Publisher: Motorbooks International

Copyright 2005

144 Pages

160 Color Photos and Diagrams

$24.95 US, £16.99, $33.95 CAN

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Ride Smart 101
Photos by the incomparable Evans Brasfield, foreword by the one and only Darwin Holmstrom (of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles fame)

If you're thinking about getting in to motorcycling, or if you have less than two years of riding experience, Pat Hahn's new book How to Ride a Motorcycle: A Rider's Guide to Strategy, Safety, and Skill Development is the most important tool in your evolution as a motorcyclist.

It's not just how to ride a motorcycle, but also how to be a motorcycle rider. HTRAM is the essential guide to help rookie motorcyclists evolve into serious, intelligent experts.

Pat Hahn, author of Ride Hard, Ride Smart, has created a book with everything a rider needs to get started in motorcycling, from understanding why motorcycling is different than driving, through selecting a proper bike and riding gear, to basic instruction and practice tips for learning to ride.

What makes HTRAM different from any other book is that the author then outlines exactly what, where, when, and how to practice riding in the real world--picking up where the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's basic rider course leaves off. The drills and exercises in this book won't be found anywhere else, and they'll be the critical step in going from MSF graduate to smooth, confident rider.

The book also provides critical advanced information, dispels some common myths about motorcycling, gives away some pro-rider secrets, and offers strategies for growing and developing as a skilled motorcycle rider. HTRAM looks at motorcycling from a big-picture perspective with a strong emphasis on safety and skill development.

You can order How to Ride a Motorcycle directly from the author for $25, shipped. E-mail ridesmart <at> gmail <dot> com to order your very own signed copy.

Ridercoaches can get signed copies at a sweet discount. send an e-mail to ridesmart <at> gmail <dot> com to learn more.

Praise for Ride Hard, Ride Smart (Pat's first book)

“…Required reading to avoid being a statistic.” Ottowa Citizen

“…A pleasant and readable form that makes it obvious that he has spent a great deal of time thinking about what it takes to be a better, safer, and more effective street rider.” Rider Wearhouse

“I’d put it right up there with David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling (still my favorite) and Nick Ienatsch's Sport Riding Techniques as three "must have" books on motorcycle riding skills.” webBikeWorld

“We liked the comparison of traffic flow to that of water in a river. This metaphor reduces individual rider ego and helps riders see themselves as part of a larger dynamic (and dangerous) system.” Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly

“Great advice, well presented in a fun format will give every rider, from the novice to the most experienced, something to think about.” The Pitstop

“Not only did I enjoy it, I laughed out loud. Never before has a book about motorcycle safety cracked me up.” Amazon.com customer review

Introduction: Using the analogy of an iceberg (in which 90 percent of what makes up the structure is hidden, unseen, below the surface), Hahn outlines the difference between motorcycle riders and motorcycle "posers."

Contents:
What’s a Poser? Why Would I Care?
A Titanic Analogy
How to Use This Book
About the Author

Chapter One: Getting Prepared The book starts by giving readers basic understanding of what makes motorcyclists different from the drivers of other vehicles: Their degree of risk acceptance, the understanding of their limitations, their motivations, and their attitude. Outlined here are three critical approaches to motorcycling that will save a rider's biscuit, advice for how to make the transition from four-wheel mindset to two-wheel mindset, and the Three Degrees of Separation.

Contents:
Self-Evaluation
Understanding Motorcyclist Motivation
Bad Motivation! Bad!
A Rider State of Mind
Changing Your Mind
Three Degrees of Separation 101
So What Exactly Are the Risks?
Recommended Reading

"I should warn you: you may disagree with the following three theories. You don’t have to agree with these theories, but you do have to pretend you do. Adopt them as guidelines. Act as if you believe them and make all the difference in your riding career."

Special Section: Big Secret #1: The Never-Ending Roller Coaster
Dispelling the Myth: What People Say and What People Mean #1: "You're crazy."

Chapter Two: Getting Started This chapter goes over the strategies for selecting protective riding gear and your first motorcycle. The concepts of comfort, visibility, and protection are key to understanding what to look for when picking out your eye protection, helmet, boots, gloves, jacket, and pants. Also, knowing what you want to use your motorcycle for (cruising? touring? commuting?) will help you find the right first bike for you. The benefits and limitations of various standards, dual-sports, cruisers, and sport bikes are brought into focus, and the author recommends the most beginner-friendly bikes in those categories, as well as making one all-around recommendation for the best beginner bike.

Contents:
Self-Evaluation
Gear Up!
Comfort First, Visibility Next, Protection Last
A Note about Conformity
Making the Leap
Head First (eyewear and helmets)
On the Down Low (boots)
Hands and Control (gloves)
The Body (jackets, pants)
Selecting a Bike
The Standard: All-Purpose Two Wheeler (+ Dual Sports)
The Cruiser: Style and Function
The Sportbike: Vivid Technology
The Ideal Beginner Bike
An “Ambassador” for Motorcycling
Recommended Reading

"Too many riders make the mistake of buying the bike they’re in love with for their first bike. These bikes will typically answer the question, “What is the best bike?” when what a beginner really wants to know is, “What is the best bike for me?”

Special Section: Big Secret #2: The Centerstand
Dispelling the Myth: What People Say and What People Mean #2: "Start small."

Chapter Three: Getting Acquainted Here readers learn how a motorcycle works, how to operate the controls, and what they need to do to make it go, stop, and turn. This chapter includes five practice drills for riders to get acquainted with their bike and the controls.

Also included are some basic care and maintenance tips so the bike is ready for fun at a moment's notice. The concept of lowest potential is explored from a motorcyclist's perspective, and riders learn to adjust their controls for proper fit and do a safety check.

Contents:
The Point of Lowest Potential
What Does This Lever Do, and Why Would I Want to Squeeze It?
Smart Rider Alert
Stopping and Going, Turning, Controlling Your Speed
You’re on a Roll Now
The Subtler Speed Controls: Shifting and Using the Rear Brake
Pulling It All Together
Posture Perfect
Armchair Motorcyclist (practice exercises)
Exercise 1: Starting from a Stop
Exercise 2: Stopping Smoothly
Exercise 3: Turning at Slow Speed
Exercise 4: Accelerating and Upshifting
Exercise 5: Slowing (or Stopping) and Downshifting
The Basic Nuts and Bolts, Whaddya Mean Tools?
Adjusting the Controls, Safety Check
Recommended Reading

"As a beginner, you’ll have the urge to hold onto the bike by the handlebars, especially when you get tired. DON’T DO THAT."

Special Section: Big Secret #3: Stability
Dispelling the Myth: What People Say and What People Mean #3: "Look down, go down."

Chapter Four: Getting Skilled This chapter sheds light on exactly what’s involved in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's basic rider course, clarifies exactly what you should expect to get from it, and shows you how to use what you learn in the BRC to start the process of developing into a true, skilled motorcyclist. What is unique about this chapter--and this book--is the concept of the "training circuit" and the instruction on exactly where, when, what, and how to practice riding on the street after completing the MSF course. Eight street drills are explained in detail:

Contents:
Get the Wheels Turning
Why Training is Critical
Where to Go, What You’ll Need
What You’ll Do, What You’ll Learn
Now on to the Fun Stuff
Improving Your Riding
Where to Go from Here
Don’t Leave Anything to Fate—You Decide
Get Out and Get Some Exercise
Exercise 1: Stopping on a Dime
Exercise 2: Turning Sharply
Exercise 3: Shifting without Thinking
Exercise 4: Cornering with Confidence
Exercise 5: Emergency Braking
Exercise 6: Smooth It Out
Exercise 7: Swerving around (Imaginary) Obstacles
Exercise 8: Cone Weave and U-Turns
Licensed for Action
Recommended Reading

"Before every practice session, you’re going to take a couple minutes to sit on your bike and visualize the route you’re about to take. This way, you’ll see everything happen before you leave the driveway, so there won’t be many surprises along the way. "

Special Section: Big Secret #4: What You Really Get from an MSF Basic Course
Dispelling the Myth: What People Say and What People Mean #4: "What do little cones and painted lines have to do with motorcycling?"

Chapter Five: Getting Familiar Here readers get good advice on making the leap into traffic while keeping themselves and their environment under control. Riders are given tools to measure their riding ability and know where they are, skillwise, at any given moment. Chapter Five explores the problem of and solutions to Mental Overload, the four basic riding environments, the relationship between speed and traffic predictability, and how riders use what they know to learn what they don't.

Contents:
Proficiency on a Scale of 1 to 10
Lifetime Riding Table
Go with What You Know
Bite-Size Steps
Mental Overload
Focus on Your Strong Suits
Making the Leaps
The Speed/Predictability Relationship
City Streets and Residential Neighborhoods
Suburban Streets and Exurban Roads
Freeways and Multilane Highways
County Roads and Two-Lane Highways
Recommended Reading

"On the other hand, if you had a good night’s rest and no distractions or emotions clogging up your concentration, you may be able to ride better than normal, and you can crank it up a notch, experiment, and push a little at the boundaries of your reserve because your mind and body are 100 percent there."

Special Section: Big Secret #5: Automatic Motorcycling
Dispelling the Myth: What People Say and What People Mean #5: "I had to lay it down."

Chapter Six: Getting Better Now riders are getting beyond operating and becoming familiar with the bike, and getting into more complicated, advanced, and dangerous situations. This chapter offers helpful insights for such hazardous situations as intersections, freeway travel, heavy traffic, night riding, bad weather, commuting, and pulling everyday duty on your motorcycle. Explained in detail is the problem of and solutions to Motorcyclist Information Overload.

Contents:
"Don’t Be There"
Where Roads Collide (intersections)
The Superslab (freeways)
When the Road Gets Crowded (traffic)
After Hours, After Dark
Weather You Like It or Not
Commuting
A Couple of New Tricks
Running Errands
Nights Out
A Word About Alcohol
Recommended Reading

"Pay attention to what the traffic light’s doing before you reach the intersection, an eighth or even a quarter mile before you get there. If it has only recently turned green, you probably have a little time before it switches to yellow. If it’s been green a long time, it may be ready to change or people waiting to pull out or turn may be getting impatient."

Special Section: Big Secret #6: Why Crashes Happen
Dispelling the Myth: What People Say and What People Mean #6: "There are two kinds of riders, those who have gone down, and those who will.”

Chapter Seven: Getting Involved This final chapter takes a look and offers advice for some of the more advanced decisions riders have to make: trading up to a bigger bike, carrying passengers, group riding, and advanced training and track days. Also detailed are the various ways that riders give back to motorcycling, such as joining clubs and organizations, participating in online communities, becoming motorcycle safety instructors, and mentoring newer riders.

Contents:
Trading Up
Carrying Passengers
Passenger Accommodatinos
Advice for the Passenger
Group Riding
What to Expect
Back to School
Track Days and Schools
Getting in Deep
Motorcycle Communities
The Newest Rider Coach
Mentoring Another Rider
Recommended Reading

"For your first couple of years, it’s in your best interest to avoid riding in a group of three or more bikes. Beware the pitfalls of group riding: added distractions, varying ability and attitude, the tendency of some riders to intrude on others’ space, and the tendency of most riders to ride over their head in a group can make riding en masse dangerous even to experienced motorcyclists."

Special Section: Big Secret #7: Riding the Wave
Dispelling the Myth: What People Say and What People Mean #7: "The more you know, the better it gets.”