Drag'n the Pegs

By Kent

Pick up any publication on motorcycling and you'll eventually find articles on the best way to take a corner. Most will say something about planning your turn ahead of time, nealy all will say something about counter steering, some will mention starting low and ending on the high side or some such entry planning. Most will caution against riding beyond your abilities, and nearly all will tell you to look where you want to go. These are all great tips, but there's one tip that's very simple, yet often overlooked. On almost any turn that involves a reduction in speed there's a speed limit sign on the side of the road. If your desired entry speed for the turn has little in common with the posted speed limit, then you'll need to use turn tactics that should be reserved for the race track. Since you're not on a race track, slow down.

Slow down, you say? Then what's the deal with all the talk about extreme riding, chicken stripes, twisties, dragging the pegs, etc.? Why did I buy a high performance bike if I'm going to ride it like a sissy? Well, you can ignore the speed limit if you want. You're not likely to get stopped by the police, at least not every time. And, if you ride within your abilities you won't go down, most of the time anyway.

By now you're probably asking yourself why you're reading this. Are you saying "I don't ride like that", or "This guy is just an old "Hardly" rider that's probably been in my way at one time or another"? Well, just in case you haven't heard this before, motorcycling is inherantly more dangerous than driving a cage. There are oil snakes and wet white lines that will put you on your belly, soccer moms making left turns without seeing us, cell phone impaired drivers, and any number of SUVs ready to T-Bone us from out of nowhere. You really don't need to ride like you're on the track to be in danger, so why do it?

Just because you can easily purchase the 2-wheeled equivalent of a high performance race car doesn't give you the right to jepardize the motorcycling community, your life, or possibly even the lives of cagers. Take it to the tracks if you want speed, or go ride a roller coaster if you need an adrenalin rush, but get off of the mountain roads and public highways. They are no place for you to demonstrate your riding ability, or lack thereof.

If you've already figured this out, then speak up. Just about every weekend someone goes down on the mountain roads, and sometimes they don't live to ride again. There are far too few dissenting voices in the motorcycling communty about this type of riding so speak up. Maybe you'll save one life. That's all I'm trying to do.

Ride safely friends.
Kent

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