Windy Conditions

1. Strong windy conditions are something you’ll have to adjust to as you ride.  Keep your
    handlebars steady and adjust as necessary.  You’ll experience windy situations along
    mountains and open areas.
 
2. Wind turbulence experienced around buses, trucks and other large vehicles is another
    factor.  Wind turbulence exists when you are moving with the flow of the large vehicle
    or against it.  Look to change lanes and keep your handlebars steady as needed to
    be safe.

Animals

1. Dogs like to chase motorcycles.  Do not kick or attack the animal.  You don’t want it
    getting under your tires.  The best strategy is to downshift and slow down and then
    speed past it once you are near it.
 
2. When encountering a large animal like a deer, elk, cow, bull or a lion, you need to be
    extra careful.  Slow down and wait for the animal to pass.  Trying to pass by it may be
    a bad idea.  Hitting a large animal is as bad as hitting a vehicle.

 
Tire Failure

1. With the advent of tubeless tires, actual blowouts are rare.  Some older bike models
    along with some Harley Davidson bikes still use tubes.
 
2. Low tire pressure is the #1 reason for a tire blow out.  Keep your air pressure at the
    recommended setting.  Check your tires often.

3. When a puncture does occur while riding, do not try to fight the wobble too much. 
    Avoid downshifting and breaking.  Allow your bike to slow down gradually on it’s own
    and then begin downshifting and braking on the unaffected tire.  Move to the side of
    the road as traffic permits.  Applying brakes on the bad tire may cause the tires to
    fall off the rim.  You don’t want this to happen.  But some motorcycles use integrated
    or linked braking systems which will be unavoidable, so apply gentle pressure until
    your bike is at a safe speed.

 
Broken Clutch Cable

1. Some motorcycles may have a cable operated clutch.  If this cable brakes, your bike
    will remain fully engaged.  Use caution and downshift in slow speeds until your bike is
    stable.  Shift to neutral before stopping.  Otherwise your stopping will be jerky and
    the engine will stall.


Wobble/ Weave

1. A weave is a slight slow oscillation of the rear tires.
 
2. A wobble is a rapid and strong shaking of your front handlebars.
 
3. A weave and a wobble are both stability issues.
 
4. A wobble or weave can be caused by excessive weight in the wrong places, mechanical
    issues such as under inflated tires, unevenly worn tires, or loose bearings.
 
5. The solution to both problems is to keep your handlebars steady, do not fight the
    wobble.  Do not lock your arms. Do not fight the steering.  Slowly ease off the throttle
    and slow gradually.  Lean over your tank to shift the weight forward.  Do not apply the
    brakes and do not accelerate.



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