Proficient Motorcycling

by Hough, David L.

• ISBN13: 9781889540535
• ISBN10: 1889540536
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-06-01
• Publisher: Companionhouse Books

Summary

Reading Proficient Motorcycling can significantly reduce risks by teaching people how to ride safer and smarter.

Author Biography

David L. Hough is a longtime motorcyclist and journalist. He has traveled extensively by motorcycle throughout North America and Europe. David does all of his own motorcycle maintenance, drives a sidecar outfit, and rides off-pavement as well as on the street, all of which provide a unique perspective on real-life motorcycling. David's daily motorcycle commutes through city traffic for twenty-five years provided an ongoing stream of experiences that led him to write articles about riding skills and accident avoidance tactics. His work has appeared in numerous motorcycle publications, but he is best known for the monthly skills series "Proficient Motorcycling" in Motorcycle Consumer News, which has been honored by special awards from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. David has been employed professionally as a technical illustrator, photographer, and instructional graphics specialist in the aviation industry, so it is natural that his articles are profusely illustrated by photos and drawings, all of which he creates himself. In his spare time, David has produced the world's first comprehensive training system for sidecar operators. He has also served as a consultant on motorcycle safety and training issues for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, the American Motorcyclist Association, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, the State Motorcycle Safety Administrators Association, and too many other groups to mention, both here and abroad.

Table of Contents

Foreword	6	(3)
Preface	9	(1)
Introduction	10	(3)
Risk!
Canyon Bites	13	(6)
How Far Are You Hanging It Out?	19	(10)
Fixing the Odds	29	(10)
Motorcycle Dynamics
What Keeps It Balanced?	39	(9)
What Makes It Turn?	48	(8)
Cornering Habits	56	(9)
Dynamics
Getting on the Gas	65	(4)
Delayed Apexing	69	(7)
The Lowdown on the Slowdown	76	(6)
Taking the Panic Out of Panic Stops	82	(8)
Right Pace, Right Place	90	(9)
Urban Traffic Survival
City Traffic	99	(5)
Booby Trap Intersections	104	(6)
Suburb Survival	110	(8)
Superslab Tactics	118	(9)
Aggressive Drivers	127	(5)
Evasive Action	132	(7)
Booby Traps
Surface Hazards	139	(8)
Curbs Ahead	147	(7)
Running Out of Pavement	154	(8)
Deer, Oh Dear!	162	(7)
Ferocious Fidos	169	(8)
Special Situations
When It Rains	177	(8)
When You're Hot, You're HOT	185	(6)
Dang Wind	191	(6)
Freezing Your Gas on the Pass	197	(8)
Night Owls	205	(7)
White Line Fever	212	(7)
Sharing the Ride
Batches of Bikers	219	(7)
The Second Rider	226	(8)
Let's Get Loaded	234	(7)
Sidecars	241	(10)
Resources	251	(1)
Glossary	252	(2)
Index	254