TEXAS MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE THINGS TO KNOW!

While most bikers have a basic understanding of their insurance, it’s best to learn more about the details BEFORE you make a claim. Below are things to consider:

• If your motorcycle breaks down and can't be ridden, does your insurance provide help?  Some insurance will pay for proper equipment to be sent to service your bike, if a collision, lodging, meals, and transportation.
• Does your insurance pay for damage to any clothing designed to minimize injuries from a motorcycle accident, including helmets and leathers?
• What about accessory coverage? Most carriers have an optional equipment coverage for motorcycle accessories such as parts, decorations, custom painting, chroming, side car or other items not originally provided by the manufacturer.
• Your bike is a total loss. Now what? Do you have replacement cost coverage? Check with your carrier because you may get the short end of the stick if you do not have this type of coverage.
• Discounts? Check into multi-unit, multi-policy, preferred drivers, safety course discount, prior insurance, affinity group discount etc… May be worth your time to check into these.
• Do you have collision coverage? If not, you will have no coverage for damages you caused. Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Coverage? Critical considering how many drivers do no have insurance.

Learn about the details of your coverage before learning about it the hard way.

Fighting Fatigue on Long Motorcycle Rides

Experts say that fatigue contributes to between a fifth and a sixth of all car accidents. That may not be true in motorcycle accidents across the board, but fatigue is definitely an issue for riders on trips of three days or more. It's something that you need to consider and prepare for. If you are riding with other people, it is an issue that you should discuss and accommodate as you plan your trip. Different riders will have different requirements for rest, and if the trip is to be a safe one, all members of the group should be willing to accommodate each other.

Before you head out on the highway looking for adventure, consider a few steps that you can take and plans you can make to avoid having one of your adventures involve falling asleep on your motorcycle.

Rest:

Adequate sleep can be a bit hard to come by before and during a multi-day ride. I am always thinking of things I want to do or remember to bring as I try to get to sleep on the night before I depart. I also have trouble getting to sleep while traveling. Many people also have trouble getting a full night's sleep as they get older. If I combine that with early departures, I quickly have a sleep deficit. For that reason, I like to plan to allow myself to sleep late every two or three days, setting no departure time.

Don't use alcohol as a sleep aid; it actually tends to reduce both the quantity and quality of sleep. You might think that you can't fall asleep on a motorcycle, but I have known riders who simply fell asleep while riding, waking up as they bounced through a ditch — or in the hospital. Riders who experienced these sorts of adventures often said they didn't even realize they were tired.

Experts say that you'll have "tired times" during every 12-hour cycle, most often between 3:00 and 5:00 (a.m. and p.m., you local time). You may want to plan to arrive by that point or stop for an early dinner. If you can or need to, take a day off just to relax and catch up on your sleep.

Physical Preparation:


Unless you ride your motorcycle almost every day or take rides of three hours or more almost every weekend, you may not be completely adapted to your bike. After a full day or two of riding, you will become acutely aware of muscles that you are using full-time to ride. You may be able to overcome some of this discomfort by properly setting up your bike and fitting components, such as a good aftermarket saddle, that make it more comfortable. However, you also need to give your body a chance to adapt. Taking breaks every hour or two, especially during the first few days of a long ride, will help this adjustment.

Calm:

Extended exposure to wind and sun dehydrates and fatigues you much more than your routine two-hour weekend jaunt. Riding in a tanktop and open-face helmet may seem like the best way to deal with the heat, but will actually wear you out and heat you up much faster than if you wear a vented or mesh jacket and a helmet that protects your face from the wind. Perspiration gets a chance to stay on and cool your skin if the wind flow is reduced but not eliminated. You will sharply reduce sunburn and windburn and their fatiguing effects by covering yourself fully. A windshield also reduces the amount of wind that's tearing at you but leaves enough to cool you.

Quiet:
Wind noise (and exhaust noise if you have loud pipes) will not only permanently damage your hearing, it will fatigue you quickly. Both noise sources are at their worst if you don't wear a helmet, but even a full-face helmet that seals your ears well won't attenuate these noise sources sufficiently on an extended ride, so you should wear earplugs as well. If nothing else, you'll appreciate them when you try to go to sleep at night and the roaring in your ears isn't as loud. A windshield can also reduce wind noise.

Clear:

Vision clarity can be an issue on extended rides too. About 15 years ago we did a comparison test where one bike had significant distortion in the top of its windshield. Several riders said riding it made them feel disoriented or tired or gave them headaches. If your windshield creates this problem, or if you have a faceshield or sunglasses that are optically imperfect, you should find a replacement or eliminate the problem, perhaps by trimming the top of your windshield. If your vision has changed so that your prescription is no longer adequate, update it before you leave.

Caffeine and Alcohol: 
A coffee or cola can briefly boost your alertness, but isn't a substitute for adequate rest. Having a beer before or during a ride is a bad idea for many reasons, but especially if you are slightly tired or fatigued. Discouraging your riding companions from having one also does both of you a favor.

Good Habits:

Those boring admonitions about diet and exercise also apply to fighting fatigue. They increase your energy level, which makes you stronger and more alert. Of course, drinking adequate water is important too, especially considering that you are being dehydrated more rapidly because of your exposure to the wind. I don't hold with the theory that you aren't drinking enough if you don't have to urinate every 30 minutes though.

Fighting fatigue provides benefits that go beyond safety. If you are alert and refreshed, the ride itself is more enjoyable, and you'll get more out of the sights and experiences that you came to enjoy.




From the February, 2009 issue of Motorcycle Cruiser

“Loser Pays” Means Families Pay

Here we go again.  Lobbyists in Austin are once again trying to shield their corporate clients by socializing the cost when they cause needless death, injury, or financial devastation.  This time they are pushing HB 274, an un-American scheme that threatens families and small businesses with having to pay the bloated legal costs of big insurance companies and multi-national corporations.  Act Now to stop this dangerous legislation.

After 20+ years of pro-defendant legal changes, passing legislation that will make it even more difficult for Texans with valid claims to access the legal system is at best detrimental to public accountability and at worst unconstitutional.The bottom line is that their proposals are designed to intimidate families and small business owners into foregoing the legal accountability process, immunizing polluters, insurance companies, and other big corporate defendants from responsibility.

These schemes most acutely impact middle class families who could be financially devastated not only if they lose a valid lawsuit, but even if they just don’t win big enough.  And, the proposal before lawmakers puts small businesses at a particular disadvantage when facing a big corporation in court.

If this bill passes, defendants will be in complete control, leaving the family or business owner at the whim of the accused wrongdoer.  Also, under their gerry-rigged formula, even if you win a verdict, you could still be forced to pay the defendant’s legal costs.  In other words, you can win and still lose.

Despite the lobbyists’ rhetorical misdirections, this issue has nothing to do with penalizing people who file meritless lawsuits.  We already have stiff penalties on the books for that, including the payment of attorneys’ fees.  Their real goal is to erase the notion of corporate responsibility.  They want to erect so many obstacles to justice that we just throw up our hands and let corporate criminals like BP off the hook.

HB 274 would allow insurance companies even more latitude to deny and underpay valid claims.  For instance, a family injured in an auto accident would face an impossible choice if the at-fault driver’s insurance company denied a valid claim.  The family would face the threat of paying the bloated legal costs of the insurance company’s legions of lawyers or accepting whatever low-ball offer the insurer makes.

Florida’s experience with a scheme similar to the one being debated by our legislature was so bad that lawmakers there repealed it just five years later.  As the Duke Law Journal notes, proponents are “diplomatically silent about Florida’s unsuccessful experience.”  A former president of the nation’s oldest association of civil defense lawyers put it bluntly: “They tried it in Florida, and it was a disaster.”

Known as the “British Rule,” this concept was roundly rejected by our nation’s founders more than two centuries ago because it guts individual liberty.  In recent years, however, Britain and other countries have begun to rethink the wisdom of this system.  In fact, the British Ministry of Justice recently commissioned a report that recommends that Britain scrap its current system in favor of the “American Rule” in which both parties are responsible for their own legal costs.  The Economist magazine proclaimed that “every citizen in the land would, at last, have a fair opportunity to have a case heard in the nation’s courts.”

The bottom line is that Texas families already face significant barriers to accessing the constitutional promise of a right to Trial by Jury.  Adopting a scheme that has a dubious history and is designed to force families and small businesses with valid claims to weigh the possibility of paying the legal costs of multi-national corporations is not in the best interests of public safety, public justice, or public policy.

Take action now.  Tell your State Representative to stand up for Texas families and our constitutional liberties by rejecting HB 274.
 

source: Texas Watch (May 4, 2011)

9th Annual Thunder on the Bend

May 13-15

13261 FM 26394,
Shelbyville, Tx


The 9th Annual Thunder on the Bend Motorcycle Rally is set for Fri-Sat-Sun, May 13-15th and will take place on Harvey’s Landing-Huxley Bay Marina. Gates will open at 12 noon on Friday and close at noon on Sunday.

This year’s event will feature the Monco Motors Fun Run with grand prize of $1500 as registered riders tour the backroads of Shelby County and meet back on the banks of Toledo Bend for a fun-filled event. Registration for the Fun Run is $30 and includes 3-day pass to rally,Biker Ball, rally pin, raffle tickets, and breakfast. Bikers can register either at the lake or at Walmart in Center on Sat, May 14, from 8:30-10 am. General gate admission is $5 for walk-ins (under 17 free) and $10 for ride-ins on motorcycles.

The professional freestyle motorcycle stunt team “Stunt Team” will be performing for the crowd on Sat and Sun. Biker Ball will feature live entertainment by “Loose Gravel” on Friday night and “The Pack of Strays” on Saturday night. There will be both Bike Show and Car/Truck Show. There will also be live auction, raffle prizes, vendors, t-shirts, bike games,military salute and $300 prize to group with most registered riders. The kids area has been expanded and will feature a bounce house, blow-up Water Slide and several other activities just for them. It will be open on Sat. from 10-6 pm only.

For more information contact Lynn Kaluza at 936 590-9864 or thunderonthebend@hotmail.com or visit http://www.thunderonthebend.com

MOTORCYCLE SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH

May has been proclaimed National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and in participation with the initiative we here at Texas Rider News and The Cole Legal Group want to educate drivers with a few facts to help promote an attitude of "sharing the road" with each other.  Here is a brief description of the initiative and reminders while on the road.

Overview

Recent data indicates that deaths and injuries attributable to motorcycle crashes are becoming a larger portion of a grave public health problem. Motorcycle crash-related fatalities have been increasing since 1997, while injuries have been increasing since 1999.

Now that the warmer weather is around the corner and motorcyclists are out in force throughout the country,motorists and other road users are reminded to look out for and “share the road” with motorcycle riders, while motorcycle riders are reminded to follow the rules of the road and wear safety helmets and other protective gear that will increase their visibility. ALL road users are reminded to never drive, ride, bike or walk while distracted.  By increasing safe riding and cooperation between all motorists and motorcyclists, we can reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on our nation’s highways.

Mission

Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month is a national initiative aimed at getting motorists and other road users and motorcyclists to “share the road” with each other. 

"Share the Road"

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has developed the “Share the Road” program material used by motorcycle safety agencies and national organizations that have a vested interest in motorcycle safety. NHTSA created these the common ideas and reminders to effectively convey the importance of sharing the road safely with motorcyclists:

• Road users are reminded to never drive, bike or walk while distracted.  Doing so can result in tragic consequences for motorcyclists.
• A motorcycle has the same rights and privileges as any other vehicle on the roadway.
• Allow the motorcyclist a full lane width. Although it may seem there is enough room in the traffic lane for an automobile and a motorcycle, remember the motorcycle needs the room to maneuver safely. Do not share the lane.
• Motorcycles are small and may be difficult to see. A motorcycle has a much smaller profile than a vehicle, which can make it more difficult to judge the speed and distance of an approaching motorcycle.
• Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic. This allows the motorcyclist to anticipate traffic flow and find a safe lane position.
• Remember that a motorcyclist can be hidden in a vehicle’s blind spot or missed in a quick look due to its smaller size. Always make a visual check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.
• Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle – motorcycle signals may not be self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed.
• Remember that road conditions that are minor annoyances to motorists can pose major hazards to motorcyclists. Motorcycle riders may change speed or adjust position within a lane suddenly in reaction to road and traffic conditions such as potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings, and grooved pavement.
• Allow more following distance -- three or four seconds -- following a motorcycle so the motorcycle rider has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency. In dry conditions, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.

Motorcyclist Deaths Are Rising

In 2008 motorcyclist fatalities increased for the 11th straight year.

During 2008, 5,290 motorcyclists lost their lives in fatal highway crashes.

Nearly 50 percent of all motorcycles involved in fatal crashes collided with other types of motor vehicles in transport.  In two-vehicle crashes, 77 percent of the motorcycles involved were struck in the front.  Only 7 percent were struck in the rear.

Over 90 percent of all fatal two-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle occurred on non-interstate roadways.

Approximately 50 percent of all fatal two-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle were intersection crashes.

In 2008, there were 2,387 two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a motorcycle and another type of vehicle.  In 41 percent of these crashes, the other vehicle was turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking the vehicle.  Both vehicles were going straight in 28 percent of the crashes.