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Safety Links:
Remember, Your Safety is up to YOU!! |
2011 NEW YEAR'S MOTORCYCLE RESOLUTION
Now is the time for a 2011 motorcycle resolution: become a better and safer rider! While it is
true that motorcycling is kind of like bicycling--i.e. once you learn how to keep it upright, you
never forget. However, unlike a bike, a motorcycle weighs from 400 to over 700 pounds,
travels at highway speeds (and a lot faster, depending on the rider), and is unforgiving if
pushed outside its envelope. The answer to staying safe in 2011 rests in three areas:
Attitude: Before all else, you must want to become a better and safer rider. Think of your
loved ones, your physical health, and, if nothing else, the cost to fix up or replace your Harley.
Safety must be paramount in your thoughts at all times!
Knowledge: Regardless of how long or how many miles you have ridden, you are not
strong in all aspects of riding a motorcycle. You must first know yourself and your abilities.
Identify your riding weaknesses and chart a course to turn them into strengths. You must
also know your bike, especially if you have recently purchased it. All bikes handle differently:
each requires a different level of skill to ride safely. Finally, you must find out what you don't
know about motorcycle safety, learn about those shortcomings, and then work to overcome
them. A good start is to take a safety course. Starting March 1, you can register on a
first-come first-served basis for any of three Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety Courses
provided throughout Montana. For more information, call (800) 922-BIKE or visit their website
at http://motorcycle.msun.edu.
Practice: The right attitude and a great knowledge of safety won't help one bit unless you
practice, practice, practice! Set a goal to ride at least 5,000 miles in 2011. Go on long and
short trips, interstate and two-lane highways, curvy and straight roads, city streets, and gravel
roads. Ride in sunshine and at night, on rainy days, and on hot and cold days. Expose
yourself and your bike to as many weather and road-related situations as possible. The more
you ride in diverse conditions, the more comfortable and confident you will become, and the
safer you will be.
Set as your main 2011 resolution to become a better and safer rider. The better you are as a
rider, the more confident and safer you will become, and the more absolute fun you will have
on two wheels.
Keep the Rubber Side Down and the Shiny Side Up!
Carl Lawson
Safety Officer
Now is the time for a 2011 motorcycle resolution: become a better and safer rider! While it is
true that motorcycling is kind of like bicycling--i.e. once you learn how to keep it upright, you
never forget. However, unlike a bike, a motorcycle weighs from 400 to over 700 pounds,
travels at highway speeds (and a lot faster, depending on the rider), and is unforgiving if
pushed outside its envelope. The answer to staying safe in 2011 rests in three areas:
Attitude: Before all else, you must want to become a better and safer rider. Think of your
loved ones, your physical health, and, if nothing else, the cost to fix up or replace your Harley.
Safety must be paramount in your thoughts at all times!
Knowledge: Regardless of how long or how many miles you have ridden, you are not
strong in all aspects of riding a motorcycle. You must first know yourself and your abilities.
Identify your riding weaknesses and chart a course to turn them into strengths. You must
also know your bike, especially if you have recently purchased it. All bikes handle differently:
each requires a different level of skill to ride safely. Finally, you must find out what you don't
know about motorcycle safety, learn about those shortcomings, and then work to overcome
them. A good start is to take a safety course. Starting March 1, you can register on a
first-come first-served basis for any of three Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety Courses
provided throughout Montana. For more information, call (800) 922-BIKE or visit their website
at http://motorcycle.msun.edu.
Practice: The right attitude and a great knowledge of safety won't help one bit unless you
practice, practice, practice! Set a goal to ride at least 5,000 miles in 2011. Go on long and
short trips, interstate and two-lane highways, curvy and straight roads, city streets, and gravel
roads. Ride in sunshine and at night, on rainy days, and on hot and cold days. Expose
yourself and your bike to as many weather and road-related situations as possible. The more
you ride in diverse conditions, the more comfortable and confident you will become, and the
safer you will be.
Set as your main 2011 resolution to become a better and safer rider. The better you are as a
rider, the more confident and safer you will become, and the more absolute fun you will have
on two wheels.
Keep the Rubber Side Down and the Shiny Side Up!
Carl Lawson
Safety Officer
