This best-selling book is also "#1 book in motorcycle safety" (Nielsen
BookScan) and essential reading for all motorcyclists regardless of
their years of experience. Author David L. Hough, a revered motorcycle
author, columnist, and riding-safety consultant, lays out a clear course
for all riders who want to sharpen their handling skills and improve
their rides. This second edition, expanded and now in full color, offers
new riders and road warriors the exact kind of advice they need to be
prepared for anything when on the road, how to avoid accidents, and how
to handle the unexpected. Hough, who began motorcycling in the 1960s,
tackles every imaginable topic--from the mechanics of the bike,
selection of the right-sized bike, and basic riding skills to night
riding, group outings, and advanced survival tactics. In the chapter
called "Motorcycle Dynamics," Hough spells out the equipment needed and
basic skills required to control a bike, and specifically keeping the
rider's safety and ability to avoid potentially injurious or fatal
crashes. The author is outspoken and direct when it comes to safety, and
he emphasizes the importance of the rider's braking abilities and spells
out how to improve them. The chapter offers six tried-and-true
techniques for quick-stop tactics, critical for every rider to
understand and master. He also addresses other vital skills that riders
need to evaluate and improve, such as turning, maintaining balance and
stability, and steering. He defines, compares, and analyzes the ins and
outs of steering and control: direct steering, countersteering, push
steering, out-tracking, coning, u-turns, and directional control. The
chapter called "Cornering Habits" is a virtual master class in
acceleration, deceleration, use of weight, throttle, leaning, and
handling challenging terrain. Hough's skill as a photographer and
illustrator adds a graphic element to his books that leads to immediate
understanding of the concepts he explains. The detail offered in each
section of the book can only come from decades on the road, and the
author is the consummate instructor, assigning homework to the readers
in the form of exercises to practice and improve specific techniques
that he outlines and illustrates in the text. Any rider who would
venture out on the road without David Hough's voice in his head takes an
unnecessary risk with his own life.
Proficient Motorcycling takes riders from long, snaking country roads
right into the traffic of the big city, and Hough offers the best advice
for riders dealing with the most challenging conditions, whether it's
road construction, snap-jawed intersections, skateboarders, or suddenly
slippery road surfaces. A critical section of the book offers riders
advice on how to deal with automobiles, including aggressive car
drivers, oblivious SUV drivers, or "blind" truck drivers. The book
offers the kind of first-hand experience that can literally save riders'
lives, as illustrated in the chapters "Booby Traps" and "Special
Situations," which offer evasive tactics and advice to avoid and handle
everything from slick surfaces, curbs, and construction plates to
ferocious dogs, hazardous wildlife, and difficult weather conditions.
The final chapter of the book, "Sharing the Ride," is geared toward
experienced riders who travel together in groups or who travel with a
second passenger on the bike. Topics covered are formation, packing for
trips, communication between riders, sidecars, trikes, and more.
The book concludes with a resources section of organizations, training
schools, educational tools, and websites; a glossary of 80+ terms; and a
complete index.
