Many of us remember Inspector Callahan’s famous quote from “Dirty Harry” (1971). We may not often think of it this way, but there is a certain amount of "luck" involved in riding a motorcycle and whether or not we are involved in a crash. Motorcycle rider training folks like me typically focus on the factors that are within the rider’s control, but the reality is that there is a luck element to our crash risk.

Consider our natural response when we hear someone is involved in a car crash. Among others, I’ll bet that we all feel or think some version of:

• “I guess they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
• “That’s really unfortunate/unlucky/too bad. I hope they are OK.”
• “The way traffic is nowadays, it’s not surprising. Glad they weren’t hurt.”
• “With so many texting or drunk drivers out there, it’s a wonder we all don’t get crashed into.”

Similarly, when people hear...

So, I’m outside riding bikes (bicycles) with my 3-year old son in the driveway. He has his bicycle helmet on – as do I (doing my best to lead by example) and we are riding pretty quickly in tight circles. He rides a Strider Bike (no training wheels, no pedals), so he is pushing himself with his feet. In the middle of a turn, he catches his heel on the axle nut of the back wheel, pops the rear wheel off the ground, and presto – low side and face plant.

He wasn’t hurt bad, but he did take a pretty good hit to his nose and lips and there was quite a bit of blood. If you’ve ever had a low-side crash on your motorcycle, you know how fast you can find yourself on the ground. Between the surprise of finding himself on the ground so fast, pain to the face, and the sight of so much of his own blood, he did freak out a little. I took him inside, cleaned him up, and he was fine.
But it was a real life reminder of how unforgiving asphalt is. His face was only about...

Cars and trucks following us can be a hazard – especially when we slow down or stop and they don’t. It seems as if drivers are becoming more and more distracted in recent years with phone conversations, texting, checking email, or other distractions. This means that we shouldn’t expect the drivers behind us to quickly notice that we are slowing down. Yes, I know…they SHOULD, but based on actual experience in traffic, it isn’t reasonable to expect it. Here are a few tips for using your lights to give those drivers an early warning.

Normal slowing – Many of us are in the habit of slowing down with just the throttle or downshifting to a lower gear and using engine braking. There is nothing wrong with these methods of slowing, but we have to remember that neither of these methods active our brake light. When slowing (or even before you begin to slow) without the brakes, tap your brake pedal just enough to activate the brake light. This gives a visual...

Knowledge. Riders often talk about learning more about riding – and this is a good thing. Increasing knowledge about our sport is a great step toward better riding. But it’s not enough.
Your knowledge does not matter.

"What?? Did he just say 'Your knowledge does not matter?’" Yes, but let me clarify – if your knowledge leads you to successful action, then it matters, but it only matters as far as your action matters. If you "know" something, but take action or make a decision against that knowledge, then that knowledge isn’t helping you. Here are some examples:

• I knew I entered that curve too fast, but…
• I knew I shouldn't have ridden home after having a few drinks, but…
• I knew that riding the clutch would have helped me with low speed control, but…
• I knew that I should have looked through the turn and not at the guardrail, but…
• I knew that wearing quality riding gear would have reduced my road-rash and head injury,...