For a long time, I was under the false impression that a motorcycle was a motorcycle was a motorcycle in how they handled. That is, they all have two wheels and I thought they behaved and operated the same way as a bicycle, except they had an engine (LOL!). When you want to turn, you lean your body in the direction of the intended path of travel, and the bike goes that way. Seldom, unless you’re going very slowly or stopped, does a biker turn the handlebars. Many people who do not ride motorcycles do not understand that concept: turn by shifting the bike’s center of gravity and the bike goes that way. Not like a bicycle and turn the handlebars. ‘nuf said about that.

However, there’s more to turning a motorcycle than balance and leaning. I am not a physicist, but how a motorcycle handles turns has a lot to do with its center of gravity. Smaller, lighter-weight bikes (like my 750) didn’t corner well, and turned in wide, sweeping angles. That’s because it’s center of gravity was rather high. My Dyna Low Rider turned sharper, but I still found myself stopping short sometimes and self-correcting when I couldn’t turn the bike as tightly as the curve I was going around required. It felt like the bike was going to tip over with me on it!

When I got my Road King, I was thinking that because it is a bigger, heavier bike and because its seat height was a little higher than the Low Rider that my turning radius also would be wider. However, I found the opposite was true. During self-directed and on-range practice sessions, I discovered that I could turn the bike much more sharply than I thought I could.

Then it dawned on me: this is what the bike cops do. I have watched them at various police motorcycle rodeos and have been amazed at how skilled they were in being able to turn their bikes so sharply and not lose control of it or have it topple over. Just like you see in this video:

• Smaller bikes don’t turn as sharply as larger bikes
• The lower one is seated on a motorcycle, the more likely the rider can steer it through a curve closely
• “Big and Heavy” does not necessarily equal “hard to turn tightly.”

Some riders, like my friend Sue, have explained that they have felt uncomfortable when turning their Harley (or other large motorcycle) while riding at speed. That indeed may be the case if the bike’s center of gravity is at a point that makes the bike feel top-heavy or wobbly. The best way to deal with it is to practice, practice, practice. (Sure seems as if I say that often, doesn’t it? Well, it’s true!)

Drive to an open parking lot, preferably a lot that is level and free of debris such as sand, dirt, or gravel. Practice driving in circles, making the circle tighter and tighter as you go around. Don’t drive so fast as to make yourself dizzy, but don’t drive so slowly that the bike isn’t in control of its motion. (What I mean is that you should drive fast enough such that you are leaning into the curves rather than steering slowly using the handlebars to point the front wheel.)

Turn around and practice going the other direction. It is very likely that you will find that you are more comfortable with right-sweeping turns or left-sweeping turns, but not both. For example, while I am right-handed, I am more comfortable with left-sweeping turns. I can take them faster and closer than their right counterpart. So I take time to practice doing the right-sweeping turns more, because I need more experience.

It really doesn’t matter how long you have been riding. You develop a degree of comfort and skill with this procedure by practicing and actually riding that bike.

Most bikers will admit (if they’re honest) that they have trouble with taking a curve and turning while the bike is at speed on the road. The best way to counter that is to practice. You will learn how far you can push your bike — and yourself — and develop confidence in your skills.

Life is short: ride your motorcycle confidently!

This is my third installment on motorcycle-related info. Previous posts on The Fit of a Motorcycle and Buying a Motorcycle have been viewed a lot. Doubled my readership in the last few days.

I have been riding motorcycles now for over 30 years. I started out on a Kawasaki 440, which was a great starter bike. It was peppy and fun, and even handled cruising on the highway, though I could tell that it better suited to slower speeds on the back roads. It was a cool little bike — big enough to get me places, but small enough for me to handle. I could sit on it and walk it to fit in a parking spot, or stand and push it on those occasions when I forgot and parked on a downhill incline. I even dropped it once — it slid out from under me on wet leaves — and I was able to right it by myself, tuck my tail between my legs, and ride it home.

Unfortunately, that bike’s engine developed problems pretty quickly, and it was getting more and more expensive to have repairs done. I sold that bike after two years and replaced it with a Kawasaki 750 “LTD”. That also was a cool bike, with a bigger engine that handled highway speeds better. It was smooth and comfortable. The fit was great. However, as it had a bigger engine, it also was heavier. I really strained the only time I forgot and parked it on a downhill incline to get it out of that space. I had to have a friend help me roll it up a ramp when I had it towed when I got a flat. That additional 100 pounds made a huge difference in how I was able to handle it.

However, a heavier bike rode more smoothly on the highway. I took the 440 once over a huge suspension bridge, and thought I would be blown off. I was scared witless. I rode the 750 over that same bridge, and the ride wasn’t as scary. Probably because, by then, I had been riding a lot more, had taken more training, and was more secure in my capabilities.

A few years later, I got tired of repairing the 750LTD, and bought a Kawasaki 750 Vulcan. I had it in 1993 when I met my partner. We rode on it two-up, and it handled the two of us rather well, though a bit cramped. It was nice when we rode together, because he could help me maneuver the bike if I needed help.

My partner convinced me to fulfill my dream — buying a Harley. I ordered a gorgeous new Dyna Low Rider in October, 1993, and it was delivered in February, ’94. I learned that Harley cruisers and touring bikes all had the same size engine — in that year, it was 80ci (1310cc). That was almost double the engine displacement — and weight — of my previous bike. And I noticed it right away. When I sat on the bike, I could barely move it. It took a lot of strain, stress, and struggle to get the bike parked in a tight spot. I have to admit, at first, I was daunted, intimidated, and frightened. I became more distressed when I dropped it one week after I bought it, because it just wanted to go somewhere and I couldn’t control it. Fortunately, when I dropped my Harley, the only thing that was damaged was my ego.

I was determined to figure out how to handle the thing. Again, while cruising, the bike handled fine. I felt very comfortable, secure, and confident while riding it. But when it was stopped, and I had to creep up at a light to fill a gap or move it into a parking spot or even into the space for it in the back of my garage, I had a lot of trouble. I couldn’t handle the weight. I was never a weight-lifter, and my inexperience was showing.

You see — where this is going — when you are riding a bigger bike, there’s no problem. Big bikes handle the road very well. With a low center of gravity, big bikes cruise smoothly and efficiently over the open road. It’s when they’re stopped that one has problems.

I went back to my motorcycle safety instructor, and I also spoke with some other, more experienced, bikers whom I trusted. The advice they gave to me are skills that I still practice today on my Road King:

1. Never park facing down hill. (no brainer!) If you have to park on a hill, move in perpendicular and then turn so the back of the bike rolls down hill. Then you can use the power of the engine to get out whilst moving foward.

2. Get more comfortable man-handling (lugging) the bike. Move it to a level, debris-free solid surface. Stand up and straddle the seat. Grab the bars. Walk the bike. Move it forward, move it backward. Move it, move it, move it. It’s may seem odd, but this procedure really works. You become more comfortable in knowing how hard to push, where to push, how to stand for better leverage, and what the drop-angle is (and stop before you reach that angle.)

3. Pick a corner of a parking lot, and practice parking the bike backwards in that place. Drive up to it facing forward, but then turn perpendicular. Kill the engine. Put the bike in neutral. Walk the bike back and forth so that its rear tire is facing the back of the space, and the bike is parallel to the space (or curb.) What you’re doing is practicing how to park it on a downhill incline. Practice in a level area first, then practice on a hill. The more you practice this handling technique on your own, the better you will be at it when you’re with a group and don’t want to be embarrassed because it’s evident that you can’t park your bike.

4. Practice stopping the bike and putting the sidestand down BEFORE standing up and dismounting. This may sound silly, but the more you practice this technique, the more it will become ingrained and will be something you “just do”. Why do this practice? Because, unfortunately, this example is common: you arrive at your favourite biker hang-out and see a bunch of friends. You enthusiastically drive up, cooly swing your leg over the seat to dismount the bike, and walk with the biker swagger toward your buddies … and hear a crash. You look behind you and see your bike on the ground and your friends in hysterics. What happened? You forgot to put the sidestand down. OMG, happens all the time. I see it two or three times each year.

5. Learn how to pick up your bike if it falls. Inevitably, this happens. The bike tips over and you can’t stop it, so you give it a controlled lay-down. Sometimes the bike slips on ice or gravel. Whatever… bikes fall over. It is not a macho-Harley “requirement” that you can’t have help lifting it up. In fact, even The Motor Company says that you should get help lifting a bike that has fallen over. I don’t know what it is about Harley-rider-thick skulls that insist that if a guy drops his bike, then anyone else standing around has to stand there laughing with arms crossed while the guy struggles to pick up his bike. Help him, and accept help! If, and only IF, you are all alone, then follow these instructions for Lifting a Heavyweight Motorcycle.

In summary, as bikes get bigger but their owners do not gain strength proportionate to the increase in a new bike’s weight, then you need to learn and adapt new skills in handling the bike. Recognize that the weight of a bike, especially something like a big V-Twin, can be daunting. It can cause strange and scary thoughts to mess with your head. It can even cause you to re-think your decision to go for a ride, or even to own the bike. Take time to practice the techniques described above. They really will help.

Life is short: go ride!

I wrote a blog post yesterday where I shared some of my experience and recommendations on buying a motorcycle. I commented in that post how incredibly important the “fit” of a motorcycle is to the rider. How well the bike fits you determines whether you feel comfortable on it. I can tell you from my own experience: if you’re not comfortable on your ride, you will find excuses not to ride it, which defeats the purpose, eh? I mean, why own a big hunk of metal that collects dust in the garage or rusts in the drive?

That’s exactly what happens to a lot of bikes, unfortunately. The buyers get excited and go buy a motorcycle. New or used — it really doesn’t matter. They might buy some nifty new accessories, saddle bags, or chrome and dress it up.

They get on it and ride it to show their friends. Hey, cool bike! Cool you!

But then they ride it some more, and find that after a while… um… the back is achy. Wrists are sore. Rump hurts. Elbows, knees, or shoulders feel tight, cramped, or are just plain ol’ painful.

A rider may not develop all of these symptoms, nor experience them all of the time. Perhaps the rider strained a muscle playing ball the other day and the soreness is made worse by riding the bike. It will go away… sooner or later.

Face it, though, none of us are getting any younger. Demographics of the “average” motorcycle rider are showing that bikers are an older lot — like by decades — than they averaged back in the ’50s.

We may find that sitting on a motorcycle seat that has a very thin amount of padding between the butt and the bike’s frame becomes mighty uncomfortable. We may find that sitting in a position that requires us to reach forward or hunch over causes pressure in the lower back, or on our joints.

The position in how we are seated on a motorcycle is “the fit.” The more comfortable the fit of a bike is for you, the more likely your body won’t be complaining after a long ride. Conversely, if the bike doesn’t fit you well and your body starts nagging you at the end of the ride, then you will be more likely to choose not to ride it as often. I’m not saying that you will decide all of a sudden to stop riding your bike ever again. But you will start finding excuses not to ride… other things to do… other priorities. Before you know it, you have a very expensive and heavy paperweight out in the garage.

This happened to me when I bought my Harley Road King in 2008. Before that, I rode a Harley Dyna Low Rider. The LR had a low seat height, yet the sweep of the handlebars and the position of the foot-operated controls moved me into a comfortable seating position. My arms were slightly bent, my back was straight, my feet were able to reach the controls with deliberate by minor movement. It was perfect.

The Road King fit okay, or at least I thought. I could operate the controls, and I didn’t feel as if I were stretching. However, I went on a few rides and after about the first 50 miles, my back was achy. My shoulders, too. I would get home after a day ride and go soak in a hot tub. Then I found myself saying, “oh, I have to clean the gutters or treat the deck or clean out the garage,” and I found myself making excuses not to ride. Heck! After spending all that money on a new bike and there I am — not riding it!

I also have to say that some of my reluctance to ride (or not) had to do with feeling comfortable handling the bike. That’s fodder for a future blog post.

Meanwhile, I thought that I had to do something to fix this situation. Since my body wasn’t going to get younger or less achy, I spoke with other guys my age (and older), and asked them what they did. Each one of them told me that they did something to adjust the bike’s fit for their bodies.

Motorcycles come pretty much “one-size-fits-all” yet not all riders are a standard 6′, 185 pounds. Some of us are shorter, some are taller, some are lighter and some are heavier. Some are men, but there are a lot of women riders, too. Some have full range of motion of all joints, and some do not if past injuries or surgeries affect it.

I went back to my dealer and spoke with the parts manager. I asked him to look at how I was positioned on the bike. It was pretty clear when he looked at my seating position what the source of my ongoing discomfort was. The riding position required me to lean just a little more forward to reach the controls on the handlebars. Then that caused me to put pressure on my lower back, which caused both my back and butt to hurt.

He also looked at how I operated the foot controls, and found that I could reach all of them comfortably, safely, and well. He didn’t recommend changing anything down there (which was do-able if necessary.)

He recommended that I get a different set of handlebars so it would adjust my seating position to a more upright position, and let me bend my elbows a little bit. The new bars weren’t expensive (though labor to install them and make the fly-by-wire throttle work with them was). However, after having the bars replaced, it made a world of difference to me and to my ride.

There are other things that can be adjusted either by a motorcycle owner or a professional, besides the rise and pull-back of handlebars. The foot controls can be adjusted, shortened, or put on risers. The overall height of most street bikes can be lowered (or raised.) Seats can be replaced for both comfort as well as where it places you relative to the bike’s frame and controls. Shock absorbers can be adjusted as well to make slight changes in the rider’s position (mostly height) on a bike.

Next time you’re out riding and you are feeling that you’re getting sore and it’s time to head back, ask yourself if you are returning because it’s been a long day and you’re just tired, or if you are returning because the bike isn’t feeling comfortable. Next time you asked yourself, “clean the garage or take a ride” and the choice is to clean and not ride — then absolutely go get the fit of the bike adjusted!

The fit of your ride determines the happiness of the biker, as well as her or his comfort. Enjoy them all.

Life is short: go ride!