Atlanta Motorcycle Schools

Greetings Fellow Motorcyclists!

I see out of the window remnants of snow still on the ground as of this writing. Thanks to El Nino, it has been an uncommonly cold start to the New Year. But spring really is just around the corner and we should start beginning to plan our spring activities now. This update includes some motorcycle upkeep and preparation hints, suggestions to take the necessary steps to freshen our mental and physical skills and some activities in the near future.

NRA Basic Handgun Courses

As you know, JoAnna and I are now offering NRA Basic Handgun Courses. If you have recently purchased a handgun or are considering it, proceed as you have done when you got into the sport of motorcycling. Get professional training as to proper handgun handling, correct attitude, and the many other aspects of handgun shooting. Whether you are considering recreational shooting, historic reenactment, collecting, competition, home defense, or concealed carry; start by taking the Basic Handgun Course. The indoor range we use is a state of the art facility. One date is still available in February. We can also assist you in making that first choice of handgun easier. Click on www.jkminc.com/HandgunClasses.html for more information and scheduled class dates.

Winter Motorcycle Maintenance

Your battery should have been kept on a battery tender over the winter if you have not ridden much. At the least put a charger on it for a few hours at least once a week. Check your records for the age of your battery. If it is over three years and hasn't been taken care of properly, it should be checked and perhaps replaced.

How about your tires?? Check the tread (2/32 of an inch is minimum) depth. Also read the sidewall for the manufactures date of these tires. If over 3 years old, consider replacing them. Like everything else, tires age and the compound will become harder, less resilient and even begin showing signs of cracking on the sidewall. This not only affects traction, but can lead to a blow-out. With only two tires, these chances are simply not worth taking the risk.

If you have any questions or comments about motorcycle care, contact your favorite mechanic or call us at (770) 573-9902.

Refresher Courses

We are already scheduling motorcycle classes for March and April. With the anticipated warmer weather, riders are considering a new purchase, maybe haven't ridden much over the winter or just realize that a refresher course will be the ticket to a better start for the riding season. As always, AMS customers will receive increasing discount rates with each additional course taken. Click on www.jkminc.com/course.html for a list of our courses. Seriously consider a street course with Ken for that "Real World" tune up!!

We are still seeing considerable interest in the dual sport class (www.jkminc.com/course.html#dual). As you know, we provide the dual sport for this session. It begins at one of the premier motorcycling places in North Georgia (Two Wheels Only Motorcycle Resort in Suches). Click on www.twowheelsonly.com to access their web site. Call us if you have questions about this or any of our courses, call us at 770 573 9902.

Remember, as a street rider, learning to ride off road will help you become a much better and confident street rider. Putting these decisions off only results in not doing it at all…

Advantages of Small Riding Groups

How many times have you seen or been a part of a scheduled group ride and had up to forty people arrive? This large group was supposed to follow the ride leader. The first challenge was getting forty motorcyclists organized to begin the ride (does "herding cats" come to mind??).

You have friends who want to stay and ride together and others who would rather not ride with some others. Before long you realize that lesser-skilled riders are sandwiched between a half dozen better-skilled riders in front and behind. Passing antics ensue, fixation occurs, some ride over their heads, and eventually a rider goes down. This is nothing new in the world of motorcycling and it can often end with several riders going down trying to avoid the crash ahead.

This stuff actually happens all too often in the motorcycling community!!

So, let's encourage like-skilled riders to ride together in small pods of six or less. There is no specific departure time. We want everyone to ride at their own pace. You can space the riding pods out 5 to 10 minutes apart and insure that the riders know to maintain that interval during the ride.

Another advantage of this is that food establishments can be more welcoming when a small group of 6 to 12 riders descend than having up to 40 riders crowd in.

Dual Sport Tour: April 16-18, 2010

Our Dual Sport Tour is coming together for April 16-18. It will start in Hot Springs North Carolina on that Friday. Expect fantastic adventure riding on some of the very best roads in North Carolina Saturday and Sunday. Our tour guide (Pete Tamblyn) has put together another fantastic weekend for us. We can still accommodate two more riders for those interested individuals.

Go to www.jkminc.com/tours.html. Let us hear from you. Call us at (770) 573-9902.

Wishing all of you a more pleasant and warmer February. Maybe even get some overdue riding in, too…

Ride Smart, Ride Safe, Ride Home!

Ken and JoAnna