’t run into these obstacles during our travel. But, if we do, then we have to get up, dust ourselves off, and keep on going.

Heavy traffic: There are times in our life where we feel like everything around us is slowing us down, not allowing us to go as fast as we would like, is creating a stop and go environment for us. All we want to do is get to our destination, but we can’t go very fast. It becomes frustrating and irritating. We have to learn how to swerve in and out of traffic to help us get to our destination a bit faster, but safely!

Wide open, smooth roads: These are the best kind! Little to no traffic, a smooth road to ride on, few obstacles, no hills to climb…definitely ideal conditions. This is what we all want in our lives. We want to be able to get to our goal with the fewest hazards, obstacles, and slowing as possible. As we move along we feel better and better about ourselves and we are able to move so much smoother and faster.

Just remember that as we ride through life we are all subject to every one of these conditions. And remember that each one of these conditions, even the wide open roads, is temporary. We will constantly need to coach ourselves to help move us along, we need to pass each obstacle carefully as to not have to find that obstacle again down the road, and we need to continuously remind ourselves of our destination and how great it will feel to finally get there.

Have you found a way to successfully avoid the hazardous conditions out there? 

This post can also be found on my other blog at: http://www.kristymlopez.com/2012/06/motorcycles-and-life/