Motorcycling For Dummies

Bill Kresnak

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2011
• ISBN:
  9781118068427
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Aviation
• Index: Technology & Engineering

A practical guide that gets you geared up with proper riding techniques, safety gear, indispensable items for long trips, and handling characteristics of various motorcycle types

Few activities offer more fun and excitement than motorcycling, but to get the most out of it, there's a lot you need to know, and that's where this informative motorcycle guide written in plain English comes in. From buying and maintaining a bike, to riding safely, to finding great places to ride, Motorcycling For Dummies puts you on the road with savvy and style, whether you're new to riding or an experienced motorcyclist.

You'll get plenty of help in selecting the right bike and step-by-step instructions on performing routine maintenance tasks. You'll also find out how to develop safe riding habits and, maybe most important of all, you'll learn more about motorcycling organizations and how to fit in with the biker crowd. Plus, this hands-on resource shows you advanced riding techniques, offers travel tips for long-distance rides, and even helps you get your kids started in motorcycling. Discover how to:

• Buy a new or used bike
• Select safe, tough riding gear, from helmet and jacket to boots and pants
• Get proper training and learn essential riding skills
• Insure your bike
• Pass even the toughest licensing test
• Try your hand at cruising, touring, sports biking, and more
• Get involved in motorcycle clubs and events
• Deal with dangers on the road
• Customize your bike to improve both style and performance

This comprehensive guide concludes with a motorcycling glossary, a guide to motorcycling laws by state, and an appendix with plenty of online resources. Complete with lists of can't-miss biking events, legendary motorcyclists, and must-see motorcycling movies, Motorcycling For Dummies gives a whole new meaning to the term "easy rider".

Part I

The Mysterious World of Motorcycling

In this part . . .

**IN a DROPCAP**

If you take a look around you see motorcycles everywhere. Doctors ride them, and so do lawyers, movie stars, and factory workers. But why? After all, if you want to get from Point A to Point B safely and surrounded by luxury wouldn’t you just drive a car? Well, I suppose, but riding a motorcycle isn’t just about getting from Point A to Point B. In this part, I explain the allure of motorcycling for so many people.

I also reveal why motorcyclists believe, correctly, that they’re part of a special club, not only because of the skills involved in riding but also because of the rich history of the sport. Plus, I give you a heads-up on how to get proper motorcycle safety training, what to expect in class, and what you need to do to get your motorcycle endorsement on your car driver’s license. Armed with this knowledge, you’re ready to get started in the wonderful world of motorcycling.

Chapter 1

The Allure of Motorcycling: Six Million Motorcyclists Can’t Be Wrong

In This Chapter

Discovering the joy of motorcycling

Understanding the glamorous side of motorcycling

Fitting in as a woman in a traditionally male motorcycling world

Sharing motorcycling with children

Exploring motorcycle safety

“M otorcycles Are Everywhere.” That’s a popular bumper sticker that bikers like to hand out to car drivers to encourage them to watch for motorcycles on the road. Car drivers aren’t trained to look for bikes, so many times they don’t see them.

The fact is, motorcycles are everywhere. Motorcyclists cruise the highways and byways, ride along city streets, and tackle twisty roads in the mountains. Some 6 million motorcyclists drive in the United States today, including everyone from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to movie stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie; to TV talk show host Jay Leno; to doctors, lawyers, accountants, factory workers, and probably one or more of your neighbors.

Next time you’re driving on the road, make a conscious effort to actually look for motorcycles — you’ll be surprised by how many you actually see. And you’ll wonder why you didn’t see them before. Motorcycles are everywhere.

In this chapter, you discover why motorcyclists are addicted to motorcycling, why every ride on a motorcycle is an adventure, and why a motorcyclist laughs under his helmet when some hotshot in a Lamborghini pulls up alongside and revs his or her engine. You also get a taste of what it actually feels like to be a motorcyclist, and you get a look at the glamorous world of motorcycle racing. Plus, you discover how women are making inroads into motorcycling, and why a chick who rides her own bike isn’t just cool, but supercool. And, of course, you explore motorcycle riding techniques and safety, and how to have great motorcycling fun with your kids.

Are Bikes Better Than Cars? You Bet!

A car driver shouldn’t even try to convince a motorcyclist that cars are better than bikes. There’s just no comparison. You want basic transportation with a lot of cool factor? A motorcycle has it in spades. You want cheap transportation that’s a lot of fun to ride? Yep, that’s a motorcycle. You want plush seats, climate control, protection from the rain, and the ability to carry a lot of dogs and stuff? Okay, get a car.

Unless a motorcyclist needs to carry a lot of stuff or it’s bitter cold outside with ice on the road, a motorcyclist prefers to ride his or her motorcycle. A motorcycle gives a motorcyclist a true sense of freedom, even when making only a short hop down to the grocery store for a quart of milk. That’s true for a lot of reasons, and in this section, I point out a few of the best.

Just in case the reasons I list in this section aren’t enough, here’s one more: Under federal law, a motorcycle is allowed to use every high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in the United States without having to carry a passenger.

Motorcycling has a certain mystique

One reason motorcyclists prefer their bikes to cars is the long history of motorcyclists being seen as out-of-the-ordinary. They’re seen as people who are willing to add a little adventure to their lives and who maybe are a little rough around the edges. Part of this mystique is the thrill of throwing a leg over a motorcycle and feeling the wind rush by as you ride. And part of it is just knowing that you belong to a motorcycling fraternity that includes not only some of the roughest, toughest guys on the planet, but also some of the richest and most glamorous people in the world.

Just about everybody drives a car. But not everybody rides a motorcycle. That alone makes motorcyclists special. Throw in how motorcyclists feel about themselves when they ride, the fact that a motorcycle gets two or even three times the gas mileage that a car does, and the exhilaration of controlling a nimble machine, and you have a combination that adds up to just plain fun.

And really, fun is what motorcycling is all about. How many people have fun when they get in their cars to drive somewhere? For most people, driving the car isn’t part of the experience of going somewhere; driving is just transportation. A motorcycle is transportation, but it’s also recreation. Motorcyclists are fond of saying that when they have a rough day at work or just want to clear their minds of any troubles, they go for a ride.

Enjoying the outdoors, biker style, is great fun

Imagine that, one sunny day, you decide to take a little trip through farm country into the mountains. Should you take your bike or your car? Decisions, decisions. Not! You hop on your bike, start it up, and hear the motor roar to life. You feel the vibration of the machine, put it in gear, and head out of your driveway toward the countryside.

Cruising along country roads, you feel the warm sun on your face and a soothing, warm breeze rushing past your body, and you smell the sweet fragrance of wildflowers along the road. Cows graze lazily in pastures as you ride by, and you get a strong whiff of, well, cow manure. Okay, so riding in the country isn’t always a party for your senses. But most of the time it is, and when you’re boxed up in a car riding those country roads, the experience just isn’t the same.

Getting off the straight, country roads, you find yourself starting to wind up into the mountains. The road gets steeper, the air cools, and you fall into a rhythm, leaning the bike left, right, left as you climb higher and higher, the strong smell of pine filling your nostrils. You get to a point when the road is just snaking turns with few straights, so you lean the bike over farther to make the turns. On the country roads you were just enjoying the scenery, sights, and sounds, but now you are focused on the road and mastering every corner. It’s a challenge, but it’s intensely satisfying.

Near the top of the mountain is a lookout, and you see that you aren’t alone. Other bikers have also made the trip and have stopped at the lookout to drink in the view. You stop, enjoy the great weather and scenery, and chat. After all, motorcyclists are always instant friends. “Where are you from?” “What are you riding?” “Have you ever been to . . .?”

One by one, the motorcyclists hop on their bikes, click them into gear, and head back down the mountain. You wait, now alone at the lookout, basking in the sun and the silence. Too soon it’s time to go. Heading down the mountain, you decide to take a little ride past the beach before you head home.

As you cruise along the beach, heads turn, people smile, and children wave. You slow to a crawl to enjoy the scenery. All is right with the world. Motorcy- cling really is a sensory experience that you just can’t get driving a car.

Every ride is an adventure

Mount up and head out! Today’s motorcyclists are modern-day cowboys, seeking adventure wherever they go. And the adventure isn’t always the destination. In fact, most times it isn’t. The adventure is the ride itself.

Besides feeling alive while riding a bike because all the senses are at work, a motorcyclist enjoys the satisfaction of operating his or her machine. Operating a motorcycle requires a lot of coordination, and operating one well takes a lot of skill. Motorcyclists hone their skills every time they hop on a bike, and they get better every day.

So where does the adventure begin? It begins as soon as you stick the key into the bike’s ignition switch. You know that this is just the start of a lot of fun, whether the ride is for an hour or a day. Ca...