What I Ride

I commute to work on a 2007 Kawasaki Ninja 500.

The gas mileage is pretty damned good: 47 to 53 mpg. Even in the era of $4 per gallon gasoline, I can fill the tank with less than $20 and ride it about 200 miles until I need to fill it up again.

And something about riding settles my mind. You have to concentrate and leave everything else behind, so I suppose it is sort of like active meditation.

This next part is to assuage my mom's fears: Yes, I know that motorcycling is not an inherently safe activity. It carries a fair amount of risk. But there are things I do to attempt to minimize the risks:

• Take a rider training course -- The Motorcycle Safety Foundation and most Harley-Davidson dealerships offer courses for both new riders and more experienced riders. The beginner course teaches you important safety concepts and if you pass it, you can get your motorcycle endorsement on your license without having to take the test at the DMV. You may also get a discount on your insurance.
• Wear safety gear -- I wear All The Gear, All The Time (ATGATT) when I'm riding. My gear includes: full-face helmet, textile jacket with armor at elbows and shoulders; textile pants with armor at knee and hips; gloves and boots; and a high-visibility safety vest over the jacket. Yes, the gear is hot in the summertime, and yes, it can be expensive to buy all this stuff, but it's cheaper and definitely less painful than skin grafts or head injuries if you come off the bike.
• Never ever ride impaired -- Riding while drunk is just stupid. Riding while tired can be just as bad. And don't get me started on cell phones.....
• Keep the bike well-maintained -- You learn about this in the safety courses. Do the T-CLOCS checklist every time you get to the bike -- this stands for Tires, Controls, Lights, Oil, Chassis, and Sidestand. Making sure everything is in proper working order before you ride may help you avoid being stranded or crashing.
• Continuing Education -- this includes taking the followup Experienced Rider Course, reading books on motorcycle safety (the Proficient Motorcycling books by David L. Hough are good), and participating in online forums like the Beginnner Bikers Forum. To misquote the old Honda ads: "You meet the nicest people on the BB forum."

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