Suggestions for Keeping Alert and Awake Several things I use regularly where I "could" pull over anywhere & at anytime. The key here is to decide whether the following things work long enough to continue on or do I pull over and sleep: - isometric exercises between the handlebars while riding (pushups, squeezing bars together, etc.). - very strong mint gum like Dentyne ICE or very strong mints - Hall's Mentholytus mints/candy will REALLY open your sinuses and your eyes (or my eyes). - eating something or drinking something cool like water. - hooking up with another rider you meet going your way. - talking with a trucker on the CB. - standing on the pegs. - rolling your shoulders over and over. - stretching exercises with arms and legs. - mental distance calculations to next destination. - butt clenches over and over and over. - singing along with some peppy music on the radio/mp3 player. If I am in a position where the items above no longer work and I cannot pull over safely but HAVE to keep going (the Cassiar Hwy at night during the 02 Rendezvous comes to mind where there were dangers from bears and from the cold), I might do the following: - drink a Red-Bull energy drink that I carry for just such a situation (or something similar to get me through till I can stop). - pull over and run around doing jumping jacks, etc. then continue for a ways till I have to stop and repeat. - clench every muscle in my body for as long as it takes over and over to stay awake until the VERY first opportunity where I can stop safely. When I do this, I am EXTREMELY careful not allow myself to relax for a second because I've learned the hard way that at this point, it only TAKES ME less than A SECOND to nod off. Bottom line, PULL OVER as soon as you can and GET OFF THE BIKE when you can safely do so. Take at least a 1/2 hour nap if not an hour or more. Most interstates have rest stops along them but I've used wide areas in the road too. Don't let yourself nod AT ALL if you can help it. This is a VERY dangerous situation. This is NOT like a car where the car can stay up on it's own. You will eventually lean one way or the other and the bike will go in that direction - right off the road if you do not wake up in time to stop it. I think John and I both have learned this the hard way. My first accident on my ST while ldriding was during my second BBG attempt from Iowa back to Seattle and was totally due to nodding off for just a tenth of a second. I was unhurt in the resulting low-side and the bike was minimally damaged but it forever more changed how I deal with "the nods" on a bike. I was VERY lucky I wasn't hurt as seriously as Mr. Laurenson was - I missed going over a bridge's guard rail and falling 30 feet below by mere inches and because of my quick reactions when I opened my eyes seconds before the impact with the guard rail. I swerved at the last second and only glanced off the metal railing resulting in a low side. I was only 3 miles or so from Buffallo, Wyoming and "thought" I could make it there before I needed to pull over. I was lazy and wanted somewhere more comfortable than the side of the road to sleep on. I had already nodded several times along the way but kept pushing on. THIS IS A MISTAKE! I did rode the bike the rest of the way home to Seattle from Buffallo, Wyoming but you can be sure I was WIDE awake the whole time. I'm proud to say that I've NEVER since allowed this to happen. If I have to, I pull over, do jumping jacks, and continue until I have to pull over again and repeat till I can get somewhere safe to rest. I do this even if I only ride 5 miles before I have to stop again. Be careful out there. Build up your endurance and experience slowly, learning the whole way. What do you learn? You learn what YOUR limits are and what works FOR YOU when dealing with various situations. Be patient, the skills and knowledge will come with time. Don't be in a rush to learn the hard way and realize that what works for one person may NOT work for you. I hope these ideas help. Joe Zulaski Jun, 4 Aug 2002