RIDING -Managing your risks. The crash ladder.

Biker rule #30,500 - If you know the emergency room staff on a first name basis.. It's time to go to school or rethink being a fender bunny..

One of the first things we talk about in a motorcycle license endorsement class besides motorcycles, is about crashing, everyone has a good crash story. As an MSF coach crashing is something I'm intimate with, not only because I do it often myself while riding Motox but I get to see allot of people crash on a regular basis. It's not that I enjoy watching people crash, actually it's quite the opposite but it can be quite amusing watching someone bail off a bike going 3mph with the motor bouncing off the rev limiter. I call it a learning experience, you might call it a crash, get off, wipe out, going down or wrecking.

This is why you have to wear a full face helmet as a beginner, so no one knows who you are when you crash. :)

So what exactly is managing your risks, what is the crash ladder and why do you care?

Well you should care because it costs around $100 to just walk into an emergency room, at least with my insurance, if you get a lower rate let me know I'd like to switch. Figure about $2500 in non sterile supplies like band aids, bed sheets and plaster for your casts and a whole 2 seconds of your doctors time... Asking a male nurse for his # while your in the midst of a nasty concussion, $$priceless..

Managing your risks is based on four things. 1) riding skill 2) your motorcycle readiness 3) the riding terrain. 4) other people

The crash ladder simply put is this imaginary ladder where the higher you climb the more at risk you are for crashing. Eliminate a rung in the ladder whether it be snuffing up on your skills or checking your tire pressure and live to ride another day. Whatever happens, just remember, it's not the bikes fault.

Keeper in between the ditches.

About the Author: Chad Baird - My riding/wrenching obsession started in the summer of 88-89. My Dad got me a used $50 Sears minibike with a seized 4hp Tecumseh. I spent hours upon hours in the garage hooking up throttle cables/linkages, kill switches, changing tires, swapping engines and of course riding and crashing. Dad would hand me a repair manual, show me how to do something once (mostly how to use a tool) and then was pretty much hands off except to yell at me about loosing his tools. He would also cuss me out for taking off without making the bike 100% ride-able or fixing something half-assed. So that's basically how I learned, lot's a trial/error and getting yelled at. heheh.. Now my whole life revolves around working on, riding, talking about and teaching others who are interested and even some who aren't, how to do the same.

Motorcycle Missionary? or just an annoying biker with a tendency to pontificate? You decide...