Over the past five years, I have logged more than 20,000 miles, mostly on weekend rides. I find riding requires constant focus and extreme vigilance, forcing me to remain in the moment at all times while in the seat. As Dave Preston says, “when the helmet drops, the bullshit stops.“

It is not uncommon for me to immerse myself when getting involved in something new, and motorcycling is no exception. I try to ride as often as practical, I‘ve taken multiple riding courses, and have read numerous books pertaining riding techniques, safety and touring.

I encourage all new riders to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation BasicRider Course, prior to applying for their motorcycle driver’s license endorsement. The BRC is taught in small groups (or privately), and covers classroom presentations as well as lots of (controlled) riding sessions.

I also encourage all riders to read (and re-read) Proficient Motorcycling – The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well, by David Hough. David is a longtime motorcyclist and journalist, and has incredible insights for all levels of rider, from beginner to veteran. David explains the dynamics of motorcycling quite well, while focusing much of the book on riding safety, all with ample photos and illustrations.

For experienced riders, I encourage you to take the Yamaha Champions Riders School (YCRS). YCRS is a riding course, taught on various racetracks around the US. It is run by Nick Ienatsch, a highly experienced instructor, motorcycle racer and journalist. All of the instructors have taught for years, and are experienced motorcycle racers. YCRS is not a “racing school,” however it is taught exclusively on racetracks, while riding on YCRS provided sport bikes. See short movie about the school here. The riding skills taught at YCRS can be applied to both the track and the road and, for me, it made me a much safer and more proficient rider. I’m looking forward to spending more time with Nick and the team at future classes.

If you’re looking for riding gear, I would encourage you to visit RevZilla.com. These guys have deep industry knowledge, multiple unbiased product reviews (over 4,500 online product videos), reasonable prices and great customer service. I have found myself reviewing multiple products on RevZilla’s website, and making educated purchase decisions with the confidence that if the product is not right for any reason, I can easily return or exchange it at no cost. The user product reviews are quite helpful as well.

I created Moto Musings to highlight interesting and useful motorcycle articles, videos, and other links, in hopes to bring you helpful safety, riding, product and industry information.

ATGATT and let’s turn some fuel into noise!