tips

Because you wanted a new one anyway, right? Sick of your bike? Sick enough to gift-wrap it for the local felons? Imagine the money they'll make.

A crook can have your bike in 20 seconds, and they're not shy either.

According to our friends at the Chula Vista, California, Police Department, an ambitious thief can pull down six figures per year nicking bikes just like yours. On second thought, save the gift wrap: Here's how to earn a spot on your local grand larcenist's Christmas-card list.

Going fast on a motorcycle is fun. Carving the perfect line through a corner is fun. Riding smoothly and well is fun!

But at some point, you are going to need to scrub off a *lot* of speed *very* quickly. It's a technique that, if not performed properly, "can end in tears" - not to mention and banged up bike and body.

Whenever I get the opportunity, I practice braking. I want to know how my bike reacts - how does it feel with the front tire heavily loaded? Is the rear getting light? How much pressure do I need to apply? How smoothly can I pull in the brake lever?

All of that and more needs to be practiced as often as you can. These two articles give you some tips and techniques to practice on your next ride.

Advanced Riding Course: Braking Techniques

Street Savvy: Smooth Motorcycle Braking Tips

"Redlegs" has written down some of the tips he's learned, discovered, re-learned and put to use on rides up and down Colorado's roads and the roads of several other states.

He says, "First and foremost, take care of your motorcycle and it'll get you home. I do my own services where I can, not only to save money but to get to know my motorcycle more closely in case it ever breaks down. Not only that, but when I do a service, I know it was done and done as right as I can possibly do it."

He makes some other really good points in the article. "Speaking of working on your motorcycle, try and do the work with just the tools you normally carry on your motorcycle. You obviously won't have that fully stocked tool chest in your garage with you when riding, will you?" I hadn't thought of that. :)

Another excellent point is to "carry a tire puncture kit and know how to use it, heck, practice using it on an old tire. The side of the road, in the rain and late at night is not the time to try and read the instructions that came with the kit!" I'll admit, I've got a puncture repair kit but I've never practiced using it. :(

Read the article for even more great ideas.

YBL had a great time talking to columnist and author Ken Condon, author the new book "Riding in the Zone".

YBL had a great time talking to columnist and author Ken Condon, author the new book "Riding in the Zone".

Click here to listen to "Ken Condon, author of "Riding in the Zone!"

Great roads and even better bikes are key ingredients for an enjoyable ride, but the most critical factor is being comfortable and confident with your fellow riding partners.

The first key to riding harmony is communication among the riders. Don't be shy about initiating a discussion, setting the guidelines before the ride begins. Make sure everyone knows the final destination and the route to get there. Solicit comments from everyone; don't behave like a drill sergeant.

Once you're rolling, the biggest communication factor will be visual: always know where the other riders are and what they are doing.

(YBL Comment: We love riding with friends but it's very important to remember to continue to "ride your own ride")

Click here to read more "Group Riding"

Learn to rely on one person, and one person only: yourself. Be paranoid. What car types can you trust? None.

If one thought rules your urban riding, let it be this: Stay out of blind spots.

Combine defensive tactics and aggressive riding.

When everything goes wrong and these steps fail to keep you in safety's arms, you'd better be a good motorcycle rider.

(YBL Comment: It's a 14 year old article but it's just as true today as it was in 1995!)

Click here to read more "Urban Guerrilla - Riding Tips for the City"

The street is not the track - it's a place to Pace

The Pace places the motorcycle in its proper role as the controlled vehicle, not the controlling vehicle. The Pace ignores outright speed and can be as much fun on a Ninja 250 as on a ZX-11, emphasizing rider skill over right-wrist bravado. A fool can twist the grip, but a fool has no idea how to stop or turn.

Learning to stop will save your life; learning to turn will enrich it. What feels better than banking a motorcycle into a corner?

Using all of the available lane while entering the corner (square line) provides a number of benefits. It allows you to brake while upright, see farther through the corner and use a later corner apex. With a later apex, you can get on the throttle earlier as you stand the bike up out of the corner. The low entrance line (dotted line) forces you to lean over even after the apex and is a major contributing factor to overshooting a corner. Always give the centerline some room: stay right except to pass.

I just got back from a couple of hours riding. I was lucky enough to get out on Super Bowl Sunday for a couple hours more. As I was riding, I was thinking about what I should be looking out for and thought I'd pass these "tips" along!

1) Smooth is even more important - it's always important to be smooth on a motorcycle but winter riding really brings the point home. Conditions are generally not conducive to hard acceleration or braking.

Click here to read more "10+ Winter Riding Tips"

When the mercury drops most of us give our bikes a good wash, drain the gas tank, put our bike's batteries on the trickle charger and all of the other things we need to do covered in our storage maintenance story, wipe away the tears from our eyes and wait until next season.

For those souls brave enough to withstand the cold - there are numerous things you must know about cold weather motorcycling that are different when motorcycling in temperate weather.

Click here to read more "Winter Motorcycle Riding Tips"

While surfing around The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) web site, I found a library of booklets with various tips and information - a "You and Your Motorcycle: Riding Tips" booklet, "Group Riding" Quick Tips, "T-CLOCS" Pre-Ride Inspection Checklist and even the MSF's Basic RiderCourse Handbook - all available as PDF's.

Click here to read more from the "Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Library"