Basics for Motorcyclists Who Upgrade

This article was initially written in 2014 addressed to a particular group of riders., most of whom were new to the genre of 'Big Bikes' with ample torque and horsepower are their disposal and then with brakes which did nto really suit the habits of the riders or were just not able to compensate for the riders 'newness' - and lastly but not dismissed are the allegations that the brakes were just useless. No matter how that argument proceeds, I felt that the new riders- from Shine to Pulsar, CB100 to KTM390, from RE Bullets to Harleys- I think this article provides some points from my perspective. Please send in your comments- I would love to add them to my article update.

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Over the past two months, along with Raghav, we have been watching a disproportionate number of incidents involving Street 750s- and in particular their rims.

We have had quite a few bent/broken rims and this post is meant from that perspective for all riders, not just the 750s- as disproportionate the numbers may be, the incidents are not restricted to them alone.

I will list a set of issues first and address the possible corrective measures in a bit

1. A lot of new riders have graduated from smaller bikes, engine capacity as well as performance envelope- wise and the one thing that riders need to keep an absolute control on is the acceleration that their bikes have, as compared to what they were riding earlier. Coming off corners, dropping gears on completing overtaking and turning on the power- etc. This is being coupled with not adjusting your stance and eyesight focus for the new motorcycle is a set up for disasters.

2. Deceleration on seeing an obstacle, be it a goat, truck, pothole, speed breaker- due to the acceleration being of a few degrees higher- more often than not, the riders are 'entering' these conditions faster than they are used to, faster than their bikes can handle and resultant- they either collide with the obstacle, or 'hit' it with force- that it results in deformation of rims and/or other vehicle body parts. Stance and focus again are to be worked on

3. Traditionally tires for Indian motorcycles are of larger profile, due to their experience on Indian roads. As it seems to many, the rubber of the bikes we ride seems to be of softer compound, not to mention of a lower aspect ratio- much needed to ensure safe acceleration and braking, as opposed to having harder compound tires which would result in a disastrous skid in either condition.

Many riders got good exposure with the group rides to Igatpuri just befor the monsoons, and especially on the way down the 8-10Km downhill from Manas to Latifwadi. Gear control, less use of brakes and the proper head position while entering curves, and while riding fast on straights. ( All locations are on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway, providing an elevational increase of about 1000-1200Meters in about 12km of super tarmac)

I will try and elaborate on a few procedures that we feel would make an impact on your quality of riding Let me begin with the smallest but oft ignored technicality first.

1. Check your tire pressure every week or two weeks at the least. This ensures proper aspect ratio of the tire and therefore the best possible protection on impact, optimum tread while riding- meaning safer acceleration and maximum contact while braking.

Most basic air compressors do not remove water vapour and that results in minor heating issues on tires- Nitrogen based air compressors/tanks are usually better maintained, and scrub water vapour better therefore resulting in lesser heating of tires. The difference is marginal and I will be free to argue about this offline. Make sure you have the correct tire pressure saved for your bike on your phone. 

2. While riding- please start making it a habit to use your front brakes more while braking. Most riders we see, use the rear brakes and you simply have to start front-biased braking. Begin to use this at lower speeds, and work your control upwards. For bikes without ABS- learn to pulse the brakes, to prevent seizing the front wheel under heavy braking. Learn to work the front suspension and dramatically lessen your braking distance. While shifting bias forward- ensure that you use the rear to maintain rear wheel directional control and prevent the bike from coming out under your seat.

3. The single biggest issue for new bike riders has been the issue of braking- this being handled in the above point- should be practiced every time you leave your building, and on every ride you do, as only practice will change the way we have been using bikes, with mostly non-existent front brakes till now... 

4. Eyesight- stop looking down in front of your wheel- its too late to do anything about it, except brace for impact if its in front of you. Chin. Chin. Chin.
Its not a song or chant- lift your chin, force yourself to look up- start looking 50-100 meters ahead of you... The faster your go, practice looking at the horizon. further away from the bike. For many that use their bikes in the city, this is a  notoriously difficult exercise- but you have no option, like the front braking issue- similarly this chin-up riding.

The best road to practice this is that Igatpuri-Latifwadi stretch, where all the time, you will be on the throttle, with the power on the rear wheel all the time, and with your eyes looking as far ahead as possible, into the next turn to check for your line and for any aberrations in the road surface.

This note is by no means comprehensive nor is it a accident-proof-your-bike essay. Practice your new bikes, air pressure, front brakes, chin-up.... make a better rider out of yourself. We are looking at a wonderful riding season from now till April-end atleast.

Help make the group riding experience a better one.

Importance of safety gear while riding- Dress for the Crash.

"Dress for the crash" and "You skin looks better on you than on the road" are slogans you hear every day or on the signature of many riders across Forums from Canada to Australia. 

This Sunday, on the Seven Islands ride to Igatpuri, about 110Km on NH 3 towards Nasik, we had an incident inspite of following a brilliant leader to sweeper team of 9 riders. 

Light drizzle, and absolutely just 'a' shower described the beautiful ride. Average speeds of 100-110 and light traffic with the absence of the usual jokers wanting to chase you to take pictures. The ride was as good as it could get.

So what happened next- Sachin, who was riding on a sweeping left hander coming down the Kasara Ghats, doing about 100- had a dog come across and his bike t-boned the dog- and Sachins bike fell to the right, into his angle of lean. The road was clear- no traffic, the Dog came from nowhere.

Amidst 10 riders, clear roads, dry downhill- fast- no reason to worry about gear- and that changed in a fraction of a second- and everyone who hit the brakes to avoid Sachins falling bike must have had their ways in blessing that everyone, save one, was dressed in almost as good as gear-cover can get.

Sachins crashguard- worked as his talisman- and it was amazing to watch for the 6 bikers behind him - that the FatBoy went skidding for about 25 meters or maybe more, before responding to Sachins endeavours to control the bike and it righted itself- and after stabilizing, the bike stopped about >100meters ahead of the stunned riders who braked to avoid running over the spill.

The rider was lucky, but the rider was geared well enough and i would even hazard a small bit that the subconscious knowing he was dressed well, allowed him to concentrate on regaining control rather than wondering which palm to ground to brace for impact.

Being involved with the Seven Islands Harley Chapter here in Mumbai, I get to see riders who come in, barely dressed for the ride, let alone for the act. It feels so distressing and patronising when you tell them that these bikes weigh a good lot more than themselves- and that this one-degree of comfort that possibly allowed Sachin to look more for control than brace for the crash saved him from a nasty spill.

The Crash guard, which almost every rider tells a newcomer to the group did its job. The safety gear worked at a mental level- It is so important. So Important.

-KD

#BombayHarriers

Safety Gear- Everything other than Helmets

The Helmet article was written before this- 

This article is currently biased towards Cruisers and a easy kind of riding style. It may be possible that if you are a sport bike or super biker enthusiast, that a few things you may not agree on. But then I hope this explanation suffices till I get going on the apparel for those kind of bikes.

After the note put up on the Helmet, friends like @RajeevS and a few asked for pointers on safety wear for the rest of the body- here is my attempt at listing my thoughts on the same. These notes are focused on cruising and not for sportbikers, who face far more wind resistance, and need special clothing like full body suits to protect them against the elements. Their bike shoes dont fit on bikes like the Bullet nor suit most of the Harleys- bikes who's background I come from- so its by no means comprehensive- just my thoughts.

NECK- Go to any army supply store and purchase a round-neck warmer for about 80-180 bucks depending on quality, the kind that extends on the chest and over the upper back. The Army trusts it from uniform to ambush... you should too. From a few riders who used it, the pure wool one worked really nice till the sun got up and then worked too well, and needed removing- but till the weather warmed up it added about a good 2-3 hours of riding comfort.

GLOVES- Leather palm lined, full finger, with mesh for air intake on the top side, knuckles made of hardened plastic or kevlar, so that if you run into a bush or -ugh- a wall, with your fist clenched once the front brake- you avoid smashing your knuckle. The leather lined palm- more than any accident, is to prevent leaving your skin on the ground, in case of an accidental fall or tip over in your building compound or at a signal when a foolish motorist tanks you from behind.

UPPER TORSO- Wear two or three light T shirts then go and try- Zeus, Rynox, Cramster from the Indian stables (5-7000) to AlpineStars, RJays, Joe Rocket, Rev'it, Harley (8-28000) from the overseas types. There should be lined pockets for armour- on the shoulders and the elbows, as well as a pad for the back. The jackets should come with a detachable rain cover inner, which can be removed and carried alongside to be worn when it rains. The slightly loose fit permits layered clothing in mild winters. The jacket should have adequate mesh and/or zippered openings to control entry of air to keep body cool in the 9 months that India has summer.

INNER WEAR- there are many companies like Icon Stryker and Thor Sentinel (about $110-140), that make products that provide 'hard' protection for the upper torso. There are various Indian companies that make variants, and a quick visit to stores that retail the jackets etc would help you see the range available in India. The strange effect is that this guard fits you like a cosset, and eliminated fatigue from wind and fluttering jackets and give your a nice and comfortable feel by holding your girth in place. Once you get used to this, no way you like riding without the inner guard.

LOWER BODY- My personal preference is to wear riding pants- the kind made again in India like Zeus (which is one of the pants I use) along with a Rev'it which I find more comfortable when riding for anything over 3-days. The pants come with rain-inners, but the main points are- padding for the waist, the rear, and thighs, not to forget integrated knee pads as well. The pants sit snug and secure and in case of an impact they resist tearing for those few crucial seconds more than your plain jeans. The Zeus cost between 5-6000 while the Rev'it came in for about twice as much. For those tasking about local riding- Wrangler came out with 2x and 4x jeans that seemed a reasonably good investment for the ride to office, or the local breakfast ride. Dainese D6, or Alpinestars Hellcat- my current favorite being the Draggin Kevlar Jeans. Price ranges from $130-200. Given the restricted use that could be foreseen- you should invest in riding pants and what follows below-

KNEES- Knee Guards- are a must if you don't have riding pants or riding jeans- Indian ones are available- dime a dozen, however stolen dies for the popular Alpinestars model have got the market flooded with cheap chinese imitations that you cannot tell- except when they shatter in a put-down. Funny, to recommend but here, again Thor Force or Icon Strykers that really don't cost much when you compare it to skinning your knees. Price ranges from 1400-4000 for most products.

SHOES- Any ankle high boot- starting from Caterpillar or Timberland to your Woodlands and Army 'type' boots anything to prevent small stones at high speed hitting your feet, and to prevent- as far as possible the skinning of ankle in a fall. Price range would be from 1500-7000 and onwards for 

How to use the clutch on a high torque motorcycle?

Using the Clutch

A few new riders on the Harley circuit were concerned about the clutch- on a high torque engined bike- here goes my reply.
'A-
this is one very expensive way to learn- by reading on others notes on FB.
Having warned you_
The first gear in the Harley is a kind of spring loaded shift, where the 'thunk' is engineered into the system for effect. You do not try and do anything like adjusting the clutch etc to try and eliminate this. You will only land up killing your clutch.
All other gear changes should be as smooth as 'clicks' and you should feel the gears 'notching' and move on.
Clutchless changes stress the synchromesh rings and you will eat into them- so use the clutch as provided.
On slopes, upward and down- keep the bike in gear- and under NO circumstances are you to 'free roll' or 'neutral' the bike- stay in gear and fingers OFF the clutch. If you try and bring it down on brakes, you will over heat the brakes, cause fade and crash. Simple. Unfortunately every year, we learn this about 20-24km after Amboli (west bound) when we lose a few bikes to overheated and faded brakes because of faulty riding style.
You are to use the clutch only to shift gears and you will not 'half clutch' the bike. You will eat your clutch in under 100-2500km, if you try this.
Almost- re learn to ride a high torque bike, and learn slow speed riding, as anyone can ride fast.. Learn to control the EFI system and your throttle control at speed <10kmph- that is the beauty of riding- without jerking it or half-clutching it...
I should think there will be a ride to Igatpuri on saturday morning. Do try and come along with your safety gear.'
-KD

#BombayHarriers