In aviation, a preflight checklist is a list of tasks that should be performed by pilots and aircrew before takeoff. Its purpose is to improve flight safety by ensuring that no important tasks are forgotten. Failure to correctly conduct a preflight check using a checklist is a major contributing factor to aircraft accidents.
Aviation lore says the concept of a pre-flight checklist was first introduced by management and engineers at the Boeing Company following the 1935 crash of the prototype Boeing B-17 (then known as the Model 299) at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, killing both pilots. The investigation found that the pilots had forgotten to disengage the crucial gust locks (devices that stop control surfaces moving in the wind while parked) prior to take-off.
You see this often in movies and TV but trust us, what you see is a very abbreviated sample of what is routine to aviators.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has its own pre-flight list as well -the T-Clocks. This stands for Tires, Controls, Lights, Oil, Chassis, and Stands.
In truth, it goes deeper than just the stated, but just the acronym swimming around in your noggin' should get you looking at your ride.
It certainly makes sense to get into a routine of making sure your ride is in good working order, and all is ship-shape.
I am sure there must be some small things, simply a convenience, that you feel that you must have or that are required while you are on the road. Sure, you have the bike and the correct gear – but it can be other, little things, that you might not even know you need - until you need them. My list on this goes deep.
Most of us have dealt with Christmas Light Gnomes – the little bastards that tangle up your tree lights somewhere between Valentine’s Day and Thanksgiving; but on their “off-season” they seem to spend their time going into the various motorcycles and removing the little things that I know should be there.
I have a lot of peripheral items – nice to have but not super necessary. Backroads stickers and cards, an old but still powerful copy of the U.S. Constitution, my barn door opener, some guitar picks & small capo, those sunglasses I lost early last winter, along with my "Lucky" condom I have had since I was 13. (Good times old fella, right? Well, maybe not)
But there are some things that I really feel I should have along for the ride whether it is a short day-trip or a few weeks on the road; and here are some in no particular order.
A working charging cable for my phone. Keeping 100% charge on your phone is important these days, and can make a big difference if The Bad happens. A Kershaw knife, two flashlights, a tube of Blistex. In one side pocket I know there will be a foil pack of Loratadine allergy pills handy for that errant cloud of pollen that will follow me around like Pig Pen’s cloud. I always ride with a Camelbak. Chap lips, itchy eyes, and thirsty is no way to ride a motorcycle.
My saddlebags have a bunch of tools (scientifically designated a Shit Load), along with Brian’s Bags of Tricks (much like Felix’s only better), as well as my heated gear, MotoPump, Stop & Go tire repair kit, and various battery packs – from motorcycle to Bluetooth ready.
Yes, I do carry a lot – and like Don Corleone, someday - and that day may never come - I might call upon any of these to do a service for me, or not.
The point is that there are Major Pre-Flight Lists and Minor Pre-Flight Lists. Major is called Major for a reason, but sometimes it is the little minor things that can set a ride’s standard.
Like Santa – make a list and check it twice!