Aussie rider Linda Norman has published a US road trips guide for other Australian riders after spending several years touring the country with her husband, Barry.
Linda says her guide includes tips such as placing a red arrow on the screen or fairing that points to the kerb to remind riders to ride on the right side of the road.
“It is very easy to forget what side you are supposed to ride on when you become fatigued,” she says.
Other helpful tips revolve around licensing and helmet laws, phone connections, currency conversion and insurance.
“I also cover the options of undertaking a fully guided tour, hiring a bike, shipping your own, or purchasing one over there and how to ship it home.”
Sturgis
Route 66
The book features the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Route-66, and many of the great bucket list rides, with full-colour photos from her tours as well as easy-to-follow maps.
“My book is written by an Aussie, for Aussies, and was printed in Australia,” Linda says.
Road trips
Linda describes herself as a 50+ nana of three who has been around motorbikes since meeting her husband over 37 years ago.
She was the first woman in Queensland to become a registered Q-Ride provider and is now on her 12th Harley, a 2018 Roadglide.
“I remember my first trip to America, the planning, searching, studying that went into that trip and there was still so much we didn’t know,” Linda says.
Be prepared for weather extremes!
“My husband, Barry, and I head over to America almost every year and spend between four to six weeks riding roads that just seem to get better every day, winding our way among the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains, or cruising our way along a favourite part of the historic Route-66.
“I love traveling those hidden backroads, finding historic little towns that still look the same as when the people walked away from them over 100 years ago.
Linda and Barry have also done a lot of road trips throughout Australia, Canada and many other countries. They are also planning a ride to Alaska in 2020.
Riders are being asked to protest today against the state’s anti-bikie “fashion law” that prohibits the wearing of “colours” associated with outlawed “bikie” clubs.
This is despite the Liberal State government saying they would never follow Queensland’s Draconian VLAD laws.
In the first weekend of the new laws, 20 to 30 riders were stopped at a road block by a dozen uniformed police with several police vehicles and plain clothes cops. All up, some 70 police.
The result? Police confiscated three knives.
“Bikie” law protest
Rebel Club members
A protest against the new laws is planned for Parliament House in Hobart from noon on Monday, 25 November 2019.
Former Australian Motorcycle Council chairman Shaun Lennard says he is “surprised to see this happen in Tasmania”.
He says he received a “direct personal assurance from Will Hodgman as Opposition Leader in 2013” that the Liberals in Tasmania would not follow (then Queensland Premier) Campbell Newman’s “failed path” if they won government.
The following Queensland Labor Government slightly watered down the laws, but there is still a “fashion police” rule that bans “bikie colours” in public because they “create fear”.
It is similar to the new Tassie rules.
Tassie cops
Tasmania Police say they will be enforcing the laws banning the wearing of insignia of five “outlaw motorcycle gangs”: Rebels, Bandidos, Outlaws, Devils Henchmen and the Black Uhlans.
This comes as interstate clubs rode into the state over the weekend.
“These are criminal gangs and their colours are designed to show affiliation with this criminality and intimidate others. The new laws don’t affect any other motorcycle clubs,” police media says.
“Our community can be assured there’ll be a strong police presence actively monitoring the activities of outlaw motorcycle gang members while they’re here.
“This will include vehicle checks, targeted drug and alcohol testing, monitoring for anti-social and criminal behaviour and traffic operations.
“Tasmania Police has rostered on a significant number of additional officers to assist with this operation and will be supported by a contingent of officers from interstate.”
Allowing your number plate to get dirty or actively obscuring or altering it could cost you a hefty fine, demerit points and maybe even jail!
A 50-year-old Irish rider recently copped a £600 (about $A1140) fine and nine demerit points for trying to evade detection by police by altering his Honda’s number plate with black tape.
His solicitor said the bike had been off the road for a year and he was on his way to the garage to get an MOT (Ministry of Transport roadworthy).
Likely story!
Number plate offences
Rear mudguard prevents plate from getting dirty
In Australia, fines for an obscured plate vary substantially state to state from about $100 to almost $700 and up to three demerit points.
The offence can be worded as something like “using a vehicle with an altered, incorrect or misrepresented number plate”.
That can include a number of issues such as simply allowing your number plate to get dirty.
Telling the cop who pulls you over that you had no idea it got dirty is not an excuse as you are obliged every time you use a vehicle to ensure it is in legal, working order.
Fraudulent plates
However, it can get worse.
If the plate has been fraudulently altered (as in the mock photo at the top of this article), the penalty is up to $1000 or two months’ jail.
The tougher penalties are due to the use of stolen and fraudulent plates to commit crimes, not just evade speed cameras.
I knew one flexible rider who used to stand up and extend his right foot back to obscure his plate as he passed a roadside speed camera.
Another rider had his plate on a rotating mechanism which he could activate via a switch on the handlebars to rotate the plate out of sight.
Both could have been fined for fraudulently obscuring their plate and face the harsher penalties.
There are also various clear plate covers that are claimed to prevent a speed camera from getting a clear image.
Some “invisible” sprays (including hairspray) are also claimed to legally obscure your plate from a speed camera.
Hairspray leaves a detectable gummy residue
Most of these only claim to “help avoid detection”. They offer no guarantees.
You may think police won’t notice, but they are aware of these scams.
If they pull you over, even for a licence check, one of the first things they check is for these devices and sprays which leave a telltale gummy residue.
Police in several states couldn’t give us exact numbers for motorcycle plate fines, but they claim it is common.
3. “All MotoGP riders have literally put their entire lives into motorcycle racing” – John Hopkins goes into detail about how making the decision to retire is one of the most difficult a rider ever has to make. The American says how Jorge Lorenzo, fortunately, was able to take the decision to retire himself, instead of being forced into early retirement.
In the intermediate class, Xavi Vierge started life with the Petronas Sprinta Racing squad in great style by setting the fastest lap in the wet conditions on Day 1. The Spaniard and new teammate Jake Dixon will be looking at making further progress on Monday and Tuesday, along with a whole host of other 2020 title contenders.
In 2020, the MotoGP™ Collection will have two models in its standard collection: one quartz, limited to 4999 pieces and one automatic version limited to 3333 pieces. As always, Tissot also created some special and limited pieces for each of its Ambassadors such as Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo and Thomas Lüthi.
Just four days on from the conclusion of the post-Valencia Grand Prix, MotoGP™ teams and riders are continuing their 2020 preparations at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for the final two days of track action in 2019. Yamaha closed the Valencia Test on top after Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales ended up fastest ahead of the Petronas Yamaha SRT duo of Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli. Viñales and teammate Valentino Rossi will continue work on their 2020 prototype that broke cover in Valencia, with the satellite duo hoping for their first taste of next year’s Yamaha M1.
They include the Mt Lindesay Highway, (photo at top of page), Cunningham Highway, Summerland Way and Pacific Highway between Woodburn and Woombah.
Police are asking all motorists to “delay all non-essential travel” in these areas.
The option is a rather lengthy ride, although that may not be a negative for riders!
For example, if you need to travel between Grafton and Ballina, you will have to add about 3.5 hours to your trip and use the Gwydir, New England and Bruxner highways.
If you want to know how dangerous it is riding in a bushfire, watch this Queensland Police video of brave officers alerting residents.
Bushfire survival guide:
Avoid bushfires!
The best survival tip for a bushfire is to avoid it.
Also check the automobile clubs’ websites for the relevant state, as well as transport department traffic sites or apps such as the NSW Live Traffic App.
Try searching the Facebook pages of local fire and police pages.
Of course, you can use your eyes to see where the smoke is and use your commonsense to gauge wind direction and potential fire direction.
However, don’t think you can outrun a bushfire. They can spread faster than any motorcycle can go, often jumping roadways, reducing your chance of survival.
Follow directions
It is not only stupid, but also unlawful to disobey a police or emergency services direction.
If you are told not to go down a road or there is a roadblock, you must not got that way.
The same goes for flood situations.
Don’t start a bushfire
Take notice of total fire ban signs and warnings as you don’t want to start a bushfire.
Fines are hefty and police have been severe in punishing offenders. Don’t expect a good-natured warning!
Riders should also be aware they can accidentally start a fire by parking their bike on dry grass or leaves.
Firefighters say about 40% of all bushfires are accidentally started by humans dropping cigarette butts, campfires, discarding bottles, sparks from machinery and motorcycles.
The catalytic convertor, which is often underneath, is the hottest part of your bike and can easily spark a fire.
Adventure riders who travel off road should take special care.
Caught in a bushfire
If you are caught in a bushfire, your phone (or EPIRB, beacon, etc) will be your best friend.
Work out where you are exactly and then contact police and emergency services to give them your location.
Park your bike behind a solid structure to block as much heat as you can.
Turn off your bike’s engine, but leave the lights and/or hazard lights on.
Stay near your bike, but not too close in case it goes up in flames.
Try to get down low, near a water source or below the level of the fire as they move faster uphill.
Also try to get upwind from a fire.
Dangers of bushfires
Riders are more vulnerable than motorists in cars because they have no air conditioning to regulate air and temperature.
The biggest dangers for riders are from smoke inhalation, low visibility and eye irritation from smoke.
Carry water with you to flush out sore eyes and to ensure you stay hydrated.
Tips to avoid dehydration in a heatwave:
Don’t drink too much alcohol the night before a ride. It has a diuretic effect which means it causes you to urinate more water than you take in which means you are losing fluid. And you can’t counteract that by drinking lots of water because most of it will go out in your urine. Obviously, don’t drink alcohol while you are riding!
Start drinking water as soon as you wake and keep sipping water right up until you get on your bike. It takes about half an hour for water to reach your muscles. Guzzling water just before a ride is not good as it can make your stomach to cramp. The Royal Flying Doctor Service which has attended dehydrated riders in the Outback, recommends carrying 10 litres of water per day! Read their Outback riding tips here.
Wear ventilated motorcycle clothing. Leathers may protect you better in a crash, but they create a “microclimate” which impairs your ability to lose heat. As a result you will produce more sweat to decrease your core temp. Instead, wear a flow-through jacket. There are heaps of options on the market. Make sure they have vents in the back so the air flows through. Also, loosen the sleeves so you get plenty of air on your wrists which have a lot of blood vessels close to the skin to effectively cool you down. However, be aware that a flow-through jacket cools you down because it is drying the sweat off your skin which can lead to dehydration. A set of Ventz up your sleeve will also keep you cool as air flows up your arms.However, don’t be fooled by your level of coolness as ventilation can also cause you to loose more water through evaporation. So you still need to keep drinking plenty of water.
Don’t be tempted to remove your jacket in the heat! Exposed skin may feel cooler, but that’s because the sweat is evaporating quicker, but that is just making you more dehydrated. And while your skin feels cool, you’ll be tricked into staying in the sun longer which leads to sunburn. That also leads to dehydration because your body needs water to repair and renew damaged skin.
Get a Camelbak or other brand of water-dispensing unit so you can continue to take small sips of water while you are riding. I’ve seen riders on GoldWings and other big tourers with cup holders so they can take slurps from a water bottle. That’s obviously not as safe as the hands-free Camelback option, but anything is better than nothing. Some people don’t like Camelbaks because the water gets hot, but the temperature of the water doesn’t affect dehydration.
Stop more often than usual and hang out in the shade or in an air-conditioned cafe. Since you are drinking lots of fluids, you will probably need to stop anyway!
While you’re stopped, have a coffee, but take it easy. No need to swear off your favourite caramel latte, but avoid excess coffee. That also goes for caffeinated drinks such as Red Bull. High levels of caffeine have a diuretic effect just like alcohol.
While having a coffee break, avoid having too many sweet cakes, donuts and muffins. Sugar can dehydrate you if it gets to very high levels in your blood. This can happen if you are a diabetic, take certain medications or have an infection or some organ diseases. Sugar causes your kidneys to produce more urine to eliminate the sugar, leading to dehydration. Likewise, don’t drink too many sugary drinks. Best to stick to plain water, real fruit juices with no added sugar or drinks such as Gatorade that replace salts and minerals lost in sweat.
We’ve talked a lot about urine and it’s important that you monitor the colour. It should be a straw colour. If it’s too dark, you are dehydrated.
Sweat also depletes your body of sodium and if it becomes too low, it can cause many of the same symptoms as dehydration. The average diet probably has enough sodium, but it’s good to have a little bit of salt on your meals or drink sports drinks that have a sodium supplement. However, beware of sports drinks with caffeine and sugar.
