Motorcycle Beginning Safety: Tires and Controls

Be Smart. Be Safe.

Riding motorcycles have been the cool thing to do for a long time and maybe you are just beginning to ride and you want to make sure you do it right. Well, you are reading the right article! Riding a motorcycle is an exhilarating experience but there needs to be a reverence and respect for the power that you have when riding your bike. Vehicles have radically increased in power and speed over the past decades. They also have increased dramatically in safety but this does not mean that we are invincible on the road. This is especially the case when motorcycles don't have a large metal cage to protect you from accidents along with all the other safety precautions that a car has over a bike. All the more reason you need to be safe on your bike. You don't want to be a tragic story on the news so please drive safe.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation was nice enough to come up with a great acronym to you keep safe. It is a simple checklist to go through before you hit the open road. I'll share each word to the acronym and why it is important to check each of these in terms of road safety. This is the first article in a three part series which explains T-CLOCS. Each article will explain two of the letters of this acronym. The acronym that the Motorcycle Safety Foundation uses is T-CLOCS which stands for:

T - Tires & Wheels
C - Controls (This includes any levers, pedal, cables, hoses & your throttle)
L - Lights (headlights, turn signals, mirrors, battery and any other light your bike might have)
O - Oil (fluid levels)
C - Chassis (your frame, your suspension, your chain, etc.)
S - Stands (center stand and/or kickstand)

Tires & Wheels- It is crucial to keep checking your tires. It is beneficial for your gas mileage to check the air in your tire. The better you take care of your tires, the better they will serve you. Also it is good to know where you are going and how long you'll be on the road so that you'll know the condition of your tires. They recommend changing your tires between 8,000 miles to 12,000 miles to stay safe. You don't want to be stuck on the road with a popped tire. You also have to take into account how hard you are riding. If you are all in and hit the road at a heavy pace and very consistently then you are going to want to be checking more frequently.

Controls - This one will be more obvious to check because these are what make your bike run properly. Check and make sure that everything that is connected to a cable works properly. Make sure everything is working smoothly because don't want anything caught up. For the brakes, push the bike in each direction and use both brakes to make sure they are working properly. Make sure the when it brakes, that it is firm and not lose at all. You can also test it out as soon as you get on the road to make sure it is road worthy. Also, make sure you check your throttle that it seems firm in its position and it isn't in a loose position where it could be snapped which can leave you on the side of the road.

Make sure all your motorcycle parts are working correctly and if you are looking for parts there are great websites that sell Yamaha Parts, Honda Parts, Harley Part etc... Online is a great way to shop for bikes.

I will be addressing the rest of the explanation of T-CLOCS in "Motorcycle Beginning Saftey: Lights & Oil" and in "Motorcycle Beginning Safety: Chassis and Stands"

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Motorcycle Beginning Safety: T-CLOCS Checklist - Chassis and Stands

Having an Awareness

Looking into get on the road safely and you need to check your motorcycle? In my past two articles we have tackled the importance of road safety, knowing the importance of checking your motorcycle parts and checking your motorcycle and making sure it is road worthy. It is essential to know that operating a vehicle has a lot of responsibility with it. There needs to be a respect for the road, a respect for our vehicles and a respect for other vehicles. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation if you couldn't tell by their name is very active in the Motorcycle world and promoting safety. They have a bunch of great advice for on the road and one of the great things they have done is created a quick and easy checklist before you go out on the road. They were creative enough to put it into an easy to remember acronym call T-CLOCS which stands for:

T - Tires & Wheels
C - Controls (This includes any levers, pedal, cables, hoses & your throttle)
L - Lights (headlights, turn signals, mirrors, battery and any other light your bike might have)
O - Oil (fluid levels)
C - Chassis (your frame, your suspension, your chain, etc.)
S - Stands (center stand and/or kickstand)

In this article I'll be explaining the importance of chassis and stands and why would should check them. It is good to know the importance of each of the words in this acronym after all the guru of Motorcycle road safety put each of these in here for a purpose.

Chassis- Some of you might be asking; what does that word even mean? When I first heard it I had no idea what it meant but it is speaking to the supporting structure of the motorcycle. This is important that your bike is adjusted according to the weight it is carrying. This is important that you check this especially after you have either been traveling long distances where you have needed to carry more than normal or you have had an extra person on your motorcycle. You want to make sure your suspensions move smoothly and slowly. You don't want it to be moving fast because it will throw your weight around too much when you are riding on the road and it can be potentially very dangerous. If you are bouncing up and down then you should head straight to the mechanic if you don't have an adjustable suspension. If you do have an adjustable suspension then make sure you do it right and refer to the manual to be sure of your safety. Test it out a second time just to make sure. It won't ever hurt.

Stands-. The stands on your motorcycle are pretty important. It's what keeps your motorcycle from crashing to the ground. It is always good to check your stand because after a lot of use they can get bent or cracked. Check the springs to make sure they are working properly and aren't loose. Does it look like your bike could fall? Then you'll want to take a look at your stand and if you need to get a new stand they are fairly easy to find on the internet. Check out motorcycle parts houses which are great online tools to find the motorcycle parts you need.

I hope you learned the importance of safety on the road and learned what T-CLOCS stands for and why The Motorcycle Safety Foundation found it necessary to create the acronym for those who are operating motorcycles on the road.

You did the trusty T-CLOCS check and your motorcycle didn't seem quite right? It's probably a part problem. Search online for motorcycle parts. Motorcycle Parts. Buy motorcycle parts online at: http://www.yamahapartshouse.com/.

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Motorcycle Beginning Safety: Lights and Oil

In my last article I addressed the importance of safety on the road and the responsibility that we have as operators of vehicles. We have great power when we are driving at high speeds. If we learned anything from the movie Spiderman then we know "with great power comes great responsibility." We need to be responsible on the road and that is why The Motorcycle Safety Foundation came up with a great acronym to quickly check out your bike before you hit the road. The acronym is T-CLOCS which stands for:

T - Tires & Wheels
C - Controls (This includes any levers, pedal, cables, hoses & your throttle)
L - Lights (headlights, turn signals, mirrors, battery and any other light your bike might have)
O - Oil (fluid levels)
C - Chassis (your frame, your suspension, your chain, etc.)
S - Stands (center stand and/or kickstand)

It is good to know this helpful acronym for motorcycle safety but we need to know the importance of each letter in this acronym for the safety of the road. I am going to address and explain the importance of Lights and Oil in this article. This is the second article in a three part series explaining the importance of T-CLOCS. Please take note on the importance of each of these because you and everyone on the road will benefit from you mastering these simple reminders.

Lights - Lights are there so that you can see where you are going, especially at night. Don't try to ride on the road without them. Keep in mind that you want to be seen by others as much as you want to see what is in front of you. Motorcycles are much smaller than cars and it is ESSENTIAL that you have bright lights. Seeing and being seen are the best ways to avoid any kind of accident on the road and being aware. Make sure to check your headlights, check high beam & low beam, check if your break lights work and then check your turn signals. Obviously headlights are very important at night but your brake lights and turns signals are crucial for you at all times of the day. The truth is that some drivers in cars don't know how to interact with motorcycles on the road so keep that in mind when you are checking your lights. If you need lights they are easily replaceable and your find motorcycle parts online very easy. Just search motorcycle parts house into a search engine and you should come up with great sites that will help you out with everything you need.

Also something that they encourage you to do when you check your lights is to check your horn. I know it doesn't really fit the whole lights theme but don't point your finger at me. I didn't make the acronym.

Oils/Fluids/Fuel - So if you've ever driven any kind of vehicle it should be natural for you to check the gas gauge but maybe you are new to motorcycles and you have realized that some don't have gas gauges. Make sure you check the level of gas in your tank. Check frequently if you can't remember. You don't want to run out of gas in the middle of ride. Just don't be "that guy" because then most likely you'll inconvenience someone else and that's never fun regardless how nice your friends are. Also, you really don't want to run out of oil. You want to check this before every ride to make sure that your bike is running properly. Oil can go a lot quicker in Motorcycles depending on how you ride and how frequently.

If you are looking for the rest of the explanation to T-CLOCS you'll have to check out the other articles in this three part series they are called "Motorcycle Beginning Saftey: Tires & Controls " & "Motorcycle Beginning Saftey: Chassis & Stands"

Did you check your lights and they aren't working properly? you want to be seen? You need to get new Motorcycle Parts. Buy motorcycle parts online at: http://www.yamahapartshouse.com/.

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Important Tips For Beginning Motorcycle Riders

Have you just bought a motorcycle and are about to learn how to ride? If so, hopefully these motorcycle riding tips will help you have a safer ride in the future.

There are some important steps you can take to make your next ride an even safer ride. First, if you haven't done so yet, consider signing up to take a motorcycle safety course. These courses cover all skill levels, but for beginning riders they are crucial - and even mandatory in some states. In a motorcycle safety course, you will learn the most important basic skill you need to know to ride safety on the road. Most of the beginning courses start with off road practice, so that those who are brand new to motorcycle riding get some practice before doing on road riding. They will also teach you important information about safety gear (including helmets) and defensive riding techniques.

After you have completed your course, you may also want to gain some additional on road riding experience in a sparsely populated location. This is particularly important if you live in a busy town or city. This way you can gradually build up your skills before attempting often chaotic inner city riding.

Besides location, also consider the time of day you will be riding your bike. Beginning riders should certainly not set out during rush hour traffic early on, but instead should aim to ride during off peak traffic hours.

Also, make sure you protect yourself by making yourself as visible as possible to often unaware drivers. Wear reflective clothing and be sure that your lights are all functioning and on. If your helmet or clothing are dark color, reflective tape can help make you much more visible when riding.

Always ride defensively on the road. Do not assume that drivers are aware of you and that they will always follow traffic laws and signal properly. In the event of a near collision or if you encounter an aggressive driver on the road, do not respond in kind. Cars are much larger and heavier, and in the event of a collision, it will be you who is hurt most severely. Put your safety first, and keep road rage out of the equation when riding your bike. If needed, back off or change your lane to avoid a conflict with a motorist. Although it can be frustrating at times, always keep in mind that your safety is paramount on the road.

Some great safety gear can be purchased online as well. There is everything from motorcycle helmets for sale to some great motorcycle jacket selections to choose from, and much much more.

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