5 Blog Posts You Don’t Want to Miss

by Liz Jansen

With the season in full swing, new riders are graduating from classes, purchasing motorcycles, and getting out on the road. Continuous learning and skill improvement is a life-long habit to start right now. That’s why I’ve included Keith Code’s article on counter-steering, which all riders can learn from.

We’ll relate to Jen Hill’s passion for riding, and love reminiscing at Sturgis Museum’s ”My First Ride” exhibit.. Tips on purchasing used bikes are always helpful, and the Mad Maxx bike will appeal to fantasy lovers everywhere.

Keith Code—Motorcyclistsonline.com 

Countersteering Vs. Body-Steering: Which One Steers The Bike?

“Twist of the Wrist author Keith Code explains the difference between steering a motorcycle through handlebar input and body lean.

Most barstool debates tend to devolve into generalities, opinions, and hearsay, in the absence of defined terms. Debating generalities just gives me a headache. The age-old countersteering versus body-steering argument—one of the oldest motorcycle-related barstool debates—is one that could especially benefit from some solid definition.”

Howard Kelly—Motorcycle.com

The Girl Who Played With Ninja

“Picture if you will, the average person you might meet with a masters in mathematics. Quickly you envision Archimedes, Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei or even Albert Einstein, but none of you would instantly draw a mental image of Jen Hill (Jen Tekawitha if you seek her Instagram or website), a vibrant young woman who at present has logged more than 20,000 miles on a Kawasaki Ninja 250 – her first bike!

Jen committed to her education doing things like being a range assistant in MSF programs for two years, taking a Lee Parks Total Control ARC class, the MSF DirtBike School and most recently, the Cornerspin class. Education was second nature to Jen, but she also knew that getting out and riding would be the true transformation in her skill. So she rode, everywhere.”

Motorcycle.com

Buying Your First Used Motorcycle Without Getting Taken for a Ride

“If you’re in the market for a motorcycle, chances are you’ve noticed that a swath of new two-wheelers with a five-figure price tag. Of course there are plenty of motorcycles with smaller digits on the bill of sale, but like anything, motorcycle retail prices go up, not down.

Is your need or desire for a motorbike fervently at odds with the very practical matter of staying pennywise? If so, here’s a way to make peace between the devil and angel on your shoulders: buying used.”

by Ken Conte

Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s “My First Ride” Exhibit

“The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is proud to announce the opening of its newest exhibit: “My First Ride.” The exhibit features motorcycles many riders will recognize as that first motorcycle they ever rode. In addition, the exhibit features stories by people from all over the country detailing the first time they climbed on a motorcycle.”

Michelle Starr—CNET

Wind-powered motorcycle for a Mad Max world

“Fossil fuels aren’t going to last forever.

Come the days of scarcity, hopefully we won’t be living in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland warring viciously over the few resources left — and hopefully we’ll be a little more prepared, with sustainable replacements for the fossil-fueled technology we live with now.

This is the idea behind James Dyson Award entry Strangeworld — a motorcycle powered by the wind and the sun.”

photo credit: A Quick Test for Optimism vs. Pessimism via photopin (license)