Ride Hard, Ride Smart: Ultimate Street Strategies for Advanced Motorcyclists [Paperback]

Patrick Hahn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2004

Ride Hard, Ride Smart is a practical, hands-on survival guide for the average motorcyclist. This book provides advanced survival and safety strategies for the developing rider. 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 and 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.

    

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Pat Hahn has been riding motorcycle for 14 years and is a certified MSF instructor who taught basic and experienced safety courses for the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center for six years. He is a regular contributing writer for the Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly and various other publications. Pat lives with his wife and other, furrier, family members in South Minneapolis.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; First edition (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760317607
• ISBN-13: 978-0760317600
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #405,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Suppliment with other books on motorcycling proficiency, August 29, 2006

By 

Patrick C. Cook (Woodbury, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ride Hard, Ride Smart: Ultimate Street Strategies for Advanced Motorcyclists (Paperback)

I think "Ride Hard Ride Smart" gets too caught up in the dangers of riding. It seems to be more of a warning book than a guide book as evidenced by its focus on the Hurt Report. Admirably, Hahn set out to alert his readers how to identify, avoid and manage the dangers of motorcycling. But mastering the sport takes much more than that, such as understanding the machine's physics and good riding techniques so that actual dangers can be handled in real time. Hahn, in my opinion, seems to feel that scaring a motorcyclist somehow motivates the motorcyclist to ride skillfully, yet fails to discuss all relevant skills.

I think "Ride Hard Ride Smart" has a fundamental flaw; it skips some important topics such as countersteering. I found myself questioning how a rider is going to understand how to swerve to avoid a danger that Hahn points out without understanding (or even being aware of) countersteering. Yet I find no reference to countersteering in Hahn's book. However Hahn does spend a good deal of time on braking techniques, for example. But I do not believe that braking should be discussed without also discussing countersteering - both skills are relevant in real-world riding. So it seems that "Ride Hard Ride Smart" leaves out aspects of riding that are just as important as those that were included. For this reason I think that "Ride Hard Ride Smart" should be a supplement to other books about motorcycle proficiency.

While every motorcyclist needs to be reminded that drinking and riding is dangerous, I was left wondering why Hahn felt it necessary to devote so much time to this subject when his book was promoted as being for "advanced" motorcyclists, as the book's subtitle states. Wouldn't an advanced motorcyclist have already moved beyond taking the risk of drinking and riding? Any motorcyclist who mounts a motorcycle who is impaired is certainly not advanced by any definition of the word. This left me wondering if Hahn knows what an advanced motorcyclist is. Of course, it could be that the publisher added that subtitle to sell more books. At any rate, be prepared to wade through material that is more applicable to inexperienced motorcyclists, or perhaps motorcyclists who have forgotten some fundamental basics. Still, a good dose of such reminders can't hurt if that works for the reader.

But with all that said, Hahn's book is a must read for anyone who takes motorcycling seriously be they advanced or beginner. Hahn does convey many important safety pointers and street strategies. But be prepared for a good dose of motorcycling fear. But while reading Hahn's book I periodically paused to remind myself that it is better to imagine the worst while reading a book than experiencing the worst while hurtling down the road atop an 800 lb machine.

All in all, "Ride Hard Ride Smart" is an important book to read. However, because it skips important yet relevant subjects, it must be supplemented with other books about motorcycle proficiency. I've given this book a mid-range rating because I feel that "Ride Hard Ride Smart" should not be relied upon entirely. Better yet, take the appropriate Motorcycle Safety Foundation course/s where one actually learns motorcycling skills rather than just reading about them. Ride right.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very worthwhile reading--A lifesaver, June 22, 2005

By 

Unknown (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ride Hard, Ride Smart: Ultimate Street Strategies for Advanced Motorcyclists (Paperback)

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.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just When I Thought I Knew It All...., April 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Ride Hard, Ride Smart: Ultimate Street Strategies for Advanced Motorcyclists (Paperback)

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.