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ken@sportriders.com
Ken began riding in the mid-1970s. He has
road raced, drag raced, toured and commuted on various makes of now-vintage
motorcycles. Ken re-entered the roadracing world in 2000, campaigning his 1976
RD 400 in the Loudon Road Race Series- much to the dismay of those who crashed
in front of him.
Ken became a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) instructor in 1995 and continues
to teach the principles of riding to new and experienced riders.
Ken's wife, Caroline, rides a 750 Ninja and is also an MSF instructor. Their
daughter is following in the family footsteps. She has her own dirt bike and
rides as a passenger on family trips.
Ken is a professional graphic artist, is involved with the organization of SRNE
and is developing a moto-journalist career. He rides a Honda VFR 800.
Ken has a website here.
The guys with the gear.
By Ken Condon
If you showed up for any of the SRNE rides, you'd notice the usual: riders milling around their R1s,
TLs, R6s, SVs, VFRs, Concours, 996s, etc. You¹d
also notice that the riders are wearing some serious protective gear. You'll see race-inspired full-face helmets, gauntlet gloves, armored boots and
top-quality leather suits or nylon riding jackets and pants.
Sharing
the Road with Motorcycles.
By Ken Condon [This
article resides on the MGHSB Server]
Picture this: someone in a mammoth SUV makes a move in front of you that
results in a heart-stopping, adrenaline-pumping, fury-erupting incident.
Luckily, you avert the near-collision because of your proficient extreme-braking
and swerving skills. What the hell goes on in the heads of these four-wheelers? Click
here to read an article written by SRNE's own Ken Condon for the
Massachusetts Governor's Highway Safety Bureau. You might learn a few things
about why these incidents happen and what you can do to prevent a crash--
besides relying on your superior braking and swerving skills. Be sure to pass on
the article's link to other riders and non-riders you know.
The Fastbag
by Ken Condon - The Fastbag has been popular in Europe
as a solution to carrying cargo on sport bikes and is now available in the
States. Robb Zimdars, the U.S. distributor asked if Sportriders.com would write
a product review and we agreed.
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A Note From Ken.... Hazards From Behind
We all know the need to scan ahead to identify hazards we are approaching or
that are approaching us, but how much attention do you give to the hazards from
behind?
Statistically, crashes caused by being rear-ended are low (about 3%). But, I
have been rear-ended and several people I know have been rear-ended or have been
very close to being rear-ended.
What can we do?
1. Develop the habit of engaging first gear whenever you come to a stop--
especially when performing a panic stop.
2. Always check your mirrors when coming to and waiting at a stop. Stay in first
gear!
3. Check your mirrors every 3 seconds in heavy traffic, every 5 seconds in light
traffic and every 8 seconds on the highway and on rural roads.
4. Mirror checks should be quick "flicks" of the eyes, long enough to
register information, but not too long that you miss the more immediate and
likely hazards approaching from the front.
5. Develop a sense of what is behind you at all times. This takes conscious
awareness until it becomes second nature. But that doesn't mean you can stop
practicing. You've got to keep this sense sharp.
6. Make sure your tail light and brake light are working properly.
7. Flash your brake light briefly before coming to a stop when a vehicle is
behind and flash your brake light when stopped and a car is approaching from
behind.
8. Wear protective gear with reflective material.
9. When coming to a stop, plan for an escape route--usually alongside the car in
front. Make sure you don't stop too close to the car in front of you. This will
prevent you from quickly maneuvering forward and to the side in the event of a
non-stopper approaching from behind.
10. Don't stop in the center of the lane. This will allow an inattentive car to
perhaps squeeze to one side of you and prevent a crash. (You should have seen it
coming, but, this can help if you attention lapses)
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