How to Make Your Motorcycle More Visible Motorcycle visibility is an issue motorcyclists must face every day they ride. As roads crowd, so does the fear of not being seen. If you are a rider, you’ve likely already heard the common phrase: “I never saw him!”  As motorcycle attorneys, we hear this excuse from car

Sooner or later it happens to the best of us: we’re on the ground and so it the motorcycle or adventure bike we’re riding. Maybe you crashed your motorcycle, or maybe you had to abandon ship, who knows—but it’ll happen to you, too. The problem is that it’s not the easiest thing in the world

If you ride at all, you do it because you love it. That means every ride should be a safe one. A safe ride should always begin with a simple, quick check of your bike. Going through a pre-ride checklist can save you from getting fined for faulty lights and other problems—but it can also

If you love riding in the rain, you’re part of a distinct minority. Still, unless you’re facing a truly serious storm, there’s no reason to stay inside just because there’s a little water on the road. Here are some safety tips for riding in the rain so you can handle the challenges of bad weather

I don’t enjoy riding in traffic, especially during rush hour. However, sometimes it’s necessary, even if I am on a longer ride up the mountain. For this reason, I try to ride safely and pay attention while in traffic. Here are five rules to follow while riding in traffic. Assume the worst in every driver:

Recently I joined a mellow group ride. This ride was designed to be rather newbie friendly with a road choice, group size and pace that were appropriate for relatively new riders who were reasonably comfortable on a twisty road. The group that showed up was well prepared for such a ride, with the ride leader

Most of us living in San Diego, CA get to ride whenever we want to. Heck, pretty much all of Southern California does not have to listen twice to the weather forecast before gearing up… it's 99.9% warm toasty sunshine seven days a week. We are sure spoiled compared to other states across America who

Let’s face it, the average motorcycle rider is well-versed in local and state laws, and he or she probably follows all the rules of the road. However, there are a few riders out there who give the rest of us a bad name, and sometimes people simply don’t know the rules, written or unwritten. So,

If you were put on the stand by an especially savage prosecutor, one with a nose for the lie and a razorblade mind, and he asked you why you got your first bike, what would you say? You could say that bikes are economical, easy to park and cheap to insure. You could say that

I know a lot of people cringe when they have to think about physical fitness, but personal health is a universal issue of importance. I find it especially important for motorcycle riders as there’s a strong mind/body connection when driving your bike. If you’re not fit enough to control your motorcycle, you can find yourself

Let’s face it, if you want to ride safely and avoid serious problems, you need to buy a decent helmet. While it’s not fun, you must find one that fits well and offers comfort and protection. With that being said, here are four tips to choose your next motorcycle helmet. Try it on for comfort:

** A follow-up post has been made on this topic. See Another perspective on defective traffic signals Have you ever been at a traffic signal and your bike doesn’t trip the light? Is it safe to go, or do you need to wait for a car or truck to cause the trip device to work?

This is the hard and harsh truth about riding at night on your motorcycle: You are reduced down to your headlight(s). Never mind that it's a common mantra to ride like you're invisible, because at night, that's no longer just a simile – it becomes a plain fact of motorcycle life. And you might think,

As a seasoned rider, my friends often want to get in on the action, so I usually offer them plenty of advice to stay safe and have fun. Learning how to ride a motorcycle requires a lot of practice, especially when it comes to safety. The first thing you need to consider as a first-time

Yep, you read the title correctly, let’s talk about pipes – exhaust pipes. I recently had another rider tell me I should purchase a louder exhaust pipe. He felt like the roar of my pipes were too subtle, and other drivers wouldn’t be aware of my presence because of this. Naturally, I disagreed because to

If you ride a motorcycle, you probably know and follow the most basic safety tips. But, if you want to stay safe, you will want to do more than wear a helmet and put on protective gear. Yes, if you are like me and have ridden for a long time, you probably go above and

You probably don't know this, but map companies like Thomas Bros. have a secret, and this secret can get you lost. Every once in a while, we'd get a pick-up at some upscale establishment where Madame left her purse or purchases. One of us would get the tag, which is why I wound up in

For those of us who are lucky enough to live in an area of the country with a year round riding climate, we are preparing to enter into the winter riding season. Here in Northern California and similar areas, there are some definite preparations to be made to make the experience a pleasant one. Yes,

‘Everybody goes down’. Those are the words that echoed in my head after my accident. A rider had said this to me two weeks prior. We’d gotten into a discussion about how long I’d been riding, and the fact that I’d never been in an accident really surprised him. He insisted I upgrade my jacket

Now, most people know that San Diego drivers don’t know how to drive in the rain. It’s not exactly their fault as it often goes months without raining in the city. Then, when the oil and dirt pile up, the roads are not easy to navigate. All this causes accidents and disasters for motorcycle riders.

Justin Bieber, the pop music “teen heartthrob,” made headlines again for reckless behavior. This time his shenanigans almost led to the demise of an elderly woman with a walker who was simply strolling down the sidewalk in Los Angeles. What was Bieber’s offense? Riding his Can-Am Spyder motorcycle on the sidewalk. Why? To avoid traffic.

People often ask me why I choose to lane-split on crowded LA freeways and surface streets when it is, as they put it, “so dangerous.” My typical reply is the fact doing so affords me to travel distances at approximately three times the rate of those traveling at the pace of traffic conditions. A good

In the 1990s, I had a subscription to Highway Patrol Magazine. It covers a lot on new laws, fun facts, safety tips, and pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. Enough to convince you to wear a seat belt in a car kind of pictures, if you get my meaning. Gory, ugly, hideous pictures of how

As everybody learns sooner or later in life, there is Right Stuff and Wrong Stuff. Getting the Wrong Stuff can have consequences on a motorcycle. Anyone with experience will tell you how important it is to have good riding gear. The idea behind protective gear is, leave cowhide on the tarmac so your hide stays

Occasionally, I like to look up things on Youtube. You run across some interesting stuff, like pelicans that eat pigeons, man releases mouse that is snatched up by hawk, that sort of thing. And once in a while, I look up motorcycling videos. Last week was one I spent watching videos, since I hurt my

This morning I was taking a trip in my pickup. I know, this is a motorcycle blog. I had a CD by Joan Armatrading, her wonderful Into the Blues. I heard this a couple of years ago and it quickly rose to one of my favorite albums. Since 1996 when I started riding pretty much

I have begun training to be an instructor for some new(er) rider courses. Many of the instructors in these courses have been riding their entire lives, often longer than I’ve been alive! This gives them a wealth of experience and knowledge that can only be gained over time and miles. I, on the other hand,

All the gear, all the time. We all have seen this and I bet a lot of you reading now practice it too. I know I am more of a some of the gear, most of the time person. A few weeks back I read where a rider was happy to live through an accident

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration loves statistics. In fact, some might even say they fetishize them. Statistics are great, because as long as you're willing to manipulate them, they'll pretty much always work in your favor. For the average rider, often times it can have a negative impact, such as when statistical data was

Asking cagers to be aware of motorcyclists is quite common. You see those electronic signs on the highways stating in bright neon letters: WATCH FOR MOTORCYCLISTS. You see bumper stickers with the “Look twice, save a life” saying. You see it in the news every day; another biker death or injury due to a careless

Back protectors are something that I have always wanted to research when it comes to riding gear. While they no doubt help in the event of an accident, what all do they offer? When I bought my Alpinestars Bionic Air Back Protector (pictured below), I had been looking into them for weeks. Some jackets include

Generally, I prefer to leave the preaching to the professionals. But when it comes to motorcycle safety, I''m not shy about expressing my opinions. Believers in ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) know that's it's not just about throwing on a helmet and calling it a day. We mean helmet, jacket, pants, gloves, boots,

California’s highways and roads are shared by millions of cagers and motorcyclists every day. Consequently our beloved sunshine state is a mecca of traffic accidents caused by inattentive, inconsiderate and often simply "bad" drivers. It is no wonder that as people are busy driving to work, picking up their kids and driving to the local

Wearing the proper gear is important, a point made obvious by professional racers who slide down a racetrack at 150 mph, dust themselves off, and pick up the bike to continue the race. Boots, gloves, eye protection and leather or appropriate synthetic riding clothes, preferably with armor padding in key locations, can make the difference

It's a situation every experienced motorcyclist knows, and the single most common type of injury-causing accident between a car and a motorcycle: an automobile driver makes a left turn in front of an oncoming motorcycle. The question of how a motorcyclist can avoid this type of accident is another topic for another time, let's first

If you've ridden your motorcycle on just about any road in California, we should not have to convince you that there are plenty of terrible drivers out there. Half the people driving through Orange County on the 405 seem to be more focused on texting than they are on driving. But we do like to

A decade ago, I was a broke law student living in San Francisco. The city is expensive to live for anyone, especially for those of us with no income and pricey tuition fees. Most of my fellow students could not afford a car, or garage park in the city for that matter. As a result,