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
In 1990, my buddy came down from San Francisco to attend a BMW rally. He came a day early, so he could decompress before we headed out to Jamul on Friday for a 3 day rally in the dirt, oak trees and big bitey ants. The big Kobey Swap Meet used to start on Thursday
It seems like at least two or three times a year, I find myself defending motorcyclists to non-riders. I honestly believe a lot of the hostility has to do with misconceptions and Hollywood’s sensationalizing of the few of riders engaged in criminal activities, or the constant glorification of 'daredevil' riders. This past week I got
I was recently gifted the Icon Women’s Twenty-Niner Gloves. I very nice gesture considering the velcro on my old gloves was no longer holding anything in place. These gloves also happen to be my first pair of women’s gloves, as I’ve purchased men’s gloves prior because they tend to look cooler honestly. The difference between
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
Has this ever happened to you? It was a normal day. You had your gear on, and you were ready to go for a ride. Only problem was when you got outside your motorcycle was down, wheels up. Consider your good day gone. I don’t know about other cities, but I know I’ve seen this
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,
I was at a rally, sitting around a fire with an adult beverage, listening to a guy who was an insurance claim investigator. He was describing the case of an experienced rider who inexplicably dropped his bike on a neighborhood curve and broke his neck. He was experienced, and familiar with the road, having lived
‘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
Motorcycles tend to be a hot commodity (pun intended) that some kleptomaniacs consider an easy steal. If your motorcycle is stolen you may not find it for another 46 years, if ever. Yes, 46 years, just like the 70-year-old man whose stolen 1953 Triumph Tiger was recently found in Southern California. It’s a wonder his
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
I just got back from a week and a half in Hawaii. A trip to paradise always is good for one’s soul and suntan. Eleven days with no motorcycle but I never did get any withdrawal symptoms. I suppose snorkeling, body surfing, and a few Mai Tai’s help. There are quite a few bikes on
I've taught people karate, hang gliding, and motorcycling. I've done a share of rock climbing as well, so I've seen a lot of the dynamic as men and women learn the same skills differently. Women are often at a disadvantage in sports. I love it when a guy who is six feet tall tells me
All states have instilled laws and regulations in an effort to protect its citizens and California is no different. An argument could be made in support of such laws; I mean, if the laws were written to protect people, wouldn’t more laws equate to a more concerned government? Perhaps state politicians would like you to
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
I learned to drive in San Diego back in the early 1970s. I learned to drive on a Sunbeam Alpine 4 speed stick, on Washington Street. You know that hill? Boy, I sure know it! I have noticed that today, traffic at 2:00 a.m. Is just about equal to rush hour back then. One drove
Fitting track tires to the R1 for the last time, indefinitely. Following one of my latest entries when I wrote about hanging up street sport riding on my R1, I thought I’d just expound on that decision since writing it over a week ago. Understandably, one could think that I may have acted (or reacted)
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,
Today was the first rainy day I rode in over the past couple of years. And that is a good thing. Good because we are in a draught here in California and this will help even though I know the price of water will go up anyway. Good, too, as I have been lucky for
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
None of us want to witness or be part of a motorcycle accident – yet as avid riders, at some point it is likely that we will, at the very least, end up assisting in a post-crash situation. Are you prepared? Do you know what to do? One of the first steps is to go
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
Much like every other piece of motorcycle protective gear, race-suits come in many different varieties and price points. It would behoove a shopper to spend the time in researching race-suits when looking to purchase, especially with regards to their available budget. In an ideal world, we all would be able to afford the best race-suit
Six months prior to the 2000 Summer Olympics, Wilkinson suffered a serious foot injury that kept her out of action for a couple of months. During this time, she used mental images to visualize her dives. Her foot was not fully recovered by the time she started diving again, but she was able to qualify
What is the most effective method of mitigating riding risk? Not riding at all. But if you're like me, that's not an option. Not when you've found no other visceral vice and soulful salvation like twisting the throttle on a two-wheeled machine. So we accept that this is of a dangerous sport, of a lifestyle
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
I was in an automobile accident yesterday. I was on the 405, driving from the Riderz Law headquarters in Newport Beach to my home in Redondo Beach, California when I was rear-ended at about 30 mph. The girl who slammed into my SUV “just looked away for a second.” Really, she must have been texting
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
SAN DIEGO MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT ATTORNEY REPORT — The motorcycle injury lawyers at Riderz Law have a tragic accident to report from San Diego that happened last Sunday evening. According to San Diego police, a 23 year old man in a Volvo rear-ended a motorcyclist and his passenger on a late-model sport bike, causing both
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,
By now, you probably know about the tragic event at the 28th Annual Love Ride. The Love Ride was founded by Glendale Harley-Davidson owner Oliver Shokouh. The ride begins at the dealership, fifteen minutes north of downtown Los Angeles, and winds its way up to Castaic Lake, about forty miles north. In it's 28-year history,
SAN DIEGO: Our motorcycle accident lawyers in San Diego have a tragic accident to report from last week. Last Saturday, a 53-year-old man, Rogelio Malihan, was killed while riding his motorcycle on state Route 79, just east of Julian. According to San Diego authorities, the motorcyclist was ejected from his bike and then struck by
Orange County: Our orange county motorcycle accident lawyer and riverside motorcycle accident lawyer have a motorcycle accident to report from last week that occurred on the westbound 91 Freeway just west of the Riverside County line. According to California Highway Patrol, the motorcycle accident occurred at approximately 1 p.m. on the 91 Freeway, and
Cops will be out in force in Napa, California this weekend, according to the Napa Valley Register. And what else is new? Using a motorcycle safety grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Administration, they'll be specifically targeting motorcyclists. Of course, they claim that this crack-down will be in an
Ahhh, the time-honored tradition of the urban motorcycle myth. Some time ago, we did the Myth Busters' routine with regard to the so-called Harley Death Wobble. Based on our research, we were not able to bust that one. This weekend, another popular "urban myth" came up in conversation: The good old "Death by Amor-All" debate.
Below is an email we recently received from a biker out in Pennsylvania regarding helmet laws in his state. He wanted to know whether passengers in PA are required to wear helmets. The short answer is, not if they are 21 or older. Dear Motorcycle Accident Lawyer, I’ve read the PA motorcycle laws and am
I’m planning a trip (by airplane, not motorcycle) from Burbank back to my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA to visit family and some old high school friends. For a change, my hometown baseball team, the Pirates, aka the “Bucs” are playing some decent baseball. It’s actually been eighteen years since they’ve had a winning record. So
“Lane splitting,” also known as “white lining,” is the practice of riding a motorcycle between rows of traffic. Yesterday, I discussed the legality of the issue in the blog post Is Lane Splitting on a Motorcycle Legal in California? Today, I will continue the discussion on lane splitting with another important question: Is Riding Between
“Lane splitting,” also known as “lane sharing” or “white lining,” is the practice of riding a motorcycle between rows of traffic. In December, I posted a blog entry entitled “Lane Splitting: Part 1.” I promised more on the subject, and well, six months later, here is a long-awaited follow-up. This is an oft-debated topic on
Last week, the Angeles Crest Highway reopened. This is great news for motorcyclists, and probably bad news for California motorcycle safety statistics. Why? Because every weekend when the weather is nice, bikes go down on the Angeles Crest Highway. Just ask the bartenders at Newcomb’s Ranch, the place for food or a drink within forty