SAFETY CORNER

On A Horse With No Name

By Richard Bennett, SWC Safety Officer

Thomas Edward Lawrence knew what to wear in the desert, even in 1917.  Known as Lawrence of Arabia, Colonel T.E. Lawrence was a liaison between British troops and Arab leaders in the second decade of the 1900’s.  He spent a lot of time in the desert, mostly on horseback, and occasionally on a motorcycle. He never wore tee shirts or sunscreen.

If you live in southern California, as I do, crossing the dessert is necessary to reach most of the other states.  I have crossed the desert more times than I can count.  In 1953 my parents loaded my sister and I into a 1950 DeSoto and drove us to Christoval, Texas.  Automobile air conditioning was still on the horizon, so we drove at night to avoid the hottest part of the day.  Still, it was mighty hot.

I don’t remember the first time I crossed the desert on a motorcycle, but I am sure it was on a Harley.  I say that because I rode Harleys for 25 years, and I remember wearing a tee shirt and sun screen to look cool and be cool.  It wasn’t until some years later that I learned the best way to dress for riding a motorcycle across the desert.

The Blue Knights Southwest and West Coast Conferences will be meeting in Grand Junction, Colorado in late July this year.  This event is usually held in early June, but in order to combine with our brothers from the West Coast Conference we changed the date.  That means the deserts will be noticeably hotter on our ride to and from this event.  If you are going to the Conference by motorcycle, I will share with you some things I have learned about riding through the desert; you can thank me later.

Pick your own route.  Do this selfishly; by that I mean look for a route that you are comfortable with, not just the ride leader.  Once you are committed to a route, it is difficult to change your mind.  I once charted a route home from a Blue Knights event that avoided Phoenix because I heard the temperatures there were 115 degrees during the time I would be passing through.  At the last minute I changed my mind and followed a group leader because some of my friends were going in that group.  We went through Phoenix at the hottest time of the day.  The heat took its’ toll, and one passenger had to be helped from a motorcycle because of heat stroke.  It took immersion in cold water and plenty of hydration to get her back to normal by the next morning.  Do what is best for you, and plan to avoid the hottest areas if you can.

Stay Covered.  Whether you ride solo or with a group, you should dress to minimize sun exposure.  Look at how the Arabs have dealt with the desert for hundreds of years; they stay covered with loose-fitting clothes.  Since we ride motorcycles, our clothing can’t be too loose, but we can open air passages to let the wind flow through.  All skin should be covered with clothing, which means wearing sweaty gloves, long pants, long sleeve shirt, or better yet, a riding jacket.  A full-face helmet will protect your head and face, but I recommend sunscreen on your face anyway.  You will notice the cooler feel to your face immediately after applying sunscreen.  Use other cooling tricks: A wet bandana, wet head scarf or commercially available “cool vest”.  (These things dry quickly; see “Stop often” below.)

Stay hydrated.  You will need to drink water more often, and in greater quantities.  I often freeze some bottles of water before I leave, and the water stays cold enough to help cool my core temperature after I am a couple hundred miles down the road.  After that, buy and drink cold water at each of your frequent stops.  There are also several products on the market that help deliver drinking water.  Camelback systems are used by hikers, bicycle riders and yes, motorcyclists.  The water supply is carried backpack style, or inside a special jacket pocket, with a drinking tube that is easily accessible to the wearer.  You can drink and ride; just be sure it is water.

Stop often.  I know the impulse will be to ride hard and fast to get to the other side of this hot, forsaken desert hell, but make time for a break each hour.  You will get to your destination a little later than a bonsai run, but you won’t need to be helped from your motorcycle when you get there.  On your stops, go inside the air conditioned buildings.  Car drivers don’t need to do this, so there won’t be a crowd inside the Stop & Gas truck stops.  Use the time to drink and visit, then move on after about 15 minutes; Ride, stop, and repeat.

If you lead a group of riders, here are some ideas to help get the flock across the desert.

Watch individual riding ability.  Look for wandering or lagging back or any other unusual behavior when there is a group formation in place.  Heat and dehydration often cause a lapse in concentration.  Use your C.B. (as the leader, you have a C.B. don’t you?) Ask riders by name to respond to you.  Common questions should be along the lines of “How are you holding up?” or “How is your passenger?” or “Are you ready for a stop/drink/rest?”

At your (frequent) stops, encourage all riders to drink cold water, even if they are “not thirsty”.  Caffeine drinks may temporarily perk up a rider, but are diuretics which speed up dehydration once you are back on the road.

Lawrence of Arabia rode a Brough Superior SS100.  He was known to ride hard and fast until he died in a motorcycle crash in May of 1935 in the County of Dorcet, England.  At least he survived crossing the desert all those years in Arabia.

Appreciate each other, and enjoy the ride.

I’ll admit that I was a little nervous.  When I pulled up to the gate, a young woman on a Harley was already there.  We were the first of six to arrive.  More would pull up, one at a time in the next few minutes.  Introductions were made, motorcycles were admired, and we watched the action on the tarmac just beyond the fence.

I was nervous because I had not taken formal motorcycle instruction since my days as a Motorcycle Lieutenant with San Diego PD.  That was in the last century.  Granted, I have ridden thousands of miles all over America and Europe, but the passing of time has made me wonder if age was taking the edge off my skills. This would be the test.

Now I was standing with five other riders who were all younger than I, and we were waiting for the gate to open to take the Experienced Rider Course offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. 

I remembered my police training; Long hours of man-handling the motorcycle through impossible obstacles, the endless use of clutch and throttle, and the embarrassment of   picking up a downed motorcycle while the rest of the students watched.  The quarterly “refresher” training included high-speed braking, where radar guns were used to make sure we reached the required speed before getting the “panic stop” signal.  I couldn’t help but wonder; would I be up to the rider drills required to pass the MSF training?

Today I was joined by “Annette” on her 1996 Harley Heritage, “Heroshi”, a twenty-something street racer (with full leathers and back protection), “Ron”, who was on a 20 year old Gold Wing, another twenty-ish Harley rider, and a man close to my age who was riding a dual-sport KTM.

Our instructor, Matt McMullen, greeted us while the previous class moved off the driving range.  Tall and easy-going, he made us feel welcome.  We parked our bikes on the “T” markings and assembled to fill out the required forms.  One of the forms was a motorcycle inspection check list.  Each of us inspected our motorcycles, following the guidelines on the form.

Next, the ride drills were described, with diagrams for clarification.  Matt rode his Honda Valkyrie to demonstrate what we were expected to do, and then directed us through the exercises.  He would often critique our performance, giving suggestions for improvement.  We all wanted to see the “thumbs up” from Matt when we finished the drill; it was a small thing, but it motivated us to do our best.

As the day progressed, it was interesting to watch the other riders.  I had pegged Heroshi as the “best” rider in our group.  He had a well maintained street racer, and well worn knee pads from hanging off his bike in high speed turns.  In the “slow” ride area, he crept along with the best of us.  He struggled, however, in the “figure 8” exercise.  I think it was the design of his bike more than lack of skill. 

The young man on the Harley was confident, and was boringly competent in each of the drills.  Ron on his Gold Wing was “hot and cold”.  Some of the turning drills were a challenge, but he did well in braking and slow riding.  The man on the KTM struggled with drills that required a “set” throttle, saying that first gear was too low, and second was too high.

Annette’s Harley had high ape-hanger handlebars, making us wonder how a woman of such small stature would handle the drills.  For the most part, she did well.  She struggled with some tight turns and emergency stopping, but she never lost her determination, and in the end she did everything asked of her.

In between drills, we gathered together and covered the material provided by MSF for Experienced Riders.  Once in a while, we actually got into a discussion that caused some epiphanies.  We could have used more discussion, but the riding was more fun so we were eager to return to the course.

As the day wound down, and the sun was dropping into the near-by ocean, Paula Williamson arrived.  Paula is the MSF manager for the Pacific Safety Council, and Matt’s boss.  She was on her Harley Davidson Ultra Classic, and delighted the class by demonstrating the final drills.  It was impressive to see the large Harley maneuvering through tight turns, and Paula making it look easy.  Matt knows his stuff, and Paula obviously leads by example.

As for me, I had a good time and learned some additional skills.  I enjoyed the figure 8 exercise the most, and challenged myself to see how tightly I could make the turns.  After spending the day with Matt and the “Salty Six”, I have a renewed confidence in my riding skills.  It was fun, and enlightening.  I recommend the class to anyone who rides a motorcycle.  Don’t be nervous, just do it.  You will be glad you did.  I’ll admit that I was a little nervous.  When I pulled up to the gate, a young woman on a Harley was already there.  We were the first of six to arrive.  More would pull up, one at a time in the next few minutes.  Introductions were made, motorcycles were admired, and we watched the action on the tarmac just beyond the fence.