MOTORCYCLE AWARENESS MONTH
October is Motorcycle Awareness Month . Usually held in September , the national motorcycle safety campaign was postponed by one month this year due to the latest COVID-19 outbreak . It ’ s the month where the weather is warmer and is enticing many of us back onto our bikes , swelling the number of motorcycles on the roads around New Zealand . It ’ s also the month where ACC sees a spike in motorcycle related injuries . So , ACC and Ride Forever are reminding Kiwi motorcyclists of some of the ways they can increase the chances of living to ride another day , as well as remind other motorists to look out for bikes . Motorcycle Awareness Month is split in to four weeks , with a new theme each week . Each theme is fronted by a different MAM Ambassador . Our very own Ray Heron will be interviewing the other four ambassadors and picking their brains for as many nuggets of information as possible . Week one is a celebration of all things motorcycling , and who better to talk to than legendary racer , and the man who pilots the
Britten V1000 , Andrew Stroud . Week two is all about fine-tuning your skills and is brought to you by someone who has fine-tuned her skills to become an NZ champion , Avalon Biddle . Week three is dedicated to making sure your gear is up to scratch , and we will be talking to Dr Chris Hurren from Deakin University , about the work he does with MotoCap , how they test gear , what makes good gear , and how to identify when your gear should be replaced . And finally , week four is all about making sure you and your bike are ride ready . We will be talking to suspension and motorcycle ergonomics tuning wizard Dave Moss . Typically there are loads of other events associated with Motorcycle Awareness Month , however this year , due to the COVID situation , many of these have been postponed . For all the updates as we make our way through Motorcycle Awareness Month , be sure to subscribe to Kiwi Rider Podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Stitcher , or any other podcasting platform .
RIDE FOREVER ’ S TOP TEN TIPS
It ’ s Spring , and that means it ’ s time to get out and ride that motorbike . It doesn ’ t matter if you are the sort of rider who only takes their pride and joy out on the sunniest of days , or an all-weather , all year-round rider . There are some basic checks you can do to help ensure your next ride goes well .
10 . Check your tyres . Look for cracks , nails , screws , ensure there is a good amount of tread , and there is no obvious damage to the tyre or cracking .
9 . Tyre Pressures As you ’ re checking you ’ re tyres , check your tyre pressures while you ’ re down there .
8 . Chain Tension Your bike ’ s maintenance book will explain the recommended way to check the chain tension . If you don ’ t have it , Google it .
7 . WOF and Rego It ’ s easy to overlook the fact that your bike ’ s rego expired three weeks ago , or that the WOF needs renewing .
6 . Lights In NZ it is mandatory to have a headlight on while riding , day or night . This means we have to replace our bulbs more often . If you only ride during the day , your headlight may have blown without you even realising it .
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