Born To Ride News

Overcoming your Fears

Spring is finally here.  It’s time to get out and ride, and a great time to get some exercise.  With that in mind, I’ve got a way for you to improve your riding skills, get some physical exercise and to overcome your fears, all at the same time.

I’m assuming you already have a motorcycle, so all you’ll need is a bicycle. Any kind of bicycle will do. By now you must be thinking, “bicycle, overcoming your fears, what the hell is this guy talking about?” Alright, here’s the story. I’ve noticed in my riders’ skills classes that many of the students have a fear of leaning their motorcycles—especially when it comes to leaning quickly in one direction and transitioning quickly to the other direction; in other words, a left to right or right to left transition. That quick transition is exactly what you’ll need when you have to avoid a vehicle that suddenly pulls out in front of you. The reason people fear this maneuver is because they’re afraid of dropping their motorcycle. So to avoid that drop the student’s slow way down, lean as little as possible, then attempt to steer the bike slowly as possible from complete left to complete right.

Since they barely have any forward momentum, they wind up putting a foot down and having to abort the maneuver. While training in a parking lot under controlled conditions this is no big deal. However, out on the road aborting the maneuver can get you killed. In the course, after three or four tries, most riders realize that a little speed is all that’s needed; and the motorcycle will not fall over as long as they have some forward momentum. It even feels good physically when it’s done properly. The reason it feels good is because they now are maneuvering the bike the way it was designed to be maneuvered.

With that said, here’s where the bicycle comes into play. The bicycle has two wheels, one in front of the other; it reacts exactly like a motorcycle. Since the bicycle is so light you don’t have to worry about dropping it. In other words, with the bicycle your fear factor should be zero. Having no fear will allow you to try all kinds of maneuvers you wouldn’t try on your motorcycle. Plus, the sensations you’ll get as you lean, turn and swerve the bicycle will be the same as on your motorcycle. When you realize that nothing terrible will happen to you when you turn the handlebars from side to side quickly, you will be able to duplicate the maneuvers on your motorcycle. (And it actually feels good to dip into the turns.) You’ll then be a better, safer, and more confident rider.

You’ll also understand exactly how it should feel when you get it right and through muscle memory— everything will start to fall into place on the motorcycle. While you can set up specific exercises (you can download a practice guide free at www.ridelikeapro.com) to start – just get out on a straight road and start weaving back and forth. Get as aggressive as possible with the weave. Keep you head and eyes up and look straight ahead as you row the handlebars back and forth.(This motion will teach you the dip.)

Next, try a few U-turns to the left. Aggressively dip the bike to the right side of the road and snap your head and eyes all the way to the left. You can even put a little pressure on the rear brake as you pedal through the U-turn. That’s the same thing you should be doing on your motorcycle. A little pressure on the rear brake while applying power to the rear wheel with the pedal stabilizes the bicycle and the motorcycle. Lean aggressively as you make the U-turn.

Next, try the quick left to right transitions. Think of it as a quick U-turn to the left in half the lane, then a quick transition to the right in the other half of the lane. Again, do it quickly and aggressively. The more you lean in each direction, the better. In 30 minutes you’ll have a much better understanding of the dynamics of a two-wheeled vehicle and you’ll be getting some aerobic exercise at the same time. When you transition to your motorcycle you should be able to repeat the same maneuvers and little by little get more aggressive on the motorcycle—while at the same time gaining confidence in your abilities and lose your fears.

Till next month, get out there and practice. For more information log onto my website www.ridelikeapro.com; we are offering free shipping on my Ride Like a Pro DVDs this month, call toll-free 866-868-7433 or order online at my website. Do yourself a favor, get some skills, it will save your life.

Copyright 2010 Jerry Motorman Palladino

Born To Ride’s ongoing torture of B rated biker movies continues with the review of “Chrome and Hot Leather.”  “When it comes to biker exploitation pieces, this one rates right up there at the top of the (lower) class.” This is true biker exploitation personified in every way. Out of all of the terrible movies that I have recently reviewed, this one is kind of weird. First of all, it starts out with a war movie scene where some military guys are doing a training exercise, and progresses into some major biker exploitation that some of us may find somewhat disgusting. I’m cool with it personally, because I have seen so many of these flicks, but you will obviously have to be the judge. I remember seeing this movie when I was much younger, but since I was at a drive in theater, I missed much of it. Maybe that was a good thing.

The movie starts out with the military theme and then progresses to the usual ‘bikers riding around in the desert’ and then leads to a semi dramatic scene involving a lot of simple minded cinematography. The good ole Sunday ride turns bad when Casey, a member of the ‘Wizards MC’ has an encounter with two hot looking chicks driving a cool black Lincoln. He offers one of them a ride as he chases them down the road. When they become scared, and try to turn into a side road, one of the Wizards gets cut off and crashes his bike. Casey continues to chase the two women, and hits their windshield with a chain. This causes them to crash and their car goes over a cliff killing both of them. TJ the ‘leader of the gang’ tells Casey to go down the cliff to help them, but when another motorist happens by, TJ tells Casey to split, and the rest of the gang fires up and splits leaving Casey running up the hill to catch up. There is a conflict between TJ and Casey throughout the entire movie. Perhaps it was a simple power struggle, but I can’t really tell. Remember when I said this was a war movie? Well read on. …

It seems that Mitch, a Green Beret returns home from Vietnam to find that a gang of bikers has killed his fiancé. He calls on several of his Green Beret buddies to come and help him take revenge on the gang. Too bad none of them know how to ride the Kawasaki motorcycles that Mitch buys for them. There is a lot of funny footage where the military guys try to learn how to ride, but for some reason they still aren’t “real” bikers, just some Leathernecks on dirt bikes. They do form a ‘club’ however, who sport a circular patch with a sergeant’s insignia inside a circle. Their club, for what it’s worth are way outnumbered by the Wizards, but they have a secret weapon which involves military support, using a simple minded supply officer who sets them up with some interesting “training” tools including a very large truck and some rocket launchers.

Mitch and his Sgt. ‘gang’— Al, Jim and Hank, set out to find the guilty party. They know only that a group of bikers was seen leaving the scene of the accident and Kathy said the word “devils” before she died. The wizards patch seemed to have a devil’s head on it, so it was an easy catch. Mitch finds the Wizards, and follows them to their hangout in the little town of Piru. Mitch makes time with Casey’s girlfriend Susan to find out what happened to Kathy his fiancé. When T.J. finds out Mitch has been asking questions about the accident, he beats on him to find out why he’s asking. When Mitch won’t talk, they decide to transport him up to the Superstitions where the rest of the gang is camping.  Mitch is rescued by Al, Jim and Hank. They use the requisitioned army training weapons to trap the gang in the canyon and capture them all. It was almost ridiculous in the effect that the Wizards simply surrendered to 3 or 4 guys riding some Kawasaki dirt bikes, this especially that  they were supposed to be a ‘bad-ass’ biker gang, that had a lot of class. I do remember hearing Casey say something about Mitch recovering his chain, but by that time I was almost asleep. As the whole gang walked out of the scene, I think I did actually go to sleep, but I can’t really remember. …

This fiasco is available on DVD from MGM in the ‘Midnight Movies’ series, runs about an hour and a half, and only gets 2 stars because the real Marvin Gaye, and in her first appearance Cheryl Ladd were abused in this piece. Thank God their careers weren’t damaged based on this incident. Otherwise, check it out, and stay tuned for next month’s horrible old biker exploitation review!

Our Hot Spot of the month is Crab-BQ Seafood & Barbecue. With 2 full kitchens that serve sushi, seafood, BBQ, Steaks, and more.

Sunday June 6 at 12:30
Grand Opening Biker Bash Relaxing Outdoor Patio
Indoor Full Liquor Bar, Sushi Bar, Billards, Game Room

Lunch and Dinner

Cold Bud’s

Mc’d by Birdman Mike & Spyke
in concert Cowboy Mafia
Bike Show – Trophy Awards
BTR TV Taping & Magazine Shoot

Biker Christi Will take care of you!

2595 54th Ave. North St. Petersburg
One block East of Jim’s Harley-Davidson
727-498-6480

MEET LUCILLE O’NEAL, Mother, Author, Leader at the Florida Museum for Women Artists

Friday, May 21, 2010, 4 – 7 P.M.

As we honor mothers this month, the Florida Museum for Women Artists is pleased to host the mother of one of the greatest athletes of all time.  In a presentation and book signing, Lucille O’Neal, mother of the NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, will share her struggle to overcome the wounds of a troubled past and find security in a lifetime of uncertainty.

In her recently released book, “Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go”, O’Neal shares her struggles and disappointments, against the backdrop of her sweetest memories and proudest accomplishments.

 Lucille O’Neal is a woman you know, a woman you understand. Perhaps your own journey resembles hers. O’Neal has been a rebellious teen, a single mother, a wife, a college student, a divorcee and, above all, a woman of unique courage.  After fifty-six years, O’Neal has gained the wisdom to recognize her wrongs and guide other women down a different path. Her story is proof that it’s never too late for a new beginning.

In “Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go”, she introduces us to the people, places, and decisions that changed the course of her life.  Throughout her story, Lucille O’Neal gives us courtside seats to the mental welfare that held her happiness hostage and threatened to steal her joy.

Acquainted early in life with turmoil, O’Neal’s circumstances shaped her perspective and strengthened her resolve to overcome the challenges she would encounter later in life. Her journey is exceptional; but her story reveals that she is more than just “Shaquille O’Neal’s mom.”  She has endured poverty, rejection, abuse, addiction, and the illness of a child, yet today her faith and compassion for others are stronger than ever.

Lucille’s straightforward attitude and ability to adapt to any situation has equipped her with a tireless ability to serve. Lucille’s dedication to diverse causes underscores her heart for humanity. She has made countless contributions to various charities and continues to be an inspiration to many people, young and old. After 30 years of raising two sons and two daughters, Lucille resumed her studies in an Adult Education Program at Bethune-Cookman University where she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration (June 2003). In 2005 she completed her graduate program (Master of Arts in Organizational Management) at the University of Phoenix.

Join us Friday, May 21, 2010, 4 – 7 P.M. Reception with refreshments and book purchases begins 4 p.m., presentation begins 5 p.m., followed by book signing. Event is free with your museum admission.  Books will be available to purchase at the event.  Reserve your book today!  For more information please call the museum at (386) 873-2976.

The Florida Museum for Women Artists is a 501(c)(3) organization. Its mission is to identify and promote women artists and educate the public about women in the arts.

The Florida Museum of Women Artists is located at 100 N. Woodland Blvd in DeLand Florida.  Gallery, Museum Shop and Café hours: Tue-Thursday: 11am to 6pm, Fri-Sat: 11am to 7pm, Sundays: 1pm-5pm Closed: Mondays and major holidays.  Admission: $5 Adult Admission, $3 Children (under the age of 12), Museum Members Free. Travel time is approximately 1 hour from Orlando, 1.5 hours from Jacksonville, 4 hours from Tallahassee, and 3 hours from south Florida areas.