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Motorcycle Views Newsletter for 09/27/2015

By Walter F. Kern

 Motorcycle Views Newsletter

Vol. 9, No. 21, September 27, 2015

Articles of Interest on Motorcycle Views:

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Seven Things Only a Biker Knows:

By Walter F. Kern

The following is certainly nothing new for an experienced motorcyclist. However, people brand new to motorcycling and those who are on the outside of motorcycling, will find that bikes are quite different from cars.

The following assumes modern motorcycles and cars driven on the right side of the road. This does not apply completely to motor scooters.

Over the last 100+ years of motorcycle history, there have been many configurations of motorcycle controls. Fortunately, standardization did occur and now you can go from one bike to another and be able to ride it safely.

Here are seven (7) things only a biker knows. There are quite a few more so if you're interested in learning about motorcycles, check out the articles in the sidebar. Want to learn to ride? Read my 5-part article, You CAN Ride a Motorcycle.

1. You Shift Gears With Your Left Foot

Most cars have automatic transmissions these days. Manual transmission cars do exist. You use your right hand to shift a car. Bikes are different. You shift gears by kicking a ratchet down smartly for each lower gear. The normal configuration is 1-N-2-3-4-5-6, assuming a 6-speed transmission. N stands for Neutral. If your bike is in first gear, you go to second gear, by kicking upward smartly with the toe of your boot on the bottom of the shifter. A similar action is done to go through the remaining gears one at a time. I won't go into all the operations required to support the shift such as use of the clutch.

2. The Clutch Lever is on the Left Handlebar Grip

For those used to driving a car with a manual transmission, the clutch is on the floor just to the left of the brake pedal. On a motorcycle, the clutch lever -- no pedal -- is squeezed by the fingers of the left hand. Squeeze the lever until it is close to the left handlebar grip to activate the clutch. Release your grip gradually and apply a bit of throttle just after you have shifted gears and the bike will be moving in another gear.

The motorcycle clutch lever is either connected to a cable that goes to the physical clutch release mechanism or it is hydraulically operated. Use of a hydraulic clutch eliminates broken clutch cables and makes using the clutch easier.

3. The Front Brake Lever is on the Right Handlebar Grip

In a car, there is a single brake pedal that controls the brakes on all four wheels. On a motorcycle, there are various braking systems in use that separately control the brakes on the front wheel and the brakes on the rear wheel. To control the brakes, a motorcycle has a front wheel brake lever located on the right handlebar grip and a rear wheel brake pedal. Modern bikes have disc brakes on the front wheel and either disc or drum brakes on the rear wheel.

The front brake is the most important brake on the motorcycle. It has about 70-80 percent of the total stopping force. On a motorcycle, riders use the two brakes together but favor the front brake in most situations. Beginning riders without training often use the rear brake and avoid the front brake. The result is a significantly increased distance to get the bike stopped.

Some bikes have Linked Braking Systems (LBS) where squeezing the front brake lever activates a portion of the front braking action and also activates a portion of the braking action on the rear disc brake. (Some examples are the Honda Gold Wing 1800 and Honda ST1300.) The Honda Gold Wing 1500 has a Unified Braking System (UBS) where the front brake lever controls the right front disc brake only while depressing the rear brake pedal applies the left front disc brake as well as the rear disc brake.) Also, optional ABS brakes are used on bikes, as in cars, to stop the bike without locking the wheels on slick surfaces.

4. The Rear Brake is Controlled by the Right Foot

In a car, there is a single brake pedal that controls the brakes on all four wheels. On a motorcycle, there are various braking systems in use that separately control the brakes on the front wheel and the brakes on the rear wheel. To do this, a motorcycle has a front wheel brake lever and a rear wheel brake pedal.

The rear wheel brake on a motorcycle can be either disc or drum with most modern bikes using disc brakes. The rear wheel brake has its own master cylinder and associated foot pedal on the right side of the bike. Of all the controls used to operate a motorcycle, the rear wheel brake, controlled by a brake pedal on the right side of the bike, is most like the brake pedal on a car. For that reason, many beginning riders tend to favor the brake pedal thinking that it is all that is required to stop the motorcycle. Such is not the case since the front brake is the most important on the motorcycle. It has about 70-80 percent of the total stopping force. On a motorcycle, riders use the two brakes together but favor the front brake in most situations. Beginning riders without training often use the rear brake and avoid the front brake. The result is a significantly increased distance to get the bike stopped.

Bikes also may have systems where depressing the rear foot brake also activates a portion of the braking action on the front wheel. Also, optional ABS brakes are used on bikes, as in cars, to stop the bike without locking the wheels on slick surfaces.

Now read 3 more things that only a biker knows by clicking here.

Motorcycle Books That Every Motorcycle Rider Should Own:

By Walter F. Kern

The following 52 motorcycle books are personally owned by me and recommended to any motorcycle rider who wants to know more about motorcycles.

Some motorcycle books have also been personally reviewed. Most motorcycle books are available for sale on this site through amazon.com by clicking the title of the book.

Motorcycle Views is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Note on Kindle Editions: You don't have to own a Kindle reading device to buy or read a Kindle book from Amazon. You can download an app from Amazon for your iPhone, Windows PC, Mac, Blackberry, iPad, Android cellphone, or Windows Phone 7 that takes the place of the Kindle reading device. Click Here for details.

Here is the beginning of the A - H list of books. Below these books you'll find a link to the remainder of this section and two additional links to the remaining books.

50 Wild Motorcycle Tales: An Anthology of Motorcycle Stories by Walter F. Kern
This book is an anthology of motorcycle stories. These 50 tales were submitted to the Motorcycle Views Website over a 13-year period. The individual authors tell their own personal stories of what happened to them as they rode their motorcycles. You'll find humor, risk-taking, adventures, 2-up excursions, stupid tricks on bikes, lessons learned, hazards while riding, and stories told by returning riders. This book is available in a paperback edition, a Kindle edition, and an audiobook (Audible) edition from Amazon.com. The audiobook is also available for download from Audible or iTunes. You can also listen to a 5-minute sample of the audiobook by clicking the book cover, below.
Read a Page from the Book

The Adventures of Olive Pearl and Hammy Davidson by Michael DeRosa
This book, aimed at the 9-12 age group of young readers, follows the exploits of two people, two motorcycles, and a stuffed animal, a pig, as they seek to learn more about each other, the world around them, the people they encounter, and most especially, how their choice of travel -- motorcycles -- makes them thankful that they have freedom and live in a free country. Paperback
Walter's Review

The Art of the Motorcycle by Thomas Krens and the Guggenheim Museum Staff
This book has over 400 pages of color pictures, essays, and descriptions about motorcycling over its first 100 years. The book was published in conjunction with the 1998 exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum where over 100 motorcycles were displayed. Hardcover
Walter's Review

Biker Billy Cooks with Fire: Robust Recipes from America's Most Outrageous Television Chef by Bill Hufnagle
Biker Billy mixes motorcycles and cooking. He puts hot peppers in recipes like "Drop-Dead Cornbread" and "Yellow Bowl of Fire." He lives his motto: Eat Hot, Ride Safe, and Cook with Fire. You'll enjoy Billy's stories. Paperback
Walter's Review

The Biker Code: Wisdom for the Ride by Stuart Miller and Geoffrey Moss
Bikers are interviewed for their thoughts about biking that they express in short verse. Photos of the riders are shown next to their compositions. Some bikers you may have heard of. Others will be unknown. Regardless, you'll gain much from the wisdom imparted. Paperback

Biker Billy's Freeway-A-Fire Cookbook: Life's Too Short to Eat Dull Food by Bill Hufnagle
Biker Billy continues with his recipes that are guaranteed not to be dull. Hardcover

Bikerlady: Living and Riding Free!: Living & Riding Free! by Sasha Mullins
This is an important book following in the tradition of Pierson's, "The Perfect Vehicle" and Ferrar's, "Hear Me Roar." Over 160 personal stories of women riders are given showing how the motorcycle changed their lives. Paperback
Walter's Review

Coming and Going on Bikes: Essaying the Motorcycle by Jack Lewis
This series of motorcycle essays, presented in Kindle format, showcases the literary talents of Jack Lewis as he relates his previously published essays in their original length. Jack talks of his experiences riding home from the war, gives a review of a Ural sidecar rig, discusses sidecar/trike training methods, provides an insight into a typical BMW moto-journalist junket to test an enduro model, and gets serious with the dangers inherent in riding super-powered bikes by returning soldiers. Kindle Edition
Walter's Review

Now look at our complete list of 52 motorcycle books by clicking the following links:

A - H: (Adventures => Honda)

I - R: (Illustrated Antique => Rigby's Roads)

S - Z: (Savvy Guide => Zen & the Art)

Latest Motorcycle Story - You Will Fall Down by Smitty:

These are the confessions of a "newbie" who is willing to share the embarrassment of some of her first traumatic experiences. However, when I think about how I hadn't learned to ride until after I became a senior citizen, and being a girl, I am proud of myself for hanging in there.

The first time I went down was making a U-turn by my house in Prior Lake and hitting the curb. Fortunately, the bike landed ON the curb, which enabled me to actually pick it up. No injuries.

Then, when I took my "new" Anniversary Edition Sportster out for the first time in the spring, Dale had convinced me to use the throttle lock on the highway. When we got to town and to a stoplight, I had not disengaged the lock mechanism enough, so my engine began to rev excessively, and although my clutch was in, I panicked and my bike went down.

Next, I was on a small ride with some friends and we were making a hairpin turn down a hill that had gravel. Since I had only gotten my training and license late in the season the year before and had forgotten the rules about braking, and since this was basically about my second ride on my Harley and I wasn't used to the controls, I again panicked. This time I used ONLY my front brake (I had almost completely forgotten about the rear brake) and went down hard! My head hit the pavement, but I had a helmet on (and have since vowed never to ride without one) and had some minor cuts and bruises, particularly to my ego. The bike was bleeding oil as the cap had come off, but once that was replaced everything was fine, just a scratched windshield as a reminder ...

Now read the complete story by clicking here.

Today's Motorcycle Views Poll:

I'm running one new Motorcycle Views Poll in each issue of the newsletter. Please participate in each poll so we can all find out what's happening in motorcycling.

Here's Poll No. 23: What's your favorite motorcycle movie?

The latest Motorcycle Views Poll also appears on the front page of the Motorcycle Views website.

ALL Motorcycle Views Polls

Today's How-To:

I will be featuring one of my How-Tos in each issue of the newsletter.

How To Store Your Motorcycle For the Winter

ALL Motorcycle How-Tos

Motorcycle Picture of the Month:

Motorcycle Picture of the Month - October, 2015 - 2007 Honda Shadow Spirit VT1100C:
See the October, 2015 Picture of the Month and previous pictures. If you'd like to be considered for Picture of the Month, send me a picture and description of your bike. Submit Picture.

My Book, 50 Wild Motorcycle Tales, is also available as an Audiobook (Audible) Edition on Amazon, iTunes, and Audible:

My new audiobook makes a great gift for those who want to listen instead of read.

I mentioned in previous Motorcycle Views newsletters that I would soon have an audiobook edition of my book, 50 Wild Motorcycle Tales. On April 14, 2015, that became a reality. The audiobook is available on Amazon, iTunes, and Audible.

If you click the book cover (or click here), you can listen to a 5-minute sample of the audiobook and hear all three narrators, including one female voice and me.

Should you decide to buy and download the audiobook, I'd welcome any Amazon online reviews you might want to write after you have listened to the audiobook.

Remember, this new audiobook edition is also available for download on iTunes. That means you can access it on all your Apple devices including your iPhone and iPad.

Here are some very popular articles on the Motorcycle Views Site. Take a look:

Latest Motorcycle Pictures:

See the latest received pictures by category.



"This is my 2007 Honda ... more. -- Teresa Bullock"

My Motorcycle Books:

I hope you will take a look at my three motorcycle books, available in paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon.com. These books make great, inexpensive gifts. In fact, you can purchase all three for less than $25 total. As I mentioned above, you will also be able to download each of the three color Kindle books FREE, IF you buy the corresponding paperback first.

My first book, Getting Started Riding a Motorcycle, was first published in 2011 but only as a Kindle edition. It was revised in 2014 and also made available in a paperback edition. Click the book cover to learn more about the book and how to buy it on Amazon.com.

My second book, 50 Wild Motorcycle Tales, contains a collection of stories that originally were only available on my website. Fifty of these stories were selected, intensively edited, and compiled into the book. I wrote five of the stories. The book is available in both paperback, Kindle, and audiobook (Audible) editions. Click the book cover to learn more about the book and how to buy it on Amazon.com. The Audible edition is also available for immediate download on iTunes and Audible.

My third book, Motorcycle Haiku Poetry, also available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle editions, contains haiku poems about motorcycles.

A surprising number of visitors to my site quickly caught on and enjoyed haiku poetry that had been submitted to me over the years from motorcyclists. Haiku is a simple poem of three lines with five syllables in the first and last lines and seven in the second line. Here's a sample haiku poem that's the latest user submission and may go in the next haiku book:

Biker Lightning

Dark Texas highway
Lightning cracks, my thunder rolls
Ozone and exhaust

—Bear Graves

They are easy to write, and most riders like to read them. I coupled each haiku poem with a motorcycle picture and description that tied into the poem itself. I wrote seven of the haiku poems. Click the book cover to learn more about the book and how to buy it on Amazon.com.

I have reduced the price of my three Kindle editions to $0.0 (FREE) IF you also first purchase the corresponding paperback edition. That way you can always have the book with you if you have a tablet or smartphone with you. None of the paperbacks has color pictures in them owing to the high price of producing a book with color. However, every Kindle edition has color pictures, so the Getting Started Riding a Motorcycle and Motorcycle Haiku Poetry Kindle books are in full color.

Help Grow Motorcycle Views:

The Motorcycle Views Website is here for you. We encourage you to submit a story, picture, poem, salvage yard recommendation, user review of your own bike, tattoo, YouTube video you made of your bike, motorcycle tip, etc. These will be evaluated for inclusion into one of our major features. Send us a submission today and share part of your motorcycling experience with our many readers. Read how to make a submission.

Send In Your Pictures:

We love pictures of your motorcycles. Even better is a picture of you with your bike. We also like descriptions of bikes so tell us all about your bike. What accessories do you have? What special paint job do you have? How long have you been riding? Tell us more. Women riders are especially requested to send their pictures in. Submit a Picture.

The Motorcycle Views Website is Also on your Smartphone or Tablet:

Are you relying more and more on your cellphone or tablet and less and less on your PC or MAC? Remember that all that great motorcycling information on Motorcycle Views is as near as your cellphone. It's also in a new format designed to fit your portable screen. Check us out anywhere you need motorcycle information.

Be sure to check out the Home Page on Motorcycle Views. It keeps changing daily, now containing links to hundreds of my original articles and features including Makes and Models, Picture Galleries, Motorcycle FAQ, Motorcycle Tips, Motorcycle How-Tos, Rallies, Videos and Movies, and User Reviews.

Social Media:

See me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Walter F. Kern's Author Page on AmazonThanks again for coming along for the ride in this new edition of the Motorcycle Views Newsletter. -- Walter.

For New Subscribers:

Expect newsletters on Sunday afternoon every other week.

Please understand that the Motorcycle Views Newsletter is NOT the Motorcycle Views website. The newsletter provides a few links to content on the Motorcycle Views website. Once you click a link in the newsletter, you'll be getting access to content on the Motorcycle Views site.

If you'd like to view some recent newsletters, just go to the newsletter sign-up page and look below where my three motorcycle books are described for links.

Thanks for signing up for the Motorcycle Views Newsletter. Using this Newsletter, I'll keep you up-to-date with what's going on in the Motorcycle Views Blog, the Motorcycle Views Website, and the Motorcycle Views Forum. The forum has a new look as of February 13, 2015. Take a look. Not sure what a blog is? It's like a daily readout of what I'm thinking about, similar to a diary at times. Most often, I'm using mine right now to tell my visitors what has been added to the Motorcycle Views site.

See me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube.

The Motorcycle Views Website is Also on your Smartphone or Tablet:

Are you relying more and more on your cellphone or tablet and less and less on your PC or MAC? Remember that all that great motorcycling information on Motorcycle Views is as near as your cellphone. It's also in a new format designed to fit your portable screen. Check us out anywhere you need motorcycle information.

END OF NEWSLETTER

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