10 Things we wish we knew when we started riding Motorcycles

We are delighted to announce the launch of our second 5Four motorcycle… The Honda CB1000R 5Four.

The wonderful Gez, working his magic on the new prototype seat cover. Spec at the moment is black leather, embroidered 5Four logo and red diamond stitching. Guy says, if it ain‘t broke don‘t fix it!

Working together…

Lots of Bikers like group rides – It would be great to know why…

Forget the category we’re all Bikers.

Why sometimes less is more on a Motorcycle

I never cross anyone on the stairs. Any stairs, anytime, anywhere. It’s my thing and it infuriates the hell out my wife, especially in busy departmental stores when I wait for the stairwell to be clear before making my move. Sometimes the people I have waited for say “thank you” and I smile and say “never cross on the stairs” or some such like. Sometimes people just look bemused and probably think I am a little strange. It is my one nod to superstition and, as we tiptoe into 2021, I might be coming around to another – am considering a bell for my motorcycle. A Gremlin or Guardian Bell to be precise. Since I have known Guy he has banged on about his “Guardian Bell” – he has owned one for years – and despite my continuing reticence he has promised to buy one for me. You see, these Guardian or Gremlin bells should be bought for a motorcyclist by someone who cares for them (isn’t that lovely) and should not be purchased for oneself. Guy’s wife Jules bought his. Further research has revealed that the tradition of Guardian / Gremlin bells on motorcycles goes back a long way. According to Bike Bandit the Guardian Bell (also known as Gremlin Bell or Spirit Bell) is a lucky charm for motorcyclists and is there to protect the rider on their travels. Legend has it that evil spirits and gremlins loiter on the highways and look for passing motorcyclists to latch onto and cause mischief. A Guardian Bell should be attached to the lowest point possible on a motorcycle and wards off the gremlins by capturing them in the body of the bell. The continual ringing annoys the gremlins so much they detach themselves, fall off and thus the motorcyclist will come to no harm. In the article Gremlin Bells: Digging Through Fact Fiction and In-Between, Get Lowered Cycles offer perhaps a more believable history of the gremlin/guardian bell that originates from aircraft bomber crews in the Second World War. Sleep deprived and cold, airmen would often see “gremlins” in the corner of their eye, outside the plane windows over the wings. Amphetamines were regularly used by bomber crews to keep them awake and it is thought that these pharmaceutical stimulants contributed to the appearance of imagined gremlins. The gremlins were of course not little green creatures, it was a term given to broken pieces from other damaged planes flying through the air. Very dangerous if these lumps of metal were to strike a wing or smash into an engine. Pilots had to keep their wits about them to avoid any damage and thus amphetamines became commonplace to keep airmen alert. Overtime some aircrewmen did not like the effects of the stimulants and started to attach small bells to parts of the aircraft cockpit. These “gremlin bells” would ring continually and keep the crew awake to ensure they kept a look out for flying debris. The bells became guardians for aircrewmen safety and after the war, the veterans who were motorcyclists attached the gremlin/guardian bells to their bikes. The WWII story is supported by numerous articles on the “Gremlin phenomenon” experienced by fighter pilots. The author Roald Dahl, an ace RAF pilot, wrote a book called Gremlins about little creatures who flew on Spitfire missions that Walt Disney wanted to make into a movie after the war had ended. The film was never made. Whether you prefer the superstitious or historic version of the legend of Gremlin Bells matters not. What is interesting is how big a deal these little babies are amongst bikers all over the World. Time will tell whether Guy follows through on his promise to buy a bell for me – his pockets are deep and his arms notoriously short, so will not hold breath. Should one be forthcoming, maybe, just maybe it will be seen hanging from the undercarriage on my 5Four motorcycle in the future. Furthermore, having discovered so much about these little bells, Chris and I are coming around to Guy’s desire to create a beautiful billeted 5Four version and make a limited number available for the 5Four family. Watch this space. Stay safe! References The Legend Of The Gremlin Bell: A Bikers Tradition. BikeBandit May 4th 2018. www.bikebandit.com Gremlin Bells: Digging Through Fact Fiction and In-Between. Get Lowered Cycles www.getlowered.com Gremlins! Robert O. Harder. September 2019. www.history.net.

Most blokes believe they are great drivers and equally fabulous when it comes to all things in the “bedroom department”. Sorry guys let me disabuse you of these misapprehensions. Nothing could be further from the truth and this I might add, is based on considerable feedback received over the years! Special thanks should be recorded here to ex-wives and girlfriends on the latter and, thank goodness, to my motorcycle pals on the former. To save any further embarrassment for the author, the focus for this Blog will be on riding skills and my belief that motorcyclists are better and safer motorists. Knowing your own limitations and not making the same mistake twice are great lessons for life and for riding motorcycles. Self-awareness is a vital ingredient for continual improvement. In her book Pressure Is a Privilege, former World Number 1 and multiple Grand Slam winning tennis player Billie Jean King states that self-awareness is “probably the most important thing in becoming a champion”. World renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow believes that “What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself”. On a motorcycle I am self-aware enough to know I will run out of talent quickly and thus adapt my riding accordingly. Most motorcyclists do the same. Being self-aware and situationally aware of everything around us is critical to safety on a motorcycle and this awareness translates to car driving. For example, I am sure I am not the only biker/motorist who always looks over their shoulder when changing lanes whilst driving a car. I am very keen to learn from my great motorcycling buddy Mick – a far more skilled rider and ex-racer who is always honest enough to help me improve my riding techniques with little tips here and there. Guy is a great teacher too, after all, remember [how could we forget] he covered over 1 million miles as despatch rider in London back in the day and that is a dangerous game that requires a whole new set of motorcycle safety skills. Just following Guy on a ride has helped to improve my skills – he covers the ground so effortlessly. I could not wish for two better tutors, yet what about our hapless, fellow road users on four wheels? What continuing development do they undertake I wonder? Very little based on what us motorcyclists experience I would wager. Most cars are computers on wheels and drivers of these tin boxes have no concept that it is the electronics working behind the scenes that keeps them safe. Probably a good thing as so many drivers appear to be in a daze, on a mobile phone, or both. Motorcyclists are fully aware of everything their bike is doing, the ever-changing contact with the road, the workings and the limitations of the machine. Motorcyclists are, as Chris from 5Four describes “in the moment”. They are at one with their bike, continually making adjustments to ensure the rubber remains planted on the road and the motorcycle avoids making contact with any fools on four wheels. Furthermore, motorcyclists are vulnerable, no safety cage or seatbelts to lull us into a false sense of security or reduce injury for us. We have to anticipate what is likely to happen next in terms of road conditions and the activities of other motorists and it is this constant acuity combined with our skills, wits and reflexes that makes us great riders and indeed better motorists. This belief is supported by two surveys conducted by two different insurance companies. In 2013 Equity Red Star conducted a study on historic motor claims for car drivers and motorcyclists who were also car drivers. Their conclusion was motorcyclists who also owned a car were 23% safer behind the wheel compared to car drivers who did not own a motorcycle. A study conducted in 2015 by insurance brokers Carole Nash found that when it came to road knowledge, motorcyclists were far safer than car drivers in 76% of cases. Commenting on the study results, Rebecca Donohue Head of Marketing for Carole Nash said “Motorcyclists scored highly because they must have their wits about them at all times” Donohue added that “More importantly our study revealed that a considerable proportion of car drivers still do not know how to interpret and react to certain everyday road situations involving motorcyclists”. It is interesting to note that the study led to Carole Nash introducing a Bikers only Car Insurance policy. The company guarantees to beat car insurance renewal quotations for motorcyclists based on the premise that motorcyclists make safer road users. So, there you have it: we motorcyclists are better drivers. Yet we should not rest on our laurels. Practice makes perfect and I commit to continue to improve my riding skills, self and situational awareness and thus will become a better motorist. On the trickier topic of bedroom athletics - still in need of much attention according to the current Mrs Giles - I look forward to the next lesson! To misquote Paul McCartney and the late Michael Jackson, evidently, I’m a biker not a lover. Stay safe and Happy New Year! References Pressure Is A Privilege Lessons I’ve learnt From Life and The Battle Of The Sexes. Billy Jean King. September 21st 2008. Lifetime Media. ISBN: 100981636802. A Theory Of Human Motivation. Abraham Maslow. Psychological Review 50 (4), 430-437. 1943. Motorcyclists 23% Better Behind The Wheel Of A Car. Steve Farrell 12th November 201. www.visordown.com Motorcyclists Are Safer Road Users: Survey. Mark Hinchliffe. 30th June 2015. www.motorbikewriter.com The Girl Is Mine. Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney. Thriller Album. Epic-CBS Records, April 1982. Image: www.carthrottle.com