Let’s Ride...

RADM Arthur Johnson, USN Col. Mark Erb, USMC

Commander, Naval Safety Center Deputy Commander

Capt. Stephen Johnson Bruce Crisler

Head, Shore Safety Programs EA, Shore Safety Programs

David Kerrick 

Head, Traffic Safety Division

 

Smart Ride is a special Issue magazine resulting from a close partnership with 

the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, a not-for-profit organization promoting motorcycle safety and awareness. This publication can never take the place of time, 

experience and practice on the roads. It is critically important that every rider 

take an approved motorcycle safety course and continue the training continuum 

throughout his or her riding life!

COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT

Commander, Naval Safety Center

375 A Street, Code 70

Norfolk, VA 23511-4399

(757) 444-3520 (DSN 564) Ext. 7610 

John Mahoney, Director, Communications and Marketing

john.mahoney@navy.mil, Ext. 7310

Derek Nelson, Head, Media Division

derek.nelson@navy.mil, Ext. 7243

April Phillips, Public Affairs Officer

april.phillips@navy.mil, Ext. 7312

EDITORIAL STAFF

April Phillips, Editor, 

april.phillips@navy.mil, Ext. 7312

Allan Amen, Art Director

allan.amen@navy.mil, Ext 7248

John Williams, Graphics

john.w.williams1@navy.mil, Ext. 7254

Whitney Chambers, Graphics

whitney.chambers@navy.mil,

Lisa Johnson, Motorcycle Safety Specialist

lisa.l.johnson3@navy.mil, Ext. 7180

Don Borkoski, Motorcycle Safety Specialist

donald.borkoski@navy.mil, Ext. 7135

MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION

2 Jenner, Suite 150

Irvine, Calif. 92618

(949) 727-3227

Charlie Fernandez, Military Programs Management

cfernandez@msf-usa.org, Ext. 3050

Dean Thompson, Communications and Media Relations

dthompson@msf-usa.org, Ext. 3138

Sea&Shore (ISSN 1550-1434) is published quarterly by Commander, Naval Safety Center, 

and is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense.

Contents are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, 

the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Navy. Photos and artwork are representative and 

do not necessarily show the people or equipment discussed. We reserve the right to edit all 

manuscripts. Reference to commercial products does not imply Navy endorsement. Unless 

otherwise stated, material in this magazine may be reprinted without permission; please 

credit the magazine and author. Periodicals postage paid at Norfolk, Va., and additional 

mailing offices.

Distribution: contact editors for distribution requests.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Commander, Naval Safety Center 

Attn: Smart Ride, Code 72A

375 A Street, Norfolk, VA 23511-4399

Visit us online at: www.safetycenter.navy.mil.

Editor’s Notebook 1

Semper Ride Ad 2

Back in the Saddle 4

Preparation 7

Are You Ready for the Track 8

Learning From the Best 12

Fatigue and Motorcycle Touring 15

Shocking Truth About Suspension 18

Pimp My Ride 20

My Turn on the Wheels 23

Welcome to the Future 26

Motorcycles Are Dangerous? 28

Case Study 32

Takin’ It to the Track 34

Get Dirty 36

Coast Guard 38

Don’t Skip the Pre-ride Check 39

Profile of a Fatal Rider 40

A Special Supplement to Sea&Shore

CONTENTS

Cover photo by Dave Smith.
EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK You are holding the third edition of Smart Ride magazine, an experiment The Naval Safety 

Center started in 2008 when we realized there was a significant portion of the Navy and Marine 

Corps population that was being underserved – motorcycle riders!

The first issue was really just trial and error. We knew we wanted it to be a magazine by riders 

and for riders. We wanted to include articles that would help riders be more successful on twowheels, not scold them into four-wheeled vehicles. However, there’s no way around the fact that that 

riding is risky and we certainly never intended to sugar-coat the dangers.

We’ve seen a lot of changes in just a few short years. The Military Sport Bike Rider Course 

is now well-established and Navy and Marine Corps leadership has been very involved in making 

sure sport bike riders comply with this training requirement. 

There was a lot of pushback when the course first started. Plenty of riders wrote or phoned to 

tell us they were tired of being picked on. However, when half of the personal motor vehicle fatalities 

across the fleet take place on motorcycles, and only a fraction of the population rides, it doesn’t 

take a rocket scientist to see that something’s got to give. Add to that the fact that most of these 

fatalities are sport bike riders, and you can see that some sort of tailor-made training was required.

The good news is that most of the riders who have taken the MSRC have reported that it was 

a lot of fun – even if they had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the range. And most of the 

rest agree that even a bad day on a motorcycle is better than a good day at work.

Of course, the MSRC takes place in a parking lot, and although the speeds get higher than in 

the BRC, they’re nowhere near highway speeds. That’s why track days are getting so popular. In 

the last few years there’s been a big leadership mindset change about track days, and many sport 

bike riders are getting the chance to go as fast as they are capable of going in an environment 

without the variables of road debris or oncoming traffic. The Marine Corps has really led the way 

with track days, many of which have occurred on Marine Corps installations.

Now that Smart Ride is turning three, I think we’ve found a good balance. Riders across the 

fleet are doing their part by contributing articles and voicing their opinions. In this year’s edition 

we take an in-depth look at fatigue and motorcycling in an article contributed by a former Surgeon 

General of the Navy. You’ll also find an informative article about bike modifications and one that 

helps you analyze your riding behaviors so you can reduce the probability of serious mishaps.

Our cover riders for this year’s edition are Kevin Schwantz and Blake Young. Kevin is the 

1993 500cc World Champion who amassed 25 Grand Prix wins, 21 lap records, and 29 pole 

positions in his career. Now he’s teaching others his winning ways at the Kevin Schwantz School. 

Blake is an up-and-coming rider who realizes the value of a good mentor. 

Let us know what you think and what you want to see in next year’s edition. Send your comments, 

suggestions and articles to april.phillips@navy.mil. We hope you enjoy Smart Ride 2010. Until next 

year, enjoy the ride!

April Phillips

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 1

Events: Is there a SemperRide 

event near you? Is your base having a 

Poker Run or Bike fest? Find it all at 

SemperRide.com.

Semper Ride TV: See SemperRide 

excerpts, the latest PSAs, and interviews 

by the country’s top riders from the Film.

Where to Ride: Stay updated on Marine 

Corps track days and other local resources. We 

have also assembled the best links that will hook 

you up with the country’s best riding spots.

Marine Corps Info: Regulations and orders can be 

tough to navigate and understand. This section will put 

in plain English what is required by the Marine Corp, and 

help you find where to go on your base to get more info 

on training and local requirements.

Forums: Whether you ride a Sport bike, Cruiser, Dirt Bike, 

or use your bike to get to and from work, there will be a place 

to share your experiences and get help. For all you wrenches out 

there, we will have a place for you too. Have a close call? Share 

with fellow Marines so they can learn from your experience.

Pro Rider Blogs: Top riders, mechanics, and 

instructors will share tips and tricks on how to improve your skills.

Bikes and PPE: Still deciding which bike you want? 

This will be a great resource. Already have a bike? Here 

you will find out more about it, and what kind of PPE will 

help keep you safe in the saddle.

Coming Online In March 2010

 Semperride.com

SemperRide.com is the latest Marine Corps initiative to quell motorcycle mishaps. Following the 

same theme of “SemperRide” the movie, this will be the cutting edge of motorcycle safety and 

information. The site will provide many different opportunities and forums to communicate 

with fellow riders and get information for your riding and training. 

3
BACK IN THE SADDLE

“Yee Haw”

BY DON BORKOSKI

here she sits; your baby. Dusty from the winter storage, but ready to 

ride! The weather is bound to break any day now. It will be awesome to feel the 

wind again, to smell the engine when you first fire it up, and to feel the power 

when you roll on the throttle. Ah yes, the freedom ... You get those butterflies 

like “spring Christmas!” 

BUT READY TO RIDE? MAYBE NOT.

Here are some steps you should take BEFORE that first ride:

• Perform a Pre-Ride Inspection: T-CLOCS your bike

• Service your bike as necessary

• Check your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Re-familiarize yourself with your bike. Plan a “warm-up ride”

T-CLOCS and Service

TCLOCS is a pre-ride inspection check list developed by the Motorcycle Safety 

Foundation (MSF). Inspecting your bike prior to each ride is a good idea, but you should 

thoroughly check it out before the riding season starts.

Some common problems at every seasonal start-up include:

1. Low tire pressure

2. Corroded, worn, or broken cables

3. Dead or weak battery; corroded terminals

4. Burned out light bulbs

5. Expired registration or state inspection

6. Old engine oil (always start the season with new oil)

7. Low radiator fluid (It evaporates from the reservoir)

8. Low, contaminated, or stale fuel

9. Loose or dirty chain or belt

10. Dirty air filter

11. Worn break pads

12. Dust and dirt everywhere (even if you covered it)

4 Smart Ride Spring 2010
Centerstand Cracks; wear; spring; smooth operation

Sidestand Cracks; wear; spring; smooth operation

 ITEM: S—SIDESTAND

Frame Look for cracks, pealing paint, corrosion, hardware security

Swingarm Nut cotter key, free movement, bearing(no freeplay)

Chain/Belt Cracks; wear; stretch limit; slack 3/4" to 1 1/2", check owner’s manual 

Sprockets Wear; security; teeth not hooked, or excessively worn

Fastners Security; rusted or missing bolts or nuts; cotter keys; safety wire

 ITEM: C—CHASSIS

Fuel	 Fluid level, condition, filter check	

Engine Oil Fluid level, condition, service if necessary

Transmission Oil Fluid level, condition, service if necessary

Drive Shaft Fluid level, condition, breather hole, service if necessary

Clutch Oil Fluid level, condition, service if necessary

Radiator Fluid Reservoir level, condition, service if necessary

Fork Oil Seal Leaks, proper rebound and compression

Shock Oil Seal Leaks, proper rebound and compression

Air Filter Clean or replace

 ITEM: O—OIL & OTHER FLUIDS

Battery Terminals, electrolyte level, security

Reflectors	 Cracks, hardware	

Headlamp High and low beam, lens cracks, hardware, button

Brake Light on, bright, lens cracks, hardware

Right Turn Lights Front and back on, blink, lens cracks, hardware

Left Turn Lights Front and back on, blink, lens cracks, hardware

License Plate Light, harware, registration date

Wiring Harnass	 Hardware, chafing, routing, condition	

 ITEM: L—LIGHTS

Brake Lever Lever condition, attaching hardware, adjustment knurl

Clutch Lever Lever condition, attaching hardware, adjustment knurl

Throttle smooth rotation, full return, freeplay(1/8 inch)

Brake Pedal Bends, rubber, cable, smooth operation

Shift Lever Bends, rubber, cable, smooth operation

Handle Bar Tight, bearings (no freeplay), grip condition

Horn Installed and operational.

 ITEM: C—CONTROLS

Front Tire Tread wear, age cracks

Front Wheel Spoke tension; rim cracks or dents; wheel bearings (no freeplay, no leaks)

Front Brake Leaks, wear, cable, bleed valve, hardware

Rear Tire Tread wear, age cracks

Rear Wheel Spoke tension; rim cracks or dents; wheel bearings (no freeplay, no leaks)

Rear Brake Leaks, wear, cable, bleed valve, hardware

 ITEM T—TIRES & WHEELS

 T-CLOCS Pre-Ride Inspection

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 5
YOUR PPE

Your PPE definitely needs to be checked before the 

season starts. Depending on how well you stored your 

gear, you may find some things should just be replaced.

•	 Your helmet is the first item to check. Did you forget 

that the face shield was scratched? Or your goggles 

were broken? Is the helmet liner falling apart from 

the cold storage? Does it smell a little musty or 

moldy? (Hint: spray it with Lysol.) You may want to 

lube the snaps to make them work easier, and darn, 

the dog chewed the strap! Last but not least, is the 

helmet shell scratched, cracked or just dirty? Go 

ahead, wash and wax it before you ride. Automobile 

rubbing compound can take out some of those 

smaller scratches. If all else fails, buy a new helmet. 

It’s the closest thing your bike has to an airbag.

•	 Gloves are also subject to problems you may not 

know about until you put them on for the first 

time in the season. Leather can mildew and stretch 

sections can lose their elasticity. Those holes you 

put in them last year did not magically go away. 

Velcro can wear out, and of course that 20 pounds 

you gained over the holidays may make them a little 

tighter than you remembered. 

•	 Your jacket and motorcycle pants were probably 

neglected too. Leather mildews or gets stiff. Wipe it 

down with a solution of bleach and water (50/50) to 

clean the gear and kill the mold. Then wipe it down 

with a heavy coating of Neatsfoot oil to soften it and 

protect the leather.

•	 Check other type jackets for tears, holes, zipper 

operation, missing pads, and if you are obsessive 

compulsive, you should be able to find the correct 

liner and make sure it is clean and ready to use.

•	 Depending on the type of boots you wear, you may 

have to treat the leather, glue the sole on or get 

new laces. And why you are at it, polish them. No 

one will call you a newbie at the beginning of the 

riding season.

•	 Finally, break out the rain gear. Remember putting it 

away wet last summer? If you did and it’s all stuck 

together, float them in the sink with some dish soap. 

It will save you from pulling apart dried, previously 

wet plastic that will rip if you tug on it after a long 

winter scrunched into a ball. The warm water will 

also take out some of those wrinkles. Yes, you have 

to let it dry. Trust me; you’ll be happy to have good 

rain gear in the spring.

FAM Ride

Motorcycle riding is dangerous, even to a seasoned 

rider. So we must rely on training and experience to 

stay alive. Not only do we gain valuable life saving 

experience for every second on the road, but we also gain 

valuable mistrust of other drivers that share the road 

with us. It’s a healthy self-reliance that keeps our heads 

on a swivel and out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, we 

have a genetic predisposition to forget pain and remember 

just the happy thoughts. 

Over the winter you lost some of those fears that 

kept you alive just a few months ago. But don’t worry, 

you will gain them back very quickly once you’re on 

the road, but you have to give yourself the time. Plan 

familiarization rides at the beginning of the season. 

Start with a slow, easy ride. Take short trips at first. 

Ride alone or in very small groups. After a few rides, it 

will all come back to you. 

On those beginning rides, go over the basics in your 

head. Scrub in your tires on the first ride. Give them 

time to warm up. Go easy on the brakes. At first, the bike 

will be heavier than you remembered. You won’t trust 

the traction, and your lean angles won’t be so automatic. 

Your shifting may not be as smooth and you forgot about 

that touchy throttle. Every bike is different; every one of 

us “gets it back” at a different rate. You are not alone, so 

don’t let peer pressure push you too fast at the beginning 

of the season (or ever for that matter). Ride your ride. On 

a motorcycle, only you can save your own life! There is no 

stability, no airbags, no seatbelts or steel cage around you. 

If you crash, you will most likely be ejected. Every fixed 

object out there is tougher than you. It’s true that you can 

improve your odds of survival by dressing for the crash, 

but there is something even more foolproof: Don’t crash! 

Get trained; manage your risk and ride defensively if you 

want to be and old rider like me someday.

DON BORKOSKI IS THE NAVY’S MOTORCYCLE MANAGER 

AND WORKS AT THE NAVAL SAFETY CENTER.

6 Smart Ride Spring 2010
was riding and he mentioned we all were in the same 

turn, going the same speed, and were all riding with 

proper form. He suspected there may have been oil in the 

road based on the rate at which the rear tire lost traction 

and because I laid the bike down in the low part of the 

incline of the expressway on-ramp. 

Several years ago, I laid a bike down for the first time 

and was scarred badly. I quickly learned the importance of 

wearing the correct gear and vowed never to be caught unprepared again. My riding pants and jacket are now made 

of a very durable, thick nylon with pads in the knees, hips, 

elbows, shoulders, and back. 

When I finally made it home this time, I surveyed the 

damage to my gear. My rain suit was torn up badly and 

would be unusable in the future. The friction from the road 

had worn a hole through the left knee of my pants and 

the right arm of my jacket had a large abrasion and some 

scratches. Looking back, the only reason I walked away 

unscratched was due to wearing the correct riding gear. I 

was dressed for the fall this time.

As a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) rider coach, 

I can not stress enough the importance of inspecting your 

bike before each ride and the benefits of riding with a 

group. I am fortunate in that the majority of my bike club 

is older and more experienced than I, and they always 

know where to race and cruise. They also know exactly where to go for help. While extensive help was not 

required in this instance, their knowledge and support 

could have made all the difference. Know your limits, 

ride with responsible individuals and groups, and always 

ensure you are dressed for a fall. I might have been more 

comfortable wearing the legal combination of jeans and 

a brightly colored long sleeve shirt, but this outfit would 

have landed me in the doctor’s office or worse. Always 

ride with the correct mindset and resist at all costs the 

inevitable peer pressure to do the wrong thing. Accidents 

can and do happen at random times and places. We must 

always be prepared. 

ADC Donald Nuccio is attached to the VFA-102 DIAMONDBACKS in Atsugi, Japan 

and rides with the Ganz! Race and Touring Club based in Fujisawa, Japan. He 

is the Vice President of the Diamondback Riders, a motorcycle riding club that 

promotes awareness, training, and safe riding practices for squadron members.

BY ADC DONALD NUCCIO

It was 0800 on a day last May and it had been 

raining for more than 24 hours. My race and touring 

club was finishing up breakfast as I went outside to 

give my Kawasaki GPX-750 a solid pre-check. As usual, 

everything checked fine so I went back into the hotel 

and awaited the captain’s safety brief. At approximately 

1000, 32 riders saddled up and we rode out on the first 

leg of the trip back to NAF Atsugi, Japan. It was cold and 

wet and I was relieved we had made it to the first rest 

stop for my beloved cup of coffee. My group contained 

seven riders and we elected to leave after about 15 

minutes of rest. 

I was fifth in the widely-spaced group entering the 

on-ramp and I was increasing speed to match that of the 

traffic on the expressway. As I saw the end of the onramp approaching, I was just about to roll on the throttle 

when I low-sided the bike at about 50 kilometers per hour 

and the rear of the bike slammed into an embankment.

I could not believe what had just happened. In an instant, my stable platform had been taken out from under 

me and I had crashed. I walked over to my bike, picked it 

up, and surveyed the damage. The two riders behind me 

had also stopped to help. After an extensive look over, I 

determined most of the damage was cosmetic and I could 

make it home. I had been lucky. My biggest concern was 

the missing left foot peg. The only place to rest my left 

foot now was on the shift lever. It would be very uncomfortable but this plan definitely trumped the idea of calling for a tow. The fairing damage was also significant, 

but fortunately I was able to keep the wheel from rubbing 

the rear fender. My riding buddy also stayed behind me 

and watched for the remainder of the trip home because I 

had a badly damaged tail light and turn signals.

At the next rest stop, I reflected on the event and 

spoke with the rider who was behind me. He told me 

there was nothing obviously incorrect about the way I 

Preparation:

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 7
Good question. You’ve seen the magazines, the glossy pictures 

of sportbikes leaned over on the edge of the tires, the rider’s 

knee puck skimming over the tarmac, the motorcycle nearly 

flying ... Could that be you? You know you’re a good rider, 

but are you ready for the next step?

BY STEPHEN RICHARDSON

8 Smart Ride Spring 2010
Let’s recognize the most important fact about motorcycling: Different people ride different bikes for different 

reasons and that’s what makes our community special. 

It takes a significant commitment (and a bit of courage) 

to learn to ride a motorcycle in the first place, and we all 

share that bond – the passion for the two wheel experience.

So consider the segment of our motorcycle community 

that rides sportbikes. If this is you, then you know in your 

heart that a sportbike wasn’t built to run errands to the 

grocery store or designed for a two week journey across 

America. (Remember the first time you tried riding on the 

interstate for over an hour?) The modern sportbike was 

designed for the racetrack, not a comfy cruise across country. Now if you want to ride your GSXR 1000 across the 

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 9
assignment, so don’t score it.

For the remaining six questions:

An “A” is worth 1 point.

A “B” is worth 2 points.

A “C” is worth 3 points.

 A “D” is worth 4 points. 

Add up your score and let's figure out the meaning 

of life:

 6-8 points; perhaps the track is not the place to go at 

this time.

9-12 points; a track school can help you become a 

safer, smoother & more skilled rider.

13-16 points; a track school can help you become a 

safer, smoother & more skilled rider.

17-20 points; a track school can help you become a 

safer, smoother & more skilled rider.

21-24 points; What are you waiting for?

Of course, the quiz is not the answer. Knowing yourself and the kind of rider you are (or want to be) is never 

that easy. Often times our self-assessment is not as honest 

as it needs to be when it comes to riding. That’s where the 

track is indispensable as a tool to help riders assess themselves and learn the finer points of sportbike riding. Or 

unlearn the bad habits developed after years of trying to 

figure it out on our own.

Going to the track can be an amazing and rewarding 

experience, but it represents a commitment to a new level 

of riding. To start off right, take a track school. There’s no 

way to sugarcoat the fact that your first track experience 

is likely to be stressful and intense. The way to experience this level of riding is within a controlled environment, 

and track schools offer the structure and pace that allow a 

(nearly) stress-free experience. There are some track day 

providers that will allow a “taste of the track,” designed 

to give you a brief ride around the circuit accompanied by 

a short classroom session, but in the end you will want to 

take a school for your first track experience.

Yes, there is a cost consideration, but if you’re going 

to spend $1000 or more on a complete exhaust system, 

plus a Power Commander, certainly you can try to scrape 

together the money to go out and improve your skills. Do 

you really need to justify investing financially in your 

skill development? 

Another way to consider the budget issue: The cost 

associated with a reckless driving ticket is equal to most 

basic track schools.

So where can you go to a track school? Easy, go to 

RoadracingWorld.com, look on the left side of the page and 

scroll down until you see the “Trackday Directory” listed. 

That publication lists all the track schools and track day 

providers for the United States. You can order the directory 

online or buy it from a newsstand.

Most schools are a one-day affair. You bring your own 

bike and gear. Higher-end schools may rent gear/leathers. It’s worth the additional cost as you can try out leathcountry, then great! Find a decent chiropractor and enjoy!

But the question for the rest of the sportbike riders is, 

what kind of rider are you? Better yet, what kind of rider 

do you want to be?

If you’re going to assess your skills and abilities, it’s 

time to be honest. Brutally honest. Let’s start with a quiz. 

Stop moaning and take out a #2 pencil.

1. How long have you been riding?

a. A couple of months

b. A year

c. Several years

d. Forever

2. How did you choose which bike to buy?

a. It had nifty colors

b. Your friends all ride that bike. You figured it 

would be good for you

c. You read four bike magazines, trying to research 

the winner of “the class shoot-out”

d. You’ve owned three (or more) motorcycles. You 

knew which bike suited you.

3. Does the model name include ...

a. The letters FL?

b. The letter V or G?

c. The letter X or Z in the name?

d. The letter R (or SP)?

4. What modifications have you done to your bike?

a. Stock (Maybe a few stickers...)

b. Polished frame, polished rims, custom paint 

(including a portrait of some sort), fur seat

c. 58 tooth sprocket, full cage, twelve o’clock bar

d. Full titanium exhaust, power commander & 

quick shifter

5. Does your health insurance cover air transportation 

(Life Flight) to a hospital?

a. Not sure (You’ve been spending so much time 

researching what kind of exhaust system makes 

the most horsepower gains for your motorcycle.)

b. Really?! This question has nothing to do with 

the track. If you ride a motorcycle you should 

know the answer and have the coverage!

6. What kind of gear do you wear?

a. Flip flops, cut-offs, a beater and your ‘shiny 

German’ chaps, matching vest and lots of 

decorative pins (Sturgis from 1987!)

b. Jeans, leather jacket, full fingered gloves

c. Full leathers, gauntlet gloves, boots (You don’t 

like the nylon brush.)

7. What kind of Rider do you want to be?

a. A safe rider

b. A fast(er) rider

c. A rider who can drag a knee

d. All of the above

Let’s figure out the answers:

To begin with, question #5 is a homework 

10 Smart Ride Spring 2010
ers and get an idea of what to buy later. Deluxe 

schools can last two or three days, plus provide 

bikes and gear.

Getting your motorcycle ready for the track 

may seem intimidating, but there are only four 

areas of consideration:

• Lights & mirrors. Tape over the lights, re-

move the mirrors.

• Coolant. Drain (and flush once), fill with 

distilled water.

• Oil. Some schools only require a dab of sili-

cone sealant for the oil fill, drain & filter. But get-

ting the fill cap and drain plug safety wired (plus 

a hose clamp and safety wire for the filter) is best. 

Any motorcycle shop can do it for a nominal fee.

• Tires. Get a new set, and they do NOT have 

to be race tires. In fact, most sportbike street tires 

are perfect for a track school. They operate well 

under a wider range of temperatures and surface 

conditions.

Check with the school for gear requirements. 

Leathers are usually mandated (two-piece leath-

ers are okay if they zip all the way around), plus 

gauntlet style gloves and boots that come up at 

least eight inches. Your full-face helmet should 

be free of damage and not be more than five 

years old.

Final considerations are the logistics for travel 

to and from the track. Plan to transport your bike 

on a trailer, truck or van rather than riding to and 

from the venue. That way you won’t have to prepare 

your street bike for the track when you arrive. 

Also think about staying at a local hotel the 

night before your track school to ensure you’re 

well rested. Lastly, don’t forget snacks and flu-

ids. Drink lots of water! Be ready for an intense 

physical and mental workout.

Of course, don’t forget the most important 

part: Have fun! For sportbike riders, it really 

doesn’t get better than this. 

STEPHEN RICHARDSON IS AN MSF RIDER COACH AND RACES WITH THE CCS.

The way to experience 

this level of riding is within 

a controlled environment, 

and track schools offer 

the structure and pace 

that allow a (nearly) stressfree experience. 

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 11
here may be no place where mentoring is 

more important than the motorcycling community. Most 

of us learned to ride a motorcycle from a friend, family 

member, or by taking a motorcycle safety course with an 

experienced MSF RiderCoach when we first started out. 

But, at what point do we stop relying on the mentors 

and become one? What qualifies someone to be the voice 

of experience? 

Recently, Lisa Johnson, a motorcycle safety expert 

at the Naval Safety Center, had the opportunity to meet 

one of the best mentors in the sportbike world, Kevin 

Schwantz. Sure he’s a world champion road racer, but 

what really makes Schwantz special is his ability to mentor sportbike riders and racers at all levels. 

Johnson met Schwantz while attending one of his 

weekend track schools. She was impressed with his 

personal involvement with the course and the fact that he 

participated in the whole event – even riding on the track 

with the students. 

“Kevin started the first day off by helping those of us 

who flew in for the class choose and fit leathers, boots, 

gloves and helmets. He immediately made us feel at ease 

while undoubtedly sizing up our experience and anxiety 

levels at the same time,” Johnson said.

Even when two of Johnson’s classmates had incidents 

requiring the track sessions to be stopped, Schwantz took 

the time to step in and speak with everyone about what 

had happened and what could be learned from the moment. Over the entire two-day course, he was there with a 

smile or a coaching tip at just the right moment. 

“It was clear to me that his reputation as a mentor of 

promising young racers was well-deserved, and it obviously 

carried over to the operation of his track school,” she said.

But you don’t become a mentor overnight. It takes a 

lot of experience and miles under your belt.

Schwantz was learning to ride about the same time 

he began to walk. The Houston, Texas, native grew up 

around his parents’ Yamaha motorcycle shop and there’s 

no doubt that racing was in his blood. Although his father 

Learning

From the 

Best ...

BY APRIL PHILLIPS

12 Smart Ride Spring 2010
was a competitive trials rider and Schwantz has ridden just 

about everything on two wheels, he learned a lot about 

racing the hard way. Don’t believe him? Just check out 

the scars and the broken bones that never mended quite as 

straight as they started out.

In his teens, he worked his way up to becoming one 

of the top regional motocross racers before a serious crash 

made him decide that motocross racing was not the direction to go. Some friends convinced him to try road racing. 

“I thought, no jumps, no dirt, no mud? How 

can this be any fun?” Schwantz said. “But 

after an hour, I was as fast as my buddies 

who’d been racing forever.”

And fast is fun. 

Especially when you’re good at it. 

In 1984, he was signed by the Suzuki Yoshimura Superbike team and began winning races. But he didn’t win 

championships. There were crashes and broken bones that 

took him out of championship contention. When he was 

“on,” Schwantz won races and set track records. He raced 

all over the country in the AMA before being promoted to 

the world stage, racing for Suzuki in the 500cc Grand Prix 

series. By this time, Schwantz had a reputation for a “win 

it or bin it” mentality, and it wasn’t until 1993 that he finally won the 500cc World Championship.

“I had always been fast,” he said. “But I lacked consistency.”

Things improved when he got to the Suzuki Grand Prix 

team and everything started to click.

“It took the chief technician really explaining the 

motorcycle to me. That understanding helped my consistency,” Schwantz said.

When he walked away from the sport in 1995, he 

knew a lot more than he did when he started out and he 

wanted to share that knowledge with young riders coming 

up in the sport. He started the Schwantz School with the 

goal of creating confident, safer riders who can learn from 

some of his mistakes and his scars.

Enter Blake Young. 

He’s a 22-year-old rider who grew up near Madison, 

Wisc. Like Schwantz, he started riding at the age of four, 

and by 16, he turned pro. When Schwantz and Blake got 

together, there was instant chemistry. Already a teacher, 

Schwantz knew he wanted to help Young make it to the 

top of the sport and the younger rider said he’s learned a 

lot from having Schwantz in his corner.

“Working with him is awesome. Having him as a 

friend is even better,” Young said. “I can ask him anything, personal or professional, and he’s walked in the 

footsteps I want to take.”

The Navy and Marine Corps push young motorcyclists to find older, more experienced mentors to help 

them learn to become better riders. Many reject the idea, 

and Schwantz said although he doesn’t agree, he understands the mentality.

“Motorcycle racing is mano y mano. It’s me against 

the other guy. It’s an art form when it’s done right, but if 

the rider isn’t 110 percent focused with confidence in his 

ability, it can be a long weekend,” he said.

He now realizes that there are people he wished he’d 

listened to as a young rider.

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 13
“I wish I’d paid more attention to the mental and 

physical preparation, and making sure I don’t let the same 

section of racetrack give me the same grief it did the year 

before. I tried to skin the cat the same way each time and 

it didn’t work.”

Now that Schwantz is acting as an extra set of eyes for 

his students, he knows that there are things that can only 

be seen from the outside and reasons to listen to others 

who have been there, done that.

But his relationship with Young goes far beyond 

teacher-student. They are truly friends – practically family members – and that has deepened the mentoring 

bond. Both men understand the drive to go faster, to race 

harder, to win championships. This is why Young knows 

Schwantz’s advice is sound. It also makes Schwantz careful about the direction he offers.

“As a teacher and mentor, the crashes hurt more, even 

though it’s not me crashing,” he said. “You really feel responsible.”

Because Young is who he is, an AMA Suzuki Factory 

Superbike racer, he’s never going to be the type of rider 

who plays it too safe. He wouldn’t be an up-and-coming 

star if he was. He’s had his share of crashes and even lost 

the tip of his pinky finger in a crash a year ago. But he’s 

taken Schwantz’s advice to heart and he makes sure he’s 

thought everything through.

“It’s a balance,” Young said. “The faster I go, the better, 

but there’s always going to be risk. In racing, the risk is high 

and you have to know that. I know every rail, every wall, 

every part of the track. It’s there in the back of my mind on 

every turn of every lap. You have to be aware of it.”

While most Sailors and Marines won’t find retired 

champions with their own motorcycle riding schools to be 

their mentors, Schwantz said everyone benefits from mentorship relationships. What has he learned? Responsibility, and a different mindset about riding.

“Every ride is great. Today’s is as good as it gets but 

tomorrow’s might be even better. And I don’t want to do 

anything that’s going to cause me to miss it.” 

That’s the whole point of mentorship within the motorcycle community – sticking around so you can enjoy the 

next ride and gaining the experience that will allow you to 

mentor the next generation. 

For more information on mentoring, contact your command’s motorcycle club or your regional safety office. To 

learn more about Kevin Schwantz and his riding school, 

visit www.schwantzschool.com. 

14 Smart Ride Spring 2010
SLEEP

Our brains are complex organs that run at full speed 

during waking hours. They require a cooling down 

period which happens as we sleep. Each individual 

requires a specific, genetically set, amount of sleep. Most 

people require about eight hours, but the normal range 

is somewhere between six and 10 hours. Your sleeping 

pattern is called your Circadian Rhythm. Each person is 

programmed with his or her own rhythm. This internal 

clock tries to keep us on a normal 24-hour sleep rhythm 

and is usually synchronized to light (day) and dark 

(night) cycles. Disruptions of our normal cycle confuse 

our brain and fatigue may set in when it is interrupted 

or changed. Sleeping less than your personal need 

eventually results in a sleep debt which must be repaid to 

return the brain to baseline function. The good news is 

that the debt does not have to be paid in full hour-for-hour, 

but it must eventually be paid by obtaining deep sleep, not 

multiple short naps. 

Unfortunately, you cannot bank sleep!

DRONE EFFECT

During repetitive or mundane activities, our 

internal clock may lose track of time. This also disturbs 

our circadian rhythm and individuals may become 

momentarily functionally incapacitated, also known as 

microsleeps. These periods manifest as a few seconds 

As the sun sets and the miles pass, fatigue 

becomes our shadow but never our friend. 

The pleasures of a ride can melt into frustration if a rider pushes the day’s miles beyond his or her abilities. 

BY DON ARTHUR, M.D.

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 15
of open-eyed sleep, paralysis, blurred vision, or other 

effects of which the victim might be unaware except for 

a vague feeling of having missed something. We have all 

experienced this effect while driving or riding and must be 

on guard for it when traveling long distances. 

FATIGUE EFFECTS

Our brains are marvelous computers, but they grow 

weary of constant activity and must be refreshed, which 

we do through sleep, naps or rest. Much like an hourglass, 

our mental processing power slowly ebbs as the fatigue 

debt increases. You already multi-task more while riding 

than you do driving, so on a motorcycle the effect is more 

pronounced. With limited computing power, any challenges 

you encounter will not be easy for your brain to react to 

properly. 

As our computing power and speed decrease when 

fatigued, our ability to gain and process new information 

becomes impaired. In general, less experienced riders are 

at greater risk when tired because skills are not honed to 

automatically respond to unexpected situations. As fatigue 

Personal gear

 Comfortable riding suit, boots, gloves

 Properly fitting helmet

 Waterproofing

 Heating and cooling aids

 Skin and lip hydration and sun protection

Ergonomics – your bike must fit you

 Properly fitted and comfortable seat

 Comfortable riding position

 Convenient foot peg and control locations

 Mirrors correctly located

 Windshield

Packing

 Put things in the same place every time

 Put frequently used items on top

 Take only what’s necessary

 Be able to find everything in the dark

Repair kits

 Take the tools you’ll need

 Pack a tire repair kit and means of inflation

 Know how to use them!

 Towing service

Communication – your link with others

 CB or FRS radios

 Cell phones – for when you’re stopped

 Phone card for emergencies

PREPARING YOUR 

RIDE

increases, so does your risk level. A lack of sleep becomes 

an increasingly prominent focus, both consciously and 

subconsciously; eyes get heavy, gaze becomes unfocused 

and you do not easily identify hazards or risks. If you are 

here: sleep!

PREPARATION

There are several things you can do to prepare for a 

ride when you expect less sleep than normal:

•	 Get proper nourishment

•	 Do not over eat

•	 Begin rested

•	 Avoid sugars

•	 Exercise regularly

•	 Prepare ahead of time

Although you can’t bank sleep, starting out rested 

means your “hour glass is reset” and you begin your ride 

at peak performance. Proper nourishment means eating 

a light meal that is NOT heavy in fat, sugar or caffeine 

because those foods, or too much of any food, takes a lot 

of energy to process. Once you have processed all that 

food, your body crashes and you become very tired. Not a 

good way to start a ride. 

Your motorcycle should be configured to maximize 

your comfort and decrease the work of riding. Make sure 

you have a routine and all your equipment is thoroughly 

road tested. Your bike should fit you, not vice versa.

16 Smart Ride Spring 2010
Slow reaction time

 Braking hard to avoid a hazard

 Spilling drinks

Reduced awareness/vigilance

 Driving slower than normal

 Being surprised by a passing car

 Tailgating

 Not seeing deer or other road hazards

Impaired memory

 Passing a gas stop when low on fuel

 Forgetting your wallet after fueling

 Forgetting your spouse’s birthday call

Impaired decision-making

 Not stopping to rest when tired

 Taking an inappropriate route

 Inability to choose from a diner menu

Loss of situational awareness

 Failing to recognize a stop sign or signal

 Not putting the kickstand down

 Failing to put feet down when stopping

 Stopping in a high gear

 Failing to ‘go’ when light changes

 Inserting eye drops while wearing glasses

Performance decrement

 Inability to calculate purchase amounts

 Inability to formulate routing plans

 Failing to communicate with riding buddies

 Fixating on a task

SYMPTOMS OF FATIGUE WHILE 

RIDING

Here are some important aspects of ride preparation: 

Alcohol should be avoided for several days prior to a 

ride. The toxic products of alcohol metabolism adversely 

affect brain activity long after the noticeable effects have 

disappeared. 

The Ride

There are many aspects of the actual ride which 

can affect the accumulation of fatigue debt. The more 

challenging the ride, the more fatiguing it will be. Some 

riding factors which most quickly produce fatigue are:

• Riding conditions beyond the rider’s ability

• Increased threats – wildlife and traffic

• Excessive heat or cold

• Time constraints

• Bad weather

• Unfamiliar roads

• Monotonous scenery

• Extended night riding

• Distractions – physical and mental

• Complex tasks required while riding

Effective Resting 

There is no substitute for sleep! Repetitive sleep 

deprivation also has a cumulative effect. Don’t let it catch 

up with you while you are riding! 

If you are riding cross country and you need to nap, 

take at least two hours of continuous sleep which will 

complete a sleep cycle. Make sure you find a comfortable 

location which will allow uninterrupted sleep with 

minimal external interruption. 

If you are just resting from 

the ride, you need at least 

15 minutes of down time to 

meaningfully lessen fatigue. 

That down time should include 

getting the blood pumping by 

walking around, and drinking 

water or other non-sugar, noncaffeinated beverages. 

No one thinks about fatigue 

when they ride until the butt 

gets sore, or the eyes start to 

droop. Give it some thought and 

you’ll enjoy the ride much better 

on the next trip. 

DON ARTHUR IS A FORMER SURGEON GENERAL OF 

THE NAVY AND AN AVID MOTORCYCLIST.

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 17
“I bought the bike new, isn’t 

the suspension set up correctly 

already?”

 “The suspension on my bike needs 

to be broken-in, it hardly moves.”

 “My bike is old, that’s why it 

bounces so much.”

“You don’t need shocks. They are 

only there for comfort.

 ”NO, NO AND NO!!!

ost people are in the dark as to the basic 

purpose of suspension, and yes, it has a purpose much 

more important than to provide a comfortable ride. The 

most important job of a motorcycle’s suspension is to 

keep the tires in contact with the road, especially if the 

surface is less than perfect, or if the bike is at extreme lean 

angles. Your suspension is constantly working to maintain 

traction. Having a good set of tires is not enough; the 

suspension must also be in good condition and properly 

adjusted for optimum tire contact with the surface. So 

how does your suspension do that?

First let’s go back to the early days of bikes. Back then, 

the simplest form of suspension was a springs. A spring is 

an energy storage device. That means you hit a bump, the 

energy is absorbed and temporarily stored by the spring. 

But springs continually try to return to their neutral position, so that stored energy is released again and again 

passed the neutral position until the last of the energy is 

gone. The result is a bouncy ride. Not the best system, but 

a good start, and far better than nothing.

As technology advanced, hydraulic damping was added 

to help the spring dissipate excess energy as it returned 

to neutral, so it didn’t bounce. We know that system as 

a shock absorber, or shock. Hydraulic damping is accomplished with either a damping rod or a cartridge with a 

piston and oil in it. The damper’s job is to slow or restrict 

movements of the spring for a more controlled compression and release of the energy to and from the spring. On 

older bikes and many of the larger motorcycles, there is no 

adjustment to the suspension. The shock has a spring and 

hydraulic dampening designed for the weight of the motorcycle and average rider. But today’s motorcycles are dramatically affected by riders’ weight, horsepower output, and 

riding style. One shock will not fit all. And in some cases, 

like sport bikes, one shock is not good for all riders on the 

same bike. For example, suspension good for a heavy rider 

could be unbearable, or even dangerous, for a light rider. To 

solve this problem, many modern motorcycles have three 

main adjustments you can make to the front forks and rear 

shock(s) to suit your weight and riding style. 

Shocking Truth About Suspension

BY DYLAN CODE

THOSE ADJUSTMENTS ARE:

Spring tension, also known as spring preload or sag. 

This refers to how firm or soft the spring is. The reason 

some call it “sag” is because you measure the spring tension by having the rider get on the bike, straight up and 

down, while stationary, and see how much the suspension sags under the rider and bike’s combined weight. To 

measure, you must use two fixed points on the bike. Most 

modern motorcycles allow you to adjust this. In some cases 

the actual spring may have to be changed to a stronger or 

weaker one.

Compression damping. 

This refers to how quickly or slowly the hydraulic dampener allows the shock to compress. Not enough compression 

damping allows the shock to bottom out easily. Too much 

compression damping gives a harsh ride--the rider ends up 

feeling the road too much. Again most motorcycles, especially sport bikes, allow you to adjust this.

Rebound damping. 

This refers to how quickly or slowly the shock returns, 

or re-extends after hitting a bump. Too much rebound 

hydraulic damping never allows the shock to return to its 

normal state because it returns too slowly after you hit a 

bump. This gives a progressively harsher ride as you go over 

a series of bumps. Not enough rebound damping allows the 

shock to return too quickly; this makes the bike bounce back 

after hitting a bump, some call it a pogo effect. This too is 

adjustable on most modern bikes.

No damping adjustment. 

On motorcycles without a damping adjustment, it is 

important to change the shock oil regularly. The oil viscosity (thickness) changes over time and can affect damping. 

There are also different oil weights for your shock that can 

be substituted to change the damping effect if you are too 

light or too heavy for the designed parameters. Discuss 

these changes with a professional mechanic.

18 Smart Ride Spring 2010
Where To Start On Your Bike:

The first, and arguably most important, suspension 

adjustment that you would want to get correct is sag, your 

spring tension. Basically we want the suspension sagging, 

or compressing the right amount when the rider sits on 

the bike. As a rule of thumb, you want the forks and rear 

shock to sag down about one-third of their overall travel 

with the rider sitting on the bike, bike straight up and 

down, feet on the pegs and bike off of the side stand. This 

is the optimal position for your shock to either extend or 

compress depending on the road irregularity you may hit 

like a rock or a hole.

To give you an idea, most sport bikes have about five 

inches of total travel front and rear. That’s about 127 millimeters. Therefore, you would want the bike plus rider to 

make the suspension sag about 40 millimeters (one-third). 

There is leeway on this figure, but for a motorcycle with five 

inches of total travel, only 20 millimeters of sag would be 

too hard and 55 millimeters would be too soft. To measure 

sag (if you are the rider), you need two friends to help you. 

1. Have someone hold the bike upright with you on 

it (without pushing down or up on the bike). 

2. Have another friend make the measurement on 

both the front and rear compressed shocks. 

3. Take these same measurements with you off of 

the bike using the same measurement points.

4. Subtract the measurement with you off the bike 

from the measurement with you on the bike. This difference is the sag. 

5. Repeat the process after adjusting the spring tension until it is around 40 mm’s. It’s best to adjust front 

forks and back shock(s) separately. 

6. When adjusting the front shocks, you only need to 

measure one fork, but it is important to keep the adjustments matched. If you add two turns to the right fork, 

add the same two turns to the left fork.

If the bike sags too much, you must add spring tension. This is also called preloading the spring. Your bike’s 

manual will show you where that adjustment is and what 

tools to use. Adjusting preload on the forks is usually 

far more accessible than the rear. The rear shock often 

requires a special spanner wrench or rounded tip screwdriver to move a stepped or notched adjustment ring. For 

most bikes, one turn of the fork preload adjuster usually 

changes the sag by one millimeter. There are various types 

of rear preload adjusters, but for the type with a threaded 

collar adjuster (most common type) one full turn will commonly change the sag by about 3 millimeters.

What’s next?

Once you have the spring preload, or sag adjusted, it’s 

time to adjust rebound damping and lastly the compression damping. Rebound dampening is usually adjusted by 

a screw adjuster on the top of the shock or fork. Compression damping is usually adjusted by a similar screw adjuster on the bottom of the shock or fork. (Some forks are 

installed flipped around, so the adjustment for compression and rebound are reversed. See your owner’s manual 

to identify the correct adjustment screws.) It would be fair 

to say that there are many books of data written on the 

science of properly adjusting a motorcycle’s suspension. 

Rather than short change you in this article, watching an 

on-line video will provide you with a visual on how to 

adjust your shocks. 

One quick video resource is: http://www.superbikeschool.com/multi-media/machinery-videos.php. You can 

also search YouTube. For more comprehensive suspension 

setup information, go to an expert like Dave Moss. His 

website is http://www.feelthetrack.com/.

A properly set up suspension can make a night and day 

difference in performance, feel, and the level of safety from 

your motorcycle. Take your bike to a pro or educate yourself 

on the adjustments and how they affect the traction and 

handling of your particular bike. You’ll not only have a better performing and safer riding machine, but you will also 

have a bike that feels more comfortable and gives you confidence on the road because of the vastly improved traction. 

This is the cheapest fix you can do to your bike to squeeze 

out the most performance. Take the time and do it. 

DYLAN CODE IS GENERAL MANAGER OF THE CALIFORNIA SUPERBIKE SCHOOL 

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 19
You may have a 

cool ride but don’t 

let it and you become a hood 

ornament.

e’re all guilty! Riders drop thousands of 

dollars to buy the perfect bike and what’s 

the first thing we do? Modify it. That’s 

right. It was almost perfect, but we had to 

have: new pipes, chrome, extended swing 

arms, tail kits, LED lights, lift kits, lowering kits, floor 

boards, new tires, paint job, new handlebars, new grips, add 

passenger seat, remove passenger seat, add a tachometer, 

need a power monitor, new shock springs, etc. ... Almost 

every motorcycle on the road has had something added, removed or modified from the original condition. 

So, what’s wrong with that? Well, nothing and everything. 

Things we modify on our motorcycles fall into three 

categories: Accessories/Cosmetic, Power, and Geometry 

changes. These changes may be harmless, but in some 

cases they dramatically change our perfectly engineered 

machine into a deadly monster unless we are aware of the 

consequences of each modification.

Accessories/Cosmetic Changes

You might think changing the look of your motorcycle 

isn’t a big deal, but there are some things you should consider before you make those changes. For example, if you 

black out your bike and minimize the lighting with LED 

miniatures, the bike may be the baddest thing on the road, 

but can other drivers see you? Especially at night? Drivers 

on the road can’t see us as it is! 

The more you lessen the visibility of your motorcycle, 

the more defensively you need to ride. After all, you have 

made yourself invisible. You may have a cool ride, but 

don’t let it and you become a hood ornament. Consider 

brighter riding gear or reflective material over your garb. 

Better yet, judiciously lower your bike’s visibility; be cool, 

BY DON BORKOSKI

20 Smart Ride Spring 2010
but not stealthy. Of course being stealthy is the point. We 

get it! Just don’t let it kill you. 

Other cosmetic changes include removing the cowling 

which will reduce the aerodynamics and can reduce the engine cooling. Removing the windscreen takes away some 

protection and ride comfort. Some riders change the mirrors or light positions. Just keep in mind that some accessories are safety equipment required by law for a reason. 

They may save your life.

Power Train Changes

You got a HOG® for cruising right? Or maybe you 

own a GSXR for speed and the twisties? Modern motorcycles are engineering marvels for engine performance, 

but we are driven! That 160 horsepower on a 390 pound 

frame isn’t enough. Or the acceleration to 60mph in four 

seconds is just a little slow. Here is where we drop some 

serious coin. We buy racing cams, power commanders, 

performance exhaust, Dyno adjustments, high-flow air 

filters, gas flow heads, turbo blowers, Nitrous. Some 

modifications come prepackaged in kits, like stages 1, 2 

or 3. The market is there to squeeze the horsepower out 

of that engine, and of course, to squeeze the money out of 

your wallet. 

We all want more power. But again, what are the consequences? Can you live with the consequences? Some 

modifications can void the warrantee on the engine and 

transmission. Performance exhaust systems make your 

bike louder. The drive train may not be strong enough. You 

will be buying 

tires more often, 

especially the rear 

tire.

Your state 

may not allow 

your modified bike 

on the road because of noise or 

emissions. Don’t 

find out when you 

get that ticket giving you 30 days to 

fix your bike or get 

it off the road. The 

throttle may be too 

touchy. Your engine may overheat 

without aux cooling, and more. 

Bottom line, before you squeeze the extra horse power 

out of your motorcycle, ask a professional if the modifications can be done separately or if there is something else you 

should be doing as a package deal. In most cases you may 

have to re-map your fuel injectors and that often requires 

some type of power commander. Ask yourself if you need the 

power, or if it will contribute to your collection of speeding 

violations. Do you have the self control to “live” with the extra power, or is it too tempting and dangerous for you? If you 

pop that nitrous bottle, do you have a few thousand dollars 

ready to repair the blown head, stretched chain, or to replace 

those burnt valves? 

One more concern to consider—with power comes 

speed, and with speed you better have brakes that can slow 

your down. In some cases the motorcycle has more than 

adequate brakes. In others you may have to install softer 

pads for better braking, but with a shorter wear life. In other 

cases you may have to change the brake calipers completely. 

Last but not least, repositioning controls can be either 

beneficial or dangerous. Heal toe shifter, MotoGP shifters, 

throttle locks, extended brake pedals, and electronic shifters are all viable motorcycle modifications that some riders 

would not do without. But is it for you? Or will it make you 

more dangerous on your bike? The best way to find out if 

you will like the changes would be to try them on someone’s bike that already has the modification.

Geometry Changes

Probably the most dramatic and dangerous changes you 

can make to your motorcycle are geometry changes. You motorcycle is engineered to balance handling characteristics for 

that style of motorcycle. These design features include the 

wheel base, center of gravity, and ergonomics for the rider, 

ground clearance, seat height, tire width and diameter, handlebar height and distance from the seat, suspension travel, 

distance from the ground, foot peg location, etc. 

Each feature affects different handling characteristics 

of the bike.

Some of these features are easy to change and can dramatically limit or improve what your bike can do. Keep in 

mind that there is give and take with change to the motorcycle’s design. Below are some common modifications and 

the effects they have on the bike:

• Lowering kits: Improves aerodynamics, and coolness. Reduces ground-clearance (sometime dangerously) 

and limits turning radius.

• Extended swing arm: Improves handling at speed in 

a straight line. Reduces turning radius and rear shock effectiveness.

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 21
• Extended fork: Improves straight line handling. Reduces turning radius and rear shock effectiveness.

• Extended handlebars: May improve rider 

comfort, and leverage to turn a heavy front tire. 

Increases the distance required to move the wheel 

to make a turn.

• Wider tires: Improves traction, reduces agility

• Stiffer suspension: Generally improves traction (if not too stiff). Reduces ability to dampen 

road feel/comfort.

• Weaker suspension: Improves road feel/comfort (if 

not too weak). Can reduce traction.

• Repositioned foot controls: Non-sportbikes often offer 

mid or forward foot controls. They can change the rider’s comfort, ability to reach the ground, or change ground clearance. 

Some riders find it difficult to ride using forward controls. 

• Sliders: Sliders for sportbikes are a must. With cowlings costing in excess of $3,000, they may save your cover 

from a low speed slide or inadvertent drop.

• Engine savers, Crash cage, Roll bars: These are modifications that should be considered to protect your engine 

or cowlings. They reduce aerodynamics, but in many cases 

it’s worth it.

Remember that looks aren’t everything. Changes you 

make to the geometric configuration of your motorcycle 

can dramatically, and maybe dangerously, change the 

handling characteristics of the bike. If you purchase a 

used bike, look for changes the previous owners may have 

made. Can you live with those changes? If not have the 

dealer put it back to original condition.

Don’t let the cool factor kill you. Riding a motorcycle 

is probably one of the most dangerous activities you will 

do in your lifetime. Know how your bike handles and how 

much power and stopping ability it has. Know how changes have improved or restricted its performance. Improve 

your bikes visibility by riding it where you can be seen and 

where you have escape routes from traffic on the road. If 

you purchase a new bike, or modify an old one, take a 

motorcycle course to feel it out. You can sign up for Navy 

courses around the world on the web site: www.navymotor

cyclerider.com.

Hopefully this will provide you with some food for 

thought before buying or modifying your motorcycle. Some 

of the cool changes you make are no longer cool if you 

wreck, ruin your bike, or invalidate the warrantee. Sometimes it is cheaper to just buy a different bike to do what 

you want it to do. Good luck and ride smart. 

Each feature affects different handling characteristics 

of the bike.

22 Smart Ride Spring 2010
BY EMILY DAVENPORT

s a little kid I always enjoyed riding on the 

back of Dad’s motorcycle. I loved the effortless motion of zooming along the residential 

streets of west Houston, faster than I could 

ever peddle my little Schwinn. Unenclosed, 

the sweet smell of mimosa trees filled my nostrils, and 

a warm breeze hugged me as I hugged Dad’s waist. We 

shared our rides together a like secret adventure. 

I had always enjoyed riding on the back, but the 

idea that I could operate a motorcycle myself seemed too 

far fetched. They were way too big, too heavy, certainly 

too unmanageable, and too dangerous. I doubted my 

capabilities, but the interest never went away.

Years later, the interest was renewed. A close friend 

of mine regularly regaled me with stories of his weekend 

riding adventures, and I realized my favorite part of the 

day was during my morning commute to the office in 

downtown Seattle. My bus typically arrived at my stop 

just a minute or two before the Bainbridge Island ferry 

unloaded. I would stop on the sidewalk and look 

down the steep hill as numerous solitary headlights 

advanced with a growing rumble up the urban 

canyon. I was a little kid again, excitedly watching 

all the motorcycle commuters roar past me up the 

street on their way to work.

However, being older, along with the 

interest came the awareness of the dangers 

of riding, and much to my chagrin, I 

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 23
became a nervous passenger. I finally decided to take 

the MSF Basic Rider course, thinking it would make me a 

more comfortable passenger. The course was fantastic and 

a ton of fun. To my surprise, I walked away deciding, “To 

heck with being a passenger, I want to ride!”

By the time I narrowed my search to the exact bike 

I wanted, it was early May, the weather was gorgeous, 

and motorcycles were selling like hotcakes. After looking 

as far away as Eugene, Oregon, I lucked into a deal on 

a silvery-blue BMW in Portland. Not having ridden 

more than 10 blocks on real streets, I rented a truck and 

transported my new bike back to Seattle, where I met a 

friend at a loading dock less than a mile from my house. 

Giving strict instructions to stay right behind me, and 

direct traffic around me should I stall at the stop sign at 

the top of the hill, I suited up and climbed on my new 

bike. I rode to the first intersection where I waited for the 

light to change, when a Yamaha rider rode past nodding 

acknowledgment in my direction. I’m in! I thought. I had 

been on my bike a total of 10 minutes and had already 

been accepted into the brotherhood of motorcyclists!

Over the next several weeks I practiced my cornering, 

quick stops (the rear ABS kicked in right away), and figureeights in the nearest parking lot, read David Hought’s 

Proficient Motorcycling, and slowly ventured out onto 

residential streets. Before long, aimless wandering began 

to bother my environmentally-minded conscience, and I 

began using my Givi hard cases for grocery shopping. The 

52+ m.p.g. in-city gas consumption made me feel greener 

than ever (and happier financially, as well.) I outfitted 

myself with all the proper riding gear at gear swaps, 

while gobbling down brisket sandwiches and making new 

friends. I kept a diary of my early progress with such 

accomplishments as “first time fueling up,” “first ride with 

side bags” (extra weight), “getting more comfortable at 30 

m.p.h.,” and, “got bike up on center stand!”

Then I tackled a whole list of firsts with a day trip 

to nearby Bainbridge Island: first trip out of town, first 

time on a Washington State ferry, first crossing of an 

elevated bridge with side winds, and first time on a 

gravel road (by mistake.) I had another unexpected first 

when I pulled off the road into a sloping, gravel parking 

lot (also a mistake.) After a nerve-wracking 15-minutes 

of navigating the parking lot, including hopping off the 

bike in a spot where I discovered I couldn’t park it and 

couldn’t get back on to move it, I nearly accomplished 

another first – dropping the bike.

Still undeterred, and having survived that day, I 

decided to expand my horizons a couple weeks later 

with an overnight trip to the Puget Sound town of Port 

Townsend. It was only a couple hours’ drive away, 

but pushed me up to speeds of 55-60 mph on two-lane 

highways with longer riding times. It also involved 

crossing the Hood Canal Bridge – a floating concrete bridge 

with three sections of grated bridge deck. Though I had 

crossed grated bridge decks before, I was apprehensive of 

this bridge with longer spans and more lanes of traffic at 

greater speeds. I approached the bridge with racing heart, 

just hoping to survive, and 

discovered after the first 

span that it was a piece 

of cake. As I left the final 

span and landed on solid 

asphalt again, I wanted 

to throw up my fist in 

triumphant jubilation – I’d 

done it!

My father had 

suggested for fun that 

I dress up my helmet 

with a pair of suction 

cup tiger ears, saying he 

thought they’d help attract 

attention. And that they 

did. You have to be a bit 

of an extrovert to wear 

tiger ears and a tail, so 

with a deep breath and a 

“here goes nothin’” sigh, I 

slapped them on my helmet 

upon arriving in town. 

With a bright fluorescent 

yellow jacket and my ears 

and tail, I attracted more 

than my share of attention 

24 Smart Ride Spring 2010
as I rode around the little Victorian waterfront town.

At the farmer’s market the next day a woman slapped 

me on the back and said, “You’re the woman we saw last 

night!” One woman left her friends and walked across a 

busy street to come tell me how much she liked my getup. 

And a man in the lobby of my hotel turned around to see 

me in my jacket and announced loudly, “We’ve seen you 

three times now!” I had discovered a cheap and easy way 

to win friends, and began having a lot of fun with such an 

easy ice breaker.

Of course, the bike itself attracted attention, too. As 

I stood beside it, clambering into or out of my riding gear, 

men would walk past and quietly compliment, “Nice bike.” 

I was pleased with my limited mechanical knowledge to 

at least be able to respond to questions of how much it 

weighed, how many cylinders it had, etc. But the most 

gratifying thing for me was when women would approach 

to ask about the bike. One woman hesitatingly approached 

me with her 11-year old daughter in tow and shyly asked, 

“How do you like that bike?” She let me know she’d been 

thinking of riding for a while, and I unloaded the story of 

how I’d gotten into it, giving her all the information I had 

about bikes and riding courses as her daughter furiously 

scribbled down notes. She literally walked away taller, 

filled with more confidence and spirit.

I made friends of all ages, from men in their 60s 

who harkened back to their riding days before they got 

married, to 5 and 6-year-olds who stood frozen in their 

tracks, staring with fascination. Like no other sport I’ve 

ever done, motorcycling has opened up more doors and 

introduced me to more genuinely friendly people than 

I could’ve hoped to encounter, and I was sorry I hadn’t 

gotten into it sooner.

And I’ve come to regard it as a sport, complete with all 

the specialized equipment and opportunities galore for any 

gear hound. Somehow it reminds me of skiing. Making a 

smooth turn, leaning into it, trusting and feeling the tires 

grab the pavement is much like carving out a nice turn in 

snow, riding the edges where the movement is effortless 

and graceful, and the results beautiful. In both cases the 

body is leaned over in such a way as to defy gravity, yet 

still in motion, and results in that euphoric sense of flying.

As the summer progressed, so did my riding skills, as 

I tackled interstate driving, camping trips, and a full day 

dirt bike class to help me with those gravel roads. I found 

a hair style that worked well under a helmet, downsized 

all personal items to fit in a motorcycle jacket, and had 

motorcycle magazines littering my bathroom floor, while 

my car increasingly sat neglected in my driveway.

It was at the end of Labor Day weekend when I was 

returning to town after a four-day camping trip that I got 

stopped in traffic at a train crossing. I noticed in the back 

seat of the SUV next to me a little girl craning forward in 

her booster seat, grinning and waving enthusiastically. I 

gave a gloved wave back, as her father rolled down his 

window, and with a shrug announced, “She just loves 

motorcycles.”

“That’s totally understandable,” I replied. 

EMILY DAVENPORT IS THE DAUGHTER OF CAPT. NICHOLAS DAVENPORT, 

THE AEROMEDICAL DIVISION HEAD AT THE NAVAL SAFETY CENTER.

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 25
BY: ABHC(AW/SW) JOHN MABRY 

WITH AS1(AW/SW)JASON BLOCK

I

t all started on a blisteringly hot and humid day 

in June 2004. On 5.4km of unadulterated, throttle 

breaking, rev-limiter maxing, fear inducing, but 

nicely-controlled heaven, sat a sweet little racetrack in beautiful Siracusa, Sicily. I was sweating, out of breath, and having the time of my life. I had 

just come off the racetrack after my third 25-minute session, riding as fast as my limited talent allowed. 

As I drank water and tried to cool off, my friends 

and I talked about how much fun we were having, while 

learning new things too. We said it would be awesome 

to hold the annual motorcycle stand-down at a racetrack, 

with different drills that would benefit everyone, rather 

than at the base theatre, where the first stand-down was 

held the year before.

Well it didn’t happen then, but four years later it 

finally did. As the lead for motorcycle safety, my team 

and I believed that the regular stand-down just wasn’t 

getting through to enough Sailors and dependents, or 

getting the job done. Granted, it was a check in the 

block, but that wasn’t enough for us. Not to mention we 

were still having loads of accidents through rider error 

and awareness. 

We had been doing the “routine” things but needed 

more, so I went to a local racetrack and spoke to the 

management about the feasibility and cost of having our 

stand down there. Then came the approval process and 

selling the idea up the chain of command. Everyone 

thought that the plan was sound and the positives great26 Smart Ride Spring 2010
ly outweighed the negatives.

This new adventure started two days before the actual 

track day with a safety brief. It was mandatory for all motorcyclists, letting them know what to expect and how to 

prepare for the event. The track day itself started off with 

riders breaking into groups of 10-15, with lead and follow 

riders who had substantial riding experience. Another safety brief followed before the 130km ride to the track started. 

At that point we sent the groups off in 10 minute intervals 

to ensure we didn’t have a massive group of 100 riders 

on the road all bunched together. When they reached the 

track there was plenty of time to mingle, look at bikes (it’s 

what bikers do), and sign in. 

The on-track portion of the day started at 0900. We 

pulled most of the drills, eight total, from the Basic RiderCourse/Experienced RiderCourse coaching guides. At the 

end of the day, we opened the track to those that had full 

leathers and all the requisite PPE, so they could ride the 

track at speed, or get extra instruction. 

So, 2008 was our first year and the annual motorcycle 

safety stand down has become a huge success. Last year 

we added drills from the Military Sportbike RiderCourse as 

well. No mishaps of any kind, other than random maintenance issues, arose, and three years later, people are still 

talking about how much they learned over the last few 

years during the track days. The only gripe heard about 

that day, was that it was hot, REALLY HOT! 

If that’s the worst, we can deal with that. The amazing thing is that we were thinking outside the box for a 

change, and bringing valuable hands-on training to a 

hugely important and highly-visible passion many of our 

Sailors have. 

Now that we’re in our third year, there are many lessons learned that are making it an even better evolution. 

Has this been a leap of faith? You bet. Has it helped or 

are we just throwing money into the fire? The results 

speak for themselves: In the last 3 years in Sigonella, 

there has been a 74percent reduction in accidents and an 

average of at least four or five fatalities is down to one or 

none. I would say it has been a massive success. 

If we have learned anything, it’s that if it can be done 

in Sigonella, it is possible to do anywhere. We can definitely tell you that most people learn something new and 

everyone has fun while reinforcing good solid riding habits and techniques. 

BEFORE HE TRANSFERRED TO USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71), 

ABHC(AW/SW) JOHN MABRY WAS THE HEAD OF NAS SIGONELLA’S MOTORCYCLE SAFETY PROGRAM. HE PASSED THE REINS TO HIS FORMER 

ASSISTANT, AS1(AW/SW) JASON BLOCK.

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 27
BY CAPT. NICK DAVENPORT When you mention your passion for motor

-

cycling to strangers, you’re likely to get 

one of two replies. “Gee, I’ve always want-

ed to ride a motorcycle,” is one predictable 

response. They suspect, just as you know, 

that motorcycling is fun. But the other likely response is an 

observation that “motorcycles are dangerous!” Then they’ll 

regale you with a story about someone who was crushed 

flat by a steamroller while riding a motorcycle, and had 

to be picked up off the pavement with a spatula, or 

something to that effect. 

We’ve all heard the isolated stories of motorcy-

clists who have been killed, or perhaps even been 

unfortunate enough to lose a friend, loved one or 

family member in a motorcycle crash. But then 

we’re also aware of people who have enjoyed 

riding motorcycles all their lives and live to remi-

nisce fondly about trips taken across the country 

and around the world. 

Life isn’t about complete risk avoidance, just man-

aging risk as best possible, so we can continue to 

do the things we enjoy. So just how dangerous 

are motorcycles, really?

As Ken Obenski, motorcycle accident in-

vestigator and author of Motorcycle Accident 

Reconstruction and Litigation observes, 

“Motorcycles are safe, as long as you remember 

they’re dangerous.” Trying to adequately assess 

risk with such conflicting images is difficult, so 

let’s look critically at the average motorcyclist, and see if 

we can learn from his experience. 

The first thing to realize is that none of us is the 

average motorcyclist – he or she doesn’t exist. If you 

ask us motorcycle riders, 85 percent of us will tell you 

that we’re better than the average motorcyclist. This 

means that at least 35 percent of us are deluded. Even 

riders who have crashed two or three times are likely 

to consider themselves better-than-average riders. 

Statistics and real data may provide a better framework 

to estimate how good we are, and what we can do to 

improve our riding skills.

28 Smart Ride Spring 2010
Can we gather anything from the current accident 

statistics? In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration (NHTSA) reported 5,290 deaths of 

motorcyclists in the US, with an 

estimated 96,000 more injured. 

That means that roughly five 

percent of the reportable injury 

accidents result in death, or 

conversely, that the odds of your 

surviving any motorcycle injury 

accident are about 95 percent. 

And many of us have had spills 

and slides and bumps in our 

motorcycle careers that the police 

and paramedics never found out 

about. Maybe we were shaken up 

and scraped a bit, but we were 

lucky not to get badly hurt, so 

we picked up the bike, dusted off 

the jeans, and went on our way, 

trembling from the adrenalin 

surge and a bit wiser than 

before. These were accidents, but they were “non-reportable.” 

I don’t know about you, but in my 50-year motorcycle career 

of 250,000+ miles, I’ve had about 15 to 20 of these. As they 

say, there are two kinds of motorcyclists, “those who’ve been 

down, and those who are going to go down.” We’re known as 

“experienced motorcyclists.” 

Let’s look at some really experienced riders. Every two 

years since the early-eighties, a group of motorcyclists 

enter an extreme test of riding endurance known as 

the Iron Butt Rally. Riders compete to gain points in 

routes all over the United States, including Alaska and 

Canada, and cover over 1,000 miles PER DAY for 11 

continuous days. That’s a lot of time in the saddle! The 

most recent running of the Iron Butt Rally was 

held last summer. Of the 101 contestants, about a 

sixth didn’t finish. Collectively the riders covered 

940,000 miles, had four minor, two moderate, 

and four major accidents (four of them were 

deer strikes), and one fatality. Among average 

motorcyclists, there’s about one death per 2.5 

million miles covered, and about 20 times as many 

reportable accidents (one per 125K miles). In this 

instance the Iron Butt contestants had a reportable 

mishap rate of one per 94K miles, which isn’t too 

bad when you think of the extreme conditions 

they’re riding under. And in the history of the rally, 

there has been only one other fatal accident during 

the event, making their fatality rate less than 

one per 3 million miles, lower than the national 

average. 

You’ll notice a pattern in these statistics – the 

minor scrapes and bruises are much more common 

than injury accidents, which are also more frequent than 

fatalities. That’s good, since it means most of us can 

become experienced motorcyclists and hopefully survive 

the process.

All this brings me to the 

“Accident Pyramid.” This 

was first described in 1931 

by H. W. Heinrich, who was 

reporting on accidents in 

industry in his book Industrial 

Accident Prevention: A 

Scientific Approach. The theory 

is that incidents (near misses) 

are much more common than 

minor injury-accidents, which 

are in turn more common 

than major injury-accidents. 

The base layer of the pyramid 

is composed of incidents, the 

middle layer represents the 

minor injuries, and the top 

is the major injury-accident. 

Heinrich estimated the ratio 

was about 300:29:1. The implication is that if you pay 

attention to the base layer (the near misses), you can learn a 

lot from them since they’re so frequent relative to the major 

incidents. If you can minimize the near-misses, you’ll reduce 

the injuries and eventual deaths that result. 

Can we apply the concept of the accident pyramid to our 

own motorcycling experience and improve our safety? I 

think we can. 

The Motorcycle Accident Pyramid is composed of the 

sorts of things we’re exposed to as motorcyclists in our 

daily riding. Different riders conceptually have different 

sized pyramids, depending on their experience level, risk 

Life isn’t about 

complete risk 

avoidance, just 

managing risk as 

best possible...

The author speeds around the corkscrew at Laguna Seca racetrack.

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 29
The next layer of the Pyramid I’ll call “Scares.” These 

are unanticipated, cause you to startle and have to react 

suddenly, and leave you with that adrenalin surge to deal 

with if it otherwise doesn’t lead to a real accident. This 

is the driver that suddenly cuts you off, forcing a panic 

braking reaction, or the “almost lost it in a curve” event 

when you come in too hot, or running over that truck 

tire remnant in the freeway at night that you didn’t see 

in time in the beam of your headlight. Your heart races, 

your mouth is dry as cotton, and your face would be pale 

for the next few minutes if you could see it in your mirror. 

You certainly take a few deep breaths and may have to 

pull off to the side of the road if you can’t control the jitters 

for the next few minutes afterward. This is the typical 

survival “stress reaction” – a big surge of adrenalin that 

gears you up for fight or flight. YOU REMEMBER THESE, 

since evolution ensures that possible life-or-death events 

are retained in the brain by the animal that experiences 

them! These are the teaching events we’re going to use to 

enhance our survival skills.

The top three layers, Accidents, Injuries, and Death 

are where something actually happened – they’re selfexplanatory, and we’re going to ignore them for the 

moment - we don’t want them! We’re going to concentrate 

on the Scares layer to hopefully shrink our pyramid and 

make the top layers less likely to happen.

Scare events hopefully aren’t that frequent in your 

riding experience. I can think of about five or six that 

I’ve had over the last eight years of riding. How many 

can you think of in your motorcycle career? If you’ve had 

a bunch, your “Accident Pyramid” may be bigger than the 

average motorcyclist. Analyze the Scare layer to understand how to make it smaller, and your whole pyramid 

shrinks proportionally.

Here’s the drill. Write all these Scares down. Write 

whatever you can remember of the circumstances of each. 

Analyze them to the detail you need to see what caused 

the problem, what mistakes you may have made, and what 

you might have done differently to avoid them. Now look 

to see if there are any common patterns among them. If 

there are, you may discover habits or conditions you can 

change to shrink your pyramid.

As an example, of my six recent Scares, five of them 

occurred from drivers unexpectedly moving into my 

lane, causing me to have to brake suddenly, head for the 

shoulder, or accelerate to get out of their way. In each, 

I was momentarily in the driver’s blind spot, but they’d 

have seen me if they’d done the typical head-check before 

changing lanes. Why didn’t they? 

A pattern began to emerge. In each instance the event 

had occurred where a multi-lane street split in two directions at a “Y” junction. In each situation, I was in the 

branch which had less traffic flow, and I was in the outside lane accelerating around a slower car that also had 

also branched in my direction. The drivers didn’t EXPECT 

behaviors, safety attitude, etc. The five layers are shown in 

the following diagram. 

The base layer – Anomalies - are those sorts of things 

that may happen every day, that we take in stride as 

experienced motorcyclists, such as recognizing and 

avoiding diesel spills, anticipating the left-turning driver 

coming towards us and braking appropriately, and 

spotting that red-light running driver before we enter 

an intersection. We’re looking for these sorts of things, 

anticipating them, and when they happen we’re not 

surprised and handle the event safely. “I could just tell he 

was going to drift into my lane, that’s why I held back” you 

mutter to yourself inside your helmet. No drama, just part 

of being a competent motorcyclist on today’s busy streets.

a faster moving vehicle next to them at that point, and 

neglected the head check as they negotiated the turn and 

changed lanes. In one of my Scares, I’d done the same 

thing to a fast-approaching car in a similar turn, forcing 

him to swing wide. Luckily he was alert too. 

http://emeetingplace.com/safetyblog/?p=275

30 Smart Ride Spring 2010
Pictured below is one of these intersections. As I went 

back and looked at these intersections, in some of them, 

the highway department had even painted solid white lane 

markers at these points, indicating drivers should use extra 

caution when changing lanes. They were already aware 

of something I’d not noticed before. The more I though 

about it, I realized in an accident years ago, another driver 

had cut across my lane in the same situation and I’d hit 

her left rear fender. Luckily in that accident, I was driving 

a Suburban rather than my motorcycle. Clearly I had a 

habit problem which if I didn’t break, would likely lead to 

another accident some day. 

Another rider analyzed his five Scares and realized 

all of them were from the typical left-turning motorist 

violating his right of way. He recognized he had a 

conspicuity problem. He outfitted his bike with extra 

running lights, wears more visible and reflective clothing, 

and now wears a white instead of a black helmet. 

... I was momentarily in the driver’s blind spot, 

but they’d have seen me if they’d done the 

typical head-check before changing lanes.

Hopefully we’ve both shrunk our pyramids a bit.

Analyze your own pyramid and let us know what you 

find out. We’d be interested in your results and opinions, 

and may publish your lessons learned in a future issue of 

Smart Ride.

So now do I head out the door feeling safe? Nope! 

None of us is the average motorcyclist, and we can’t take 

comfort in statistics. That point has been proven more 

than once by a brand new rider who has graduated from 

the Basic Rider Course, then gone screaming down the road 

and launched himself into a tree. Every ride is a challenge 

– it’s a matter of risk management. 

Is motorcycling dangerous? I think Ken summarized 

it best when he said, “Motorcycles are safe, as long as you 

remember they’re dangerous.” Go out and enjoy the ride, 

but keep your pyramids small. 

CAPT. NICK DAVENPORT IS THE HEAD OF THE AEROMEDICAL 

DIVISION AT THE NAVAL SAFETY CENTER AND AN AVID RIDER.

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 31
CASESTUDY:

 How One Rider Learned to Look Twice 

32 Smart Ride Spring 2010
ast Experience: My Dad has always had 

motorcycles and I liked to ride with him when I was a 

kid. I got my first motorcycle when I was 14 and learned 

how to ride it in our back yard and an empty lot next 

door. After a few months of practice I turned 15 and 

started riding on the street. One of my first real street 

rides was an all-day event with about 10 other riders 

hosted by the Christian Motorcyclist Association and I 

was hooked. I rode to high school almost every day, and 

throughout college, my only vehicle was a motorcycle. 

My “ensign-mobile” was a new sport bike in 1998 and 

I proceeded to put over 70,000 miles on that ZX-9 over 

the course of about 6 years, years which included two 

WESTPAC deployments. I’ve taken several MSF courses 

as well as on-track performance riding training. I’ve been 

riding on the street for 18 years and had never been in an 

accident with another vehicle, until recently. 

Recent Experience: About a month before the accident, I 

trucked my bike down to Florida and put about 600 miles 

on it over the course of 3 days, riding around Daytona 

Beach for bike week and along Florida’s East Coast. I rode 

my bike to work several times in the preceding weeks and 

took the Experienced Riders Course and Sport Bike Rider 

Course just days prior to the accident. 

The Accident: I pulled out from a stop sign in front of a 

car that was blocked from view by turning traffic. I looked 

left and saw the turning vehicle, then looked right and 

pulled out to make a left turn. A Lexus was going by the 

turning traffic, locked up the brakes, and skidded into the 

side of my bike, hitting the rear wheel area and violently 

knocking the bike out from under me. I rag dolled onto the 

asphalt and landed on my left knee, coming to rest on my 

left side in a fetal position, wondering how I got hit.

Witnesses quickly handled the stopping of traffic, 

calling of ambulances, and checking to see that I was 

alive. After what seemed like an eternity of lying in the 

street talking to the paramedics, they loaded me into the 

ambulance and let me call my wife.

Reflecting on the accident, I believe I would have done 

the same thing if I had been in my 4000 pound pickup 

truck. If I had, it is likely that I would have sustained less 

injury, but also likely that the family in the Lexus would 

have been in considerably worse condition. 

Maybe things happen for a reason. Maybe I should’ve 

looked left again. 

Aftermath: A month later, post knee surgery and out 

of flight status for another month, I know it could have 

been worse. My injury was relatively minor on the grand 

scale, only a fractured patella and a sprained wrist. I was 

wearing more than the minimum required protective gear, 

including a full face helmet and protective jacket, gloves 

and boots. Protective pants with knee armor would have 

been useful, but I was wearing basic denim. My medical 

and automotive insurance have covered the significant 

medical bills and vehicle damage that resulted and I can 

get around with the aid of a cane and knee brace.

Point: This is not a morbid tale, but a word of caution. 

If you think it can’t happen to you, think again. No one is 

invincible. If you ride, be realistic about the risk you take. 

We all do a lot of inherently risky things, but that doesn’t 

mean we can’t do them smarter. Take this as a plea to 

stay alert and wear protective gear no matter who you 

are or what you are driving. Ride within your limits and 

don’t fuel the negative stereotypes motorcyclists seem to 

generate. I encourage everyone to keep insurance paid up, 

registration current, to follow regulations, and be prepared 

for things “just in case.” 

There’s a motorcycle awareness campaign whose slogan 

is “look twice-save a life, motorcycles are everywhere” 

(http://genepearson.org). You can be sure I will be looking 

twice in the future. 

BY LCDR. JASON BRAGG

“Look Twice-Save A Life, 

Motorcycles Are Everywhere”

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 33
ast August, riders in the Pacific Northwest 

got a chance to show their stuff and learn a lot during 

Military Track Day at Pacific Raceways in Kent, 

Washington, with Northeast Sports Bike Association 

(NESBA). Many DoD employee riders from several 

different branches of the armed services participated in 

the event. There was a mix of skill levels ranging from 

first time track riders all the way up to advanced and 

professional riders that compete in races. The event 

was coordinated by EMC(SS) Derek L. Hicks from USS 

OHIO (SSGN 726)(GOLD), who also races for WMRRA 

(Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association).

Takin’ It 

To the 

Track...

BY YN2(SS) ADAM EVANS

“The track is the safest place to get the ‘speed bug’ out 

of a rider’s system. These riders get to go out in nearlyperfect conditions and take themselves to the limit. Most 

seasoned track riders will tell you the quickest way to slow 

a rider down on the streets, is to let them go as fast as they 

want on the track. The reason for this is the realization 

that motorcycles can give and take much more than their 

riders can handle,” Hicks said.

“I went to the track day thinking that it would be easy; 

that I would be able to whip around the track like I was 

Valentino Rossi (eight-time world champion motorcycle 

racer). However, it became clear to me, that this was not 

34 Smart Ride Spring 2010
STS2(SS) RAYMOND MOON, A PARTICIPANT IN THE EVENT, SAID 

HIS IMPRESSIONS ABOUT SPEED DEFINITELY CHANGED THANKS 

TO THE EXPERIENCE... 

the case as soon as I got on the track. I was taken back for 

a bit when I realized that I’m not as talented as I originally 

thought,” STS2(SS) Raymond Moon said. 

Moon also said he learned why there are different level 

classes for track riders and control riders who are there to 

mentor less experienced track riders.

“My first session, I had a bad tendency to not look 

through a turn and I would also drop to a lower gear 

than I needed to, which meant my bike would fish tail. 

After these issues were pointed out and I corrected myself, I had a safer and more enjoyable experience on the 

track,” he said.

Safety is a major concern on the track, and precautions are taken to ensure that riders are educated and 

outfitted. The protective equipment requirement is very 

stringent. Riders must wear full leather, which means no 

street clothes are allowed. The leather gear protects riders’ 

skin from road rash and other potential injuries sustained 

from the impact of a crash. Extensive inspections were 

conducted on riders’ gear and motorcycles before anyone 

was allowed to enter the track.

MMCS(SS/SW) Dave Landes is a control rider for 

NESBA. He believes track days like this one are necessary 

for sport bike riders, and that they learn things that build 

on skills students begin to learn in the Military Sport Bike 

Rider Course.

“The biggest thing I thought about as I saw the one 

Army EOD soldier throw his Ducati away in turn two – 

unhurt with the exception of maybe his pride – was that 

the sole reason he ran off of the track was something he 

would never incur in a parking lot through the course of 

the existing Sport Bike Rider Course. Another rider in close 

proximity actually startled him where he lost focus and 

he stood the bike up running off the outside of turn two. 

Racers know to expect this, but again this reinforces real 

training that isn’t included in existing parking lot courses,” 

Landes said.

He also believes that the best use of track days is to let 

Sailors and Marines get their speed fix in a relatively safe 

environment.

“I’d like to think that everyone can effectively get 

their fix at the track and control themselves on the 

street, reserving aggressive riding for a controlled environment.” he said.

Control riders like Landes are there to teach proper 

technique and smooth control to inexperienced riders. 

The purpose of a control rider is to watch others and 

assist them skill, track lines (paths), and to give advice 

and feedback. They are also out to enforce all aspects 

of safety, including watching for people riding above 

their skill level. If a rider looks too nervous, or does not 

have the confidence to ride at a faster pace, the control 

rider will get in front and have the rider slow down and 

follow, leading by example. Control riders also enforce 

track rules for each class level. For example, in the beginner and intermediate classes, people are only allowed 

to pass other riders in certain areas of the track.

At first glance, Military Track Day may seem to be 

a Mecca for speed freaks and thrill seekers and encourage speeding and street racing. On the contrary, these 

riders said that experiencing speed in a controlled environment teaches them how dangerous riding on the 

street can be. Many track riders no longer ride on the 

street because of the dangers of road debris, obstacles, 

animals, environmental conditions, and most of all, 

other motorists.

The riders who attended Military Track Day insist 

that they are now less likely to speed on the streets because of their experiences on the track. 

 “I have a newfound respect for the aspects of speed. 

I was able to get the bike up to 160 mph on the straight 

away, but that was after four sessions on the track. I 

also had a few close calls going through some of the 

corners too quickly. Doing this track day allows you to 

realize that there is a time and place for speeding, which 

is not on the streets. Trying to go 160 mph on a regular 

street or highway is just not smart. It’s one of the quickest ways to get yourself killed,” Moon said. 

YN2(SS) Adam Evans, PSNS & IMF Bangor, Command Motorcycle Safety Coordinator

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 35
ailors and Marines aren’t afraid of getting 

dirty. One of the most enjoyable ways to add a layer of 

mud is by spending the day out on the trails, riding a dirt 

bike or all-terrain vehicle (ATV). 

Many people learn to ride as children, but others take 

up the sport as adults. Either way, some extra training 

is always a good thing since dirt bikes and ATVs operate 

differently than street bikes and are also different from 

each other. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has created 

DirtBike School, which is available in select locations, and 

there are other regional courses that offer hands-on, outdoor motorcycle, dirt bike, or ATV classes. 

We teach courses out in San Diego that are free for 

active-duty riders or active-duty dependants age 16 and 

older. Retired military can also participate on a space 

available basis.

GET

DIRTY!

Dirtbike & ATV Riding Techniques

BY BONNIE WARCH AND ANDREA BEACH

36 Smart Ride Spring 2010
For current dirt and street riders, our four and a half 

hour class is centered on your current riding level. It begins 

with proper dirt bike cornering techniques and correct 

body posture for each riding situation. Proper sitting, 

standing, and how to be active with the motorcycle are essential techniques taught in the class. Plus, efficient braking practice, up and down hills, obstacles, trails and more, 

makes a huge difference in your ultimate performance.

For those who have never ridden a motorcycle before, 

the class progresses based on your ability and rate of 

learning. We start right from the beginning: operation 

of controls, cornering, braking, up and down hills. That’s 

what you need to get started on a great day of riding. Everyone will develop a sense of “real-world” trail riding. 

The ATV Safety Institute ATV RiderCourse provides 

a fast-paced, half-day, hands-on training session which 

includes a pre-ride inspection, starting and stopping, quick 

turns, hill riding, emergency stopping and swerving, and 

riding over obstacles. Students also learn about protective 

gear, local regulations, places to ride and environmental 

concerns. This is something many people don’t think 

about, but it’s become increasingly important. 

Of course, PPE is important for every rider, both on the 

street and off road. During any training course we teach, 

students must wear:

DOT-approved motorcycle helmet 

Goggles or face shield 

Over-the-ankle boots 

Dirtbike or motorcycle gloves 

Long pants 

Long sleeve shirt or jacket

If you aren’t in the San Diego area, there are still 

techniques for turning, breaking, going up and down hills, 

traversing hillsides, ruts and bumps, and riding slalom 

that must be emphasized and practiced.

When first learning, be safe and have fun. Try to 

show good control and judgment, and stay away from 

negative peer pressure. Keep your speeds down. Low 

speed is all you need for the exercises and it will help you 

develop control of your motorcycle. Believe it or not, it is 

much more difficult to go slow and show control than it is 

to fly down a straight dirt road at 60mph doing a wheelie. 

Set goals to challenge yourself. Try to make your turns 

tighter, and then try at slower speeds. Strive to up your own 

ante. The key to what you learn is practice. After you take a 

class, don’t just go riding. Go practice. The great rides come 

with great skill, and the skill comes from practice.

You also need to learn to read the terrain. Look ahead 

to see if the ground has deep sand, mud, or hard pack, and 

then determine how hard or soft you need to brake. Once 

you understand proper braking techniques, no downhill 

will scare you.

It’s also important to think constantly about how 

you can become an extension of your vehicle. These vehicle types require different riding styles, body positions 

and postures, so make sure you know what you’re riding 

and how to become one with it. Again, this all comes 

with practice. 

A basic training class is strongly recommended for 

each type of riding you want to do. 

So take a class and then get out there and practice 

your skills. There’s nothing like the thrill of off-road 

riding. The better you are at it, the more fun you’re going to have. 

And fun is what it’s all about. 

BONNIE WARCH AND ANDREA BEACH ARE INSTRUCTORS 

WITH COACH2RIDE. LEARN MORE ABOUT FREE COURSES 

FOR MILITARY MEMBERS AT WWW.COACH2RIDE.COM.

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 37
erving in the U.S. Coast Guard is rewarding and challenging. Like our counterparts in the Department of Defense (DoD), we take considerable risks in the performance of our duties, and at any given moment there is the potential 

for loss of life. Likewise, when it comes to recreational motorcycling, whether on the road, a track or off-road, we take 

risks, and for some, the risk comes with severe consequences. The senseless loss of life impacts families and the unit’s 

ability to perform their mission. As service members, we train relentlessly to recognize, assess and control the risks inherent to our duties. As motorcyclists, we should be doing the same thing each and every time we ride. To mitigate the 

motorcycle mishaps within the Coast Guard, leadership, in conjunction with the Joint Safety Service Council, is committed to improving and aligning the traffic safety program with the other branches of the Armed Forces.

U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters Office of Safety and Environmental Health, Commandant (CG-113), along with 

Health, Safety and Work-Life (HSWL) Support Activity and the other service branches have teamed up to offer more motorcycle safety training opportunities. Coast Guard policy requires that active duty members who ride motorcycles, on 

or off the installation, complete a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) or state approved motorcycle training course. If 

you need training and are close to a DoD installation, inquire with the installation safety office about motorcycle safety 

training and request a quota. 

If stationed near a U.S. Navy installation, you can sign up for training on the internet at www.navymotorcyclerider.

com. If training is not available at a Coast Guard or DoD facility, email the HSWL motorcycle training coordinator, Mike 

Leuck, at michael.j.leuck@uscg.mil, to request training through a local state provider. Commandant (CG-1132), the Division of Shore Safety, is in the process of working to establish a motorcycle training infrastructure at Coast Guard facilities. Soon, you will have more opportunities to get the training you need.

Advanced or follow-on training is the next step in a rider’s continuing education. Although not currently required by 

policy, if you’ve completed the Basic Rider Course (BRC), you’re encouraged to take follow-on training. For sport bike riders, the Navy and Marine Corps offer MSF’s Military SportBike RiderCourse (MSRC). For cruiser and touring riders, there 

is MSF’s Experienced RiderCourse (ERC) or Advanced RiderCourse (ARC). The ARC is the same course as the MSRC but is 

designed for all motorcycle riders. Furthermore, track days and civilian police motorcycle classes offer additional training opportunities. All of these courses are designed to educate and further develop your skills. 

Coast Guard leaders are working to provide an internal safety infrastructure that will include access to more training, motorcycle specific safety information and events, and the establishment of a motorcycle mentorship program. These 

programs have the capability to assist riders in reducing their potential for being involved in a mishap. While we move 

forward to provide you a more robust traffic safety program, take advantage of the programs being offered through local 

USCG facilities, DoD installations or state programs. 

Take charge of your riding career: Get trained, wear your protective gear, be a mentor and ride safe!

If you would like to get involved or need additional information on improving your unit’s motorcycle safety program, 

please contact Commandant (CG-1132) point of contact, Dale A. Wisnieski, at 202-475-5206, or dale.a.wisnieski@uscg.mil. 

Semper Paratus 

THE SCOOP FOR COAST GUARD RIDERS:

TRAINING IS MOVING FORWARD

38 Smart Ride Spring 2010
BY AOCM(AW/SW) OBIE LOYOLA

riday, September 25, a little after 6 p.m., I could 

have been in a serious accident that probably would have 

cost me my life. I could have been a safety hazard to other 

motorists, an accident waiting to happen. It would have 

been a serious casualty because I failed to do my part. 

As I was doing my standard pre-ride check, I noticed 

that my brake light was not coming on as I was squeezing my front brake lever. It did come on when I stepped 

on my rear brakes. I do have a linked braking system 

(1993 Honda CBR1000F) and mostly, I usually use just 

the front brakes. 

So I started the basic trouble shooting technique: Isolation of parts. I knew the light bulbs were fine since they 

were working with the rear brakes, so I disconnected the 

two wires connected to the brake light switch and conducted a voltage check with my multi meter. It registered that I 

had a good 12VDC. 

My next step was to jump the wires. The brake lights 

should come on, and they did. Just to be sure, I did a continuity check in the switch itself. It should have continuity when the button is pressed, as this simulates braking. 

When I pressed the button, there was no continuity so I 

figured “Yep, that’s the problem!” 

The bike is sixteen years old, with 73,000 miles and 

the switch had served its purpose. I called a local motorcycle parts store, and luckily, one was in stock for $16.99. 

It was the smartest $17 investment I ever spent on my bike. 

It’s been a very reliable bike, so far. I take care of preventive maintenance and I don’t mind spending $17 for my 

own and other commuters’ safety. 

Check

the Pre-Ride

Don’t Skip

You see, if I had skipped the pre-ride check, I could 

have been traveling at highway speeds before I realized the 

continuity problem in my brake switch. If that had happened, I probably wouldn’t be writing this article.

Most accidents can be prevented. They usually come 

down to several contributing factors, some of which we 

can, and some of which we cannot change. 

Training is important, but you can’t forget the pre-ride 

inspection. All of my training would have been irrelevant if 

I had “gun decked” my pre-ride check. 

With motorcycles, you don’t always get a second 

chance, so do it right the first time. 

AOCM(AW/SW) OBIE LOYOLA IS ASSIGNED TO USS JOHN C. STENNIS 

(CVN 74) AND IS AN MSF RIDER COACH.

The culprit: A faulty brake switch.

Spring 2010 Smart Ride 39
•	 Sport bike rider

•	 First year motorcycle rider

•	 No formal training

•	 Under 30 years of age

•	 Exceeding safe speed for the 

conditions

•	 Made a poor decision or failed 

to identify hazards

•	 Does not know his/her limitations 

on the bike

•	 Bike modifications unknown or 

beyond the rider’s understanding

•	 Most likely riding on a weekend

Profile of a Fatal Rider

•	 Get trained and licensed

•	 Wear protective gear – all the gear, all the 

time – including a helmet manufactured to 

the standards set by the DOT

•	 Ride unimpaired by alcohol or other drugs

•	 Ride within your own skill limits

•	 Be a lifelong learner by taking refresher 

rider courses

Don’t be this rider. If you fit any of the above 

criteria, you’re riding on borrowed time. Take 

responsibility for your life. Remember the 

Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s key messages:

40 Smart Ride Spring 2010
Motorcycle safety is a matter of force preservation and mission readiness. Getting 

trained is the best way to ride safe. Here are the Marine Corps Motorcycle 

Training Guidelines:

Hey Marines!

•	 Every motorcycle rider must complete the Basic Rider Course (BRC). The BRC 

teaches fundamental riding skills such as breaking, turning, and low-speed 

maneuvering. Thinking about buying a bike? The BRC is for you!

•	 Within 120 days of completing the BRC, all riders must attend the next level of 

training – the Experienced Rider Course (ERC) for cruiser riders, or the Military 

Sportbike Rider Course (MSRC) for sport bike riders.

•	 Ideally, this next level of training will be completed right after the BRC. There 

is no “experience period” required between the BRC and ERC/MSRC.

•	 In most states, the BRC is the only requirement to receive a valid motorcycle 

endorsement – often making mostly inexperienced riders street legal. These 

riders should attend the ERC/MSRC as soon as possible after the BRC to 

further develop their skills on their own bikes before hitting the streets.

•	 The ERC and MSRC are intended to ensure that a Marine 

can operate his or her own motorcycle at “real 

world” speeds. 

•	 All riders must have a valid motorcycle 

endorsement or license to operate any 

motorcycle on public roads.

•	 Motorcycle riding Marines should be 

active members in an installation/

base-sponsored motorcycle 

mentorship program or 

club. 

•	 All riders must complete 

follow-on training every 

three years.

MARINE CORPS EXCHANGE TRAINING COMPLETION PPE COUPONS!

Motorcycle safety course graduates (BRC, 

ERC, and MSCR) are eligible for a 25% 

off coupon to purchase PPE at the MCX.

In order to receive the coupon, all you 

have to do is have MCX privileges and 

successfully complete an installation/

base-sponsored motorcycle course.