July 9th, 2006 by R.J.

I saw this video today. It’s part of an ad campaign airing in South Africa instructing motorists to be aware of bikes on the road. It goes to show you just how fast you can be involved in an accident on a motorcycle. The only one that’s looking out for your safety out there is you.

I was also sent a link to this site which, though very graphic, gets the point across on how dangerous our hobby is.

I remember when I took my Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course a few years back the instructor kept mentioning that you are 16 times more likely to be involved in an injury-causing crash on a motorcycle. However, don’t be fooled,
he got this number is from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stats from 1994! According to the most recent numbers by the NHTSA, you are 32 times more likely to be injured or killed on a motorcycle per
mile driven.

What does “per mile driven” mean? Well, for one thing there are more bikes on the road in 2006 than in 1994. Per mile driven takes the number of bikes out of the equation. Simply put: For every mile you ride your bike you are 32 times more likely to crash and be injured or killed than if you were driving a car.

This should be especially worrying for those of you riding in the Coachella Valley. We’re having a population boom, which is making the roads a lot more crowded. As riders we have to deal with all of the old people who come here for the winter and don’t see us. Being so close to the border, we have to deal with immigrants who are unlicensed, uninsured, and don’t know how to drive in the US. And we have no shortage of idiots who think driving a car means they have to pick up their cell phone to chat.

I think knowing all of this makes me more cautious as a rider, even though I know nothing can absolutely prevent me from crashing. But it also makes me worried for all my brothers and sisters out there riding every day…

July 9th, 2006 by R.J.

The painter finished my fairings a few weeks ago and now that I have everything put back together I figured I would share some photos of the bike with everyone .

Overall I am very happy with the way it turned out. It’s definitely something different, you know?

July 8th, 2006 by R.J.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the stretch of our freeway between Cabazon and Coachella has among the highest number of citations written for 100+mph speeding in California.

The Desert Sun wrote an article today about the steady increase in speeders over the last 3 years.

I read this story after I took my motorcycle for a brief ride today up Highway 74 (where I summarily smoked some guy riding a BMW K1200RS.) and both times I was on the I-10, I had cars and trucks following and passing me. My average speed was around 95mph and I saw only one CHP officer who was pulled off the side of the freeway.

If I crash my bike at 95mph in leathers, I may get injured or die, but I won’t likely hurt anyone else. There were only 3 cases in the entire country last year where an accident involving a motorcycle and a car injured the car driver. On the other hand, if you crash your overloaded, underinflated SUV at 95mph, you will very likely die and possibly kill anyone else in the path of your vehicle.

I’d like to point out that I-10 drivers aren’t just getting faster, they’re also getting stupider. As I was approaching the offramp on Palm drive, I was in the right-hand lane ready to get off the freeway only to have some idiot in a Hyundai, who was going at least 85, swerve over 3 lanes of traffic to catch his exit, right in front of my bike. Do I have to add he didn’t even use his signal?

Just a word of warning for you guys that ride your bikes on the I-10 a lot, be very aware of the vehicles around you and try to keep the rubber side down.

July 8th, 2006 by R.J.

A motorcyclist was killed and another seriously injured at an open trackday at La Junta Raceway in Colorado.

Aaron Aikin, 25, apparently was trying to exit the track after missing the paddock exit and was t-boned by another motorcyclist at more than 100mph. Aikin was killed, and the other rider, Gene Bazyl, 22, is hospitalized in serious condition.

La Junta Raceway runs its own track days, but isn’t required to have cornerworkers or medical staff on site. There was no ambulance immediately on hand to treat Aikin’s injuries or he may very well still be alive.

Any of you guys that are thinking of attending trackdays at La Junta may want to give this some serious consideration…

July 7th, 2006 by R.J.

If you have been riding your bike the past few days I’m sure you’ve noticed just how hot and muggy it’s been. With the temperatures being so high, and the humidity index above 30%, this kind of weather can be fatal to motorcyclists.

Compounding the heat and humidity are four cylinders and exhaust pipes radiating in excess of 500°F just inches from your legs.

The American Red Cross says that heat-related illnesses can begin to occur from exposure to a heat index of 95°F for as little as 30 minutes. Our heat index today was 109°F so if you are riding for any length of time in this heat, you are putting yourself in jeopardy.

At a temperature of 90°F, a motorcyclist traveling at 60mph can lose three quarts of water every hour. If these fluids are not properly and quickly replenished, you can become dehydrated which can lead to heat stress, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or even death.

As a side note: My neighbor was taking her dog for a walk yesterday afternoon when it began to act funny, she had water with her and immediately gave her dog some but it kept getting sicker. She took it to the vet but it ended up DYING of
heat stroke. This weather is very serious business, especially if you’re riding a bike. Or if you’re a dog.

In this heat, I recommend you properly hydrate yourself BEFORE you get on your bike, and to stop at least every 30 minutes at a gas station or convenience store to replenish your lost fluids. I know it seems like a pain, but even early signs of dehydration can cause dizziness and make you less alert on your bike which can lead to crashing.

There are a couple of products out there that can really help in the heat, and if you ride every day like me I suggest you look into getting them:

CamelBak Portable Hydration System - It’s like a water fountain you can wear on your back.

UnderArmour HeatGear - Underwear designed to prevent excessive heat build up and perspiration.

July 6th, 2006 by R.J.

Last week, MotoGP rookie Dani Pedrosa took the win at Donington Park in England on his repsol honda motorcycle.
It was Pedrosa’s second win of the season, which already equals Rossi’s debut season in 2000, and there is still half the season remaining.

Pedrosa’s win last Sunday also brought his career win total to 25 equalling the number of victories of the legendary Kevin Schwantz.

Next weekend (07/15/2006), Pedrosa will take his aim at the podium again in the German Grand Prix from Sachsenring, Germany. Pedrosa is second in the world MotoGP standings, trailing repsol team-mate Nicky Hayden by 25 points and is closely followed by world champion Valentino Rossi who is only 9 points back.

The course at Sachsenring consists of 14 tight corners which makes it one of the slowest tracks on the MotoGP schedule. This means its going to be a technical, tight race with plenty of action.

The race will be aired on Speed TV on Sunday, July 16th at 4:00PM.

July 5th, 2006 by R.J.

Fourth of July was awesome. I rode out to Laughlin, NV to watch the fireworks display on the river as well as have a little bit of fun gambling. I broke even… Well, I came back with exactly $1 more than I left with, so not completely even. The ride out there was nice, it was pretty humid and there was a lot of bridge construction on the I-40, but otherwise a nice trip.

As far as I know there isn’t much going on in the Valley. The same tired fireworks displays with obscenely large crowds of drunk people.

July 1st, 2006 by R.J.

Hey folks, this is my first blog entry on SportBiker Blog. I figured I would introduce myself and let everyone know what this blog is all about.

My name is R.J. and I live in Palm Springs, CA. I ride a 2005 Yamaha YZF-R1 Valencia 2005 M1 replica. I’ve been riding for years on streetbikes and dirtbikes in southern California. I wanted to create this site to showcase some of the local biker happenings, post photos, and comment on news thats going on in the world of motorcycles…

Despite what you may think, there is a huge biker scene in the Coachella Valley; I ride with guys on EX-250s all the way to MV Augustas. On cooler Sundays there will be 30+ sportbikers on Highway 74, and on the weekends downtown Palm Springs is always packed at night. I plan to use this blog to comment on pretty much everything that goes down. I’m just that kind of guy.