Product Description

Ride Hard, Ride Smart is a practical, hands-on survival guide for the average motorcyclist. It takes up where the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Guide to Motorcycling Excellence leaves off. That very successful book is aimed at beginning riders, and as such outlines the most basic strategies of motorcycle riding. This book provides more advanced survival and safety strategies. The vast wealth of knowledge and information developed by the motorcycle safety industry is bound into one chapter and one simple concept - the "three degrees of separation" - that sets the stage for the rest of the book. The three degrees of separation are riding strategies, training and skills, and protective gear-the things that separate the rider from death an injury. Hahn rates motorcycle risk and riding on a scale of one to ten, ten being mere moments away from certain death, and one being home safe in bed. Every motorcycle ride falls somewhere in between. Using the three degrees of separation, a rider can get the risk level down to a controllable level, creating the safest possible situation on a moving motorcycle.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #728399 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Review
If I had to recommend a resource to someone looking to improve their skills on the street, this would be it. People on this board have complained about organization and repetitiveness, but I strongly disagree. It follows a very logical learning path, and does so with humor, appealing design, and intelligent nuggets of wisdom. The graphs, diagrams, and statistics help illustrate many ideas, and debunk a lot of myths about motorcycling. And, yeah, there may be lessons in here that are old news to the seasoned rider, but the point of the book is that every rider, no matter how long they've been at it, can use a refresher course in safety. This book will save some lives, I'm sure of it. --webbike world

A fantastic leap forward in the world of motorcycle safety. As an instructor and enthusiast, I thought I'd reached the point in which there was nothing left to learn. There is more to learn--and a lot of it. While beginners could benefit from this book, experienced riders will relish the advanced and detailed information far more. Anyone who rides a motorcycle on the street should read this. It's no safety "snoozefest." It's really fun and interesting. It covers the Hurt Study, basic motorcycle safety strategies, choosing the safest route, when to ride and when not to ride, visibility, positioning, techniques for high-risk situations, risk heirarchy and categorization, visualization for practice and experience, big-picture theories about traffic flow and conflict, and how to deal with distractions. Plus, it's funny as heck and written in an easy-to-read, engaging format. The photographs and diagrams are really beautifully done. A more apt title would be, 'Motorcycling for the Risk Averse.' If you want to learn 101 new ways to ride safer and smarter, this is the book for you. --motorcycle dot com

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Hahn has an excellent wit and shares a wealth of knowledge about riding safely. I read the entire book the first night I had it. The book begins by illustrating some of the major hazards that motorcyclists face on the road, and then gives great advice for avoiding those hazards and for overall safe and enjoyable riding. If you want to learn about smart and safe riding in a fun and informative way, then this book is for you. It is well worth reading and re-reading. --RoadSafe

Customer Reviews

Other books cover the same material far better
Ride Hard, Ride Smart is a well-written, easily digested book that covers a number of techniques to improve your riding. Setting aside the American perspective, this is a good book for UK riders too.

However, other books cover the same material far better.

Motorcycle Roadcraft remain most comprehensive and best book on how to pre-empt the hazards presented by other road users, with a wealth of invaluable tips on everything from cornering to overtaking. Motorcycle Roadcraft offers many valuable tips to new and experienced riders alike.

When it comes to bike handling, either Kenny Roberts' Performance Riding Techniques or Lee Parks' Total Control would offer more comprehensive advice, building on Keith Code's original work. Blue Riband, IAM, RoADAR or OCN accredited riders may find these books compliment their roadcraft.

My recommendation would be to read Motorcycle Roadcraft plus one of Performance Riding Techniques, Total Control or A Twist of the Wrist 2. This combination would cover everything in Ride Hard, Ride Smart and more. Whilst no book is a substitute for advanced training, the right books can speed up learning and deepen knowledge.