It is Easter Weekend! Many fellow riders are doing just as you are, taking their bikes out for the first ride of the season.
Recently I have encouraged us to check our bikes using the TCLOCKS acronym. I have also challenged us to consider taking a motorcycle riding course this year. These suggestions have been endorsed by many of our followers and ones that I follow myself.
It came to my attention yesterday, that in a nearby community, there were two motorcycle fatalities. These fatalities happened in the last two weekends. This in itself was heart-breaking. The rest of the bad news is that these two fatalities brings the total to four this year. This is devastating.
This weekend is also the opening weekend of baseball. The players do not just show up, play a game, and call it open season. The players themselves have maintained their health and physical abilities. They have stretched and strengthened their muscles. The players know of muscle memory, and have been renewing their technique long before the opening game. We can learn a lesson from professional athletes.
Please consider before taking your motorcycle out for that ride, spending some time on both your mental and muscle memory. I have two different motorcycles I ride. Each is unique and has its nuances. I mentally remind myself before I put the bike in gear which bike I am riding. I will check myself on the controls and the weight displacement. I also go through a pre-ride mental and physical check to make sure I have it together, at least as best as I can.
If this is your first time riding this season, or if you take a break from riding for whatever reason, please do not neglect spending some time on slow riding techniques. The motorcycle itself is designed to remain vertical above 12-15 mph. If you will take a little time working on your technique, at these slower speeds in your neighborhood or a nearby parking lot, I know your normal riding speed techniques will improve as well.
See you on the Open Road,
Moto-Tec Tim