Right now, as I write this, it's close to the beginning of motorcycle season in the Chicago area. We have a shorter riding season than our riding buddies in warmer climates, so there's a certain sense of urgency that's common to riders up here. We feel like we need to get out and do as much riding as possible during the comparatively short time we have, you know?
It's completely understandable, but that urgency is probably also a strong reason why some of us might skip over the safety checks we know in our heads should be done. If you took a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse or other similar rider training, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Remember T-CLOCs? If you don't, click that acronym for a link to the MSF's outline of exactly what it is, and what it entails. Don't worry; this article will still be here when you've familiarized yourself with the concept.
If you have vague memories of it, or you remember it in full, then you probably also recall that the very first letter in that acronym stands for "Tires (and Wheels)". That's how important those things are to your pre-ride safety inspection checklist; they're the very first thing that the MSF mentions that you need to check.
