Last night I talked to a friend of mine who lives in Sarasota, Florida. He was telling me about how bad the wind was getting where he lives, yet he’s seen a ton of guys out riding through it. When I talked to him last night winds were gusting around 20mph. Well honestly I can’t say much about that. We’ve been stuck in some pretty heavy storms before with gusting winds that felt like they were going to push us completely off the road, but we had no choice but to keep riding or get stuck sitting on the side of the road in the middle of no where. I guess that’s something you get used to when you spend most of your time in the mountains though.

Where I was going with this point though, is that I hope all of you guys and gals in Florida are safe and sound. I’m sending good thoughts your way! I’m just glad this is only a tropical storm. I got kind of freaked out a few nights ago watching a special about hurricanes only getting stronger each year. They were talking about how pretty soon there might have to be another category to define storms much stronger than a category 5. Will we see a category 6 in the future? Or do you think it’ll be something like CAT5a and so on maybe even up to CAT5e!  That would seriously be scary.

Ya know I’m all for people switching from 4 wheels to 2 to save gas money. Those of us who already prefer 2 wheels have taken to riding our bikes for commuting instead of just fun to help save on gas. What drives me nuts are all these people running out there and buying bikes who think they can drive it just like a car. There are so many new motorcycle riders out there because of the gas prices, and a lot of them don’t have a clue what they’re doing. I can only preach about safety and the MSF course so many times. Sometimes people just don’t listen.

Just a few days ago Hubby and I stopped by the dealership to pick up a part we needed. While we were there we saw an older guy, probably in his mid 50s, talking to a friend of ours who is a salesman there about one of the used Harleys sitting in the corner. The guy flat out said he wouldn’t have the first clue about how to ride the thing. He just wanted something that was cheaper on gas.

My friend told him about the MSF course, and called me over. He asked me if I knew the dates of the next course because he knows I stay up to date on that kind of thing. I wrote down the website address for the guy, SCRiderEd.org, so he would be able to look up the information. I told him I knew there was probably no way he’d get into the course this weekend, but I strongly suggested he take it before he attempt to ride any bike he purchased.

Fast forward to tonight. Hubby and I stopped at Sonic to get a bite to eat. It was nice today, so we decided to sit outside at one of the tables instead of eating in the Blazer. While we were sitting there a guy came pulling in on a Harley. We could totally tell he had no clue what he was doing. He almost dropped the thing when he went to get off. He forgot to put the kickstand down. Luckily Hubby spotted him and yelled at him in time for dude to catch himself.

When the guy took his helmet off (at least he was smart about that) I recognized him as the same guy we’d talked to at the dealership. He recognized me, too, and started up a conversation. We talked for a few minutes about the bike he’d purchased, then I asked him about the MSF, and if he’d checked into it. He said yes he had, but that was $225 he couldn’t afford right now…after all he has a new bike payment and bike insurance. I mentioned that he’d get a discount on his insurance for taking the course, and that it’s really something he should look into. At that point I basically told the guy to have a safe ride, and I went back to eating. He sat at the table talking to Hubby until his order arrived, then he stuffed the food in one of his brand new saddle bags and attempted to leave.

I say attempted to leave because the guy had a very hard time. He couldn’t walk the bike backwards by himself, so Hubby had to assist him by pushing him out of the parking space. When we thought all was clear he let off the clutch too soon and choked her down. It took him 3 tries to get moving, and he eventually made it out of the parking lot and to the red light.

When the light turned green Hubby and I sat there shaking our heads as we watched him take off. He choked it out again. On the second try he made it out into traffic to make his turn, but as he started to turn he hit the gas causing him to wobble and screech to a stop in the median as he hit the back brakes. The guy sat there for a good 5 minutes just collecting himself. Hubby looked at me and asked me why is it these people put all this cash into new saddlebags and shiny accessories, but they don’t even want to take the time to take a course that could possibly save their life.

I just shook my head. I just hope the guy takes my advice before he ends up hurting himself or someone else.

With the sun shining down on use and hardly any rain clouds in sight all summer people are coming out in droves to enjoy their summer vacations. Everyone who lives in this area that is separated from the rest of the state by two large man made lakes knows that if the weather is nice two out of every three vehicles you pass will be a motorcycle, and the lakes are packed with boats.

I may be all about motorcycles, but I love to grab a few nice days out on the lake as well. I’m just as adamant about getting the proper Boating Education as I am about taking a Motorcycle Safety Course. I haven’t had an opportunity to spend much time on the lake this year, but in a way I’m sort of thankful for that. I’ve heard of too many accidents occurring this year involving boats, and we’re only half way through the summer.

Just last weekend I saw what happens when a jetski collides with a boat. What’s left of the jetski is sitting behind the dealership in ruins. The boat operator was arrested for operating under the influence of alcohol. The jetski was sitting still in the water, and the boat operator ran right over it. Thankfully the jetski operator abandoned the jetski as he saw the boat approaching.

Knowing how I feel about taking the proper safety precautions, I think the following commercial says it all.

Please consider looking into courses about boat safety in your area if you plan on being on the water at all. You never know when it could save your life. You may click the banner below for more information.

It’s a fact that more people are looking for ways to save money on gas. A lot of people are turning to motorcycles. All of us who ride know we can go just as far on a $12 in a bike than $60 or more in a car. More people turning to motorcycles for transportation also means crashes involving motorcycles are on the rise.

The video below is from Arkansas, but I still think it’s beneficial to everyone looking to purchase a motorcycle to combat gas prices. They give some important tips for staying safe while riding.

I know now that our motorcycle is out of commission for the next couple of months we’re really feeling the pinch. I’ve had to cut out a lot of extras to be able to afford the extra gas in our Blazer. Before if I needed to run out to get something like an HDMI switch we’d take the bike and throw it under the seat or in the backpack. Now I have to hold off on single item purchases and make a trip to the store when I need a bunch of things. I just can’t afford to run out in the Blazer for every little thing.

Pennsylvania repealed their helmet laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets. Now there are conflicting studies, one saying deaths are down, the other say deaths are up. Which one do you believe? I personally lean more towards Pitt’s study for the simple fact that they compared death rates for just head injuries. The DMV’s study takes into account all motorcycle related deaths regardless of whether or not it was a head injury.

South Carolina’s law is that helmets are mandatory for all riders/passengers under the age of 21. I personally advocate mandatory helmet laws. Every time I hear of a motorcycle related death in our area the first question I ask is “Was it a head injury?”. My second question is always whether or not the rider was wearing a helmet.

People do me a favor. Wear a helmet!