We Sometimes Fall Part I

Filed in archive ATV Safety on January 17, 2007

There are many reasons we fall. Some of those reasons cannot be controlled by us, but many others can. By knowing some of the reasons we fall, we can prepare not to do some of those things that are likely to put us at risk of falling, and hopefully we'll fall less as a result.

Over the next week or so I'll discuss what we, as riders, are able to control when we ride, as well as point out some basic instances when we use our uncanny ability to throw it all away because we didn't plan ahead.

We Sometimes Fall Because of new or cold tires. Brand new tires need to be 'scuffed' before they are ridden hard. They look shiny when they're new, and that shininess needs to be removed before you can ride the tires even moderately hard. The only way to do that is to ride on them, carefully. Don't turn, brake or accelerate abruptly, especially when leaned over for at least a few miles to remove the slickness

You might think it doesn't really matter when you're on the street, but it does. Leaning in to a turn or stopping for a light puts quite a bit of pressure on the tire, and if there is any debris on the road, the slickness of the tire will make it that much worse and greatly increase your chances of a fall with new or cold tires.

Things you never think about in a car can be disastrous on a motorcycle. Tires on a car don't really require special attention aside from the air pressure and general physical condition of the tire. On a motorcycle, you always have to consider things like tire temperature and road conditions, including man-hole covers, painted lines and rail-road tracks.

You also have to consider the debris on the road. Dirt, oil and water can cause loss of traction, especially on new or cold tires where the surface is already slick. There are tracks on most roads where cars travel. That is the best place for a motorcycle to ride because it provides the least amount of debris since the car tires keep it cleaned off. You especially want to ride here on wet roads.

You have to respect cold or new tires. They don't provide nearly the amount of traction you get with warm tires. So give it a few miles before you start pushing the limits on them.

Part II