Intelligent Motorcycling Part I the Open Road

INTELLIGENT MOTORCYCLING Part I THE OPEN ROAD

BILL KAYSING

STATISTICS INDICATE that motorcycling is safer than operating a car. However, when an analysis of motorcycle accidents is made, it is significant that many mishaps involve only one vehicle - the motorcycle itself.

As a general rule, the one about driving defensively holds true even when there is no other wheeled traffic around. The motorcycle rider must be prepared to ride and defend himself from a variety of hazards . . . some of them hazardous only to a motorcycle. For example, the condition of the surface on which the motorcycle is traveling is extremely important. Here are some hazards that may exist on any road:

1. Holes in the road surface.

2. Concrete channels used to drain water at intersections.

3. Railroad and streetcar tracks.

4. Various foreign objects — bottles, cans, lumber, brick, wire.

5. Objects which suddenly fall off of other vehicles — hubcaps, wheels, mufflers, tail pipes, etc.

6. Animate objects; cats, dogs, birds.

7. Oil, water, mud, ice, wet leaves, sand, gravel, and other lubricating substances.

8. Parked vehicles, low branches, wire stretched across a road and other miscellaneous hazards.

Examining these hazards in the order given we find the following to be true. First, not all holes and crevices in the road are capable of causing the rider to lose control of the motorcycle. This is a function of the speed and skill of the rider, type of cycle, tire tread pattern, size and shape of the pavement defect and other variables of infinite variety. Almost everyone has had the humiliating experience of spilling while going about two miles per hour. A bike has little stability at low speeds The author recalls an instance when riding double down a steep mountain road on a '39 Harley "45." The road made a sudden turn revealing a large curved section of asphalt washed out by recent rains. A fast slowdown did no good — the curved section caught the front wheel at exactly the right angle and turned the wheel sharply to the right and into the mountainside. Only a few cuts and bruises were suffered by the rider and passenger but it could have been more serious if the curvature had been directed to the other side of the road where an unfenced 100 foot cliff was waiting.

Motorcycle riders, new and old, should never assume that the road surface will be perfect indefinitely. A rider must be constantly alert and watch the road surface carefully as far ahead as his speed warrants. Not all defects will be seer since some are sub-surface, but many reveal themselves by broken pieces of asphalt or concrete at the edges or by water seepage. In most cases, a turn to right or left and the hazard is avoided. However, what if the hazard is large — say a foot deep and clear across the road? A complete stop would be fine if possible. If this is not possible then simply "riding" it out without applying brakes is advisable. Anyone who has ridden or spectated at a cross country race event such as a hare and hound or enduro knows that a motorcycle, at speed, is a fine double gyroscope and is extremely difficult to upset. Your machine may buck like a bronc and fly through the air but the odds are in your favor that it will come down pointed dead ahead. If you have had any race experience you can do a "wheelie" — simply apply power, slide back on the seat and pull up on the bars just as your front wheel touches the edge. If the hazard is beyond these measures you can "lay it down" which simply means applying the brakes (rear one first and hardest) so hard that the rear of the cycle falls in the direction in which it is leaning. Any motorcycle-riding police officer can explain or demonstrate this to you since they are all trained to apply this "last chance" measure.

The custom of installing a concrete sluice-way at the intersections of asphaltpaved streets comprises a special hazard to motorcyclists. These wheel-catchers are just about the same width as the average motorcycle tire so that the tire falls in and is held securely while the bike proceeds to lose all stability. These crevices are death-traps and should be outlawed by legislation. True, they save the asphalt from damage by running water and the attrition of many car tires but they are still an unnecessary hazard to motorcycle and bicycle riders. What can you do about them? Short of filling them with cement some dark night you should do the same as you would if you encountered a street car or railroad track or similar wheelgrabber. Cross them at right angles or as nearly so as possible. In wet weather be doubly careful.

How about objects in the roadway — cans, bottles and other debris? Well, the larger ones you can avoid without trouble; the smaller pieces of glass are hard to see and, unless you see them in time, unavoidable. As an aside, it would be a fine idea if all motorcyclists did what motorcycle officers always do — stop and clear the road of foreign objects. If you know you have run over a sharp or piercing object, stop at the earliest opportunity and examine the tread carefully. The same precaution should apply if you run over a sharp-edged object such as a brick. Here, if damage is suspected, take off the wheel and tire and examine your tube for rim cuts.

Long pieces of wire can be a hazard if they are caught up by the spoked wheels or by your chain. They are spun up on the axles or around sprockets almost instantaneously and can cause extremely rapid braking effects. (Even at the moderate speed of 30 mph, the average motorcycle wheel is turning seven times per second!) Since wire can produce the same effect as locking the brakes, look sharp. Nails can also be considered at this time. Since they are almost impossible to see and you are bound to pick up a few from time to time, your best defense is regular inspection. Make it a habit to examine your tires after every trip while the machine is on the stand. Turn the wheels slowly and look carefully. Remove any glass or metal with a pair of needlenose pliers. Squeeze the tire to see if it has gone soft.

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More dangerous than stationary objects in the road are the chunks of junk that occasionally fall off our four-wheeled adversaries. This can happen with astounding speed and without warning. I recall an instance on the freeway when a large hubcap whirled off an approaching car and spun through the air like the blade of a giant chrome meat slicer, just missing several cars and yours truly. Assuredly, there is little defense against this type of accident. They happen before you know it. However, if you see anything dangling from a car ahead or in the approaching lane, stop and take cover or, if possible, pass the owner of the disintegrating car and indicate in some way that he is about to lose some parts. Keep an eye on trucks loaded with loose boxes or cars bearing mattresses held down with twine. These objects would be no great problem for an auto driver but to a motorcyclist could cause a big hurt.

Some road hazards are nearly unpredictable and our four-legged friends the cat and dog roam around loose in this category. Cats are forever running races to see if they can make it across the street in front of a speeding vehicle. Tf you can't swerve to miss dear puss, then just hold the bars firmly and plow through. It will be no problem for kitty; she will have eight left.

Dogs, especially large ones, present a more formidable problem. Many dogs have a thing going about bikes. It is said that the high frequency sound emissions from cycle engines annoy dogs to the point where they attack the source. Whatever the reason, it can be dangerous when a large dog charges out from concealment to startle and/or bite a passing motorcyclist. The best solution is to twist the throttle and simply outdistance the yapping brute saving all the kicking at the dog for another time. It is too easy to become engrossed in fending off a canine attack and then run into a real obstacle. Keenan Wynn, in his autobiography, tells of such an accident.

"On Sunset Boulevard a dog ran out alongside me, barking. I glanced down at him and pushed out a leg to keep him away. In front of me, a car suddenly swung out in a U-turn, unnoticed by me. I slammed headfirst against a door handle. That was all I remembered . . ."

Keenan, a staunch apostle of motorcycling, nearly died from his injuries.

Some hounds have been in training for years and chase cyclists with real skill and accuracy. This type "leads" his victim like an AA gunner and matches his speed before closing in for the bite. The trick here is to shut off when you see Bowser on the horizon lining you up in his sights. Then just as he comes alongside, pour on the coal; it shakes all but the most highly skilled. Turning directly toward a dog as he runs alongside will frequently startle him back to the curb. This is not recommended since some dogs will panic and run under your front wheel. Some barkers and biters are kamikaze types and simply dive in without thought of injury. The best defense here is to place your feet on the bars and bore through.

In summary, animals do present a very real hazard because they are unpredictable. Paper route carriers, and other cyclists who must approach houses daily, frequently use a water pistol full of diluted ammonia to discourage local bowsers. As a very last resort, you can stop and try to make friends with the frisky little critters. But remember — if it is a case of hitting any animal or swerving into the oncoming traffic or a parked vehicle, hit the animal.

Probably the greatest single cause of spills on motorcycles is a slippery road surface. It doesn't have to be very slippery either, since only a few square inches of tread are in contact with the road at any given instant. In addition, when you are braking, a slippery surface can easily "lay it down" for you without your help. There are a few men in the world who can sense the instant when adhesion is about to be lost between the tire and the road. These lucky individuals are the world's fastest car and motorcycle drivers. As an average motorcycle rider, it would be best for one's health and welfare to stay well within the limits of adhesion . . . far enough within so that any additional friction-decreasing elements will not cause a spill. There are many of these elements but they consist primarily of water, oil, mud, ice, sand, gravel, wet leaves, chemicals and small branches and stones. A cycle rider must be constantly on his guard for the piesence of any of these "lubricants" on the road,

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A case in point — the author had traveled a winding road in Topanga Canyon, California for many years without incident until one chilly morning the front wheel touched a small patch of glare ice on a banked curve . . crash-bang against another damn mountainside! On another occasion while winding up a steep road into the Simi Hills, a banked curve taken at too steep an angle resulted in a bad spill which bent up both bike and rider. Why? Well, when you are accustomed to a certain degree of bank at a certain road temperature, maintaining this same bank after the sun has heated the center oil slick will produce a swift crash and one that occurs without warning. What to do? Again, a rider, no matter what his experience or skill, must constantly observe and evaluate the road surface for any indications of a substance or condition which will reduce needed adhesion,

Another important factor to be considered in this discussion is the condition of the tires and tire pressure It is a false economy to ride on motorcycle tires which have lost their tread, particularly the sides of the front tire, since the sides provide all adhesion in turning. The rear should not be smooth either since you need "bite" for braking and accelerating out of turns. Pressure is an extremely important factor since only a few pounds difference can vary the amount of tread in contact with the road surface. Keep tires inflated to the pressure as specified by the manufacturer for the weight of rider(s) and load. Both too high and too low pressure are equally bad. As an example, the author was carrying a passenger with the tire pressure too low (following a session of hill climbing at Girard's White Rock). Upon accelerating out of a turn, the tire rotated on the rim pulling out the tube stem. The tire went flat at 45 mph throwing the machine into a nearly disastrous spill . . . passenger was just missed by an oncoming car and the rider stopped sliding a few feet short of a large and solid sycamore.

The moral: buy an accurate tire gauge and check your own tires regularly and often, taking into account loading and ambient temperature.

There are a goodly number of infrequently encountered hazards . . . little latent catastrophes that develop only rarely They are worth mentioning since most of them have happened to either the author or his fellow riders at one time or another and could easily happen again. Here are some examples:

1. When riding down fire roads, watch for chains or cables stretched across them. A fellow rider caught one of these cables with his mid-section at about 35 per, nearly ending his riding career.

2. If anyone is sitting in the driver's seat of a parked car watch for that door flying open just at the wrong time . . . like when you're passing.

3. The painted divider strip down the center of just about any road is as slippery as a pig dipped in chicken fat. Stay off it.

4. When riding through a forest watch for low branches or, in windy weather, the falling kind.

5. Some roads have a sawed expansion joint cut in the center. Stay clear. A good friend of mine had his bike thrown into a speed wobble (violent oscillation of the front wheel) which ended when the machine went end over end and nearly ended the rider.

6. Birds sometimes miscalculate your approach and take off directly in your path. If the bird is large enough the rider could be stunned. The author has had a small bird bounce off his helmet and fall dead.

7. Don't ride at high speed down unfamiliar roads and especially don't travel at high speed at night on any road, familiar or not. All of the daytime hazards are there except you can't see them. One of our cycle riding fraternity is no longer with us because he rode too fast at night and failed to see the -dim lights marking a large street excavation.

8. It is safe enough to ride on wet pavement, but always wait 15 minutes after the start of a rainstorm to let the road film wash away from the pavement surface.

In closing — remember, use constant attention, ride defensively, expect the unexpected and wear a helmet and you will have a long and happy life aboard the most fun-filled vehicles ever invented! •