In this Issue: 1) HelmetGiggles™ Comic Strip Launches! 2) 30-Day Membership... Time is Running Out 3) Quick Find... TomTom Motorcycle GPS on sale 4) Beginning Motorcycle Rider Quick Start Guide is Ready... 5) Forum Post of the Week 6) Forwarding this Tip and Signing Up Coming Soon: ... Results of the Riding Tips Reader Survey Personal Note: I'm currently away from home, fulfilling one of my life-long dreams. Today was "the big event"... and it was just as fun as I had hoped. I'll have all the details next week. But on to this week's big news... Today is the official launch date of the HelmentGiggles™ Comic Strip. The idea for HelmetGiggles™ started over two years ago -- in my head. There are so many funny things revolving around the sport of motorcycling. From the stereotypes of cruiser riders versus sport bike riders... to the challenges we all face just keeping her upright. HelmetGiggles™ is a light-hearted attempt to celebrate the differences, to laugh, and to have fun. The process of arriving at a finished strip is very time consuming, but I hope that you enjoy them. With each strip, my goal is for 80% of the viewers to "get it". This probably sounds odd, but I've learned that giving too many words (ie. spoon feeding the reader) makes it less interesting. So, don't expect your non-riding friends to understand every strip. The only way to receive the HelmetGiggles™ Comic Strip is via our free Motorcycle Riding Tip of the Week email. Help me spread the word. Let your riding friends know about the Riding Tip of the Week, and about HelmetGiggles™. Also, if you have an idea for a strip, email me with the details! David Mixson david@motorcyclementor.com HelmetGiggles™ Spontaneous Combustion 30-Day Free Membership to MotorcycleMentor.com™ Many of you have already signed up for our 30-day membership to MotorcycleMentor.com. We only have a limited number of slots left. Take a test drive today. We're posting new content several times each week. And, the forum is a great way to ask a question, and to share information with other riders. Gain immediate FULL access to all the resources on the site, using this sign-up form. Motorcycle Gadget Quick Find -- TomTom Portable GPS System for Motorcycle Dealnews has a coupon for the TomTom Rider Portable Motorcycle GPS Receiver. Total price including shipping is $479. I don't have one of these models, so do your homework before purchasing. Special ends May 24th. Find out more here. ** WIN a Free Shoei Helmet ** Post something in our MotorcycleMentor.com Forum and you could WIN a FREE Shoei Helmet (up to $300). To help get the forum rolling, a friend suggested I have give away a very nice helmet. Why not? Here's how you can win... First, sign-up for the 30-Day Membership using the link above. Then, post something in the forum. For each post (up to 5) that you enter by Monday June 4th, your name will be placed in a hat. We will pull one name out, and give that person a Free Shoei helmet of their choice. Read all the details/rules here. MotorcycleMentor.com™ Recent Information Added Here is a recent article posted on Motorcyclementor.com™. Beginning Motorcycle Rider Quick Start Guide -- 14 Steps to Proficient Riding David Mixson Just Released... Our Beginning Motorcycle Rider Quick Start Guide gives new riders 14 Steps to jump-start their learning. From understanding the risks, and selecting the right motorcycle -- to purchasing riding gear... this Quick Start Guide is a great resource for riders serious about riding better. . . Keep Reading MotorcycleMentor.com™ Forum Post of the Week The MotorcycleMentor.com™ Forum is a great place to ask questions. Here is a recent example... Denise asks this question?"... Should I lower my bike? I'm 5'3", 130lbs, and a beginner on a Vulcan 900. Bet I put my rear end on a couple dozen seats before I bought it. Perfect would have been an 800, hate that they don't make them anymore. Finding used ones is tough, they sell quickly this time of year. Anyway, of all the bikes I sat on, I couldn't get away from the Vulcan. Love the low center of gravity, ease of reaching the controls, liquid cooled engine, fuel injection, and the low seat height. I'm "almost" flat footed on it. Almost... I keep hearing that I should lower it just a bit. Here are my questions about that: 1) The only negative I really saw in reviews for this model is that it's "too low to the ground". Will lowering it make it less safe on the road? 2) Will I lose anything I need in handling and/or in basic control of the bike? 3) Will it effect the comfort of riding? By that, will it make it feel stiffer when riding over rough areas? I realize it's not quite the same thing, but I just keep thinking about how lowered cars ride like tin cans! 4) Is that something I can do myself, or will this be a trip to the shop and a C note? Looking forward to your opinions! Denise Pete Responded... Hi Denise: I'll mirror the cautions of David and Mike about lowering your Vulcan. What you lose in the process is suspension travel (making for a worse ride) and/or ground clearance, compromising your ability to lean the bike over when cornering. When hard parts scrape, it tends to lever the wheels off the ground, reducing traction and leading to a slide-out. Lowered bikes have to negotiate curves more slowly than when in stock condition. Before I look at seat options, first what sort of shoes do you wear when riding? For the sake of protection, I recommend a boot that comes at least above the ankle, but I do not recommend one with a tall heel (which some folk wear hoping to reach the ground more easily). High heels interfere with operating foot controls. Your foot is already way more clumsy than your hands, yet has to be able to operate the rear brake or gearshift levers with great precision for you to ride well. I wouldn't recommend more than a 1" heel. Check out the options at a dealer or on-line, and pick flexibility (for ease of operation) over something industrial with an extra-heavy sole or steel toe. Shoes that have the names of bike brands on them are often fashion or designer-influenced, and often not styled to optimize control. If you decide you can use a little less seat padding to set you closer to the ground, check out the local car and boat upholsterers in your area. Often they can remove your stock seat cover, shave off just enough foam to make an improvement, and either re-fit the original or make a substitute seat cover -- all cheaper than sending your seat off (for perhaps weeks) to a m/c-specific custom seat builder. The benefit of working with someone local is that you get to watch, pick your materials, and try out the product as it's being developed for you. Firm foam works better for comfort than soft (mushy) foam; gel holds heat forever once the bike has sat an hour in the summer sun. Finally, while being able to flatfoot a bike is convenient and confidence-inspiring, you can slide your butt over to the left a smidge as you stop, putting your left foot firmly on the ground, and keeping your right foot on the rear brake, where it belongs. You don't want to develop the habit of landing like a goose, all spraddle-legged with both feet wide out, advertising to the world that you lack the skill and balance to use your rear brake properly. Which is a topic for a whole 'nuther rant. Good luck. I'm betting that after you have a couple of months experience with your new Vulcan 900, getting both feet on the ground won't seem such an issue. Practice those parking lot skills! Pete . . . To read the full forum post, click here: http://www.motorcyclementor.com/members/forum/openthread.cfm?forum=1&ThreadID=71 Signing Up for The Riding Tip of the Week New to our Riding Tip of the Week? Do you have questions... like "What's the difference between the free Riding Tip of the Week Newsletter and MotorcycleMentor.com™? Find answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions here. If you like these tips, spread the word. The link to this page is: http://www.motorcyclementor.com/public/154.cfm If you received this Tip from a friend, and would like to receive the free Riding Tip of the Week, enter your first name and email in the form below. We hate spam as much as you do! Your name and email will never be sold or rented under ANY circumstances. Unsubscribe information is sent with each Tip. Until Next Week, David Mixson MotorcycleMentor.com™

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