The Motorcycle Safety Foundation announced it has updated the curriculum for its Basic RiderCourse training program. The updates include new classroom content as well as new practical exercises, with a strong emphasis on collision avoidance.

The MSF‘s updates are the product of $2.4 million worth of research which began in 2010. The new curriculum includes approximately 40% more content on rider perception and finding escape paths, 30% more on negotiating curves and cornering and 15% more practice time for swerving and other crash-avoidance skills. Continue Reading »

BMW announced it will make anti-lock brakes standard equipment across its entire lineup starting with the 2013 model year.

The German manufacturer became the first to introduce ABS into serial production motorcycles in 1988 and now 25 years later, BMW will be the first to offer ABS across all of its models. BMW has already announced two 2013 models that will come with ABS, the updated F800GS and the F700GS.

The decision to make ABS standard comes as as pre-emptive step ahead of new legislation expected to make ABS required for all new motorcycles by 2013. ABS is also a cornerstone of BMW’s new “Safety 360°” principle, the manufacturer’s new three-pronged philosophy for rider safety. Continue Reading »

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is adding the Zero XU to its fleet of motorcycles approved for its rider training programs. The Zero XU has already been put into service in a pair of pilot programs and will soon be available in programs across the U.S.

The XU provides some benefits for inexperienced riders.  As an electric motorcycle, riders won’t have to worry about excessive heat and with little noise, it would be easier to listen to instructors. Beginners also won’t have to worry about gear shifting or operating a clutch, allowing them to focus on other riding skills.

“The Zero XU successfully completed a pilot program on two training courses in Washington state and Florida. Students and instructors alike found the motorcycle to be highly responsive and handle nicely,” says Mark Cummings, Zero Motorcycles’ North American fleet manager.  “The XU allows students to enhance their skills and concentrate on the fundamentals of riding, while still experiencing the look and feel of a traditional motorcycle. Course operators also love that there is very little upkeep in terms of maintenance and, of course, no fuel to add or other fluids that can run the risk of spillage.” Continue Reading »

If there’s one thing I like more than motorcycles, it’s hot supermodels, such as Victoria’s Secret Angel, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covergirl and Harley-Davidson spokesmodel Marisa Miller.

Miller has appeared in a number of promotional spots for The Motor Company in recent years, most notably for the Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle and to support Harley-Davidson’s U.S. Military Appreciation programs (one of Miller’s “American Bombshell” post cards is currently my computer’s desktop wallpaper).

In the latest promotional tie-in, the statuesque model appears in a new video for Harley-Davidson’s Rider’s Edge new rider course. Joined by her father, Marc Bertetta, and husband Griffin Guess (both reportedly, experienced riders themselves), Miller enrolls in the course, riding Buell Blasts in the rain.

As a new rider myself, having recently taken a rider training course, I shared the same feelings, first nervousness, and eventually, accomplishment, that Miller felt. Her husband and father also taking part helped provide Miller with support, but also reminds us that even experienced riders can get something out of a riding school. Check out the video after the jump.

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The halls of the House of Representatives in Texas were filled with a slightly different breed of protestor on Monday as 2,000 bikers from across the state lobbied their legislative representatives to preserve and reinstate the rights of their group. Continue Reading »