Ride your own Ride – Nefarious James

Well, October is upon us and thank goodness for that. It means 2020 is going to come to an end soon. Not soon enough if you ask me. Along with October comes Halloween and maybe Biketoberfest. Love Halloween. This year everyone has a costume. Just don’t wear a mask. Bad joke I know, but it seems appropriate.

With that said, I want to comment on the goings on I’ve been seeing lately. There are way too many accidents/incidents involving motorcycles and even worse with fatalities. Snow birds are starting to flock our way and it’s that time of year to be hyper vigilant about their poor driving habits. Let’s keep in mind with today’s mentality of not caring for our fellow man or woman; we can’t take for granted that they are going to be paying attention to us on the road. In fact, I can almost guarantee that seeing an election sign or a palm tree will take precedent over watching for a motorcyclist.

We can combine both the Halloween spirit and the snowbird mentality and all dress up for the holiday by dressing up as palm trees. Maybe they will see us then. But in all seriousness, we have to take it in our own hands to make sure we stay safe out there. We need to look twice and not take for granted that these drivers are going to pay attention.

Driving defensively is not enough. We have to take an offensive stance. I’m not saying offensive as in giving them the finger, although we do that too, but in the way of putting us in a safer position while on the road. Don’t get bunched up in traffic. Make sure you have room to maneuver and things like that. Think tactically. And no, tactically doesn’t mean you should pull your gun. In this case it means put yourself in the best position for self preservation.

Your best way to survive out there is for you to pay attention more to them than they do to you. As horrific as it is to see all those sunscreen wearing faces in plaid shorts and Hawaiian shirts, you’re going to have to muster through it. And remember, you are on a motorcycle, not driving a tank. Brake checking a car is one of the dumbest things I see out there on the road. Do you really think everyone is going to hit their brakes because you brake check them on your bike? All I can say about that is you risk spending the afterlife as a real crappy hood ornament. Keep that in mind. In this case, size matters (and when doesn’t it? Right ladies?).

I guess what I’m trying to say is we, as bikers, need to take care of ourselves out there. Keep your senses sharp. Pay attention to your surroundings. Ride within your capabilities. Ride your own ride. What I mean by that is, stay in your comfort zone. More experienced riders do what they do but their skill level may be a bit better than yours due to experience. Ride your own ride.

I know this sounds a bit like a sermon but it needs to be said. Be safe out there. Enjoy those motorcycles and hopefully I’ll see y’all out there.
—Nefarious James