
Despite your best efforts, you're boxed in, and there's no escape route. It's time to hit the brakes. You've just learned the math on reaction time and braking time, but in real life, riders need to know more. Here's how to stop safely and swiftly. 1. Get the bike straight up and down—you can't...
A motorcycle's suspension works in two directions. When you hit a bump, the suspension compresses (the wheel moves closer to the chassis), and then rebounds (the wheel springs back, farther away). Your suspension needs to be set to work properly in both directions with the amount of weight your...
Every rider knows that you lean when your turn. Yet few understand a critical aspect of this—countersteering. Countersteering is the technique you consciously or unconsciously apply to initiate that lean. In short, you steer left to lean right, and vice versa. To fully understand the theory, you...
Motorcyclists got it right a long time ago. While most the Northern Hemisphere is freezing, bikers have been heading to Daytona Beach, Florida, every March for racing, riding, and partying since 1937. RIDE THERE It's all about bikes. Lots of people drive or fly in, but the best way to take part...
BEAT THE HEAT Planning to ride across Death Valley in July? Most modern bikes are pretty tolerant of hot weather, as long as you keep them moving so there's airflow over the radiator or cooling fins. Riders are a different issue, but there's plenty you can do to stay cool. First, wear textile...
On a long ride or in a foreign country, you never know what might go wrong. If your bike breaks down in the middle of nowhere or the weather suddenly turns nasty, you'll need more than just luck to survive. When you're heading off the beaten track, pack a survival kit, and be ready for the...
As a moto-journalist since 1984, I've witnessed motorcycle and tire technology soar each year ... but there hasn't been a commensurate decrease in crashes. And in 1986 I got scared: Senator John Danforth's legislation to limit horsepower had me imagining our sport decimated by politicians, and...