Beat Biker

Road Rage Radar

Jason — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:45:17 +0000

Photo by elroySF

As motorcycle riders we face dangers every time we hit the road. We are smaller and less visible than any other vehicle on the highway; the public is often unable to see us. We are riding on roads that were designed for four-wheeled traffic, which puts us at a disadvantage at sensor-based traffic lights. Even the simple act of balancing the bike can be thwarted by a careless pedestrian or curious dog. We take risks simply by climbing on the back of the bikes that bring us so much pleasure. So, how do we sanely undertake an activity that brings with it such danger?

Riders who have taken safety courses know that to successfully ride we must “manage” our risk. Even smart bikers who have not taken a course know there are things to do, or not to do, that will enable them to better survive each ride they take. We:

wear as much protective gear as we feel is necessary to remain safe/comply with local laws.
make ourselves as visible as possible with our clothing and behavior.
ride attentively keeping an eye out for unseen hazards like animals, lazy drivers, and changing road conditions.

But what about open hostility? How do you deal with a driver who will not safely share the road with you? In other words, how do you deal with a driver exhibiting signs of road rage? My recommendation: back off; stay as far away from those lunatics as possible. In fact, learn to identify those drivers before they become a problem. According to an article at the Chicago Tribune that may not be as difficult as it sounds. William Szlemk, a social psychologist at Colorado State University reports:

Drivers of cars with bumper stickers, window decals, personalized license plates and other “territorial markers” not only get mad when someone cuts into their lane or is slow to respond to a traffic light, they also are far more likely than others to use their vehicles to express rage —by honking, tailgating and other aggressive behavior.

Are all cars with bumper stickers piloted by “road ragers?” Maybe not. But maybe this trick will help you sharpen your road rage radar.

What idiots have you encountered while riding your bike? Share your stories in the comments below.

Ohio Bike Week

Jason — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:42:48 +0000

We haven’t had any big bike shows here in West Michigan so far this summer. There was the Blessing of the Bikes in Baldwin, MI during May. Also in May was a Yooper event we thought about attending. But that’s all I can think of. Maybe there were more and I just didn’t know about them. Geez, I wish someone would put all of this in one place on the internet. That way I could……sorry. I’ll try to keep it together.

Despite the relative quiet up here bike shows are still happening elsewhere. A couple of excellent motorcycle bloggers have shared their recent experiences at Ohio Bike Week.

Rick over at Keep The Rubber Side Down shared his experiences and some photos as well. It’s good stuff. Man, I’m fired up to get to a show now!

And Micah from Lucas County Choppers gave us this fantastic video.

Which shows have you been to this season?

By the way, if you’re not on the list get signed up! Bikers on Twitter is the place to show your devotion.

You can’t ride this one

Jason — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:21:41 +0000

I couldn’t pass this one up. Not because I’m a Yamaha fan. But because my wife is a papercrafter.

via Neatorama

Bikers use Twitter, too

Jason — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:45:07 +0000

I want to kick off this site by bringing people together.

I am a Twitter user who lives to ride his motorcycle. And I’m not the only one. There are about a dozen or so other bikers I know who are active Twitter users and they’re all great people. And I suspect there are even more of you out there.

I did a bit of searching but I did not find a comprehensive list of bikers on Twitter. So, I’d like to start a list here to make it easy to find each other.

If you ride and Tweet and want to be included on this list, then leave a comment below or contact me and I’ll add your name to the list.

Beat Biker’s list of bikers on Twitter:

Update: Be sure to make your Twitter ID obvious so I can link to you correctly. Thanks!

This egg is still being hatched

Jason — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:41:27 +0000

I’m Jason. I ride a motorcycle.

This is not some weird 12-step confession. It is who I am. And a mission statement, if you will, for this site. I love being on my bike and hope to share that appreciation with others of you who feel the same.

So, I don’t know how you got here, but feel free to come back when I have more to offer you. In the meantime, you can let me know who you are and what you’d like to see here.