According to Cathleen Moxley of WSAZ.com, there is a bill making its way through the West Virginia Senate that would make it legal for “experienced” riders to choose whether or not they wear a motorcycle helmet.  A proponent of the suggested law, Duane Maxey, states “”The helmet adds weight to your head and to your neck and makes it easier for you to break your neck.”  Read the full article here.

This is a joke, right?  I mean, I know April is coming up but don’t you think it’s a bit early for April Fools jokes?  If this bill was introduced in jest, I’m not laughing…and neither should anyone else.  This bill, if passed, will be the direct cause of lives lost.  Yep, it’s that simple.

I’ll be the first person to admit the fact that helmets do have their downfalls, but these negatives are post-accident.  You can read all about helmets and post-accident injuries in an earlier article of mine called “Flipping The Lid“.

The potential of post-accident injuries should NEVER negate the positive impacts (pun intended) of helmet use.  No matter what Mr. Maxey may think or say, the black and white fact that “helmets save lives” has always been, is, and will always be.

Please take a moment, whether you live in W.Va. or not, to email the acting Governor and Senate President, Ray Tomblin, at senate.president@wvsenate.gov and share why wearing a helmet is important – hopefully if enough people stand up against such an ignorant proposed law, it will be shut down sooner rather than later.  I’ve already emailed the Governor and the Senate as a whole and offered to come testify and debate Mr. Maxey, with the Senate bearing witness, over what may be the most ill-conceived bill and uneducated comments that I’ve heard on the matter of helmet use.

Ride safely everyone!

P.S.  If passed, who will decide what constitutes an “experienced rider”?  The Senate?  Mr. Maxey?

As a preface to the following article, please be aware that there is going to be a heavy (and too often avoided) topic discussed – motorcycle accidents.  A recent tragedy is what lead me to change gears and cover this subject matter before continuing on with the series that was started in my last article (I know, it’s been a few weeks…I’ve been bogged down with Downtag).

Caution – If a topic like motorcycle accidents, fatal injuries, etc. disturbs you, please do not let that deter you from reading this important material.  The following may not be suitable for children under the age of 16 (based on the assumption that since 16 is the age that most states grant driving privileges, anyone 16 or older should be aware of the dangers and responsibilities that are associated with being out on the open road).  Also note that there will be some aggressive self-promotion towards the end…but with due cause and for the greater good!

At 4:30pm on Friday, December 17, a very large, five day storm was minutes away from touching down in Southern California.  Although many would consider this imperfect riding conditions, there are still plenty of us that don’t mind taking the bike out of the garage and going up against mother nature – Paul “David” Harris being one of many in that demographic.  Deciding to brave the storm and head out for a short ride through Angeles National Forest towards Newcomb’s Ranch Restaurant to unwind, David donned his cold weather clothes and his rain suit, riding boots, gloves and helmet.  With a turn of a key and a press of a button, his 2003 Honda CBR954 roared to life (the aftermarket exhaust announcing to the world that David was coming).

Fast-forward 11 days; after an exhausting search by more than 80 people, professional rescuers and laymen alike, David was finally discovered just three miles north of his home down a 30 foot embankment.  Rest (and Ride) In Peace, David!

Although the details of what caused David to go down; if anyone saw the accident happen; the extent of his initial injuries; whether he could have been saved had he been found sooner; and answers to the myriad of other questions that have been posed aren’t clear, what we do know is that there needs to be a system in place for situations like this.  Although this exact set of circumstances may not be commonplace, recent events prove all too well that it DOES happen.  Once is one too many times in my book.

Now, before I continue, know that this situation hits my heart deeply for two reasons:

1. It was one year ago (and three days, to be exact) that this exact scenario ran through my mind, with myself as rider, that sparked the idea of Downtag and launched me on the mission to get Downtag operational no matter the personal cost.
2. Had the need for and concept of Downtag been taken more seriously by the people that I approached earlier this year (people with enough money and/or connections to money to actually get Downtag off the ground), there is a chance that David Harris may have been able to be saved—or at least could have been found the same night he went down; versus putting his family, friends, and even perfect strangers, in the unwarranted anguish of not knowing where he was and what had happened to him.  This event happening during the holidays only magnified the pain.

For anyone unfamiliar with Downtag and what we’re trying to do, please feel free to check out our website and connect with us on Facebook.  Everyone who “likes” our Facebook page prior to our official launch gets their first year of membership for FREE!

As it was this exact type of situation that spawned the creation of Downtag, it is this exact situation that Downtag was created to avoid – a downed rider, missing, without any way to know where the rider is or his/her condition.  Keep in mind that even the highest trained EMS workers, emergency room doctors, and trauma surgeons can’t save a life if that life is lost somewhere down a mountain side (or, as recent events prove, just feet off the side of the road in a relatively populated area).

The premise of Downtag is simple – we provide (1) a way to go out for your ride knowing that if something were to happen to you, there was someone able to recognize that and send emergency responders to your location, (2) know where you were so that emergency responders wouldn’t have to waste valuable time “searching” for you, (3) provide the emergency medical staff in charge of keeping you alive with all the information they needed to do so as efficiently and effectively as possible, and (4) alert your family and friends that you’ve gone down and inform them of where to go so they can be by your side.

“How does DownTag accomplish all of that?” you wonder.  A majority of it is explained on our website, with some details being withheld for intellectual property and security reasons (again, we haven’t launched yet so it could prove detrimental to our progress to spill all the beans right now).  Also note that some parts of the site are still under construction – it is be added to and improved daily – check back often!

“Aren’t there already products and services out there that can do all of this?” you ask.  You’d think so, wouldn’t you?  Unfortunately, to be able to provide you with everything I have just listed, you’d have to combine 2-3 (or more) different products and services from various companies…and even then, there would still be some “holes” in your coverage.

When lives are the topic of concern, I refuse to accept coverage holes, risks of security breaches, etc….as should YOU!  This is why I’ve taken on this mission of solving these holes, combining the products and services needed, improving everything along the way, so that you, the rider (and non-riders alike), can be covered from the before-you-put-your-helmet-on to long after you’ve already taken your helmet off (PLEASE ALWAYS WEAR YOUR HELMET, EVEN IF THE LAW DOESN’T MANDATE IT).

Now I’m not talking about combining products and services that have no business being married, I’m talking about joining products and services that although already exist, haven’t yet been allowed to reach their full potential.  I often compare Downtag to sliced bread – I’m not inventing the knife or bread, but I am joining them at the hip and showing the world how great something so simple can be!

I don’t mean improving in the sense of changing the color of a product so it’s more appealing to the consumer—I’m talking about improving in the sense of connecting with a more stable GPS satellite system. I’m talking about taking the time (and spending the money) to ensure that your private medical information is safe (not scathing over the topic of security simply because “we’re not required to comply with healthcare information privacy laws” – that’s a whole other diatribe in and of itself).

Without tearing apart piece by piece what would be considered Downtag’s “competition”, or  even beginning to theorize why the likes of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, the American Motorcycle Association, every major motorcycle manufacturer, and celebrities like Jay Leno and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t want to join my cause of keeping us all safe, what I can state at this point is this – no matter how trying this year has been, I’m just as committed to launching Downtag as I was a year (and three days, to be exact) ago…even more so, after personally seeing the pain in the eyes of the Harris family.  I can also promise you all that no matter what the personal costs end up being, Downtag will launch, with or without the assistance of those who have the ability to fund this entire venture with a single check.  Why?  Because, to me, YOUR life is worth it!

Happy New Year and ride safely everyone!

Especially considering the upcoming holidays, there is an increase of riders taking to the streets when they probably shouldn’t be.  Now, when the topic of impaired riding comes up, almost everyone is going to immediately think “alcohol”.

To many, it goes without saying that riding after consuming alcoholic beverages is a bad thing…a really bad thing.  What many fail to realize is how little alcohol it actually takes to impair your reaction time, judgment, balance, etc.  The topic of driving/riding drunk has been covered time and time again, by government agencies and private organizations (M.A.D.D.) alike, yet people still leave the bar or party with their helmet and keys in hand, unknowing that they are minutes away from catastrophe.

So, how much is “too much” (or more appropriately, how little is too much)?  The answer may surprise you!   Although I could write a dissertation on alcohol consumption versus impairment, I’ll save that diatribe for another day.  Here are a few quick, yet tremendously important, facts for you:

• The brain’s control of eye movements is highly vulnerable to alcohol. In driving, the eyes must focus briefly on important objects in the visual field and track them as they (and their vehicle) move. Low to moderate BAC’s (0.03 to 0.05 percent) interfere with voluntary eye movements, impairing the eye’s ability to rapidly track a moving target (2-4).

• Steering is a complex psychomotor task in which alcohol effects on eye-to-hand reaction time are superimposed upon the visual effects described above. Significant impairment in steering ability may begin as low as approximately 0.035 percent BAC and rises as BAC increases (5).

• Alcohol impairs nearly every aspect of information processing by the brain (1). Alcohol-impaired drivers require more time to read a street sign or to respond to a traffic signal than unimpaired drivers; consequently, they tend to look at fewer sources of information (6). Research on the effects of alcohol on performance by both auto-mobile and aircraft operators shows a narrowing of the attentional field beginning at approximately 0.04 percent BAC (7).

• The most sensitive aspect of driving performance is the division of attention among component skills. Drivers must maintain their vehicles in the proper lane and direction (a tracking task) while monitoring the environment for vital safety information, such as other vehicles, traffic signals, and pedestrians. Alcohol-impaired subjects who are required to divide their attention between two tasks tend to favor one of them. Therefore, alcohol-impaired drivers tend to concentrate on steering, becoming less vigilant with respect to safety information. Results of numerous studies indicate that divided attention deficits occur as low as 0.02 percent BAC (6).

Now that you know how even the slightest increase in your blood-alcohol content (BAC) can impair you, check out this free BAC calculator to estimate how impaired you may be – Free BAC Calculator.  When using this calculator, don’t pay attention to the portion of the results screen that tells you if you’re impaired or not; rather, pay attention to the BAC estimate it produces once you enter the number of drinks, kind of drinks, your weight, and duration of drinking.  Again, it’s the BAC we’re looking at, not the website’s analysis of whether or not you’d be considered drunk.

As we all know, different beverages (beer, liquor, wine, etc.) will contain differing amounts of alcohol.  What, surprisingly, many people don’t know is that even different types of the same beverage will vary in alcohol content.  An anecdote by a friend, after reading this article – “also different beers have different alcohol levels. My husband had drank 4 IPA’s before his accident. Probably like 6 or more bud lights? Good article though. I hope that riders will not let them selves become complacent about this. My husband is proof that complacency is bad.”

The consequences of riding while intoxicated are obvious – you could die.  No, seriously…YOU COULD DIE.  Worse yet, you could take out an innocent person or two while you’re at it.  Granted, you may actually make it home safely, without a ticket or scratch on you, but the statistics are against you!  The lesson?  Don’t do it!

This is where I was originally going to go into a soapbox about what your options are and the benefits and drawbacks of each option.  Then I realized that the options are actually very limited.  You can give your keys to a friend and find another way home (friend, family member, taxi)…you can sit next to your bike and wait it out…or you can NOT put yourself in a situation where you’ll have to ride/drive anywhere after drinking (the best option).  Being that I don’t drink that often (and have seen firsthand the consequences of drunk riding), my choice is always the latter.  Take it from me, yours should be too – it’s just not worth the risk and if it’s me or a loved one of mine that you take out while you’re trying to get home while drunk, there will be hell to pay!

To those of you who see someone about to ride while intoxicated, for everyone’s sake, get those keys!  Fight to the death, if you have to.  You may end up pissing off your riding buddy, but it’s better to deal with a pissed off drunk person for a couple of hours than attending their funeral or having to give them a ride to their DUI classes every week!

Stay tuned for the remaining three articles on impaired riding – drugs and medications, exhaustion, and legal stimulants!

Ride safely everyone!

(1) Modell, J.G., & Mountz, J.M. Drinking and flying–The problem of alcohol use by pilots. New England Journal of Medicine 323(7):455-461, 1990.  (2) Busloff, S.E. Can your eyes be used against you? The use of the horizontal gaze nystagmus test in the courtroom. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 84(1):203-238, 1993.  (3) Katoh, Z. Slowing effects of alcohol on voluntary eye movements. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 59:606-610, 1988.  (4) Baloh, R.W.; Sharma, S.; Moskowitz, H.; & Griffith, R. Effect of alcohol and marijuana on eye movements. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 50(1):18-23, 1979.  (5) Linnoila, M.; Erwin, C.W.; Ramm, D.; & Cleveland, W.P. Effects of age and alcohol on psychomotor performance of men. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 41(5):488-495, 1980.  (6) Moskowitz, H., & Burns, M. Effects of alcohol on driving performance. Alcohol Health & Research World 14(1):12-14, 1990.  (7) Mundt, J.C., & Ross, L.E. Methodological issues for evaluation of alcohol and other drug effects: Examples from flight-simulator perform-ance. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 25(3):360-365, 1993.

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, and even when the sun is shining bright, it’s noticeably colder today compared to a month ago (excluding Southern California, apparently). Considering the turn of seasons that we’ve all been experiencing, there are still plenty of us that ride all year—no matter what mood Mother Nature may be in. As any long distance rider will tell you, touring in inclement weather brings with it a plethora of unique and beautiful sights to see, as well as a whole new set of potential disasters.

As an introduction for the new year-round touring riders among us, and a refresher for the experienced ones, I decided to dedicate an article to what should be brought along when we embark toward destinations unknown (or otherwise). By the time you get to the end of the list, your jaw will probably have hit the floor while a voice inside your head was screaming out, “Where on earth am I supposed to put all of this, Shane?” Have no fear; bringing everything on this list with you can be done. It has been done!

The “ShaneGyver’s Touring Supply List” is tried and true—by myself and many other riders who have contributed to its creation. In fact, everything on this list easily fits in two saddle bags and one tank bag. The tail pack and/or backpack which come with me are used solely for personal items for the trip: clothes, laptop, digital camera, iPod, toiletries, etc. Note that the list below is in addition to my personal items. Some items, like sunscreen or lip balm, may end up being duplicated which is fine – better to have too much than not enough of certain items. Also, for certain items, I’ve included a link to the exact product that I bring with me, enabling you too to be prepared for even the worst of circumstances as you enjoy life on the open road. As you are perusing the list, keep in mind that there are a few items that may or may not be included on every trip, depending on the circumstances (ex. heated riding gloves – not needed if it’s not going to be cold enough for them during your trip)

Let’s get packing…

Tools and Safety Gear

• Manufacturer provided tool kit (the tool kit that came with your bike)***If your bike didn’t come with one or you threw the original one away, make one that contains enough tools to do all basic to moderate level repairs on your bike, including chain services, spark plug replacement, taking off all of your plastics, removing your wheels for tire repair/changes, etc.

• Extra necessary tools (various a-wrenches that are specific to your bike, needle nose locking pliers, small adjustable wrench, a multi-screwdriver, etc.) ***These are going to vary, depending on which tools you like using/what you use when working on your bike at home. A must, I’ve found, is the locking needle-nose pliers; I’ve ended up using this one tool more than anything else in my tool kit.

• Wire cutter/stripper tool and a few feet of wire of various gauges ***I bring about two feet of 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, and 32 gauge wire. And yes, I’ve actually found myself needing to rewire a headlight switch at 2am (I have the video to prove it). Had I not had this stuff in my bag, I would have been stuck on the side of the road until sunrise.

• Extra headlight bulb ***Although you could always swap out bulbs (exchanging your dead low-beam bulb for your working high-beam bulb), you never know when a power surge or going down may blow both of your bulbs.  Make sure you keep this item in a secure place – I took my working halogen bulbs and placed them in the containers my HID bulbs came in (you know, the ones that keep them safe during shipping).  When I travel, the extra bulb is stored in between the clothes I bring along…this way, my “backup plan” is kept relatively safe even if the bike were to go down.

• Extra fuses ***Bring at least one of each amp rating needed for your bike.

• Spare Key ***Keep this somewhere that you can actually get to if you lose your primary key. Underneath your seat probably isn’t a great place, as secure of a hiding place as it may be, unless you can get under your seat without your key!

• Safety Flares (3, 15 minute duration, in water resistant packaging)***A way to signal oncoming traffic of an emergency is never a bad thing! Additional uses include signaling search and rescue, starting a fire to keep you warm throughout the night, etc.

• Plasticzip ties***Get a jumbo pack from Home Depot or other local supply store and take 2 or three of all sizes, from the smallest to the largest. You can use a rubber band or a small zip tie to keep the bundle together.These come in handy for reattaching plastic body panels, securing wires, remounting license plates, etc.

• Steel zip ties ***Two or three should do the trick. These can be used to fix weight supporting parts or parts vital to your MC’s operation, such as pegs, brake levers, etc.

• Tire puncture repair kit ***This kit includes a compressed air tire inflator. If you choose a different kit, you can get the tire inflator and air cartridges separately (see next two items) Compressed air tire inflator and Extra air cartridges

• Tire pressure gauge ***I keep one of the mini ones in my tank bag. The small ones fits easily in confined spaces like motorcycle rims and keeping it handy makes checking pressures during fuel stops quick and simple.

• Leatherman Multi-tool***A great tool for smaller fixes and easily stored in your tank bag without taking up too much room.

• Safety wire and safety wire pliers***Yes, safety wire is for more than just dirt bikers and road racers! If duct tape were to marry, safety wire would be his wife!

• Chain master links (2,w/clips) ***These will be specific to the chain that you’re running. Check with your preferred mechanic as they may have a couple laying around that they’ll just give you. You can also purchase a couple that will fit your chain for about five dollars each. I bring along the clip type as they’re quickly installed. Safety wire the clip in place for good measure!

• Duct tape ***I bring along about four feet or so. The best way that I’ve found to bring along onlya few feet of duct tape is to wrap it around the handle of a flashlight. Although it does stick a bit when you go to unwrap it, the tape will still be good enough to use in an emergency.

• A few pairs of latex gloves ***These can be used in case of a medical emergency and to keep your hands clean if you end up needing to work on your bike when you’re not near a place to wash your hands. Who wants to put riding gloves on greasy hands? Not me, thank you very much.

• A couple disposable rags and a microfiber rag ***These come in handy for working on your bike as well as cleaning your face shield, wiping the bugs off your bike, etc.

• Flashlights(2) ***I carry a Mini LED Maglite under my seat andthe “Joey Utility Flashlight” in the tank bag. The duct tape I bring is wrapped around the Maglite. The best part of the Joey light is that it has a magnetic base, so you attach it nearly anywhere on your bike, whether you’re using it as a work light or as an emergency light. This light is my favorite piece of equipment I bring, by far! A must have for anyone!

• Extra batteries for both flashlights (one set of each)

• Glow sticks or “chem. Lights” (2) ***Great as a light source or signaling device.

• Seat belt cutter/window punch combo ***Small enough to fit on your key ring, powerful enough to save a life!

• Tactical knife ***Although I prefer SOG knives, any good folding knife will do (get a straight/serrated blade combo). You never know when you will have to cut something.

• MSR Fuel Bottle w/ Fuel *** These bottles are awesome for extra fuel so you don’t find yourself stuck on the side of the road. The size of the bottle and how many I bring (max of two 30oz. bottles) depends on where I’m going, how far away from civilization I’ll be, etc. Even if I didn’t run out of gas, having some easily accessible fuel could come in handy if I ever needed to start a signaling fire!

Personal Protection and Emergency Items

• Basic rain pants and jacket***The inexpensive ones from Cycle Gearfit well under most seats anddo the trick if you’re caught without full rain riding gear. Even during my summer tours, these are always with me – you’d be surprised how often it rains during the warmer months in certain areas.

• Reflective safety vest ***Great not only for wearing if you’re standing on the side of some desolate interstate highway but also for any night riding that you plan on doing.

• Regular, non-riding, gloves(1 pair) ***It can get cold when you stop for gas, coffee, food…especially at night!

• Warm weather riding gloves ***These are included when I’m touring in the winter. You could find yourself riding through random warm spells along your way.

• Cold weather/waterproof riding gloves ***Again, even when touring in the warmer months, the nights can still get cold. All riders should have a good pair of cold weather/waterproof riding gloves.

• Helmet liner (skull cap) ***An essential for everyone if you (1) plan on riding for long periods of time, (2) are riding through cold weather, (3) care about the condition of your helmet lining [the liners keep the sweat from being absorbed and keep your helmet lining clean from the oils in your hair and keep sweat from building up around the brow area when it gets warmer out].

• Balaclavas (2) ***One for cool weather and one for cold weather. The cold weather one is much thicker than the cool weather one. If you try to run the cold weather one in cool weather, you’ll find yourself overheating – running the cool weather one in cold weather will lead to your head freezing.

• Heated gear ***At minimum, I bring my heated gloves with me pretty much everywhere. This is, obviously, completely optional. However, heated gear is one of those items that once you start using, you’ll never go back. I’ve been caught in random snow storms and was able to keep on riding solely due to having heated gear with me.

• Silk glove liners***This helps to prevent blisters and adds another layer or warmth to your hands. Beware that any contact with the rough side of Velcro will tear these things to shreds. Thankfully they are cheap to replace.

• Eyeglass cleaning kit ***Great for keeping your face shield clean at every stop (not to mention your sunglasses once you reach your destination).

• Pad of paper + pen and sharpie marker(1 of each)***Writing down information in case of an accident, marking parts, making a “help me” sign, etc. Hey, you never know, right?!

• Extra/backup cell phone ***Not really a necessity but a good thing, if you have one. I’ve found that the cheap prepaid ones from Target or Wal-Mart work well enough in emergencies.

• Ear plugs ***Another item that once you start using you’ll never go back! I tend to run an iPod for the longer or more boring portions of trips but will run ear plugs anytime I’m in-city. Also note that for anyone planning on riding for long periods of time, ear plugs are recommended as there is anecdotal evidence that doing so will actually reduce fatigue. Less fatigue equals a safer ride!

• First aid kit ***The little travel size ones work well (covering most situations that you will encounter) and don’t take up too much room.Make sure you toss a few blister strips into the kit…just trust me on that one!

• Extra prescriptions meds***Even if you pack extra meds in your toiletries bag, toss a few extras into your first aid kit…just in case! Also, if you use an EpiPen, definitely make sure you bring it with you on every single trip, no matter how short or long!

• Sunscreen, Carmex, and small travel size lotion. ***I’d hate to find myself stuck in the middle of nowhere without adequate protection against the elements. You?

• Travel pack of Kleenex (2) ***In addition to the obvious blowing of the nose, it can also serve as toilet paper, if needed. Note that the TP abilities of this item comes in handy even at established rest stops!

• A mini/travel sewing kit ***Above and beyond reattaching a button or stitching up a hole in your jeans, these kits are good for securing one thing to another (including suturingskin to skin, if you had to). You can pick these up for free at most hotels that you stay at or at most grocery stores for very low cost.

• “Krazy Glue” (1 tube) ***Could come in hand for anything from fixing your glasses to closing small wounds.

• CPR mask***If, of course, you are CPR certified.

• Lighter (1) and matches (waterproof, 1 box) ***Whether it’s to start a fire to keep you warm through the night or sterilizing a needle prior to suturing, you do not want to be without a way to start a flame!

• Moist Wipes ***You know, those ones that you get after eating at a BBQ restaurant or at your local Chevron station. These are great for wiping grease off of your hands or your bike, cleaning electrical contacts, etc.

• Clear face shield (for nigh/rain riding) ***For anyone who runs a tinted/smoked face shield. Having a clear one for rain, snow, night riding is literally a life saving choice!

• Compactor thickness large plastic trash bag ***You can use this for everything from stowing away dirty laundry or wet clothes to wrapping up stuff you want to keep dry if the sky opens up on you. Using compactor thickness bags will reduce any chance of it ripping on you, even when overstuffed. Can also be used as a makeshift rain poncho if you needed to.

• Rain/snow/dust cover your bike ***This is not always included. I only take my cover along if at any point I’ll be staying in a potentially rainy, snowy, or dusty area. I bring my bike into the motel room whenever possible! 

• Parachute cord (“550 cord”) ***Often called “550 cord” due to the 550 lbs tensile strength rating it boasts – I carry 10 feet with me. This stuff would be the child of the duct tape/safety wire marriage! I also bring with me a couple load bearing carabiners…just in case.

• Protein/nutrition bars ***Bring enough to last you at least one night (which could be as little as three or four)

• Water(1 liter) ***MINIMUM! If I will be more than 100 miles from the nearest town at any point during the trip, I triple this amount.

Miscellaneous Must-haves

• 2 color copies of my Drivers License, registration card, insurance card, Roadside Assistance (AAA) card, and emergency contact information (all on one piece of paper) sealed in zip-lock baggies (one under my seat and one in my tank bag). In the copy I place in my tank bag, I also keep $20 in cash and an emergency credit card. ***The only purpose of the zip-lock baggie is to keep the documents dry and provide me with a sealable baggie should I need one along the way.

• Maps ***Bring these even if you have a GPS unit – batteries die, ya know?!

• List of dealers/motorcycle shops nearest to my destination and major waypoints. ***These can come in handy for everything from chain services to emergency parts to just getting your oil changed along the way.

So there you have it—once loaded onto your bike, literally a rolling emergency kit that will get you through everything but World War III. Even though it may even seem like overkill to some of you, keep in mind that the list is long due to the fact that I often do the long distance rides alone. If Murphy gets me while I’m out and about, it’s going to be on me to not only figure out how to rectify the situation but to have what’s necessary to do so! Whether you’re traveling long distances on your own or with a group, it wouldn’t hurt to be fully prepared for anything life can throw at you! The last thing any of us wants is to find ourselves stranded in the middle of nowhere thinking, “Damn, I wish I had brought <enter item here>!”

As a final tip to everyone – even after you’ve compiled your own touring kit, unpacking and repacking EVERYTHING before each trip, is recommended as good measure. Not only does this allow you to make sure you have everything and that everything is working properly (your flashlights, for example), it acts as a reminder of where everything is packed, so you can get to anything you need with ease.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best, and ride safely everyone!

Helmets save lives. What you don’t know could kill you. Get comfortable and read on…

We’ve come a long way from the thin leather or pith head covers of yesteryear, now protecting our brains with what in those times would have looked like something dreamed up by Orson Welles for the War of The Worlds; making use of composite synthetic materials and state-of-the-art technology that itself didn’t even exist when many of today’s youngest riders were being conceived.

The history of the modern day motorcycle helmet almost reads like a comedy turned drama, when we consider what we know now with regard to both the physiology of the human body and the physics behind impacts.

Although the first motorcycle was introduced in 1867, powered by the all-mighty steam engine, helmets were definitely an afterthought. It is, for the most part, widely accepted that the first helmets worn by motorcycle riders were actually adapted from the helmets that early pilots wore during flight operations – picture the leather, fur lined, bonnet like caps from World War II and earlier movies. Although this design didn’t provide any impact absorbing or dispersing properties, they did provide a small amount of skull protection from debris and abrasions (“road rash”).

As motorcycles evolved, becoming faster and more powerful, University of Southern California (USC) professor, C.F. “Red” Lombard, realized the need to develop a helmet that would not only protect the rider from debris and abrasions but also protect the rider from the impact that the head encounters during an accident. This became Professor Lombard’s mission; allowing him to claim the first patent issued for an impact absorbing liner separate from the comfort padding, in 1953.

In the years since Professor Lombard fathered the evolution of motorcycle helmets, we’ve come a long way; both in available materials and methods of testing a helmet’s effectiveness in protecting the rider during an accident.

No matter what you call your helmet (“skid lid”, “brain bucket”, “skull cap”, a nuisance), it can be placed in one of five categories, each with their own benefits and drawbacks:

Full-face helmet – By far the best protection you can buy – encasing your entire head with the only moving part being the see through eye protection (visor). Since helmets are essentially a layer of insurance, we’ll call full face helmets “comprehensive coverage with every available add-on (uninsured driver, roadside assistance, etc.) added”

Off-road helmet – Although the shape of the off-road helmet is different from what we have come to know most road helmets to be, they provide nearly the same amount of protection as the full face helmet; with the only real difference being that some sort of goggles should be used since these helmets rarely have a permanent visor attached. We’ll classify this one as straight “comprehensive coverage”.

Modular helmet – Even though the typical on-road modular helmet carries the same basic design of a full-face helmet and are promised to offer the same level of protection there is a caveat with that claim that many are unaware of – the modular portion of the helmet could open during an accident, leaving a good portion of your neck, jaw structure (mandible), and face vulnerable to injury. Although the chances of this happening may be small, it is possible, which is why we will label these styles of helmets as “collision coverage with no-deductible”.

Three-quarter (“open face”) helmet – Offering considerably less protection as the aforementioned types of helmets, this design only covers the top and back of the riders head, leaving the full face, and jaw structure vulnerable – picture a modular style helmet minus the flip down face and jaw protection. Due to their lacking the ability to provide much protection in the event of an accident, the three-quarter helmet is essentially “collision coverage with a $2,500 deductible”.

Half-helmet/”partial overage” helmet – Only covering the top of the rider’s head, this style offers the least protection…it’s as simple as that. Keeping with the insurance analogy, this style of helmet would be classified as “liability coverage”.

Then, of course, we have the “no helmet”. As illogical as it may seem to you, there are still plenty of riders that head for the open road (no pun intended) without anything standing between their noggin and the asphalt. I know, I know…don’t get me started; that’s a whole article in and of itself, with the fact that there are some states that don’t even mandate the use of a helmet being a diatribe that would rival the fourteen thousand plus pages of the Stimulus Act.

The fact that modern full-face motorcycle helmets do a stellar job at reducing and/or preventing injury during an accident is a universal truth among most. However, did you know that helmets can be considered the cause of injuries post-accident? It’s not the actual helmet that can be the cause of the injuries, per se, rather the removal of the helmet (what goes on, must come off). This is true without any consideration to whether the person removing the helmet is the rider, an untrained bystander, or a licensed medical or rescue professional.

After a motorcycle accident, one of the first of many steps that take place is the assessment of the rider’s airway. To facilitate this assessment, and make any necessary corrective actions to help the rider breath, the helmet that just saved his or her life must be removed. Easy, right? Not so fast!

Before we continue; a quick lesson in crash science and human anatomy. Even if a rider is dressed to the nines in typical safety gear, there is a portion of his or her body that usually lacks adequate protection – their neck. What’s so special about the neck, you ask? It contains your cervical spine, of course.

Your cervical spine is comprised of the first seven vertebrae of your spine, starting at the base of your skull and extending down to the invisible line across the top of your shoulders. The purpose of the cervical spine is to contain and protect the spinal cord, support the weight of the skull, and enable diverse head movement (e.g., rotate side to side, bend forward and backward). Protected by the seven vertebrae (bones) that make up the cervical spine are the nerves that control everything from the movement of your arms and hands to your breathing – basically, everything from your diaphragm up is controlled through the nerves found in your cervical spine area. Injure one of these nerves and that person may never be able to breathe on their own again! Knowing now how important this area of your body is, it should make sense that protecting it should be a priority. Agreed? Good!

Back to our downed rider…

After an accident, to help prevent fracturing or making any existing fractures, caused by the accident, worse, the goal among all rescues (as it should be with laymen alike) is to keep the neck of the downed rider from moving. Yes, you will see paramedics and other trained rescue personnel articulate a patient’s neck during a rescue but they do so very slowly, very carefully, and after what is often years of training and experience on how to accomplish this task without causing additional harm.

Since simply yanking off the helmet, whether it’s intact or in pieces, will only enhance the chances of causing injuries to the cervical portion of the rider’s spine, we need to figure out how to get the helmet off while providing as little input into the movement of the neck as possible.

Even with all of the advances that the medical industry has seen over the years, the best way to remove a helmet that has been developed is what I call “the hold and pull”. No, that isn’t an over-simplified term for a work of helmet removal magic. The term describes exactly what is done – one person holds (stabilizes) the neck while another one gently pulls the helmet off of the riders head. Although this method isn’t very creative, it accomplishes the job for the most part; allowing for the removal of the helmet while providing limited input into the cervical spine area of the rider. However, minimal input into a potentially injured portion of the spine has been known to make area fractures worse, pinch nerves, etc.

A fractured neck bone, the inability to breathe, losing the use of your arms or hands; sounds pretty grim, doesn’t it? Well, don’t start thinking all of this helmet talk and advocating is for not quite yet. A solution to “the hold and pull” method has been produced and so far it’s looking really good! Enter the new “Eject Helmet Removal System” by Shock Doctor.

The Eject Helmet Removal System, in the most simple of explanations, reverses the direction of helmet removal – it pushes the helmet off of the rider’s head, instead of requiring rescue personnel to pull the helmet off. It is essentially a deflated balloon that has either been installed into the helmet prior to use or has been slipped into the helmet by rescue personnel. Inflating the balloon, while still stabilizing the neck, pushes the helmet off of the head; eliminating the need to pull on the helmet. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE EJECT SYSTEM IN USE

I can already hear some of you asking “but how on earth does this prevent the neck injuries you just told us about?” Walk with me…
With the hold and pull method, no matter how rigid and stable the rescue personnel may be keeping the rider’s neck, the pulling motion against the helmet, no matter how slight, is transferred into the rider’s head and neck. This movement of the head and neck is where the trouble begins.

As the pulling continues, the vertebrae are stretched away from each other – imagine pulling one end of a Slinky away from the other end; no matter how slowly you pull, gaps are created between each twist of the wire. The further away you pull the two ends from each other, the larger these gaps become. These gaps that form between your fragile neck bones are where the trouble continues.

The physical stress on the bones and connecting structures within the neck, as you remove the helmet, can cause fractures, make existing fractures worse, and twist the vertebrae out of alignment with the one another, just to name a few.

After the helmet has been removed, the muscles in the neck and upper shoulder area pull the head and vertebrae back into their natural place of rest, which if everything isn’t in perfect alignment, pinch the nerves that we just discovered are vital to that person’s ability to breathe and move their upper body.

Now, let’s imaging the helmet being pushed off the patient’s head by the Eject system. While stabilizing the neck must still be done by the rescuers, there is no longer the risk of separating the vertebrae from one another and having to worry about what’s going to happen when they return to their starting positions after the helmet has been removed. Also, the continued supporting and stabilizing of the neck while the Eject system is being used, to facilitate helmet removal, seems to prevent any sort of compression the neck would naturally experience due to the downward pressure the Eject balloon creates.

With my experience in EMS and passion for keeping riders alive, I was skeptical when I heard about the device and my skepticism continued as I researched more. After going through their EMS provider training on its use, however, my doubts were laid to rest almost instantaneously. By the end of the training, the only thought that was in my head was “I’m shocked nobody has come up with this already!” But don’t take my word for it. My reaction seems to be echoed by in-hospital and pre-hospital medical professionals alike. Although still new, the wide and immediate acceptance in the field speaks volumes.

To be fair, there are other methods that have been/are being attempted. One example is the Arai Helmet Removal Assist Hood. Although I can’t seem to find any U.S. resellers to get my hands on it in person, it is available for purchase online. After reviewing the “training manual for rescuers” and watching the accompanying videos, there still appears to be an unacceptable amount of movement by the head of the rider, which as we already know, transferred into the rider’s fragile neck region.

Although it may appear as such, I am not a paid reviewer of the Eject Helmet Removal System nor does Shock Doctor even know this article is being written and that their product has been researched and reviewed by me. It does, however, appear to be the best solution to protecting post-accident neck injuries that could be attributed to helmet removal. I’m just calling the play as I see it.

The lesson we can draw out of the preceding text? Wear your helmet…every time you ride…but also think about worst case scenarios and plan for your helmet needing to be removed in an emergency situation when your life, or quality of life, is on the line!

Ride safely everyone!

Since each year brings a new group of riders, both young and old, to the streets; motorcycle safety and awareness is and will always be an uphill battle. There will never be a single product, organization, or program that solves every aspect of keeping riders safe. Ensuring the safety of motorcyclists must be a vigilant joint effort among all interested parties – motorcycle manufacturers, vehicle insurance companies, safety equipment manufacturers, parts and accessory manufacturers, government agencies (law enforcement and rescue agencies), healthcare providers (pre-hospital and hospital level), the riders of said motorcycles as well as their friends and family members. The only way to ensure the greatest level of safety is for everyone to tirelessly do their part in creating the safest environment possible.

The relationship between motorcycle safety and motorcycle awareness can be expressed through a Venn Diagram. Although safety and awareness overlap and complement each other, they have their own roles to play as part of the complete picture.

Motorcycle safety refers to actions that the motorcycle rider can take, and encompasses everything from ensuring the motorcycle being ridden is in good mechanical working order, always wearing full safety gear (helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, boots, back and chest protection, elbow, knee and shin guards, etc.), to ensuring that the rider is educated, both with regard to proper riding techniques as well as how to recognize and mitigating hazards that they may encounter while riding.

Motorcycle awareness refers to the education of the general non-riding public. The motorcycle and motorcycle rider do not bear full responsibility in making it home safely from a ride. Rather, motorcycle riders depend greatly on public awareness for their safety. We can increase awareness by bridging the gap that exists between “riders” and “non riders”. Those of us that ride tend to have an increased awareness of our surroundings, whether we are operating two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicles. Those who have not ridden a motorcycle or lack a substantial amount of riding experience often have difficulty spotting motorcyclists on the road and are often miseducated about various aspects of the demographic of motorcyclists as well as what motorcycles are capable of during their normal operation. An uneducated general public believing themselves to have no role in motorcycle rider’s safety is more often than not the greatest threat to motorcyclists on the road. Addressing both motorcycle safety and motorcycle awareness is essential to creating a solid foundation for keeping everyone alive and riding for years to come.

The topic of motorcycle safety is directly addressed by laws and standards established by government and non-government entities – the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Motorcycle Industry Council, state and federal law enforcement agencies, the Snell Memorial Foundation, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, and many others. Although a plethora of organizations establishing a high level of safety already exist, it is the responsibility of individuals and smaller organizations to spread awareness of the rules and standards of motorcycle safety, and become involved with the larger organization in advocating for a safer environment for motorcycle riders.

The battle for motorcycle awareness has its own warriors. More and more organizations and programs are surfacing with the goal of increasing motorcycle awareness – educating the general public about the dangers that exist from both the perspective of the motorist and the motorcyclist. This push for education is still in its infancy, when compared to how long motorcycles have been around and how many lives have been lost over the years. The programs in place are not yet widely known about or even accepted – which means that everyone now has the responsibility and the opportunity to get involved and help shape the future of motorcycle awareness. Getting involved by voicing opinions on the topic of motorcycle safety and education, participating in seminars and conferences, attending safety clinics, and making sure these programs have adequate funding are all essential actions that can be taken to ensure that the push for greater awareness continues and succeeds.

As an active advocate of motorcycle safety and awareness, I devote a significant amount of my time promoting the safety of motorcyclists and educating the public on motorcycle awareness. I hold my single greatest and ongoing contribution to motorcycle safety to be my efforts to launch the motorcycle safety service called Downtag.

Due to the downed economy, a business partner and I were selling off a handful of investment properties in Arizona late last year. To facilitate the sales, I was living in both Arizona and California for about six months. This living situation required me to travel back and forth between Irvine, CA and Mohave Valley, AZ frequently – sometimes up to three times per week. I made every trip on my 2002 Honda CBR1100XX. To cut down on traffic and construction delays on the interstate highways, I almost always made the trip in the middle of the night. Riding alone in the dark on desolate highways brings with it a very eerie feeling and plenty of time to contemplate “what would happen if I went down right now”.

After searching for a product that would allow EMS workers to access my medical history in an emergency and provide a tracking service so I wouldn’t “be alone” on my trips, I found that no single product or service out there allowed for this. Necessity being the mother of invention, I decided that I’d step up to the plate. After completing my preliminary market research, I found that I wasn’t the only person out there that has looked for such a product. Riders all over the globe have written to me requesting the service that Downtag would provide in their areas. To learn more about Downtag, check out www.TheDowntag.com and a recent interview published in .”>Shout Long Beach.

While I still struggle to obtain funding to launch Downtag, I continue to remain active in my efforts to increase motorcycle safety and awareness. The three most notable ways have been by facilitating the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s “Intersection” course at local high schools, heading the OCMOTO Safety Team, and by holding regular motorcycle accident seminars locally in Orange County, CA.

The MSF’s Intersection course is a one hour long presentation that addresses the general public. The program educates the audience on the dangers that exist, both from the motorcycle riders’ perspective as well as the viewpoint of the motorist that will encounter the rider. There are three different levels of the course, depending on the demographic of the audience – teens, adults, and commercial drivers. Although the initiative to introduce this program is still new and limited by the lack of funding to purchase the materials required (running approximately $50 per lecture, not including the cost of the presenters time), the goal of injecting this program into high school health courses and drivers education programs is a solid step in the right direction toward educating the public and increasing motorcycle awareness. For more information, see the article published by MSF announcing Intersection’s launch.

Another initiative I am involved with is the Safety Team for OCMOTO. OCMOTO is Orange County’s largest online motorcycle discussion forum & knowledge base, bringing riders together from all walks of life. Although the group began as a simple online presence, OCMOTO has grown to a large and still growing group of riders that meeting on and off line to discuss every motorcycle related topic you can think of and gathering for not only bike night events but organized rides suitable for riders of all skill level. Although OCMOTO is only a few years old, it is heading in the direction of becoming Southern California’s premier motorcycle group. My job as part of the Safety Team is to keep the group “thinking safety”. We do this by ensuring that rides are organized with everyone’s well-being in mind, keeping illegal stunting groups at bay by providing resources for safe and legal practicing of motorcycle stunts, making rider education a key focus for all riders, providing educational resources whenever possible, and reducing speed related accidents by encouraging riders with a love of speed to “take it to the track”. Through its open and inviting attitude, large suite of programs, and sub-organizations devoted to motorcycle safety, the OCMOTO Safety Team and OCMOTO as a whole continues to contribute significantly to the safety and well being of motorcyclists in the Orange, San Diego, and Los Angeles County area. The members of OCMOTO are a genuinely great bunch of people who care just as much for strangers as they do for their own friends and family, and I am proud to work with them in advocating motorcycle safety and awareness. For more information, check out www.OCMOTO.com and www.SkillzDays.com.

Finally, I regularly sponsor and facilitate a motorcycle accident safety seminar. I developed a one hour interactive training with the help of a handful of other medical professionals to answer the question “how should I respond to a motorcycle accident?” This once a month free seminar teaches people how to properly respond to a motorcycle or other vehicle accident and covers the topics of how to avoid causing additional harm, how to quickly obtain additional help for the victims, how to perform basic triage and first aid techniques. The goal of the presentation is to take the average person and transform him from a regular bystander to a good bystander. More information on the seminar can be found at www.TheDowntag.com and at www.Facebook.com/TheDowntag

Motorcycle safety and awareness are both topics that deserve a deep dedication by all of us and constant effort to its advocacy. The amount of time and energy that a person devotes to something will dictate what is reaped. Knowing this, the only way to ensure our survival is to be dedicated to both topics and take deliberate steps towards keeping ourselves and everyone else safe as we enjoy life on two (or more) wheels.

Ride safely everyone!