Road Captain USA.com

It should be no secret that I endorse and sell the Ride Like A Pro motorcycle training DVD’s at my online store but up until today I had never watched Surviving The Mean Streets. I don’t usually sell something that I have not previewed. As I have said many times on this blog, training is essentail! As riders we spend too much money on accessories and too little on training. Although some of you may watch the DVD and say “I knew that” after every scene, watching the video moves these common sense pratices from the back of your brain to the front. Watching DVD’s like this get you in the right mind set even if you already knew the material. To be a good rider you need to be humble and seek to learn. I like this video and want you to watch it along with the other Jerry “Motorman” Palladino training DVD’s (Ride Like A Pro and Ride Like A Pro on the Dragon).

Click here for more info on purchasing this DVD

Here is a quote from the book Motorcycle ROADCRAFT:

A fully professional approach to riding requires you to take an objective look at the facts, to be prepared, where there is evidence, to discard inappropriate attitudes and to develop a critical awareness of your own attitudes and capabilities.

The key steps to achieving this critical self-awareness are:

• acknowledging that attitudes affect riding performance
• being aware of your own attitudes and recognising that they affect your risk of having an accident
• recognising that your are vulnerable, especially on a motorcycle
• making safety your primary concern in all your riding decisions
• considering your own experience of near misses or accidents and what you can learn from them
• carrying through changes in attitude to your riding performance by applying them in every riding situation.

Tags: Books, Movies & Music, Product Reviews, Rider Skills by Jay Green
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As a brand new rider, I was always cautious not to outride my abilities.  I was also careful to keep that same philosophy in mind when I upgraded to a big-twin Harley.  With the Super Glide’s lower center of gravity and greater stability it was easy to forget that I had only been riding for 3 years, not 3 decades.  My confidence grew quickly, and with it my skills developed as well.  I put 10,000 miles on my new bike the first year, and fellow First State HOG chapter members told me often that I was an accomplished rider.  It was even suggested that I enter our Road Captain training program.

My initial response was that I didn’t feel ready yet – I did not have a wide enough range of riding experiences.  I had only ridden on an Interstate once, had ridden in significant rain only once, hadn’t crossed any major bridges, had never gone on an overnight trip on my own bike, and hadn’t really seen any truly challenging twisties.  So I set myself some goals for the summer, and as it happened I accomplished nearly all of them in a single week that I put over 1500 miles on my bike.  It was like a whirlwind of opportunity and accomplishments.  I decided I was ready, but all of that just went to my head.

In mid-August school was about to begin and teachers came in for a week of training and preparation.  I rode my Harley to work every day.  We got out of a meeting a few minutes early and had 90 minutes for lunch one day.  I decided to take my bike for a nice ride around a few of the local back roads then pick up a quick sandwich at Wawa. 

Not being incredibly familiar with the roads, I missed my turn.  So I rode down to the next side street and make a quick u-turn…a little too quick!  My front tire slid off the side of the pavement and dropped into the grass, my handlebars jackknifed, and I just let her go down.  I knew that I was no match for an 800-pound Harley!  Luckily, a young man came driving down the road just then.  He helped me get the bike upright, then dashed back off in his car just as quickly as he had appeared.

“When you get overconfident, that’s when something snaps up and bites you.”

- Neil Armstrong

Then the bike wouldn’t start.  Ouch, I really did it this time.  Not only did I get overconfident and stop paying as close attention as I should, but now I am stranded in the middle of nowhere with no tools, a completely misaligned footpeg, a loose mirror that wouldn’t stay put, and a bike that won’t start!  (I was lucky nothing was actually broken.)  I honestly don’t know what I did, but somehow taking the key out and playing with the clock/odometer display cleared out the error code and I was able to start the motor.

So much for my ride.  So much for my lunch.  I rode quietly back to school with my tail between my legs, bruised ego, and beating myself up for being so careless.  I had always been so careful to ride within my capabilities and to keep a strong mental focus while riding.  Geez, I am an idiot!

As it happened, it was that very evening that our new Head Road Captain called to officially invite me to join the training program.  Then he said something that made me wonder if he was wise beyond even his own awareness.  He said, “You are a good rider, but don’t get ahead of yourself.  Overconfidence will cause anyone, no matter how experienced, to make mistakes.”

“Trust me, I know,” I replied…

Tags: Mrs Road Captain, Rider Skills, Road Captain Stuff by Diana Green
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I received an e-mail last night from an aquaintance in the motorcycle industry who said he had volunteered to become the Road Captain for his riding group and was looking for guidelines, rules and hand signals for group riding. I was flattered by the request and gave this advice: “watch the MSF Group Riding Video available on the MSF website.”

I think this video should be a prerequisite for anyone even thinking about going on a group ride. It covers alot of vital information in a short ten minute clip.

Of course I gave a lot more advice on being a Road Captain, but I won’t bore you with all the details.

Tags: Cool Video, Rider Skills, Road Captain Stuff by Jay Green
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Reminder: ride as if you are invisible. Or take it to the next level and ride as if everyone else is trying to kill you on purpose. This includes pedestrians, children, joggers, clowns, snipers, animals, soccer moms… just about everyone and everything. Most of us are wearing black leather, black helmet and riding a black motorcycle. We are not easy to see. Remember what most cagers will say when they hit a biker: “I didn’t see him” or “I didn’t see him until it was too late”. Do not assume they see you or hear you no matter how loud your pipes are. Assume the opposite, assume they can’t see you. YOU ARE INVISIBLE!

Check out Better Motorcycling for more on safe riding.

Tags: Rider Skills by Jay Green
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In one week it will officially be spring and everyone should get out and ride! Get your head into gear and brush up on your motorcycle riding skills by watching Ride Like A Pro. Let expert police motorcycle instructor Jerry “The Motorman” Palladino reveal to you the 3 simple techniques motor officers have been using for 60 years. These are the techniques that allow motor officers to out ride 98% of the riding public. Ride Like A Pro improved my riding skills dramaticly. These are essential riding skills that do not come naturally. They require proper instruction and practice.

Exciting News: Road Captain USA is now authorized to sell the Ride Like A Pro DVD series on www.Shop.RoadCaptainUSA.com

Limited Time Offer: To introduce our readers to this valuable training tool I am offering these DVD’s at a special introductory rate through the month of March.

Ride Like A Pro 15% Off

Ride Like A Pro on the Dragon 10% Off

Surviving The Mean Streets 10% Off

Learn To Ride The Easy Way 10% Off

I highly reccomend Ride Like A Pro and Ride Like A Pro on the Dragon. I have not yet previewed Surviving The Mean Streets. Buy these DVD’s now and become a better rider.

Click here for more information on these DVD’s

Read the wealth of safety tips on Better Motorcycling by motor officer and crash specialist Ruben Torres.

Tags: Books, Movies & Music, News & Announcements, Rider Skills by Jay Green
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I’ll never forget my first experience with grooved pavement:

A few years ago when I was first learning to ride, I took my little Sporty out for a spin after school one day.  I took some back roads down around and through the reservior and over to Finksburg where I hooked up with a friend who had taken me on my very first ride ever.  After riding around for a bit and stopping at Twin Kiss for a casual dinner, we realized that not only was it the heart of rush hour but it was beginning to get dark.  I had 2 options for getting home:

1. Go back the way I came — This would take about 40 minutes, I’d be riding with no streetlights or anything to illuminate my way other than my own little headlight, and the deer would be jumping out in front of me in droves as I rode through the woods.
2. Take the main strip — This would only take about 10 minutes, and would be well lit.  But did I mention the six lanes of 60 mph rush hour traffic?

OMG, I just got up to sixty for the first time an hour ago!  And with all of those lanes and all of that traffic?  I’m thinking hell no!  But my friend convinced me that all of the traffic was coming towards Finksburg and I would have multiple travel lanes the other way practically to myself.  I grudgingly admitted he was right, and off I went.

I was doing fine for about a half a mile, until I saw the signs that said Road Work Ahead and Caution-Grooved Pavement!  AAaaaarrrgh!  Good grief, if I knew about this I would have taken my chances with the deer!!!

After freaking out for a few seconds, I collected myself, moved to the you’re-too-slow-to-make-it-up-this-huge-hill lane, and concentrated on what I remembered reading in my Motorcycle Operator Manual from the DMV:

Riding over rain grooves or bridge gratings may cause a motorcycle to weave.  The uneasy, wandering feeling is generally not dangerous.  Relax, maintain a steady speed, and ride straight across.

My steady speed was about 35 mph (well below the speed limit)…but then again, that’s what that slow lane was built for, wasn’t it?  After less than 5 minutes (which seemed like an hour), I was turning into my neighborhood and I began to breathe once again.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Over this past summer, DelDOT was quite busy repaving many roads around us.  One day I came to the main intersection a few blocks from home to discover that they had grooved up the pavement for resurfacing.  I travel through this intersection practically every time I leave my house.  It was nice that the big piles of gutter grit and road debrit had been cleaned out of the intersection, but now I was going to have to face grooved pavement again. 

Relax, I told myself.  Keep a light grip on the handlebars, and glide straight across.  It worked fine the first time, and it worked fine again now.  Sure it felt like my bike was doing an involuntary cone weave underneath of me, but supposedly that’s what it should feel like.

It has been about six monthd, and the intersection still has not been repaved.  Riding on the grooved pavement has become routine.  I just can’t wait for spring to come so I can get back out there, and back in the groove….

Tags: Mrs Road Captain, Rider Skills by Diana Green
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