Danger surrounds us. Every evening on the news we hear impending doom, violence, Amber alerts, drunken politicians, bishops killing innocents with their cars and molesting our children. If you're like me, there's a high probability that you purchased your motorcycle to escape the everyday pressures consuming your brainwaves.
So this month, I've decided to jump on the jeopardy bandwagon and issue a few “Danger” warnings, so you'll have more stuff to worry about while on the road. Great? Let's get one thing straight, right out of the chute. Everyone knows that riding a motorcycle is a dangerous undertaking. The one thing many people don't realize is modifying their motorcycle can add hazards.
This month I'm going to do my best to point out a few of the hazards associated with modifying your bike, so you don't end up like Jackass-G in the photo. Since I've had my shop here in Scottsdale, I've seen many bikes that have wound up sliding sideways down the road. Many times the rider blames the bike for the loss of control, when it's actually the rider's responsibility to know the limits of his or her machine and ride within those limits. Many times modifications, such as lowering a bike, or adding or omitting certain accessories can seriously affect the stability and safety of your original machine.
Factory built motorcycles are required to meet NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov. safety standards, whose catchy slogan is “people saving people”. These guys from the government are actually out to help you by setting standard operating equipment specifications. This is where your tax dollars are spent to protect you while you're riding.
If there is a series of attention getting accidents, the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board)http://www.ntsb.gov gets involved. These are the same guys that investigate everything from train, plane and shipwrecks, then, hopefully, they develop guidelines to correct equipment issues.
Some of the equipment that the government requires on motorcycles are no-brainers, like footrests for both riders and passengers, seats for riders and passengers, front and rear brakes with minimum stopping distance specs, minimum lighting and standard controls for typical operation. As obvious as it seems, I've seen bikes built that ignore these simple features.
Even if you've got the trickest set of billet handlebar controls on your bike, take the time to wire in a kill-switch accessible to your right thumb when you've got your hand on the throttle. If there's no quick way to shut off the power to your machine in an emergency the possibility for major physical injuries will increase substantially.
Just last fall we had a customer who lost control of his bike on a mountain curve. When he went off-road his throttle stuck open. He had no accessible kill switch and couldn't shut off his bike. Talk about dangerous curves; what a horrible feeling that must have been to realize that you can't stop your street machine from entering the Baja 1000. He ripped across the desert full throttle out of control. He was ejected off the bike. Thankfully, he lived to talk about it. Guaranteed, when he's recovered and was ready to jump back in the saddle, his bike will have a kill-switch located by the throttle, within reach of his thumb.
Most Harley-Davidson motorcycles have 5 to 6 inches of ground-clearance under the frame rails. By modifying and lowering the rear suspension by just an inch and a half, front and rear, you've greatly limited the lean angle and cornering ability of your bike. If you're accustomed to riding your stock-height bike and then lower it, you'll quickly find out exactly how much closer to the asphalt your foot pegs, exhaust, and kickstand are (you may need to change the exhaust system). The shower of sparks and that rock-in-your-gut feeling appears when you're digging into a corner and realize that you're in it too fast. If you like to do more than ride to the pub once a month, you might reconsider “slamming” your bike. Look again at Jackass G in the photo and think how cool his bike looks lowered to the ground.
Another accessory that limits your cornering lean-angle are those big oversized sculptured kickstands. They look really cool when your bike is parked, but I've seen the damage resulting in “high-siding” your bike. Imagine the feeling of sitting at a stoplight, waiting for that moment to turn left. The opportunity arises; traffic opens up, as if you're Chuck Heston parting the Red Sea. You goose the throttle, lean your bike left and then your back tire lifts off the ground. The goofy oversized sculptured side-stand stuck into the tarmac and caused your bike to pirouette in the center of the street; not a good time.
Instead of the peg hinging up, it becomes a mini bike lift and can result in a bad day. There's a wide selection of superior quality billet forward controls that offer hinged foot pegs. They may cost a few extra bucks upfront to purchase, but it's worth it in every turn. The solid jobs will snap off at the first asphalt clip.
Last but not least, motorcycles are required by the Feds to be equipped with minimum lighting equipment standards. Factory turn signal lights can be very bulbous and unattractive. There are a variety of choices available in bright marker lights that can clean up the appearance of your machine without sacrificing visibility. The latest improvements in lighting are the halogen bulbs, which are very compact and almost obnoxiously bright. The new LED technology available offers yet another durable and attractive choice in motorcycle safety illumination. There's really no reason to ride or build a bike with substandard lighting.
Motorcycling is dangerous enough. There's no reason to set yourself up for unnecessary risks by modifying your machine in ways that can ultimately lead to disaster. Screw the governmental regulations, but use common sense. Most importantly, be aware of how the modifications will change the way your bike functions. This is still America, the land of the free. The goal, as always, is to have fun on your bike and make it home in one piece so you can ride another day.
Keep the rubber side down,
–John at Steeds
http://www.musclebikes.com
